Today's Path

A Brief (?) Vacation From Blogging

2013-05-19T00:30:00.000-05:00

As some of you may be aware, I recently moved to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. It was quite an undertaking done solo but alas, the boxes are gone and I'm now in the process of really setting up a home here. It's been a lot of juggling, moving piles of stuff from one place to the next, then sorting, then juggling again to make it all fit someplace else. Enough to make ya nuts sometimes! Our spring was late this year and I'm just now starting the garage - a several decade dumping ground for things I don't even KNOW what they ARE - so this is definitely "fun"!

Along with house stuff, pickleball just started, and golf, and a whole new social life I'm really enjoying. I had scheduled blogs to be run thru the middle of May way back last February. I thought by now I'd be ready to hit the blog topics again and keep on rolling. Somehow this is just not happening.

Truth be told, I really don't know what I'll be doing - in so far as blogging is concerned. I haven't been on line enough lately to read many of YOUR blogs, and I do apologize for my absence. It's a whole new life now for me and I'm not sure how much of what I USED TO DO I am bringing forward with me now.

I know others have struggled with the blog/no more blog issue, so you'll know where I am coming from. For now, I'm going to take a break from it and see how that feels. So in the meantime...........

EAT HEALTHY
THINK HEALTHY
BE HEALTHY

AND..............

Thank you ALL for your loyal support and following!
Susan aka Suzen

The Color Pink - The Cancer Cure?

2013-05-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you read my blog last week, this is a rather natural follow up. Whereas in earlier years I was all about the fund raising, walk-for-a-cure stuff, I've put an end to that support. When the American Cancer Society will not offer any cancer-prevention information to anyone, when they fund millions to wipe out alternative doctors working to cure cancer without pharmaceuticals, when they have had 50 years and billions to come up with nothing but poisons, I see them as corrupt and manipulative. I bristle when I see all the pink stuff too. I cry when I see these women believing they are raising money for a cure, especially the daughters who have lost their moms to cancer. Heartbreaking! I know in their hearts they want to do the right thing and who doesn't?

The realtor chant is Location, Location, Location. Mine is Prevention, Prevention, Prevention! We simply must stop blindly handing over money for a cure that will never come. We simply must get smart, get informed and learn what we can do to reduce the risks of getting it and start supporting the doctors who have found cures and face ruin for it. Over the years I've featured many of the doctors who are doing their best, sometimes having to LEAVE this country to do it, finding alternative treatments to the "standard care" of killing with chemo.

I found an article on Natural News who was quoting an article in Forbes about the whole pink thing I thought I would share. It is not for the faint of heart but smacks of a truth not to be ignored in my opinion - and that's all this is - my opinion. I am hoping you will share YOURS in the comments.

"Pinkwashing – Your donations allow us to make 1000 more pink pens.

Forbes recently published an article that explains the term “pinkwashing.” Pinkwashing: (n) the practice of using the color pink and pink ribbons to indicate a company has joined the search for a breast cancer cure and to invoke breast cancer solidarity, even when the company may be using chemicals linked to cancer.

What the article hones in on is the incongruous and sometimes baffling corporate connections between the cancer fundraising business and companies like KFC and Avon – both companies that use known carcinogens in their products. (Is this ironic to you or is it just me?)

The Good: Your donations make more pens.

Let’s face it, how many times have you found yourself without a pen? The experience is stressful, which means your body creates excess cortisol. This cortisol production disrupts the hormonal balance of the body and increases the risk of cancer. This means, the pen itself may actually be the cure for cancer everyone’s looking for… (Plus, pink pens have been scientifically shown to be seen better from distances further than 5 feet away.)

The Bad: Obviously, that was a little humor above. And if any of you thought it was insensitive to cancer patients, my mother is a breast cancer survivor and has worked for the American Cancer Society. My father died of cancer. If there was anyone who would be upset about it, it would be me. One thing that is very evident to me is that pens don’t cure cancer."

Now there are also the pink ribbon magnets, coffee mugs, hats and t-shirts - endless amounts of "stuff" and all you are doing by buying them is keeping the companies that manufacture that "stuff" in business. If any money at all is given to the ACS, godonlyknows what they are doing with it."

I am certainly not insensitive to cancer either. My dad had it, my husband had it, my friends have had it. I want it stopped as much as anyone but for the ACS and others to thwart the efforts of alternative medicine where there have actually been cures without side effects, don't you just think for a minute that they would CARE about this rather than putting these doctors on a hit list? I love the saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Oh if only there was more exposure to prevention because so many cancers COULD be prevented!

The mainstream public is being emotionally manipulated to give money to a cause that isn’t interested in the cure – and of course they’re interested in remaining a viable business. Finding a cure for cancer is suicide for the American Cancer Society – it would no longer have a reason to exist. Most business don’t go into business to make themselves extinct.

Taking off the rose (or pink) colored glasses is in order - just put a clip on your nose because the truth about all this hoopla for cure really stinks!

Global Cancer Summit - Curing Cancer - Doctors You Should Know Pt. 2

2013-05-05T00:30:00.000-05:00

I attended the Global Cancer Summit for two years in a row. Last year I didn't not include these two doctors who are leading the way to alternative treatments for cancer, so I thought I put this information about the two of them out there for anyone who thinks there ARE no alternatives!

DR. THOMAS LODI - (Arizona) Formerly an allopathic physician he is now made the transition to Homeopathic. He found that the modalities for chronic conditions just were not working in conventional (allopathic) medicine.

He believes the body acts out of the wisdom of nature. Inflammation is how we heal. Remove the reason it is experiencing that. There is a CRP blood test for inflammation. All disease is based on inflammation - heart disease, cancer, diabetes - they are not separate diseases but have inflammation in common - and most doctors will tell you that all disease is an inflammation.

He says diets can be fertilizers. (Obviously it is critical to pay attention to diet. Eating junk food and sugar is like pouring gasoline on a fire - throw in chemical artifical stuff, hormones from non-organic dairy and non-organic meat, especially beef and you have a serious fire!) In his cancer therapy, diet plays a huge part.

For "treatment" he uses low-dose chemo. Depriving cancer cells of oxygen is key. Cancer cells survive by eating glucose. You can identify the cancer with a PET scan with a glucose additive and where the glucose binds together is where the cancer is. He typically uses 10% of chemo, just enough to stop the cancer cell growth, but everyone is tested thoroughly so no treatments are actually "standard" protocols. (This is contrary to most conventional chemo "recipes".) The usual patient has perhaps as much as a 5% side effect, which is really nothing compared to what most conventional chemo will do to the patient.

Besides a careful diet, he includes lots of Vitamin C - even in intraveneous form. (This Vitamin C IV drip procedure has proved so successful that of course you must know that the FDA is trying to ban it everywhere now - seriously. Actually I thought the ban had gone thru already, so shhhh on this!) Dr. Lodi is concerned with the body not being able to manufacture MORE cancer, so building the immune systems up while just targeting the cancer cells with a tad bit of chemo works very well.

"All consuming is an exchange of energy" he said. Energy comes from the light of plants and you want what eminates the light. Cooking destroys a lot of the electrons, destroys enzymes and changes the plant biochemically. Eat plants and raw vegan-like foods to cleanse out the body but first we add green juices."

Dr. Lodi runs a healing center. They teach you there how to maintain a good healthy diet that will keep you, hopefully, cancer free. He says after the treatments eating organic food only is the main prescription. A few supplements like Co-Q-10 and medicinal mushrooms like mitaki, shitaki and reishi are great to incorporate into the diet.

You can get more information about Dr. Lodi Oasis of Health on his website http://www.stopmakingcancer.com/
Here is a brief introduction from YouTube:

I'm going to cram two doctors on this blog - sorry it's so long but really there is so much information from this Cancer Summit I'm hardly doing it justice as it is. I will only put down the preventative information from Dr. Conneally, although I have notes on her entire therapy program. Hopefully the preventative measures are all we need now, right?

DR. LEIGH ERIN CONNEALY - Irvine, California - An integrative medical doctor.

She says cancer is uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells - every cell can be cancer or has the potential to be. The cell can lose its ability to protect itself from cancer - it needs help from proper nutrients to maintain its integrity.

Her advice from a prevention standpoint, is Breath Better - cancer hates oxygen! She said exercise alone reduces breast cancer by 50%! Drink Water - Filtered and NOT in plastic bottles. Schedule your water drinking if you must but drink more water! DIET - east mostly raw organic foods and make your own JUICE so you can absorb lots of micronutrients - plus the greens you juice alkaline your system (which cancer hates) and also oxygenate (again cancer hates this). AVOID SUGAR which includes all the foods that convert to sugar like breads, rice, etc. Vegetables are so anti-cancer - just make sure they are organic!

Additionally, no aluminum cookware, no bottled salad dressings and eat only wild caught fish, it's less tainted and has not been fed anti-biotics like the farmed fish. It is imperative any animal protein should be organic to insure that it is hormone-free.

Then she got "hot" - NO SODA POP! Only one diet coke takes 10 Gallons of water to neutralize! Soda is too acidic (cancer loves acid) and absolutely NO aspartame. She advises NO soy since it is mostly all GMO today and it makes patients too estrogenic.

Here is a brief video to introduce her.

There are many doctors out there doing marvelous health promoting treatments! I hope you feel free to pass this information along to anyone who may benefit. If the Pink Ribbon campaign was worth anything at all, they would be funding THESE doctors!

Marvelous Magnesium - Do You Get Enough?

2013-04-28T00:30:00.000-05:00

Nobody seems to talk about magnesium very much. I find that astounding! Like Vitamin D deficiencies, the majority of people are magnesium deficient as well. And just what does THAT mean? When you learn a little bit more about this marvey little mineral, I hope you will consider what magnesium can do for you.

Magnesium does a LOT and yet it isn't written about that much. I get suspicious about that. Conventional medicine contributes so much to the pain and disease people have by pushing a pill for every ill. The bad thing (well, ONE of them) is that these toxic chemicals (disguised as drug prescriptions) pollute the brain, suppress the immune system and in some instances actually promote cardiovascular disease.

Unfortunately, most people have no idea that prescription drugs steal minerals from the body. These minerals - and magnesium is certainly one of them - are essential for optimal health. This is especially true for the proper function of the heart muscle. It was studied that many drugs cause increased demand for and utilization of magnesium by creating acidity in the body, which then draws on the available magnesium from the cells to try to neutralize the acid, minimizing it's toxic effects.

Magnesium can stop anxiety, asthma, blood clots, constipation, depression, insomnia and many other degenerative health conditions.

This mineral has been used to alleviate peripheral nerve distrubances throughout the whole body - and this includes migraines, muscle contractions, gastrointestinal spasms as well as calf, foot and toe cramps. It's been used in treating central nervous systoms of vertigo and confusion.

So you want to know where do I get magnesium? You may be surprised to learn the most absorbable form of magnesium is soaking for 20 minutes in a bath tub of high quality epsom salts. Your body will absorb MORE from that than pills, which I've read you body can only get about 10% of the magnesium after it goes through the digestive process. I made a spray of it for days I don't have time for a bath. I spray it on BEFORE my shower and find something to do until after it dries. It's sticky and that's why I shower afterwards, but perhaps my concentration of water/mag. is too strong? I don't know. But it "cured" my restless leg syndrom, which is simply a lack of magnesium.

If you are as pill averse as I am, you'd rather get this mineral from your food. Here are the top ten sources of magnesium - although I wouldn't consume TOO much of these due to the fat content but most make excellent snacks or spinkle them on salads etc.

1. Bran - rice, wheat or oat.
2. Dried Herbs - corriander, chives, spearmint, dill, sage and basil have the most.
3. Seeds - squash and pumpkin.
4. Dark chocolate - (yum! see? it's not all bad!)
5. Flax, sesame seeds and sesame butter (tahini)
6. Brazil nuts - 19 mg. per nut!
7. Sunflower seeds - 455 mgs. per cup - go easy!
8, Almonds, cashew and pine nuts (count 'em, don't go "nuts"!)
9. Molasses - a good substitute for refined sugar in cakes and breads (hmmm, should we be eating them anyway?) There are 48 mg/per tablespoon.
10 Dry roasted soybeans (edamame) I don't eat this at ALL. Soy mimics hormones so while there may be a benefit, I take a pass on soy anything most of the time.

According to the research I've done, MANY heart conditions benefit from magnesium and in fact, in one article written by a doctor/researcher, they claim atrial fibrillation can be remedied by adding magnesium, making all the allopathic treatments of surgery for pace makers etc. absolutely absurd when magnesium to some patients made the heart irregularity totally disappear.

Again, this is a case of doctor's not receiving the proper education in minerals and mineral deficiencies. Rather they receive training in drugs and surgery.

If you take prescription drugs, or have any of the above symptoms, try adding these foods, take the mag. bath and see how you feel. It may surprise you!

Calm Down!

2013-04-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

Our nervous systems take a beating from all the busyness and stress in our "modern" society. How we handle this stress is THE most important factor in maintaining health - and living longer too!

There are foods that we can eat that actually benefit the nervous system. Of course, taking relaxing breaks, getting exercise and being "still" are tops on the de-stressing list. But since I'm always talking about food, here is a list of several that you should keep in mind.

Bananas - This fruit is potassium-rich, contains magnesium, B6 and other nutrients that help boost the production of digestion-enhancing mucous (no it's not icky but a necessity for digestion) and all this helps to promote feelings of happiness and calm inside your body.

Brazil Nuts - One of the richest sources of selenium, it relaxes the nervous system. I remember reading some years ago, that this nut is a definite mood enhancer. You only need 2-3 daily. It seemed to help my (then) teenage daughter thru her PMS stages, or whatever it was back then! Since they are expensive, it sure helps to know you don't need but a few each day.

Dark Chocolate - Cacao. What a blessing! Dark chocolate has MANY great components nutritionally and I couldn't be happier about THAT! It contains l-tryptophan, the neurotransmitter responsible for relaxing the brain. Also it has magnesium, one of the top minerals recognized for its ability to calm the nervous system.

Green, herbal tea - You can "take the edge off" easily by having a nice warm cup of herbal green tea. It's not just sitting down to take a tea break that helps but what is in the tea itself. Green tea in particular contains the amino acid L-theanine that enhances mood by stimulating the production of alpha waves in the brain, reducing stress and promoting relaxation naturally. Take tea and see!

Spinach - Vitamin K in spinach provides an input of fat-soluable vitamin nutrients that contribute to the building up of the fatty layers that protect your nerves from damage. Spinach also helps to regulate the production of hormones in the nervous system to improve mood, sleeping patterns and the body's response to physical activity and stress.

Whey - This is a dynamite way to boost anabolic funtion. Rich in tryptophan (which assists in the production of serotonin) and a whole range of other healing amino acids and nutrients that all calm the nervous system. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter hormone that reulates endocrine, digestive, nervous system and blood health. Low levels of serotonin are linked to anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. Don't ignore this one!

You may have noticed a few of these foods are rich in magnesium. As a whole, the entire population is suffering from a distinct deficiency in this life enriching mineral. There is so much information on magnesium, I am doing a blog on it for next week, so I hope you will "stay tuned" to Today's Path!

Plastic Bag Insanity

2013-04-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

It isn’t just the FDA that wants to censor science in America. Three major plastic bag manufacturers are suing eco-friendly ChicoBag simply for citing scientific facts and statistics.

Plastic grocery bags are not biodegradable. They clog waterways, spoil the landscape, pollute the soil and water (and therefore us), and choke birds and marine mammals who mistake them for food. Once they end up in landfills, they may take 1,000 years or more to break down into ever smaller particles that continue to pollute the environment.

These are facts.

Three large plastic bag makers—Hilex Poly Company, LLC; Superbag Operating, LTD; and Advance Polybag, Inc. apparently don’t like these kind of facts and have filed a lawsuit in South Carolina. They are suing the ChicoBag Company, claiming that it has caused harm to their businesses.

Seriously?

ChicoBag is trying to help eliminate the unnecessary use of single-use paper and plastic bags. They have designed reusable bags that are durable, tasteful, and convenient: they are small enough to tote in a pocket and have features that allow them to be clipped anywhere. The three single-use plastic bag manufacturers accuse ChicoBag of unfair advertising and unfair competition. What did ChicoBag do that was so wrong? The company merely cited the effects of plastic bags on the environment on its Learn the Facts web page:

“A reusable bag needs only to be used eleven times to have a lower environmental impact than using eleven disposable bags.” Source: EPA

“Only one percent of plastic bags are recycled.” Source: EPA

“Somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.” Source: National Geographic

Note that none of these facts come from ChicoBag. The company is simply citing well-known information from reputable sources. The same information has been used in countless publications, news stories, and websites over many years; ChicoBag is one of the few organizations that actually provides documented sources for the facts they use. In other words, the plastic bag industry seems to be angry that ChicoBag quoted the Environmental Protection Agency and National Geographic and told the truth. (We see this kind of behavior all the time from the FDA but it’s less usual in commerce.)

All of the information above is sited from Natural News. I thought it was interesting enough to post just so you can all see how insanity can fester up in commerce . And of course, to remind you to use re-usable bags as often as possible. It's a habit worth having, and we can't say that about too many other habits! I keep mine in the car and use them probably 99% for my groceries. At first it seemed hard to remember, but now it is ingrained in me just like locking the car door when I get out.

Habit - Have a good one!!

Plasticbaglaws.org is an excellent resource for staying vigilant on the issue. They also have a listing of all federal, state, and local laws and pending legislation pertaining to plastic bags on their website.

Boredom - 5 Inspirational Tips to Cure It

2013-04-07T02:06:00.000-05:00

This blog is a re-run from years ago - but just as timely today!

Once you try it, you know that it works. And it's so simple. Why do the simple things get passed over? Are we so "advanced" we ignore simple anythings? Hmmm, and the root of the word ignorant would be.............? Gratitude is simple. It has the number one spot on the list of tips to inspire change, a mini-motivational "get pumped" tool.

Inspiration #1 - Gratitude. Make a list (daily) of everything you are grateful for and start with the fact that you are breathing. Once the mind is trained to look for all the little things to be grateful for, it carries over into positive thoughts altogether. A written list is more powerful than a mental list.

Voltaire said "Work keeps us from three great evils, boredom, vice and poverty." I don't know what the job market was like from 1694 to 1778 when he lived, but there is always some work to do if you want to loose the boredom.

Inspiration #2- Get to Work. If you can't think of any work to do, ask someone else if they need help. Volunteerism is a loud drum beat from our new President and everyone can benefit. Cut the grass for someone down your street - or in Chicagoland, shovel snow. Look around and see what simple little thing you can do for a friend or neighbor.

Inspiration # 3 - Avoid using the word bored. Erase it. Put lost in its place if you absolutely have to speak about it. Is "lost" better than "bored"? Maybe there is a bit more life and energy in being lost; it may imply you just now became lost, weren't always lost, and yesterday you knew where you were in life. Saying you are in transition could be the best choice, implying you are about to change. It sounds like you are thinking. Thinking is a good thing and change will come faster as a result.

Inspiration #4 - Think of one thing you can change right now and do it. This is a quickie thing just to prove to yourself that you have a pulse and can get off your butt. It doesn't matter if it's going for a walk, cleaning the fridge (without eating of course) or taking all the piles of newspapers out to recycling (oh look, I see the _____ now. - insert table, floor, or whatever the papers were hiding.)

Inspiration #5 Being around others who complain, especially of boredom, is not a good thing. If you can, engage them to join you in your effort to change. Great! Build up support for yourself. Who do you know that always seems to be busy, involved with life, committed to hobbies/sports?
Join them or emulate that behavior. Ask yourself are really living your life?

Life is a banquet. There is absolutely no limit of things to learn about, causes to support, people to help. Throw the blahs out with the garbage, listen for the drumbeat of change and join the dance of life.

Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath) said "Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments." WOW - we have potential.

Food for thought and hopefully, inspiration.
suZen

Skin Deep - Pretty or Poison?

2013-03-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here is part of an article from Natural News about skin care products - and a "few" words I have to say on the subject of reading labels on skin care products.

NaturalNews) The FDA is failing at its responsibility to protect U.S. consumers from unsafe chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, the Cancer Prevention Coalition has charged.

"The Cancer Prevention Coalition reminds the American public that the 1938 Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act explicitly stipulates: 'Each ingredient used in a cosmetic product and each finished cosmetic product shall be adequately substantiated for safety prior to marketing,' " the organization writes in a press release.

"In the absence of adequate evidence of safety, products must be conspicuously labeled on their principle display panel: 'WARNING: THE SAFETY OF THIS PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.' "

According to the coalition, the FDA has not taken a single regulatory action in the past 60 years to reduce consumer exposure to toxic cosmetics ingredients including allergens, carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and nanoparticles.

Large numbers of substances currently used in cosmetics have never been subjected to safety testing for that use. Such ingredients are particularly worrisome because many of them can be absorbed in the skin and build up in the body over the course of a lifetime. Many cosmetics ingredients are also capable of crossing the placental barrier and damaging a developing fetus.

As an example of the FDA's negligence, the Cancer Prevention Coalition cites its own 1994 and 2008 petitions for the agency to take action against the use of talc for genital dusting, due to the well-documented risks of ovarian cancer. The petitions were rejected or ignored."

Yikes! Give you pause, doesn't it?

I grew up a girly-girl - make-up, perfume, creams/lotions/sprays for everything. Those were the days! The only labels I paid attention to were the color names on lipsticks and nail color (who, by the way, is the lucky person who's job it is to NAME those made-up names for lip/nail colors????)

I went into an Ulta store yesterday to see if perhaps they were starting to carry ANYTHING organic. I was in search of 100% Argan Oil specifically. I order mine on line but I'm always hopeful stores will begin to carry natural products. It's great to have all the sources via the internet, but gosh I'd love to poke around an actual store with those products.

I asked a young woman working there at the Ulta store if they had any organic products at all? She steered me to a "very natural" line of products, but no, not organic. She then proudly took me to the aisle with the Argan Oil. I looked at the label, crazy woman that I am, to find it contained argan oil as well as 11 other ingredients, some I couldn't pronounce. Well, ok then. furgedabotit.

Years ago I loved that store. I loved make-ups and perfumes. These days I know for a stinking scientific fact that Ulta sells more chemicals in pretty package than Ace Hardware. Ingredients in most products and certainly in perfumes are known carcinogenics made worse by the fact that so many are combined in one product which increases the toxicity.

For awhile it took the fun away. I was seriously bummed. I could not imagine my life without my "stuff", my dresser without my bottles of scents. It was, in fact, the very last of the changes I made in my life - put off on purpose. Good God, not my perfumes!!!!!

But yes, they are gone. Replaced though. I make my own from essential oils. It has been a fun adventure, just like cooking differently has been - learning, experimenting. The fragrances are light and lovely. I try new blends of oils all the time. Bottom line, I know what I am putting on my skin. I still feel girly. I know I'm not exposing my skin (the largest organ we have mind you!) to any chemicals.

Organic make-up can be found on line. If it says "natural" - just like stuff you see in the food aisles - it does not mean it is organic. Always read your labels. It sure is an education worth having!

Lots of information as to chemicals in YOUR favorite products can be found at skindeep.com. I don't blame you for not wanting to know. I didn't either.

Healthy Skin from Five Foods

2013-03-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

Summer is just around the corner. Really. And who doesn't want healthy skin? It's the time of year that skipping make up is done probably more than at any other season. Here are five foods - really there are more but these are THE best - to assure you of getting nutrients inside you that will definitely benefit that lovely skin!

Chia seeds - I wrote a whole blog on these little darlings a while back. They are so rich in omega-3 acids and we need those! Our bodies do not produce this and the only way to get this is through your diet. You can sprinkle chia seeds on anything at all, or do as I do and make a gel of chia seeds (2 Tblsp in 3/4 cups of water and keep in fridge) so I can add them to yogurt or just eat a spoonful or two daily. They have really no taste so there is no reason to tell me you don't like them. (seriously, I have heard every excuse in the book, reasons for not eating stuff, and this one especially will not work with chia!)

Almonds - Great source of Vitamin E which will help minimize the negative effects of sun exposure on the skin. Almonds also are a great cancer preventer. High in anti-oxidants, I make sure I eat 10 per day one way or the other.

Dandelions - Seriously. It seems so funny we (in my suburban area) are oh-so dandelion averse in our precious front lawns and here these little gems have health benefits. Don't eat them out of your yard, however. You may want to forage them from wilder sources and rest assured nobody has sprayed them with weed killer, or see if you can find them in the produce section. (While I don't FULLY endorse Whole Foods, they do usually have dandelion greens. What a boon these are! These greens (not the flower) have the vitamins and minerals known to contribute to healthy skin including Vitamin A, B and C as well as copper and zinc. Use them in salads or juice them with other greens and apples. Great tonic to cleanse the liver. If you are squeamish about this, get the dandelion tea. If your liver is sluggish, it will show in your skin, especially your face. (I can spot people with sluggish livers - it shows in their pallor and eyes, so don't dismiss this as poppycock.)

Cucumbers - Loaded with Vitamin C and silica, which is essential for strong connective tissues and supports the ability of skin to heal itself. Without enough silica, your skin will lose it elasticity and becomes more prone to wrinkles and age spots. (Maybe this is why spas use cucumbers as eye patches during treatments and put cucumber slices in the water?)

Turmeric - Oh boy, this is a rich one! Most of the nutritional value comes from polyphenol anti-oxidant phytochemicals called curcuminoids. These provide 8 times the antioxidant power as that found in other antioxidant foods. Wonderful spice to use and if you don't like the taste, I'd suggest taking a supplement, its THAT good!

For sun exposure on the golf course or on the boat, I've been using shea butter. I found out that sunscreens cause me to break out in horrid blisters. I'm now into my third summer with no serious sunburns, and I use only shea butter. It happens to be a natural bug repellent as well, so no mosquito bites. I use shea soap and coconut oil for every day moisturizing. I also wear a lot of hats!

Have you any tricks or natural products that you use for your skin that you would like to pass along?

Inspiration, Spring, and Favorite Quotes

2013-03-17T00:30:00.000-05:00

I've had a tablet on my desk for months, adding quotes and bits of inspiration I really like. The pages now have food stains, coffee rings, and are in general looking worn out. The pages are screaming at me today so I'm going to share all these somewhat random "thoughts" and you can let me know in the comments if you found something to inspire you.

#1 - In many shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited or depressed, they would ask you these questions:
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories?
When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
-----Gabrielle Roth

#2 - When you feel like you CAN'T go any further, just know that the strength which arried you this far will take you the rest of the way.

#3 - Sometimes you have to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything, whatever is bringing you down - get rid of it! Because you will find that when you are free, your true creativity and your true self comes out.
-----Tina Turner

#4 - The inward journey is about finding your own fullness, something that no one else can take away.
-----Deeepak Chopra

#5 - Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start!
-----Nido Qubein

#6 - To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of BEING conditioned BY them!
-----Ralph Waldo Emerson

#7 - If you cannot hear the sound of the genuine you, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.
-----Howard Thurman

#8 - In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.

#9 - Live without pretending, love without depending, listen without defending, speak without offending.

Every one of these has permeated my very soul and has given me strength. My wish for you is that one or all can do the same for you!

What's on YOUR Bucket List?

2013-03-10T00:30:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I never used to have an "official" list. I just thought, "Oh someday I'd like to work with cut glass and do mosaics" kind of thing. As time is ticking away however, I feel more inclined to get serious about the Bucket List. How about you?

I'm always trying new things so I can already say that last year I accomplished some newness. I took Zumba classes (and survived!), took up Pickleball, mastered smoother turns in my kayak and started golf lessons.

I've been pondering (as one does in the dead of winter) just what adventures are ahead.

Aside from improving on sports, I want to take up archery. When I go up to the Northwoods for the summer, there are many ranges around to practice, also shops to buy equipment. I loved archery in high school gym class and haven't done it since. It's been nagging at me, so it's on the list.

I never did get around to mosaics and I'm thinking unless an opportunity absolutely lands in my lap (I remain open to that possibility), that it's possible this may join playing piano in the "next lifetime" list. In the meantime, I will continue to admire stained glass as well as listening to piano music.

Write more is on the list - sounds generic I know. I'm trying not to freak myself with a goal for what I write - just write it. Don't be attached to the outcome.

Making this list was harder than I thought actually. Who knows what 2013 will bring any of us? I'd like to think it brings more opportunities to learn and share what we learn, make time for peace and solitude, and eat REAL food. I'm sure as spring is peeking around, just being outdoors more will be wonderful - and inspiring!

So do you have a list handy, even mentally, of new things to experience?

Apples - Some Power You May Not Know They Have!

2013-03-03T01:00:00.000-06:00

I finished up my classes to become a Master Herbalist last October. I've found soooo many things to tell you all about! I swear I have enough blog material for years to come. What really excites me is finding out some benefits of foods that I sort of took for granted were just plain healthy without knowing the "Whole Story".

There is a plethora of information on Apples - good for fiber and all that jazz. That old saying "Eat an apple a day keeps the doctor away" is not a pithy thing of the past. Apples are probably one of the most valuable foods and medical agents in all of nature.

First, phosphates found in nature are the great builders of the various tissues of the body. There are five of them and each one carries four atoms of oxygen.
1. Calcium phosphate (builder of bone)
2. Iron phosphate (oxygen carrier)
3. Potassium phosphate (builder of brain and nerve)
4. Magnesium phosphate (muscle builder)
5. Sodium phosphate (alkalinic solvent and stabilizer)

From my text:
"We say, after an exhaustive study of its chemistry, that in our opinion there is no other remedial agent or herb in the whole range of known therapeutic agents that can compare with the apple tree. Although it would be difficult to say which of its many virtues is the greatest, we suggest that its abundance of nascent oxygen compound is probably the main reason why it is such a precious food, blood purifier, and unfailing remedy for so many forms of disease."

I won't bore you with all the chemical constituents and analysis. I realize my geek-like excitement over stuff like this is not universal, ha! Suffice to say that apples will vary in their sugar content by variety of apple but this is really insignificant when you benefit so much from this fruit. But for the record, green apples have the lowest sugar content.

EAT APPLES daily! Make darn sure they are organic (yes, pay more because you need to eat the peel and that is so sprayed in conventional fruit! Apples are on the top 10 most contaminated by pesticides fruit out there.) Years ago I would snack at night on cookies. Now it's apples. Sometimes with a bit of peanut butter for an extra wow. What I used to spend on snack food has transferred to organic apples. I can almost HEAR my cells cheering me on. (yeah, it's scary)

If you have a de-hydrator, apples are great de-hydrated. Core them first and then make as thin a slice as you can. Soak the slices in lemon juice for a minute and shake the juice off before putting in the de-hydrator. I sometimes sprinkle cinnamon on them. My dog loves these apple slices - and you will too!

Happy Thoughts = Happy Cells

2013-02-24T01:00:00.000-06:00

I wrote a post on Epigenetics on January 20th - it's in the archives if you missed it. Thought I would take this opportunity to add a bit more to how our thinking affects our health.

The truth is that most of us are not running our lives as we think we are. (gulp.) 95% of our lives (what we do/think/believe) comes from subconscious programs and only 5% is from the conscious.
I'll give you a few examples.

Perhaps in your childhood you were exposed to alcoholism. That may cause you (today) to either not drink at all, condemn those that do or perhaps you have used the excuse that you are doomed to be an alcoholic too. Whatever your feelings are, they are based in subconscious programing. How's that working for you? (Love Dr. Phil and how it asks people that question!) You can change that by letting go of the past - and the stories associated with it. Realize that was someone else's life choice and you were an observer. Perhaps it did teach you the value of sobriety. If that is the case, thank the universe for the lesson and let go.

I had a friend years ago who was the daughter of an alcoholic. She was 40. Within minutes of meeting her, she would tell you she was daughter of an alcoholic. I felt so badly for her need to have that identy who she was! After her going on and on about this, I told her (mistake on my part) that I, too, was the daughter of an alcoholic - I think I did this so she could see that there are others with her same background who go about life without the constant reference to it. We were at a social gathering and she wanted to introduce me to another woman. Out of her mouth came "This is Susan. She's the daughter of an alcoholic TOO!" in a happy tone, excited. I was speechless. (This does not happen often!)

I tried, gently, to tell her it was no big deal to me. The past is the past. I surely would not use that part of my life to define who I am today! She never did get that. But this is a rather extreme example of how some people cling to stories and make them a part of their life no matter what. I have to ask, why hitch your wagon to someones stinky old garbage truck?

Things we were told as children also leave scars and can affect how we think about ourselves. My mother never yelled at me - ever - but one day she told me I was selfish. I carried that for 30 years, that thinking I was selfish. I did ask her about that the year before she died. She was horrified! Never remembered ever saying that and nearly she nearly cried that I held that so long - and for nothing. I could have carried that buried in my heart til this day. Even if I hadn't had that talk with her, I decided for myself that it wasn't true.

Ask yourself if what you believe is true for you. It's a great way to shed garbage.

I love what Bruce Lipton says about the Honeymoon stage! He says when you fall in love you reverse this 95% - 5% thing in your head. The mind/brain in love releases wonderful chemistry! Energy and health are optimal. He says this is the one time we didn't act from the subconscious. He says it's over when life wanders back into details and the mind gets busy and we start once again to live according to subconcious programing. (oh darn!)

As far as epigenetics are concerned, and how your thinking affects your genes, it is good to check in with the way we think about things. Like make a list of your beliefs - all of them. Then look at them. Where did the COME from? If those beliefs make you feel GOOD, keep them. If not, hit delete. Trust me, your life WILL go on without the thoughts that do not make you feel good. Inherited beliefs are sometimes sooo heavy.

I'll give you all a peek at the note on my desk that I look at daily -

THINK GREATER THAN YOU FEEL!

Yep, use it! Before you know it, you feel GREAT. And your cells will know it and replicate more happy cells for you!

Stress and Laughter

2013-02-17T01:00:00.000-06:00

Laughter is supposed to be a great healthy thing for everyone. Hard to laugh when you are in the middle of a full blown stress attack I suppose.

Well I heard Dr. Oz give a few de-stressor tips. And who doesn't want to de-stress? And who doesn't know that I'll put my own spin on this? Truth is, I HAVE to because he rattled off a few suggestions (5) but didn't elaborate. I figure that's MY job.

1. Write an ignore list. Ok, really? This may not be such a bad idea, at least he didn't think so. However if I'm stressed, the last thing I need is another list! I don't know how you are about making lists. I make them all the time only because I love to scratch things OFF the list. So my spin on this is to make your list - or use the one you already made before the stress set in - and scratch off what you know you can ignore. Problem is, it will probably show up on NEXT weeks list but oh who cares? Take that pen and scratch something off your to-do list anyway!

2. Think about or find pictures to carry to give you a purpose. What? I'm stressed more trying to figure this one out!

3. Turn the mind OFF for five minutes. Ok, if I'm stressed the most I can do is take three of four deep breaths, maybe count to 26 or something. I know this five minute break with the mind off is a great de-stressor, won't deny that for a minute, but sometimes you just can't, so breathe --- and count to 26. (sorry, 10 just won't cut it for real stress!)

4. Write a gratitude list. This is the best antidote which is a good daily thing to do even if you are not stressed. We tend to look at things that are going badly when stressed. Take a few minutes, or even one, and think about something that is really going RIGHT. I personally start each day with gratitude that I woke up!

5. Reflect on high points of the day. That's pretty much the same thing as #4 Dr. Oz. Personally this is a good thing to do before you go to sleep instead of mentally chastising yourself for all the stuff you didn't get done or screw ups.

One tip from Eckhart Tolle I love is to put a pretty flower on your desk, or a pretty anything, and when you feel stress coming just pause and look at it and remember how special it is. Small thing to do and nobody knows you are having a de-stressor moment either.

Don't know if anything here resonates with you or not. If you can help me out with #2, let me know.

50 Shades of Phude

2013-02-10T00:30:00.000-06:00

It's true there are lots of people hitching their wagons to the "50 Shades" theme. Hope you are clear that this is about food - or should I say PHUDE?

Label reading has never ever been as critical as it is today. But you don't have to spend a lot of time doing it, here are some tips. (I apologize in advance for shattering illusions but you come here for truth and sometimes the truth just does that.)

Scan it - see if you KNOW what the stuff is on the label first of all. If the label has words you cannot pronounce, let alone define, put it back. Step AWAY from that item!

The marketing genius who came up with "All Natural" is pretty much a liar. It doesn't address a thing, but it sure sounds good. The product may contain too much sugar, salt or fat or worse yet GMO ingredients. Read the label on the BACK, not the front. On the front they put their best selling words to get you to buy it. Period.

Another genius came up with the other tags (I'll try to cover them all) that are equally nothing more than outer package decoration such as "Low Fat". C'mon. We all fell for margarine being low fat or no fat. You probably know how well that turned out! We learned (or should have) that the trans-fats in margarine are killing us before our "time". Products with a big bright colored Low Fat on the package too often contain excess sugar, salt or chemicals to mimic the taste of the fat they took out. If they didn't mess with it, you wouldn't eat it. The package wrapper would be tastier.

"Sugar Free" is another time to step away from that item. I've done countless blogs on the dangers of artificial sweeteners. If you don't want to look them up in the archives, just google aspartame and it's ugly history. It was not supposed to be passed as safe by the FDA. Political influence entered, the FDA Chief was fired and replaced by an "appointed" fellow who WOULD approve it. Yes, it's ugly. Best to wean yourself off this chemical as it is indeed a neurotoxin.

"Whole Grain" is another big seller in the grocery. Everyone KNOWS whole grain is better than processed. The truth is (and they think you don't know this) is that the whole grains they use in most cases are processed. In a few cases, they add coloring to make the bread LOOK dark, or sometimes they use molasses. The other thing learking could be GMO's. There is a bread called Ezekial Bread, sometimes in the frozen section. Now THAT is whole grain. Most people don't like it because it IS really whole grain. If you can't make peace with it, don't eat bread or bagels. Make wraps with tortillas or lettuce. As for pasta, which isn't great due to the carb load, eat rarely and always organic.

(The only whole grains that are really whole grains are oatmeal and brown organic rice, wild rice, quinoa, and farroh and wheat germ.)

You've probably tried some "Reduced Fat" products. Again, read the label. I compared a reduced fat mayonaise to the "regular". Yes, lower in fat. But changes in other things on the labels, like more sodium, don't make it a good choice. Also, just speaking of mayo, most are made with the same items highest on the GMO list - canola oil, soy oil etc. Nobody does (or should) use gobs of mayo anyway so paying a bit more for the organic shouldn't break the bank.

No trip to the grocery store is complete without the Dairy section. Notice how huge the yogurt section is these days? I always see people standing there, trying to decide which ones to buy. On very rare occasions will I see somebody go directly to one particular yogurt. Ok. Brace yourself. 98% of it is nonsense. It's full of added sugar, artificial flavorings, and some are actually devoid of what yogurt is all about - the probiotics!

There now. Does this help? Go with Stoneyfields Organic (vanilla is my fave) and add your own berries or fruit. Kefir (a yogurt drink) is excellent for probiotics too! Now look at the time I just saved you! Organic milk (if you must drink the stuff) is much better than getting hormones, antibiotics and pus (seriously) in your "milk cocktail". The non-dairy "milks" - almond, rice, and hemp - are MUCH better for you. Soy milk has too many estrogen-like components to it. It is NOT what women trying to avoid breast cancer should drink.

I am short of the "50" - unless you consider all the products we've eliminated in this grocery store trip. I hope this makes you more aware of the marketing ploys that fool people into thinking they are eating healthy food. Mostly its Phude. Since this post is rather a downer for some, let's end on a lighter note. God didn't have to put labels on the produce that say low fat, high fiber, or whatever. You also don't see apples or bananas being advertised on tv. Hmmm, must be a reason?

Absolutely Perfect!

2013-02-03T00:30:00.000-06:00

One quote by Jane Fonda sticks in my head. "We aren't meant to be perfect. We are meant to be whole."

Ponder that.

I know people who are so into perfectionism they make themselves ill trying to make themselves and everything they do, and their homes, and their children, absolutely "perfect".

So I ask you, when is "ok" ok?

I can be obcessed with neatness - no clutter. And yet I look at my bookshelves in my office. While the books are easily found by my classifying method, they are anything but perfect looking bookshelves. A perfectionist would have a field day in my office!

I spend more time on my hair to make it messy rather than perfect. I LIKE it messy looking. I'm uncomfortable if it looks perfect - even for a moment - because I know it won't stay that way. It will look worse if perfect gets messed up - whereas if its messy to begin with, what could go wrong?

I'm just not at all sure what all this says about me. All I know is I try to leave perfection up to the Divine. I just walked through my house. It's not cluttered with a thing. But there is dust here and there. It's not perfect. Not if you look really closely. I can dust right now, or I can keep writing. No brainer. Write! If I was a perfectionist, I'd never have time to write! Or I'd stay up all night writing and not get the sleep I need.

I love that quote from Jane Fonda. I will take being whole over perfect any day. How about you?

Now here are just a few things that plague perfectionists:
High Blood Pressure
Hormonal Imbalances
Insomnia
Digestive Problems
Allergies
Asthma

Why would anyone knowingly sign up for any of those?

For the sake of wholeness, and for the sake of your health, maybe it is ok to be ok, and not perfect.
What do you think?

Big Butts and Bellies

2013-01-27T01:00:00.000-06:00

Are we born with big butts and bellies or what? Well I have no clue where they come from, but there are millions of people are there trying to get rid of them - or are they?

Big Bottoms are somewhat healthier (in terms of disease) than Belly Fat. Don't get all excited though. It is harder to get rid of. Why? Because there are no blood vessels in that butt. Squats, lunges and watching carb intake may be the best bet for reduction.

Big Bellies are easier to get rid of - they are linked to diabetes and heart disease so there is a good reason to get rid of them. There is usually no response to low-fat diets so go for anti-inflammatory foods instead. You need healthy fats (like avocado, walnuts, olive oil on Ezekial bread is great). Step exercises are good and arobic and anarobic exercise are fat burning.

Smoothie recipe for Healing Inflammatory Belly Fat from Dr. Oz:
1 cup swiss chard or green something (spinach, kale)
1 cup of green tea
1/2 c blueberries (frozen are ok)
2 Brazil nuts ( walnuts will do as well)
1 tablespoon of flaxseed
(this tastes much better than it sounds - and yes, I've had it many times!)

As we age, losing ANYthing fat-related is tough. So is motivation. I hear this all the time:
"I'm over 60 and it just is part of old age"
"I can't afford the gym or a trainer"
"I eat so little already I can't eat less"

Lets de-bunk this stuff right now. Fat does NOT come from old age automatically. Not without your permission! If you spent the last 20 years not paying attention to yourself, well, here it is. I belong to a group of active baby boomers. There may be a bit of extra poundage here and there among the members, but as a whole they are very fit and have the stamina to play pickleball for hours. If you aren't familiar with it, look it up on google. It may be a "seniors" sport, but let me tell you, the seniors that play are FIT.

While a gym membership and trainer can be a luxury, I personally hated it. It cost me a fortune and left me so sore and in pain, I swore it wasn't worth it. Finding things you can do at home wipes out the it's too expensive thing. Get videos or watch exercise shows on tv. Walk! Do a few laps up and down the stairs, then do it again. Get the heart rate up - that is the key to the fat burning phase of exercise. If you have a Wii, use it. There are plenty of exercises there.

Last but certainly not least is the "I eat so little already" excuse. And just what is it you eat. Low-fat, no sugar "diet" foods are not the answer. They are often flavored with too much salt or sugar and devoid of nutrition. Eat fresh veggies and a bit of fruit, whole grains - stay away from "White Stuff" meaning no sugar, no white rice or potatoes, pasta should be whole wheat but don't think that whole grain anything is the ultimate answer. No two people metabolize the same which is why canned diet programs only work for some people, and not others.

Also, eating breakfast is huge. Even if it is a hard-boiled egg or two, some yogurt with berries, or a bowl of oatmeal. EAT BREAKFAST. Drink lots of water - add lemon or lime to flavor it if you need to.

As a bonus - and who else would tell you this? - have a small square of dark chocolate (at least 70% pure cacao). It's good fat and quite the treat. I sometimes put cacao in my smoothies - with spinach and berries and coconut water - it's the YUM! - though admittedly it sounds icky.

Don't weigh yourself constantly either. Bummer. Besides if you are losing weight you will notice it when you can button things easily. It is NOT the scale that determines everything - the number is meaningless (I know, this is heresy) but meant as a guide.

Weight loss is a journey, a process, and the time involved shouldn't matter. As long as you are actively working TOWARD something, just forget time and stick with your program.

You have one, don't you? Light yourself afire this New Year and get one!

Blame or Responsibility?

2013-01-20T00:30:00.000-06:00

Anytime I run across something that changes the way we think about something, I find it exciting. Just when we are comfortable with "Well, it's in my genes." as an excuse for ANYthing, be it disease, having a lousy dispostion or habit, being fat or just blaming everything on your parents (yay, this is good news for parents!) epigenetics comes along. If you are one of those people who uses your genes as an excuse for anything, be prepared right now to think again, and take the responsibility (ouch) that you probably have more control over your gene expression than previously thought.

Epigenetics has been around for more than twenty years. The validity of the research and study has brought this addition to our understanding of human biology. I recently read an article in Time Magazine that is almost a word for word account of a lecture I heard on epigenetics from the notes I took.
Epigenetics, which is above genetic control, is about how environmental information and our perceptions control our genes. Bruce Lipton says we can change our environment AND perceptions thereby we can change our genes. We are not victims of our genes but masters!

In biochemistry it is scientifically proven that environment and perception change chemical structures. So we really do have more control over gene expression that ever. With that knowledge of course, comes responsibility. Thoughts and perceptions are huge. Proper nutrition is critical.
The way we respond to the world can kill our cells or replicate unhealthy cells. Stress dibiliates our cells. That, in turn, affects the epigenetic markers atop your DNA.

There is power in knowledge. What we do and think today can either have a good result (health and longevity) or a bad result (symptoms, disease, early death). Lipton says only 10% of disease is actually genetic. That leaves 90% of disease stemming from environment and how things are perceived. 90%!

DNA from us is passed along to our children. Did we give them junk DNA or something they could actually benefit from? For most of us with kids already, the question is moot. However, if we are desirous of longevity, being healthy and strong as we age so that our future years aren't spent in hospital, time to kick it in gear, isn't it?

Researchers and scientists in biochemistry and cellular nutrition insist that to a great extent, nurturing our cellular health, keeping the immune system in top order and learning to de-stress have a huge impact on how gene expression is activated - or not. This gives hope - as well as giving one more reason to pay attention not only to our environment, but what we feed ourselves. Lifestyle choices can change the epigenetic marks atop your DNA.

There is ALWAYS a reason to pay attention to what we eat, and our lifestyle choices. This is but one of them. It should empower us to make healthy choices - anything that empowers is good stuff! To read more about epigenetics, you can read The Biology of Belief – Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles or The Wisdom of Your Cells - How Your Beliefs Control Your Biology, both by Bruce Lipton. Or look up Epigenetics on the web.

If you don't have time to conduct your own research to validate for yourself that all this "new stuff" is, indeed, the real deal............
If you want to seriously get involved and commited to your OWN better health and longevity..........
And if you need a speed program from me on how to do this................

Here is my best (quickest?) advice:
Open your heart and mind, breathe more deeply, delete stories and excuses so your thinking is clean and clear of old garbage, and do not EAT garbage. Know that YOU have the power, more than you probably ever realized, to affect the entire rest of your life.

Happy Cells = Happy Life!

Brain and Memory Boosters

2013-01-13T00:30:00.000-06:00

You know that old saying "If you don't use it, you lose it."?   It's true for a lot of things, but perhaps the most important of all is your brain.

So I hear you already. You think just because you are thinking, juggling all of your 40 hour a day stuff into a 24 hour day (minus the time you are sleeping) you are busy thinking this moment and wondering how your brain could BE any busier. Well, it's a lot like food. Just because you ate a huge burger, fries and super sized diet coke and you are STUFFED, you assume you fed your body.

Jump back, Jack! That food didn't nurture your cells and provide much at all nutritionally. Likewise the stress level you are experiencing is not doing much for your brain. Your brain does need a workout, but busy-ness and stress isn't it. You need brain exercises or activities that break your routine and challenge you to develop new brain pathways. Assuming "old age" is creepin' up on you and with that comes forgetting things, is not an assumption worth keeping!

I taught creative thinking classes in the 90's. I worked with kids from ages 9-14 and put on seminars for their teachers. It was easy working with the kids. The teachers, not so much. Adults are tough! It was funny how they always asked how the kids did on some of the exercises we did together. I tried not to tell them the truth. The teachers were uptight, distracted, and so very inhibited I thought OMG, these people teach our children! Clearly they needed these exercises! But I do understand. Juggling work, home, family and whatever else doesn't leave a lot of time for the "flow". But I'll tell you here and now, not only will your health (eventually) suffer without brain-care, so will your memory.

Stimulating your brain can help prevent memory loss, just like exercise rejuvenates the body. Read, do crosswords, Sudoku, learn a new language, play computer games, go to sites like Luminosity for a limited amount of free brain games to test yourself. And of course meditation and getting the proper amount of sleep are fantastic.

I used to draw a picture of the topside of a brain on the board in my kids class - you can just picture a walnut if you please. When you are reading or doing something stimulating for your brain, the circuitry shoots from one side to the other in a wide zig-zag back and forth. Stimulation. When you do something passive like watching tv there is next to NO activity going on. I demonstrated this to my kids in class. They were horrified. And that's because I told them the outter sides of the brain that receive no neural stimulation would die - actually the brain cells do. These kids vowed to watch less tv and do more reading. Magic!

Told the teachers the same thing. They protested that they read all day as they taught. Trouble is that was all routine for their brains and not at all stimulating. It would be the equivalent of considering sitting upright in a chair is exercise.

You cannot expect your brain to stay fresh, remember everything, and analyze if you don't boost it with exercise it needs. Like the body needs nutrients, so does the brain!

Of all the things you might take for your brain, anti-oxidants are tops. So are Omega-3's. And if you are dieting, forget about FAT-FREE stuff. You brain requires fat. Good fat. (This does not mean eat french fries or any fried food on a regular basis - avoid totally if you can.) An avocado, or 10 walnuts (per day), fish oil supplements, hemp seeds, flax seeds - there are plenty of excellent sources of good fats.

There has been some controversy about Ginko Biloba doing any good for the brain. Dr. Daniel Amen has examined over 10,000 pictures of brains using SPECT scans. He says "The healthiest looking brains I've ever seen were on ginko." I've read his books and admire his research. I take ginko.

You know I'm going to say eat real food, right? No artificial anything. There are so many chemicals that have a disasterous consequence, most are neuro toxins - and they affect the brain and not in a good way.

Whether you are struggling now with memory problems or just want to jump on Today's Path which is all about prevention and increasing health and longevity, give that brain of yours what it wants and needs.

Last, but surely not least, your brain needs water! Lots of water!  Insufficient water can cause headaches, among many other things but let's focus on what the BRAIN NEEDS. And it's water! I actually had a client who suffered from constant headaches. Like a miracle (her words) they went away completely when she replaced her (vile) soda with water. When we make small changes like this, it can have a profound effect on our health every day, let alone the cumulative benefit.

Make 2013 the year you do good things for you - and your brain!   I want you to remember to come back to this blog :)

Alkaline Foods for Vibrant Health

2013-01-06T00:30:00.000-06:00

Our typical American diet is full of acid producing foods. Maybe you don't suffer the consequences with heart burn, indigestion or anything, but it takes its toll on your overall health. Our bodies were made to be balanced and ever so slightly on the alkaline side. The pH levels should be 7.365 to be exact for the body to survive. Yes. Survive.

When a person ingests food to "burn" for fuel, the digestive and metabolic process transforms it into a kind of ash which is either acidic or alkaline. The laws of biochemistry explain that it is NOT the organic matter of foods (whether the food itself is acidic or alkaline) but their INorganic matter (such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, or phosphorous - which is how food is broken down chemically) that determines either the acidity of alkalinity of this ashy residue.

Now when the body is not given alkaline foods to keep the pH "right", the body (in its amazing quest for survival) will manage to draw what it needs from wherever it can get it --- like your bones or other vital tissues. You may think it's cool you don't have acidosis or other symptoms (yet!) but do you know how your bones are doing? (think osteoporosis - which can be totally avoided with a good diet.) If you suffer from fatigue this may be one reason why. I've had clients do a total about face with fatigue as soon as they got that pH up to the low 7's. It really makes a difference!

So here are some foods to include on a daily basis to make sure you are getting a balance that will work well to combat an acidic pH.

Root Vegetables - You can't eat enough of them. Beets, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, horseradish. They will keep you feeling satiated and better grounded.

Cruciferous vegetables - You know these: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc.

Leafy greens - Kale, swiss chard, spinach.

Garlic - this miracle food encourages overall health and is beneficial for promoting cardiovascular and immune health by lowering blood pressure, cleansing the liver and fighting off disease.

Cayenne peppers - (capsicum) is one of the most alkalizing foods. It's also packed with antibacterial properties and is a rich supply of Vitamin A.

Lemons - most alkalizing of all! Most people are shocked at this but this is how it breaks down chemically in your body. It is often recommended as immediate relief for hyperacidity and heartburn. Of course you probably know it for being great for coughs, colds, and flu. It will energize the liver and promote detoxification. (I have lemon in my water all day long, and in my tea.)

Do you hear your mother saying "Eat your vegetables!"? Mom was right. She may not have been a biochemist, but then moms seem to have an uncanny knack for knowing just the right stuff to keep you healthy. If you want a real suggestion (of course you do!) eat two veggies per serving of meat. That just isn't hard at all.

Speaking of mom, the only thing she probably said that I would say shhhh, don't listen to her, is drinking milk. It breaks down chemically into acid - I forgive her, she didn't know biochemistry after all. All dairy breaks down into acid. Use sparingly. ( I can't resist a good cheese but I save that as a treat on weekends.)

If you, or someone you know, is going thru any kind of digestive distress or constant acidosis, get some pH papers (Amazon has them) and check your urine for a pH reading. It could be easier than you'd think to turn things around. It usually is!

8 Sexy Ways to burn calories

2012-12-30T01:00:00.000-06:00

Not often I find an article so worth copying. It won't be verbatim, but this appeared in Woman's Day and I thought it was a hoot. We are always looking for ways to burn calories! And most of those ways involve exercise we really don't want to do. But --- what if there was a way to burn that caloric nonsense that might actually be enjoyable?

Let's think back to dating days - quite a trip in time for a lot of us, but humor me. You glowed. You'd often forget to eat. You were in a constant state of OMG I love this feeling! Here is a list of the calories you were burning up then, without probably caring.

8 calories - undressing
68 calories per hour - kissing
80+ calories per hour - massage
144+ calories per hour - having sex
103 Calories per half hour - romantic dancing
238 calories per half hour - making out
(these numbers based on a 150 pound woman)

Kind of weird you'd burn LESS actually "doing it" but there is something about having that heart rate up during a hot and steamy make out session that burns up those calories, 238 per half hour!

"The hotter the room - think Bikram (a.k.a. "hot" yoga) - and the sweatier the make-out session, the more calories you burn" says Jaiya Kinzbach, an L.A. based sexologist and author of "Red Hot Touch". "Also try rolling around on the bed or changing your scenery. Make it playful and erotic and you have a great combination for a pleasurable workout."

I wanted to end this year with something fun - yet helpful. This seemed to fill that and it is probably something you would not have expected here, right? Gotta keep everyone on their toes!

If working out more is on your list of "intentions" for the New Year, well, here ya go! Regardless of HOW you work out in 2013, as Nike says "Just Do It!"

Prepping for Change - Resolutions Maybe

2012-12-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

We are wrapping up another year very shortly. Whether you are into actual resolutions or just thinking about some changes you want to make, regardless of the New Year, lets talk about the stages of change because making any significant change really does have stages. I've gone thru all of this so many times I should have a PhD in Attempting Change. Clearly all my changes have not met with success or I would be so perfect today I would bore myself to death! So in some twisted way, I love the fact that I can always find something to change.

Precontemplation - This stage almost doesn't count. You aren't ready. The very thought of change brings a sense of hopelessness from previous failed attempts. Either that, or you can literally feel the sweat on your brow at the thought of how much work this change means. You take a nap because you are so exhausted precontemplating.

Contemplation - No sense of urgency here but at least you are really thinking now. Trouble is, fear of change creeps in. You may know you need to change something but man, you are so comfortable with this (whatever it is). If you do too much thinking at this stage you could conceivably talk yourself right out of doing ANYthing. You may need another nap!

Preparation - Oh boy, you are taking baby steps now, look out! You probably did not prepare as much as you should have, maybe you should have help, a plan B, support from somebody? If you don't know where to turn for help or support, this small step you took, while a good step, could go retrograde on you. (seeming to appear to go backwards)

Action - If you expect too much too soon, (ah yes don't we all?) you have opened the door. On the other side of this door is fear of failure and feeling inept. Are you more into perfection than progress? Slam the door, slap the perfectionist! Celebrate every little bit of progress you've made! If you can treat setbacks and challenges as opportunities for growth you will see your goal evolve. Bite the bullet - keep going.

Maintenance - Uh oh, this is the boring coming - the plateau. You've had some success but you are getting tired. Maybe you are losing your enthusiasm altogether. Try to remember what motivated you in the first place. Avoid any people or situations that could trigger a relapse. This stage could be six months of action already. Do reward yourself with something. Pat yourself on the back. Try to hang out with people who are doing whatever it is you are doing successfully and use their energies to help you at this stage. It's not as much help you need, but encouragement.

CHANGE. You are not going back. You've done it - whatever it is. See? I told you that you could do it! You KNEW you could do this! And now you have! Celebrate!

Don't ask yourself what is next. There is always a next. My advice is don't go looking for it. It will find you.

I would be remiss here not even acknowledging a good healthy level of self-acceptance, which I could write volumes on. Really loving who you are is of major importance. Some of the stuff I'm working on in relation to change is really adding things to who/what I am - learning Spanish, getting a decent golf swing (which I'm told means thousands of hours at a driving range), juicing more (and better), sticking with my exercise program etc etc. I hit all the above mentioned stages no matter what it is I'm doing. Hopefully this will inspire you (somehow) to do whatever it is YOU want to do. Let me know if any of this resonates with you in the comments.

As this year comes to a close, I want to say thank you to all my readers who have read my blogs, some of you for years now. I treasure all of you, especially the faithful commentors. I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year! I'll be back in January - hope you will be too! Hugs to all, SuZen

Anti-aging for 2013

2012-12-16T00:30:00.000-06:00

Ahh, another New Year coming - which means we all get a year older. (I'm thrilled - not!) But, and thank goodness there IS a but, there are things that help slow down aging - other than that elusive re-wind button none of can seem to locate. I was excited to read this article and share it - then realized it missed a lot of info.

I've written before about anti-oxidants and they pretty much top the list of anti-aging things. You get them by eating a diet with lots of fruit and veggies. You can also add a supplement high in anti-oxidants, which I throw in because some days I just don't eat enough good stuff. According to Dr. Khadavi, an L.A. based dermatologist specializing in anti-aging "Antioxidants such as those in curcumin, pomegranate extract and white tea are good for overall anti-aging of the skin." Makes me want to take a bath in all that and let it soak in. Alas, it is not as instantaneous as I would like.

Curcumin is the compound that gives the spice turmeric it's yellow color. Research shows that gel containing curcumin, when applied for 6 months, results in a marked improvement of dark spots on the skin due to sun damage. I take my curcumin in supplement form and have discovered Shea Butter has taken the age spots off of my hands. How long this took I can't say because I was using it as a hand cream and surprised myself by losing the spots. (By the way, you can get large tubs of absolutely pure shea butter at good old Amazon and one tub lasts a LONG time, they're huge. I swear by this stuff. All summer I never sun-burned though I was out in the sun constantly. My tan never "peeled" off either. I also did not get one mosquito bite.)

Ok, so next was the pomegranate extract. Studies show this can stimulate the skin's collagen production and may prevent collagen breakdown, and inhibit wrinkle formation by extending the life of fibroblasts. Fibro what? Fibroblasts are the cells that are ultimately responsible for producing collagen and elastin - the two things that aging skin is sadly deficient in. Well, Dr. Khadavi failed to mention if you EAT it or put it ON your skin. That would have been helpful. I put pomegranate juice in my smoothies and I eat pomegranates in season. Have no clue if this counts for prevent wrinkles but the anti-oxidant benefit internally is supposed to be outstanding for cellular health.

White tea extract in a cream protected the skin from oxidative stress and immune cell damage according to one study. Can't say I've seen (or could afford) said cream. Another study said that drinking white tea prevented the activities of enzymes which break down elastin and collagen. I do have white tea, and I like it. I'm drinking my second cup of green tea as I write this - powerful anti-oxidant, diet aid and whatever else - so to add more tea is a push for me.

This article was in a health magazine called "Amazing Wellness". I was not amazed.

But before you think I had nothing worthwhile to say here, let's talk about Reishi mushrooms! I've totally saved the BEST for last! After researching this gem, I couldn't get it in my daily regime fast enough.

As we age, our immune system's protective function dramatically declines, reducing our ability to fight off disease and infection. By "infection" that would include inflammation, which is the root of most problems we have, including storing fat, heart and lung disease, autoimmune diseases, allergies, just about everything stems from inflammation. Reishi will help prevent cancer, may even help the body destroy existing cancer, suppresses allergic and auto-immune responses, stops or slows the growth of influenza, HIV, hepatitis B and many other viruses.

Additional laboratory studies have shown that extracts from Reishi are especially effective against viruses in the herpes virus family - this includes not only the well-known oral and genital herpes infections, but also the viruses that cause chickenpox and shingles, and the Epstein-Barr virus which is a viral cause of certain lymphomas. With shingles on the rise as we age (one million new cases of shingles occur in the US each year) I'd like better odds than a one in 3 chance I'll get it - by age 85 the odds are 50%.

I won't even bother to mention Reishi increases longevity. (Shhh, a bonus of 7-16 years longer life so for sure I WILL finish my book(s).)

I'm now taking a 980mg. capsule of Reishi extract by Life Extension. I'm blown away by the research. I hear you. You want to know if it prevents wrinkles. Probably not. While I use assorted creamy emollients for that, I'd much rather be healthy than wrinkle free, wouldn't you?

Sleep and Cheating

2012-12-09T00:30:00.000-06:00

I'm not getting into cheating, as in marital affairs. Although, my goodness, it certainly would spice things up but alas, that's what tabloids are for, right? I'm talking about the kind of cheating we all do when it comes to dieting or just trying to eat all the right food all the time.

I read a study by William Killgore, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard. In this study they looked at the brains of sleepy people (don't ask me where they found these folks) and when these sleepy people were presented with images of enticing, high-calorie foods like cheeseburgers and chocolate cake these brains looked significantly different than the brains of those who were presented with the same images while not feeling sleepy.

It seems we have an area of our brain that serves as a "braking system" to prevent you from doing tempting but inappropriate things. (This piece of our brain is known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for those of you who would care about this specific information. In my brain it's known as the Guilt Center!)

There was (not surprisingly) no difference in either sleepy or well rested brains looking at low-calorie foods. (I can testify, sleepy or not, a salad is a salad is a salad - no turn on here! I'm sure my brain flat lines.) According to Killgore you don't have to be severely sleep-deprived to experience a dip in self-regulatory ability. It could be just staying up an hour later. (I can testify again - if a chocolate cake came into the room any time after 9 pm. I would eat it first and cry later!)

So all of this study, digging up sleepy people from godonlyknows where, simply tells us that when we are tired, we cave. I know we seem to have an affinity for hearing these words coming from a study at Harvard. Truth be told, my MOM told me this decades ago. Your will power goes down as your body becomes tired. Duh.

The message here is (and yeah I do have one) when you are tired, go to sleep, don't eat. If you simply must stay awake and you stop for coffee at Starbucks, don't get all the goop in the coffee that puts it at 800 calories, or buy the croissant to go with the coffee.

And just like the extra-martial affair, when you cheat at night, you have remorse in the morning. Well, you DO, don't you?

Wise Words from Louise Hay

2012-12-02T01:00:00.000-06:00

I listened to an interview of Louise Hay recently. That woman is incredible. She is 86 years old and I don't know about you, but I love listening to the wisdom of people who have lived life well and are willing to share words that will no doubt live on after they are gone. Words can be gifts. Words can be life sustaining and encouraging. Words can be love itself embracing the heart.

Louise was asked if she had only ONE thing to tell people that she knows to be the most important gem of wisdom that she wants to see everyone "get". Her answer was more than one thing (I take copious notes) but she didn't hesitate to blurt out something that you may find surprising.

This was it - "I will no longer ever, ever, ever criticize myself again."

It may seem such a small thing but the power in NOT criticizing ourselves is huge. It's also extremely healthy! Try to picture this if you can - all your cells are listening to everything you think and everything you say. It's true. And if you are constantly putting yourself down, this negativity resounds throughout your entire body. I like to imagine my cells having tiny little ear phones on (yes I have a vivid imagination) and they are perfectly in tune with my thoughts even if I am not actually speaking. Gosh it's almost creepy. But knowing this has helped me clean up my act, so to speak.

The other gems Louise said -

"I will allow life to love me --- I will practice loving myself."

"Everyone goofs up - don't beat yourself up."

"Every thought you think is creating your future."

"Life loves me and I love life - Practice this!"

"We need to humble ourselves to ask for help."

She also said we can practice affirmations til we are blue in the face but if our thoughts are contrary to what we are affirming, we have cancelled them out.

I am so happy to share what Louise had to say, even though in a nutshell here. Do let me know in the comments if there is any particular gem of hers that speaks to you. As the season of gift-giving is upon us, see if you can make a gift of these words to someone else.