Make It Healthy

I love spicy chili when the weather is cold. However, when you are trying to get lean or to get your cells clean there is nothing in chili that = health.  It’s a T&T pleaser (that’s tummy and tongue). Whether you eat canned chili or you make it from scratch it’s vibrational frequency for health is just under ‘maintain’.  That means more energy is required from your body to break down and assimilate the food than it actually gives back.

Making chili from scratch with freshly picked veggies can boost the frequency a notch just as blessing the items as you mix them gives an edge. However,  let’s face it, good chili is cooked to death ...it mingles the flavors. So, the end result is that it may offer some vitamins, proteins, and herbal benefits from possibly using cayenne pepper, onions  and garlic but as a component to restoration of health and vitality, it falls short.
Here’s what I do to my home made chili that allows my T&T to be happy but lifts the healing and health vibration to the brew.

Pictured is my chili served with my all 3 of my corner posts for health; slaw, chimol and sprouts. First lay a bed of slaw. Then ladle chili to cover. Now the next of my corner post; a couple tablespoons of chimol. The next level is some plain yogurt or cottage cheese for probiotics and then top with live sprouts.  Not the prettiest dish but the additions take regular chili from a  5 to a powerhouse 10.  It also lets you serve your family what they want but turn your dish into what you need.  Salud ! 

COLE SLAW: my corner post for healing

Have you ever looked closely at Slaw? Probably not; why should you? It’s basically shredded cabbage. However, when you start to research that unpretentious, long keeping, little vegetable you find it to be a nutritional storehouse. Cabbage is extremely high in calcium. Most nutritional specialist sing the praises of broccoli as the leader in organic calcium. Yet, cupful to cupful cabbage leads as the best organic source of  this important mineral.

Other notable qualities found listed on the cabbage nutritional profile are the B vitamins: Niacin (B3), Riboflavin (B2)  and Thiamine (B1).  Stress, alcohol and sugar destroy B vitamins. People dealing with stressful conditions, illness or post surgery need extra amounts of these B’s.These three B’s aid digestion, stabilize emotions, relieving irritability and depression while generally aiding the entire nervous system. They are even more effective when combined with calcium and phosphorus. The combo helps prevent constipation or edema and assist the urinary system.  What a master plan that cabbage would naturally be very high in those minerals as well.

Cabbage also contains high levels of potassium and organic sodium (not the same as table salt) which are beneficial to heart function and problems like arrhythmia. These nutrients along with high levels of antioxidants, and Vitamins A&C make slaw a wonderful food for your over-all health. Add some carrot to your slaw and you’ve doubled the available vitamin A and organic sodium. 

My rabbits and I eat slaw almost every day. I shred up a half gallon container twice a week. Having this in easy reach in the refrigerator means that no matter what I serve there a fast easy salad slaw to enhance the meal.My rabbits, Patch and Magic, like their slaw  plain, but I vary the dressing I mix into it day to day. Sometimes a bit of mayonnaise and lime juice, or some olive oil, agave nectar and celery seed, or maybe just some sweet onion vinaigrette.

I learned from my rabbits, Patch and Magic, not to eat slaw that is over 3 days old. I’m not sure why they refuse it on the 4th day, but animal wisdom is often greater than ours, so I watch, learn and follow. One more difference in the way we eat slaw is that I always top mine off with some Honduran Chimol…a salsa type relish popular in this part of Central America. It is another one of my corner posts for good health. Watch for the recipe in a future blog piece or contact me through a comment here or on my website: www.wisdompathway.com

Start Small to Stay on Track

The best time to make a change is at the beginning of some landmark: a new week, month, a birth date or the ever popular, new year. However, internet research states that only 12 percent of Americans successfully achieve their New Year's resolutions. Did the desired improvement lose importance or was the goal too big?

What keeps those remaining 88% from achieving their goals can be as varied as the folks themselves. Some may have just forgotten their intent, with others it could be procrastination or ‘failure to launch.’ However, I bet if the goal began as one smaller and easier to reach, each small success would have rolled into another to create a giant victory.

 Another ingredient to overcoming hurdles to change is having a circle of close friends or others with similar goals that will support and believe in what you are trying to achieve.  Over the years, I have coached and supported people in numerous areas of the world to overcome their fears, hesitations and moments of discouragement.  All alone, the decision to  turn their lives around can sometimes feel overwhelming and a bit frightening. Visit my website www.wisdompathway.com/free.htm to read testimonies. You might consider enrolling in my free “Empowerment Group” to stay on-track with your goals. Each member receives 3 positive messages a week. I send one on Mondays to help set your course. The second one will be in your e-mail box on Wednesday to help you over the hump while the final one will show up each Friday, helping you stay on-track for the weekend.

 
It took big dreamers to see the possibility of a transcontinental railway connecting each coast of the United States. But it was the daily focus of laying one rail after another that made it happen.

Guess What's Coming to Thanksgiving Dinner.

Remember 1966, when Simon and Garfunkel sang about Scarborough Fair and 4 simple herbs? They were parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
 
The USDA  and other modern nutritional organizations have us thinking of food consisting mainly of vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and calories. Yet every naturally occurring food source item contains a complex mix of natural chemical substances that have an action or reaction within our bodies. Some of these actions might clean sooth, stimulate, nourish or relax.

The 4 herbs made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, were supposedly the reason many grave robbers survived the Black Plague of the mid 1300’s. The thieves managed to protect themselves from the disease by wearing and consuming these herbs. Today we use them to flavor foods but originally their connection to food was in helping retard the purification of meat in days before refrigeration. They do this by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungus.  My favorite use is in my savory Thanksgiving dressing.

A little research on the herbs gave me a greater respect for their place in my kitchen plus an indispensable addition to my potted herb gardens. I found parsley to be a vitamin and mineral powerhouse containing a large amount of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll cleans the colon (therefore the lungs) and builds healthy blood and muscle. Historically Parsley Teas were used as kidney stone, bladder infection, and jaundice medications, as well as digestive aids. Parsley is a natural diuretic, high in vitamins A, C, E and K and was the only thing my rabbit, Patch, was interested in eating after we had the poor guy neutered.
 
According to an article on www.diet-and-health.net, the oils and tannins in Sage have astringent, antiseptic, and irritant properties. Therefore it becomes an important herb in medications for mouth sores, mouth ulcers, thyroid and sore throat medications. Most viruses enter your body through your mouth or nose. Sage is used to offset endless list of problems in humans. I usually recommend it for hormone imbalance, excessive sweating, and it was the cure for restoring color to my first gray hair.

A search on Rosemary shows that it is under study for its antioxidant properties. They find that it can help stop free radicals before they damage your cells. It also contains antimicrobial properties, which means it kills bacteria and fungi. Rosemary also increases alertness, memory and concentration when used as a tea or tonic. I usually pass a small bottle of the essential oil around the room when I teach workshops. It can reduce fatigue, depression and anxiety and encourages calmness.

Surfing Wikipedia I found the essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), contains 20-54% thymol. Thymol is an antiseptic and the main active ingredient in various mouthwashes.  Before the arrival of modern antibiotics, oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages. It has also been shown effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails.


All the more reason to make my dressing. Why don’t you try researching some of your favorite cooking herbs to find how much they help your health.  And remember ‘all things in moderation, ‘ herbs can be self-limiting.  Happy Thanksgiving. Among other things, I am thankful for what herbs give us.

Thanks for the help from these sites.




http://www.gardensablaze.com
http://www.gardenguides.com

Dissatisfaction Invariably Causes Change

The above statement is a quote from a book that I wrote 4 years ago, “Gringos in Paradise: Our Honduras Odyssey.” However, this morning as I began to stretch into my first yoga posture, those words from the past floated through my awareness again. Perhaps it was because this was the first time in 3 weeks that I had made any effort to practice yoga. I was making time today because of pain.

The influences of our culture seldom teach us to move toward pleasure. Since change is inevitable, unplanned alterations are bound to occur which clash with our personal desires. The resulting conflict creates pain. In my situation, preoccupation with an upcoming trip and the resulting hours of restriction in planes and airports kept me uninterested in the usual practices that offer me pleasure. Things like quiet stretching and focused breathing. 

I could have set aside time during my travels for those practices but I chose to surrender to the week. It was a week of eating for fun and living within the lifestyles of others. The sciatica and joint pain that returned due to those choices now leaves me faced with another decision. I can move from pain with shots and pills, or recommit myself to the personal practices that restore balance and bring about the pleasure of good health.

I once heard, “Nobody likes change except a baby.” Yet I have listened to plenty of babies cry while their diapers are changed. That leads me to believe that it is probably not the course of change but the feeling that we have no choice in the matter. When change comes from our admitted intent, we feel empowered. When ‘fate’ hands us change we feel victimized. Was I a victim of air travel and family practices or was I paying the consequences for placing my needs second? In not practicing the personal habits that make me feel good, I had surrendered my ability to cause positive change; the continued healing of my body.

To change your circumstances ...

To change your circumstances you must see beyond your present condition. That statement affects every aspect of our lives; the physical, emotional, and mental. It means that conditions of health, career, finances even relationships can be improved once we decide they should be different.

Two men looked out of prison bars;
one saw mud, the other saw stars. -MaryKayAsh-

Manifestation techniques such as the Law of Attraction, Positive Thinking, Treasure Mapping and others are rooted in this simple understanding; that what you think about, you bring about.

Creating a mental picture of what you desire has to become a priority. Once our minds give fertile space for this picture to grow, we, then, need to experience it. Allow yourself to sense how wonderful and satisfying it feels to have it. Store those feelings away in your memory bank so they are easy to experience over and over again.

Be cautious about reading all the negativity in the papers, listening to news media reports or the woes of compadres around the water cooler or you might find their perceptions influencing yours. Erase any negative images that try to over-ride your positive new image. Guard the created image as though it were a sacred object, because it is…it is your future. Nothing can change without that new imagine.

The next part is the “walk in faith.” Believe in yourself and know that you are part of a bigger picture than you understand. Hold the new image but do the daily things needed to ALLOW your new future to be born.

I think there is something, more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision.- W. Clement Stone –

What will you change? Tell me.

Self Discipline

With each new blog, I promise myself to become focused and disciplined in making posts. As you can see from the dates, I have failed. This procrastination trickles into my exercise schedule, my Facebook and other media posts, and even my correspondence efforts. Does anyone else have this problem?

It feels like there is just too much going on. As I reexamine what I’ve done that could cause the hours to vaporize, I see so many different interruptions or distraction that I don’t know which one to blame. As with most chronic behavior…why is it so much easier to give self-destructive habits priority over sound, healthy, logic?

I learned that we invest the most time into the thing from which we want the most benefit. An example is that if a child learns that more attention is gained from misbehaving than from being good, they will be naughty…even if the attention they receive is painful. Applying that information here; we get endorphin releases from every emotion we feel whether it is pain or pleasure. After a while, our addiction to the chemical causes something similar to a scratch in a record...an easy path to follow. I believe that when we are not getting enough endorphins from 'happy' or healthy habits we fall back on the other.


I’ve remembered a tool that may allow me to retrain the source of my stimulus. During my years in sales I learned about making a ‘5 Most Important Things’ list. To do this, simply write a list of the 5 most important things you want to complete the next day. It helps to write them in order of their priority. Then check off each item as it is completed; a nice neurochemical release in itself. The list helps keep you on track regardless of interruptions. If by some chance, the list is not completed by the end of the day, just move that item(s) to the top of the next day’s list. Ahhhh, that feels better already.

Vitality From Food

Vitality from food, oxygen and exercise is an absolute must in combating chronic conditions. Stress, whether emotional mental or physical, weakens the immune system which can then ripple to other body systems. I did some experimenting on this theory using our pets this past year. (Yes, I do animal test, but only after experimenting on my husband and I first.)

We began renting the downstairs rooms to volunteers that come to Honduras. The change in traffic through our front gate along with whatever volunteers may have handled in the world outside rippled into the lives of our 3 animals. Patch, the rabbit, developed a chronic weepy eye and our cat, Pueo, lost weight and began to groom herself hairless. Even the dog got went off her feed.

There are few small animal vets here; dogs, horses and cows are about the only animals people are willing to spend money on. When I called the vet about our rabbit he recommended some eye drops containing boric acid and zinc from the Ag. store. Weeks of applying the drops brought no improvement. I gave up the process and started an on-line research. What I learned was that my cute, manly,3 year old bunny was considered obese by rabbit standards. Armed with this information I chose to take all sweet, fresh fruit along with the concentrated rabbit pellets from his diet. I replaced these with sprouted lentils and crisp vegetables. Within 10 days the weepy eye was corrected and he was out in the yard playing instead of just lying out around the downstairs patio.

In Pueo the cat’s case, my research brought awareness that my 10-year old feline had been on the same diet for years; canned tuna and dry cat food. Although nutritious, it was dead. The lack of variety in her diet compounded by the lack of fresh enzymes left her unprepared for the stress created by all the changes around her. I started her with liquid Dulse for minerals and coaxed her to eat raw fish and raw, creamy, milk from the dairy across the road. After 2 months on this program she has regained her weight and no longer has gaps in her hair.

If you have a health condition that has been challenging you for a while you might want to look at building your body’s vitality with lots of fresh vegetables, high enzyme foods such as sprouted seeds and grains and lots of friendly bacteria from whole fresh dairy or probiotics. One way to easily add more fresh veggies is to start consuming a popular Honduran food called Chismol. Its a blend of vegetables preserved in lemon juice and apple cider vinegar that you add to your regular meals.

Write me if you’d like the recipe for the Chismol. It is a great summer salsa.

Vitality

I’ve been writing a lot about vitality lately and with chronic conditions, it’s a major missing link. If the word ‘chronic’ is defined as; slowly developing, long-term, then it only makes sense the pain, struggle, worry or fear created by it would have a weakening affect on every area.

People struggling with chronic conditions, whether in their health or relationships, invariably lose the vitality needed for hope, courage or desire.
An easy little exercise that can open a door to a few moments of peace and freedom is to close your eyes, then take and releasing a deep cleansing breath. Give yourself permission to imagine yourself as a free, wild animal…possibly an eagle, dolphin, mustang or other. Let your imagination loose. See yourself flying, or running free. Feel the wind beneath you, or the water rushing past your face. Travel as far as you choose.

When you are ready to return and open your eyes. You may be amazed at how much stronger and lighter you feel. It’s what freedom feels like. Now that you are acquainted with the feeling, practice this exercise every day, waiting for the bus, or at the doctor’s office or before bed. The more you practice it the longer the feeling stays. Soon it will be YOUR normal feeling and will create the change you are looking for in your life.

My next post we can examine how food allows healing by offering vitality.

Acceptance

I was recently challenged to answer a question: “How would you describe total health and wellness?” A thousand textbook answers raced to be first in my rational. Yet within the unrecognizable barrage came a calm realization that none of them was the appropriate answer. It was the word acceptance that felt correct.

In the fields of energy medicine there are certain emotions that are restrictive to the flow of vitality and others that expand and support the flow. Grief, remorse, despair, shame and depression are considered ‘heavy’ emotions. These states involuntarily cause breathing to become shallow which constricts energy flow, causing the chest, shoulders, heart and lungs to feel as though they are under pressure or weight.

As an interesting exercise, close your eyes, relax and just think about the words: Grief, remorse, despair, shame, depression. After a minute or two, you will likely feel your posture has subtly changed and that there is a heaviness on your chest above your heart. If you were to continue in this condition, the restricted flow of energy would begin to create sensations in the areas farthest from the heart; your hands, fingers, feet and toes. Just like shutting down the flow of water to an irrigated field, the crop would start to wither and possibly die.

Now, return to your relaxed, eyes closed position and start thinking the words: love, peace, joy, happiness, gratitude, acceptance. Without intent, your chest begins to expand, breathing becomes fuller while the neck and shoulders relax creating a sense of well-being. The previous dense energy is dissipating, being replaced with one that is lighter and more expansive. The longer these thoughts are held the farther reaching this energy expands.

The word acceptance, unlike its near relatives, submission and surrender, does not require giving in or yielding one’s will. It’s more like transcending will by recognizing that even if one doesn’t understand the why of a thing, what is occurring has a greater benefit than possibly meets the eye. There is no bad, no mistakes, only something to be learned. Acceptance is how we receive gifts.