Tapping Into Possibilities

Why Meditate?

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Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you. Nathaniel Hawthorne (19thc novelist)

In my last post, Angeles Arrien spoke about “the sweet territory of stillness” as the place where we explore the mystery, the unknown.

Whether you believe it’s where you “hear” God, are in touch with your Divine Source, your intuition, or just your “gut”, this is the place some old stuff may come up, some brilliant idea may bubble to the surface or even some crazy/weird stuff. For example, last week while sitting in stillness I knew I needed to apologize to a cousin for a mistake I made 40 years ago!

This is one reason I practice mindfulness meditation every day for 5-20 minutes. While I’m not the mountain climbing explorer like my sister-in –law, I, too, am an explorer. Sometimes it’s more difficult, both literally and figuratively, when less than joyful memories and emotions rise to the surface but even then the clarity, the pearl of wisdom, the “ah ha” are all welcome.

Rumi, 13thc (1207-1273) Persian (now Tajikistan) poet, theologian and Sufi mysticobviously said it far better than I have in The Guest House

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and attend them all: even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of all its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

But if you need the science stuff to motivate you to give silence and stillness a try……

A recent 2018 study at Michigan Technological University in Houghton showed reduced anxiety in 11 of 14 participants in just one hour. Dr. John Duroucher, PhD., one of the co-authors said the participants also showed cardiac/heart rate benefits which should decrease stress on both the brain and kidneys.

Whether you call it sitting in stillness or mindfulness meditation, remember it’s a “practice” that takes practice and patience but that butterfly will alight if you give it a chance.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. InLightened Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

 

 

Who’s in Charge? Owning Your Health

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Adelle Davis, nutritionist and author, and considered by many to be “the Mother of Nutrition”, wrote in 1947, yes, that’s 1947!

As I see it, everyday you do one of two things, build health or produce disease in yourself

Almost 20 years ago, long before Dr. Oz wrote his book You, The Owners Manual (2005), I took a work shop about owning your health and the lessons have stayed with me all these years.

Bottom line: You invest in a 401K or an IRA for your future financial health but what are you doing for your future physical health because what good is your money if you’re sick and miserable and in pain?

Ask yourself this question: What am I doing every day to build/maintain my health or to destroy it?

Think OWNERS

Oxygen (clean air/breathing properly)

Water (quantity/quality)

Nutrition (real food/eating organically, locally, seasonally even supplements)

Energy (exercise/movement/increase your vibration)

Relaxation (meditation/yoga/mind-body practices like Tai Chi)

S (sleep/stillness)

Some friends think I’m crazy for where I spend my time, energy and resources but I think Thomas Jefferson had it right in 1826 when he wrote,

Without health there is no happiness. An attention to health, then should take the place of every other object

 

Falling…..in Gratitude

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Today I am so grateful for being able to hold a pen in my right hand and to write.

Last Monday I was doing my typical multi tasking and rushing. I still had to walk my dog before rushing to the gym and I was late, as usual. We’d had another of Washington DC’s weird snow, ice, freezing rain storms on Sunday. The side walks were sheets of ice but the streets were clear, or so they appeared.

Sidebar: “Things aren’t always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.” Phaedrus, 4th c Roman poet

Well, you guessed it….I fell on the ice and broke my right arm leading to a day in the emergency room, a night in the hospital and a visit to the operating room the next day.

And yet I’m grateful. Grateful for the kind neighbors who stopped in their rush to get to work who lifted my big, old, deaf wet dog into their car and drove me home, the neighbor and friend who drove me to the emergency room, the professional, efficient and kind staff at Suburban Hospital who didn’t treat me like a number or just another careless person. I am so grateful for my husband, Frank, who’s Honey Do List grew exponentially, for thoughtful and attentive kids and for friends who drove me, who cut up my food and washed my hair in the sink and just kept me company.

Be grateful for the little things even when things aren’t  going along with your plan.

Florence Scovel Shinn (New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysician) wrote almost a 100 years ago in The Game of Life and How to Play It

Today is a day of completion. I give thanks for this perfect day. Miracle shall follow miracle and wonders shall never cease.

And I couldn’t agree more.

I Love REM

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I Love REM…. no, not the 90’s band (though I like R.E.M. as well)….. that wonderful anti-aging sleep cycle.

The reason we need 7-8 hours of Ambien free sleep no matter what our age is that we need to go through the natural/normal/why our ancestors went to bed when the sun went down sleep cycles that include REM and N(non)REM (stages 1-4) sleep.

Ambien may seem like your best friend if you’ve had sleep issues but studies have found that it increase NREM cycles and decreases REM cycles.

Why should you care whether you have enough REM cycles or not? REM sleep is when you repair and regenerate.

Think: When I’m awake I degenerate; when I’m asleep I regenerate.

Healing happens during REM. Lack of REM impairs our ability to complete and learn tasks. It is also where we have memorable dreaming. REM is when the information you gathered during the day is put in to context and stored for future use.

And it just isn’t what lack of sleep does on the inside but what it does on the outside. Participants in a 2013 study from University Case Medical Center in Cleveland showed visible signs of aging including reduced skin elasticity, fine lines and uneven pigmentation, slept fewer hours and spent less time in REM sleep

“Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Ovid

Free Alzheimers Prevention Rx!!!

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Free Alzheimers Prevention Rx:  GET MORE SLEEP!

Nothing scares me more than Alzheimers. I’ve had too many of my friends having to cope with this devastating disease with their aging parents.

Sleep deprivation causes all sorts of things we don’t want: hair loss, impaired vision and hearing, sexual dysfunction, weight gain.

Why? Sleep and your immune system are intricately entwined.

Not enough sleep leads to increased inflammation. Inflammation can turn on genetic switches…meaning the aging process speeds up. If your mother has/had Alzheimers you may be genetically programmed for Alzheimers at age 70 but if you are sleep deprived that gene could turn on earlier.

Studies indicate that the less you sleep and the worse your sleep patterns are, the more amyloid plaque your brain has. Amyloid plague is a marker for Alzheimers. There is no causal link (yet) between lack of sleep and Alzheimers but we do know lack of sleep causes so many other of the down sides of aging, why not make Sleep a Priority.

Pro ProBiotics

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Why? The evidence is strong that Probiotics benefit the digestive and immune systems and there are many other reasons to consider taking a probiotic.

Green Med Info  www.greenmedinfo.com  has over 240 studies relating to 170 health issues that have benefited from a probiotic supplement

The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported  a study of adults with high cholesterol. Those that took a probiotic twice a day for nine weeks reported total cholesterol levels dropping 9% and LDL by 12%. (Men’s Health News, 11/26/12)

And for those of you who endured a bad and lengthy cold this winter…… A double blind study at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in NJ monitored college students for 12 weeks. Those taking the probiotics had cold symptoms for a shorter time, less severe symptoms and missed fewer days of school. (News-medical.net, 10/24/12)

What are Probiotics? Non pathogenic bacteria that naturally live in your gut or more simply put Good Bugs. Your body has give or take a 100 trillion friendly bacterial cells. Some of their functions include digestion, battling viral, bacterial and yeast infections, protecting us against disease i.e. stimulating the immune system and producing vitamins K & B.

Why Supplement? The sad American diet filled with sugar, flour, fast food not to mention stress and antibiotics all contribute to the growth of the bad bugs and don’t provide the food the good bugs need to flourish.

Good vs Bad

Good bugs release an acid that keeps bad bugs in check. Good bugs need high fiber foods, plant based foods, healthy fats and fermented foods. Probiotic rich foods include kefir, kombucha, yogurt, fermented vegetables such as kimchi and sauerkraut. The Nourishing Traditions cookbook has a easy recipe for fermented ketchup which is delicious.

Bad Bugs release toxins into your system. Bad bugs love sugars, fats from processed food, stress.

What we do: We eat plain yogurt & kefir because added sugars cancel out much of the good. We eat some fermented foods but not enough. We supplement.

What we take: American Health Probiotic CD with 10 strains and 12 billion CFUs but there are many good brands out there including Innate Response Formulas Flora 50-14, MegaFood MegaFlora and Nutrition Now PB8. All can be purchased at www.iherb.com (use BOT164 at checkout for discount on first order).

What to look for: A brand with multiple strains of bacteria and at least 5000 CFUs. CFUs are Colony Forming Units.

Because we have trillions of good bacteria and hundreds of strains, it is good to rotate formulas every 3 months once you have a good foundation.

You really are what you eat.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health and DIY Health & Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

 

 

Cacao Nibs

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My favorite source of Cacao is Cacao Nibs which are broken up pieces of the cacao beans with the shells removed. One ounce of cacao nibs (about 3 tablespoons) contains 3 grams of protein.

Cacao Nibs are one of the best dietary sources of magnesium of which most Americans are deficient. If you’ve forgotten how important  Magnesium is please reread http://www.intentionalhealthnews.com/articles/magnesium-101

Cacao Nibs are also a good source of calcium, iron, copper, zinc and potassium and fiber. They may be a better source of antioxidants than even blueberries or green tea.

How to use: In smoothies, in yogurt or oatmeal, in baking or by the handful. They are crunchy, more like a nut, and not sweet but definitely chocolaty AND, the important key word, satisfying. You might think they are bitter or just bland at first but like anything new give them the benefit of the doubt and keep using them.

Look for Raw (though technically none are raw – they can be sun dried or slow roasted), Organic, preferably Fair Trade, Cacao Nibs I buy mine from my local Mom’s Organic Market but you can find them almost anywhere including Amazon or www.iherb.com (use BOT164 as a coupon code for a discount on your first order).

The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.       Thomas Jefferson

My favorite way to consume my cacao nibs is in a smoothie and my most favorite combination is:

ABCD Smoothie -A great afternoon pick me up

1 banana                                 2 Tbls Almond Butter                                                                       3 Tbls Cacao Nibs                 4 pitted Dates                                                                                     4 ice cubes                             ½ cup water or coconut water

Blend until thick, smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health and DIY Health & Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

 

 

C is for Cacao cont’d…..

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What’s important to know are the health benefits of cacao and what form is the best way to get those benefits.

If you read part 1, you’ll note that for centuries cacao was consumed in liquid form though not the Swiss Miss instant variety. Look for Raw Unsweetened Cacao Powder. Look for Dark Chocolate with 70% cacao. And my favorite, Cacao Nibs.

To be considered “dark”, the chocolate must have at least 35% cacao but please note, the research and resulting benefits have all been done with dark chocolate with 70% cacao.  Although 70% is considered bittersweet, it is satisfying and you won’t keep craving more and more as in that big bag of M&Ms I used to devour at the movie theater.

Health Benefits from Recent Research:

Better Mood: The carbohydrates in cacao raise serotonin levels in the brain.  Cocoa contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid required for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Enhanced serotonin levels can lower anxiety levels and improve mood.

Reduced PMS Symptoms: whether it’s the magnesium or the tryptophan, who cares, it works!

Eating cacao also helps to release endorphins, the “I feel good” natural high. Perhaps, this is why we have so many chocoholics.

Just the smell of cacao can increase theta brain waves. Think relaxation.

Healthy Heart and Lower Cholesterol Levels:  Cacao is full of antioxidants called flavonoids.  Flavanoids help to prevent clogged arteries and make platelets less sticky which can reduce the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

Cacao contains healthy monounsaturated fats which help raise the good cholesterol (HDL) levels.

Suppress  Appetite: A cup of cacao before a meal will reduce your hunger. Cacao contains the mineral chromium which helps stabilize blood sugar.

More Energy: Cacao contains a substance called theobromine, a central nervous system stimulant. It helps boost your energy during that afternoon slump.

Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits.  Baron Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), German chemist

 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health and DIY Health & Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.

 

C is for Cacao

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The Theobroma cacao tree is an evergreen indigenous to Mexico and South America. It’s “fruit” are large pods containing 1” seeds. These seeds are where all forms of chocolate and, dare I say, cocoa come from.

Basically, Americans misspelled cacao a long time ago and now some say cacao is the raw form and cocoa is the processed form but they really are all the same thing (and if you want to debate cacao vs cocoa or raw, processed, hand shelled, etc. this is not the place).

Who do you have to blame for all those sweet, decadent chocolates that originated in Europe? The Spanish conquistador, Cortes.

For 100’s of years the Mayans (dating back to 400 AD) and the Aztecs (1400 AD) recognized the value of cacao. Not only was it a healthful drink called “chicolati” (beaten drink) or xocolati (bitter drink) but the seeds were a form of currency.

The Divine drink which builds up resistance and fights disease. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk a whole day without food. Hernando Cortes, 1519

After Cortes conquered the Aztecs and won Mexico for the crown of Spain in 1520, he returned to Spain in 1528 with a cargo of cacao beans and chicolati making equipment.

Chocolate is a divine celestial drink, the sweat of the stars, the vital seed, divine nectar, the drink of the gods, panacea and universal medicine. Geronimo Piperni, quoted by Antonio Lavedan, Spanish army surgeon, 1796.

The beans eventually found their way to France in 1615 and to London in the 1650’s and was eventually sweetened and lightened and sweetened and lightened some more with sugar and milk becoming “a shadow of it’s former self”.

Note: Not all chocolate is created equal

Gluten- Free in a Bag

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Gluten Free is currently a marketing gold mine so you have lots and lots of products to try. But, while it is great to have some gluten free-alternatives and substitutes for your pasta, crackers, cookies and breads, it is still processed and most gluten-free products have more carbs, sugar and calorie than their gluten equivalents.

But if you just can’t bear the thought of no snacks or pasta here are some of our favorites to help get you started and make the transition.

Kame Original Rice Crackers (forget the other brands they leave a yucky taste). We’ve bought this brand since long before the gluten-free “fad”.

Le Veneziane  Penne Rigate Corn Pasta (in our house no child or guest has ever noticed the difference). Personally, most of the other brands/types on the market except for Bionatuare make me gag.

Glutino Pretzels. I’m not a fan of most of their products but these are delicious. In fact, in a taste test with popular regular brands, they won.

Trader Joe’s GF Chocolate Chip Cookies (the ginger snaps will do but have a funny texture and the meringues are great but you can easily make your own) are crunchy not chewy and really, really good.

The French Laundry Cup4Cup “Flour” – the best substitute I’ve found with no gritty after taste. King Arthur Gluten Free Baking Mix is a close second.

Mama’s Pancake Mix  – King Arthur Pancake Mix is also great and if you don’t tell, no one will notice.

Gillians Bread Crumbs  – Perfect substitute for chicken or eggplant parmesan

Canyon Bakehouse Breads – Until I found Canyon Bakehouse, I considered Udi’s GF breads, when toasted, acceptable but “gluten free bread” is really an oxymoron (a combination of contradictory or incongruous words). Breads are definitely the hardest thing to give up and to find an acceptable substitute; that is, until Canyon Bakehouse.

Processed food, whether gluten- free or not, is not real food.

As Michael Pollan’s Rule #39 in Food Rules states, Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health and DIY Health & Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.