Thursday, April 28, 2011

Protecting our water

There are many ways to protect our planet and our water supply.  Many ideas seem too simple to pass by.  Here are a few.
Join your local clean-up day for your ocean, stream, lake or river.  This is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and get a little exercise too.  Take a friend or two along and have a day with friends while doing to the world some good.
Take a few minutes off your shower time.  If you shave in the shower, shut the water off while you shave.  Next time you go to the gym, bring your own towel to cut down waste at the gym.  Shut the water off while you bruch your teeth.  Shut the water off while you wash the dishes.  Rinse the dishes after you have washed all of them.
Levi's has a new water-less rigid-finish jean that uses 96 percent less water to produce.  Regular jeans are washed 3 -10 times before you see them in the store.
Give a gift of clean water at Water Aid's shop online.  For $30 you can buy a villager in Africa, Asia or the Pacific clean water for life.  $50 will buy four faucets for a village.  Visit wateraidamerica.org
Take a vacation and vounteer to help scientists measure the impact of climate change on glacier-capped mountains.  You can also survey tropical reefs through organizations like Earthwatch institute or Reef Check.  earthwatch.org, reefcheck.org
Go organic when you buy cotton.  Cotton is farmed with pesticides and it pollutes our waterways.  American Apparell has some cotton choices for you to stay in style with organic cotton.

These are just a few of the many ways to save our planet and our water supply.  Let us know if you have more information on saving this planet.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Save the Seeds!

During the Halloween holiday as children we always carved pumpkins into funny little faces.  My mother made no waste of the spooky holiday tradition.  She would save the seeds for eating later.  She would wash them up, put salt on them and roast them in the oven.  We would gobble them up as fast as we could.  They were a fun and delicious treat.  What we didn't know was the fact that they were packed with healthy nutrients.  My mother was smarter than we thought.
In both squash and pumpkin seeds are nutrients to include protien, zinc, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.  To copy my mothers snack, wash off the pulp, dry the seeds on a paper towel.  Toss with a bit of olive oil and seasonings such as salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, cinnamon or whatever makes you happy.  Spread the seeds on parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes or until they start to brown.  Allow to cool and enjoy!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Where do the symbols of Easter come from?

The lamb - In the jewish faith the lamb symbolizes God's mercy and deliverance from slavery long before Christ.  Long ago it was believed that when the blood of a lamb was spread on their doors the angel of death would pass over them.  This allowed the Israelites to leave Egypt for the Promised Land.  Christians call Jesus "The Lamb of God" who was sacrificed to free the world from sin.

Easter Bunny and the eggs - The bunny was born a bird according to the Anglo-Saxon folklore.  During a long cold winter he nearly lost his life.  Eostore, the Goddess of Spring, arrived late that year.  Eostore found the freezing bird and saved him by turning him into a snow hare.  In memory of his past she gave the hare the ability to lay eggs in all colors of the rainbow on one day each year.  The hare gave these colored eggs to children who had been good that year.

Eggs seen as signs of renewal - Going back to 5,000 B.C. eggs have been colored and given as gifts of friendship to celebrate the renewal of life and nature that spring brings.  Europe adopted the tradition and the German settlers brought the practice to the United States along with the tale of the Easter Bunny and decorating trees and bushes with eggs during the Easter season.

Lilies and Easter - Christians brought lilies into the Easter  celebration because they were said to have sprung from the ground where Jesus's tears fell on the night before he was crucified.  The flowers symbolize everlasting life and are dubbed "white-robed apostles of hope".

Easter Chicks - Chicks symbolize new life and have become a staple in Easter decorations.  In the United States they are second to the Bunny but in Norway the kids wait for the fabled Easter Chick.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

spicy lemonade diet

Studies have shown that you can melt 16 pounds in four days drinking a cocktail of lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup.  The d-limonen in lemon boosts the liver's ability to break down fat.  Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which improves metabolism and maple syrup helps prevent the breakdown of calorie-hungry muscles.
Goglia recommends having a whey protein shake in the morning for breakfast followed by a glass of water with 2 tbls. lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne and 1 Tbls. of maple syrup.  For lunch have a protein-veggie lunch and for dinner try fish and veggies.  Do this for 7 days and take 3 days off then 7 days on to lost 10 pounds.  You can repeat the cycle once every 6 months.
The spicy lemonade diet has been used as a 10 day cleanse where you only drink when you are hungry throughout the day and not eat anything else.  This type of cleanse is not recommended and diet suggested above is much healthier.  For more information visit http://www.livestrong.com/article/401331-spicy-lemonade-diet/

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

A better way to celebrate Easter? The healthy way...

Do you love Peanut Butter Cups?  Well, so do I!  Let's try this.  Sun Cups Sunflower Butter Dark Chocolate. Why?  Because it is  packed with antioxidants and their sunflower butter contains stress-easingf magnesium and skin-softening vitamin E.  Check your whole foods market or go to naturalcandystore.com and eat it up!

Jelly Beans?  What is Easter without them?  Surf Sweets Organic Jelly Beans has 100 percent of Vitamin C.  Vitamin C is proven to help regulate the body's production of cortisol.  Cortisol is a stress hormone linked to belly fat storage.  Let's go for it!  Again, find it at  naturalcandystore.com or your whole foods store.

Cherry Licorice.  Who does not like cherry licorice?  I thought it was a year-round treat.  I certainly don't save it for Easter.  How about Panda All-Natural Cherry Licorice.  These yummy treats are made with real licorice extract which boost endurance and lower stress.  It also contains glycyrrhetinic acid with reduces body fat.  Go ahead and grab some at your nest trip to your whole foods store.  Amazon.com will also help you with this.


Looks like Amazon.com is a great place to find all of this!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Healing yourself with fresh spring vegetables

Energize- Carrots contain compounds called carotenoids that improve blood sugar control which help ward off tiredness.  The Journal of Nutrition did a survey and found that people who had more intake of carotenoids had slimmer waistlines, less subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

Detox - Radishes help cleanse the body of energy-draining toxins due to the phyto-chemical glucoraphasatin.  They also contain a mineral called molybdenum.  Molybdenum helps fight free radical damage.

Strength - Cabbage can help you get slim and strong.  Glucosinolate which is found in cabbage cause active muscles to  metabolize more fat for fuel.  The body then uses less glucose which helps your energy to stay steady.

Boost Immunity - Turnip roots and their greens are high in vitamin C.  Vitamin C is an anitoxidant which strengthens immunity, wards off weight gain and eases anxiety due to C's ability to ward off the stress hormone cortisol.

Reduce Tension - Artichokes are high in magnesium.  Magnesium has been known to calm stress and promote sound sleep.  Magnesium is also an antispasmodic to soothe muscle tension.

Flush Fat - Asparagus contains asparagine and potassium.  They are diuretics that flush belly-bloating water weight and fat-trapping toxins.  It also contains prebiotics that feed beneficial bacteria in the gut to promote weight loss.

Put it all together and make a salad...Yummm!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Soothing ideas for pain of all kinds...

Capsaicin - This is a compound found in peppers;  find it in a cream and apply it to the area of pain.  It helps to reduce the pain messages to the brain.  It will help you with Arthritis, Back Pain, Nerve Pain, Pruritic Psoriasis.  Do a search on the internet.  This cream is available from many sources.
Peppermint essential oil - Rub a bit of peppermint essential oil on the temples to calm tension headaches.  I have also massaged lavendar and peppermint essential oil of the chest at the end of massages to reduce inflamation in the sinuses and help reduce headaches.  Visit the Young Living essential oils web site for safe and effective oils.
Ginger Spice - Ginger has become known for its ani-inflammatory benefits.  For menstrual cramps, dunk a cloth in warm ginger tea and apply it to the lower abdomen.  Ginger is also known to help with Ovarian Cancer, Colon Cancer, Morning Sickness, Motion Sickness, Reduces Pain and Inflammation,

Heartburn Relief, Cold and Flu Prevention, Migraine Relief, Menstrual Cramp Relief, Prevention of Diabetic Nephropathy.




















Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Craniosacral Therapy

I have been practicing Craniosacral Therapy for one year.  I have practiced on many people and have had many positive results.  This is a very calming and relaxing type of treatment.  It is a treatment being used by many massage therapists, osteopaths, naturopaths, chiropractors and physical therapy.
Craniosacral therapy taps into a motion call the craniosacral rhythm.  This rhythm is created by a wave of fluid which continuously flows in the space around the brain and spinal cord.  Due to the fact that the body is connected in all parts, this rhythm can be felt throughout your tissues.
Tension in your body can restrict the natural flow of the craniosacral rhythm.  Pracitioners use a gentle touch which is often less than a nickel's weight, to correct that blocked rhythm.  Releasing the blocked rhythm will help to release tension in the body.  The treatment is most often deeply relaxing.
For a craniosacral session, you lie fully clothed on a comfortable padded table.  No oil or traditional massage strokes will be used.  The therapist will start by placing their hand beneath a section of your spine, skull or tailbone and feel and listen to the craniosacral rhythm.  The therapists hand may also be placed on your ribs, shoulders, thighs or feet, and may hold the position for some time according to your needs.  The therapist may also combine other forms of bodywork in the same session to powerfully reinforce each other.
You may leave feeling energetic, sleepy or a little scattered.  If you fall asleep or don't feel much of anything at first, subtle but profound changes may be occurring that will help you heal over time.

Monday, April 4, 2011

How to melt away tension

To benefit your heart, learn how to relax your mind.  Read below....

1.  Learn to laugh.  Laughing helps to release tension by changing your mind in times when you usually feel tension or get upset.  Laughing reduces stress hormones that tax your heart and increase your load of feel good endorphins.  Children laugh 300 times a day while adults laugh about 15 times a day.  Feel like a child again and laugh.

2.  How many times have you heard that you need to exercise.  The statement holds true even today.  Exercise more.  Exercise helps your heart to be more efficient and lowers your heart rate in stressful situations.

3.  Do you ever check to see if you are still breathing?  Breathing deeply and allowing your lungs to bring in enough oxygen is very beneficial to the way you might be feeling.  Inhale through your nose deeply, and exhale through your mouth.  Exhale longer than the inhale to remove as much of the bad air as you can.  Then inhale deeply again.  Practice deep breathing when you are stress free so you remember to breathe under stressful situations.

4. Join a yoga class....