Part I.
A little girl once told her mother
"I want to be like you when I'm older."
And she tried on her mother's shoes, lipstick and dresses,
And danced in front of the mirror, glowing and blowing kisses.
Her mother laughed, and scooped her up in her arms
"My daughter, your natural grace is outshone by your charms."
The little girl giggled and squealed with delight
And her mother told her a bedtime story, and kissed her goodnight.
"I love you so." The little girl sighed.
"And I you, sweet darling," her mother replied.
"I love you sweet daughter, I love you so.
Our hearts were made from the same batch of dough."
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Food for Thought
The nineteenth century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer observed that truth passes through three phases: first, it is ridiculed; second, it is fiercely and violently opposed; and third, it becomes self-evident.
Cancer is a disease that millions of Americans have come to fear. Since the health industry declared ‘war’ on the disease in the 1970’s, there has literally been no improvement in cancer survival rates. In fact, you have the same chance of dying from cancer today as you did in the 1950’s. Why? Because the health industry believes that the only cure for cancer can be found in an oil-based, synthetic drug. The methods for curing cancer are, in a word, draconian. One hundred years from now, people will look back on our health-care system today as barbaric. The methods of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery to remove cancerous organs of the body will be seen as ignorant as the early 19th and 20th century methods of bloodletting and mercury-therapy.
According to the conventional methods of medicine and diagnostics, cancer is an incurable disease. Hear me on this: cancer is NOT incurable. I am furious that the health-care industry has let millions of people die. I am furious that despite the billions of dollars of ‘research’ poured into finding a ‘cure,’ there has been absolutely no progress. Cancer has become an industry the health care industry relies on for a large portion of their income. If people didn’t have cancer anymore, what need would there be for the National Cancer Association? The American Cancer Society? The Cancer Research Institute? Thousands of people would be out of jobs.
Health care, defined as the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of disease, is the most profitable industry in the world. As long as people are sick, billions and billions of dollars in profit are made every year.
Big business will always make decisions based on profit, not what is good for the employees, what is good for the customer, what is good for the environment, what is good for society, or what is good for mankind.
Medical science has absolutely, 100 percent, failed in the curing and prevention of illness, sickness, and disease. Consider the following bits of data:
• More people get colds and flus than ever before
• More people get cancer than ever before
• More people have diabetes than ever before
• More people have heart disease than ever before
• More people have multiple sclerosis, lupus, muscular dystrophy, asthma, migraine headaches, joint, neck, and back pain that ever before
• More people have acid reflux, ulcers, and stomach problems than ever before
• More women have menopause problems than ever before
• More women have more frequent PMS and more severe PMS than ever before
• More kids have ADD and hyperactivity than ever before
• More people have chronic fatigue than ever before
• More people have insomnia than ever before
• More people have bad skin, acne, and dandruff than ever before
• More people suffer from depression, stress, and anxiety than ever before
Yet surprisingly enough..
• There are more people going to visit doctors than ever before
• There are more people getting diagnostic testing, such as blood tests and X-Rays than ever before
• More people are taking nonprescription and prescription drugs than ever before
• Not only are more people taking drugs, but each person is taking more drugs than ever before.
• There are more surgeries performed than ever before.
The percentage of Americans dying of cancer today is the same as it was in 1970 and even 1950. Over $200 billion has been spent since 1971 trying to prevent and cure cancer. Yet today you have a higher chance of getting cancer than ever before in history, and you have the same chance of dying as you did in 1950.
There are over 200,000 nonprescription drugs on the market and over 30,000 prescription medications.
Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel. We have been brainwashed into believing that it is natural for a human being to get colds and flus, have aches and pains, and have major medical problems like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. We are also brainwashed into believing that it’s natural to take drugs.
Being sick is not normal. It is abnormal.
The Western diet is proven to be the one diet in the world that will kill you, 100% of the time. Foreigners with virtually no ailments or history of disease or illness will come to America and will almost instantly contract some sort of illness.
Let me tell you something about the body.
God created an absolutely, without a doubt, one-hundred percent marvelous piece of machinery when he designed the human body. It has an astounding natural ability to heal itself. Our immune systems are so powerful in fact, that it can repel virtually every disease you can conceive. Including cancer.
“Nature is doing her best each moment to make us well. She exists for no other end. Do not resist. With the least inclination to be well, we should not be sick.” –Henry David Thoreau
As you go through your day, you and everyone around you in the world are being exposed to the same diseases and germs that cause illness. However, not everyone will contract the illness or the disease. So, the question is not whether you will pick up bacteria or virus, the real question is why do some people succumb to the bacteria and virus and get sick, and other people do not? The real question to ask is why your body does not do what it was designed to do: fight off and handle the bacteria or virus. Why did you succumb to the bacteria or virus? The answer: your body is out of balance and your immune system is weak.
“You do not get headaches because you have an aspirin deficiency.”
If we keep asking the question “What caused that…” we can then conclude that all illness comes from one or a combination of four things:
1. You have too many toxins in your body
2. You have nutritional deficiencies
3. You are exposed and negatively affected by electromagnetic chaos.
4. You have trapped mental and emotional stress
The most toxic thing you can put in your body, and the number one cause of virtually all illness and disease is prescription and nonprescription drugs. All drugs have negative side effects. The more prescription and nonprescription drugs a person takes, the sicker they are.
You might be thinking, “drugs can’t really be poison can they?” Then why don’t you take 30 of them right now and see what happens? You’ll probably die! If you eat 30 apples you’re not going to die. You might feel full, but you are not going to die. Think about it.
“In the United States, the medical establishment has created the conventional wisdom that drug-oriented medicine is the best form of medicine. Conventional medicine has also created a lack of personal accountability and a complete reliance on little pills to cure what ails us.” – Michael T. Murray, N.D.
Reactions to over-the-counter and prescription drugs are estimated to kill over 100,000 Americans a year, making these reactions the fourth-largest cause of death in the United States, behind cancer, heart disease and strokes. Over the last 20 years approximately 2 million people in the United States died from adverse drug reactions; these deaths included more than 300,000 caused by aspirin and other NSAIDs.
Drug companies spend twice as much money on marketing as on research and development. The United States uses more than 40 percent of all the drugs in the world but ranks only forty-second in life expectancy.
Now, let me make this clear: everyone is toxic. We can’t escape air pollution or steam from the shower. To some degree or another, we all have a certain amount of toxicity. The majority of Americans , however, are extremely toxic.
Heavy metals, toxic chemicals in pesticides, herbicides, food additives, bacteria and yeast in the gut, DRUGS,
Cholesterol lowering drugs, for example are a major contributor to illness and disease. All cholesterol lowering drugs have an adverse effect on the liver. When the liver is adversely affected you are prone to diabetes, acid reflux, constipation, colon cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, and dozens of other illnesses and disease.
In general terms, the way to eradicate any and all illness and disease that you may have, prevent illness and disease from occurring in the future, and slow down or potentially reverse the aging process is to do the following:
1. Eliminate the toxins that have built up in your system. You are loaded with toxins. The only question is, how much. You absolutely must get these toxins out of your body if you want to cure and prevent illness and disease. Getting the toxins out of your body can immediately increase energy, help you lose weight, eliminate depression and anxiety, and potentially reverse most illness and disease. The basic cleanses that you should do are: (a) a colon cleanse, (b) a liver/gallbladder cleanse, (c) a kidney/bladder cleanse, (d) a heavy metal cleanse, (e) a parasite cleanse, (f) a Candida cleanse, and (g) a full-body fat tissue/lymphatic clease.
2. Stop, or at least reduce the toxins entering your body. In today’s world it is impossible to totally eliminate toxins from entering your body, but we can dramatically reduce the amount of toxins going in.
3. Make sure our elimination systems are clean and no longer sluggish, thus allowing the toxins that we do put into our body and the toxins that develop in our body naturally are getting eliminated quickly and not accumulating.
4. Make sure we are getting proper amounts of nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cofactors, and life-sustaining ‘energy’ and make sure our system can assimilate these vital nutrients.
5. Reduce and/or neutralize the electromagnetic energy that is attacking our body energy fields and cells.
6. Reduce stress
7. Use our minds and words to create a healthy alkaline body pH, and actually change geneticall defective DNA structures into normal healthy DNA structures.
If the cause of all disease is too many toxins, nutritional deficiencies, electromagnetic chaos, and/or stress, then if you did not have toxins in the body, if you did not have nutritional deficiencies, if you did not have exposure to electromagnetic chaos, and if you did not have stress, then you cannot have any disease.
The fact of the matter is the way to prevent and cure any disease is relatively simple and inexpensive. If we look at the four basic causes for all disease and try to punch holes in it no one can.
And so, lovelies, that's all I have in me today, but I will be back with more soon.
Take care.
Cancer is a disease that millions of Americans have come to fear. Since the health industry declared ‘war’ on the disease in the 1970’s, there has literally been no improvement in cancer survival rates. In fact, you have the same chance of dying from cancer today as you did in the 1950’s. Why? Because the health industry believes that the only cure for cancer can be found in an oil-based, synthetic drug. The methods for curing cancer are, in a word, draconian. One hundred years from now, people will look back on our health-care system today as barbaric. The methods of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery to remove cancerous organs of the body will be seen as ignorant as the early 19th and 20th century methods of bloodletting and mercury-therapy.
According to the conventional methods of medicine and diagnostics, cancer is an incurable disease. Hear me on this: cancer is NOT incurable. I am furious that the health-care industry has let millions of people die. I am furious that despite the billions of dollars of ‘research’ poured into finding a ‘cure,’ there has been absolutely no progress. Cancer has become an industry the health care industry relies on for a large portion of their income. If people didn’t have cancer anymore, what need would there be for the National Cancer Association? The American Cancer Society? The Cancer Research Institute? Thousands of people would be out of jobs.
Health care, defined as the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of disease, is the most profitable industry in the world. As long as people are sick, billions and billions of dollars in profit are made every year.
Big business will always make decisions based on profit, not what is good for the employees, what is good for the customer, what is good for the environment, what is good for society, or what is good for mankind.
Medical science has absolutely, 100 percent, failed in the curing and prevention of illness, sickness, and disease. Consider the following bits of data:
• More people get colds and flus than ever before
• More people get cancer than ever before
• More people have diabetes than ever before
• More people have heart disease than ever before
• More people have multiple sclerosis, lupus, muscular dystrophy, asthma, migraine headaches, joint, neck, and back pain that ever before
• More people have acid reflux, ulcers, and stomach problems than ever before
• More women have menopause problems than ever before
• More women have more frequent PMS and more severe PMS than ever before
• More kids have ADD and hyperactivity than ever before
• More people have chronic fatigue than ever before
• More people have insomnia than ever before
• More people have bad skin, acne, and dandruff than ever before
• More people suffer from depression, stress, and anxiety than ever before
Yet surprisingly enough..
• There are more people going to visit doctors than ever before
• There are more people getting diagnostic testing, such as blood tests and X-Rays than ever before
• More people are taking nonprescription and prescription drugs than ever before
• Not only are more people taking drugs, but each person is taking more drugs than ever before.
• There are more surgeries performed than ever before.
The percentage of Americans dying of cancer today is the same as it was in 1970 and even 1950. Over $200 billion has been spent since 1971 trying to prevent and cure cancer. Yet today you have a higher chance of getting cancer than ever before in history, and you have the same chance of dying as you did in 1950.
There are over 200,000 nonprescription drugs on the market and over 30,000 prescription medications.
Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel. We have been brainwashed into believing that it is natural for a human being to get colds and flus, have aches and pains, and have major medical problems like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. We are also brainwashed into believing that it’s natural to take drugs.
Being sick is not normal. It is abnormal.
The Western diet is proven to be the one diet in the world that will kill you, 100% of the time. Foreigners with virtually no ailments or history of disease or illness will come to America and will almost instantly contract some sort of illness.
Let me tell you something about the body.
God created an absolutely, without a doubt, one-hundred percent marvelous piece of machinery when he designed the human body. It has an astounding natural ability to heal itself. Our immune systems are so powerful in fact, that it can repel virtually every disease you can conceive. Including cancer.
“Nature is doing her best each moment to make us well. She exists for no other end. Do not resist. With the least inclination to be well, we should not be sick.” –Henry David Thoreau
As you go through your day, you and everyone around you in the world are being exposed to the same diseases and germs that cause illness. However, not everyone will contract the illness or the disease. So, the question is not whether you will pick up bacteria or virus, the real question is why do some people succumb to the bacteria and virus and get sick, and other people do not? The real question to ask is why your body does not do what it was designed to do: fight off and handle the bacteria or virus. Why did you succumb to the bacteria or virus? The answer: your body is out of balance and your immune system is weak.
“You do not get headaches because you have an aspirin deficiency.”
If we keep asking the question “What caused that…” we can then conclude that all illness comes from one or a combination of four things:
1. You have too many toxins in your body
2. You have nutritional deficiencies
3. You are exposed and negatively affected by electromagnetic chaos.
4. You have trapped mental and emotional stress
The most toxic thing you can put in your body, and the number one cause of virtually all illness and disease is prescription and nonprescription drugs. All drugs have negative side effects. The more prescription and nonprescription drugs a person takes, the sicker they are.
You might be thinking, “drugs can’t really be poison can they?” Then why don’t you take 30 of them right now and see what happens? You’ll probably die! If you eat 30 apples you’re not going to die. You might feel full, but you are not going to die. Think about it.
“In the United States, the medical establishment has created the conventional wisdom that drug-oriented medicine is the best form of medicine. Conventional medicine has also created a lack of personal accountability and a complete reliance on little pills to cure what ails us.” – Michael T. Murray, N.D.
Reactions to over-the-counter and prescription drugs are estimated to kill over 100,000 Americans a year, making these reactions the fourth-largest cause of death in the United States, behind cancer, heart disease and strokes. Over the last 20 years approximately 2 million people in the United States died from adverse drug reactions; these deaths included more than 300,000 caused by aspirin and other NSAIDs.
Drug companies spend twice as much money on marketing as on research and development. The United States uses more than 40 percent of all the drugs in the world but ranks only forty-second in life expectancy.
Now, let me make this clear: everyone is toxic. We can’t escape air pollution or steam from the shower. To some degree or another, we all have a certain amount of toxicity. The majority of Americans , however, are extremely toxic.
Heavy metals, toxic chemicals in pesticides, herbicides, food additives, bacteria and yeast in the gut, DRUGS,
Cholesterol lowering drugs, for example are a major contributor to illness and disease. All cholesterol lowering drugs have an adverse effect on the liver. When the liver is adversely affected you are prone to diabetes, acid reflux, constipation, colon cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, and dozens of other illnesses and disease.
In general terms, the way to eradicate any and all illness and disease that you may have, prevent illness and disease from occurring in the future, and slow down or potentially reverse the aging process is to do the following:
1. Eliminate the toxins that have built up in your system. You are loaded with toxins. The only question is, how much. You absolutely must get these toxins out of your body if you want to cure and prevent illness and disease. Getting the toxins out of your body can immediately increase energy, help you lose weight, eliminate depression and anxiety, and potentially reverse most illness and disease. The basic cleanses that you should do are: (a) a colon cleanse, (b) a liver/gallbladder cleanse, (c) a kidney/bladder cleanse, (d) a heavy metal cleanse, (e) a parasite cleanse, (f) a Candida cleanse, and (g) a full-body fat tissue/lymphatic clease.
2. Stop, or at least reduce the toxins entering your body. In today’s world it is impossible to totally eliminate toxins from entering your body, but we can dramatically reduce the amount of toxins going in.
3. Make sure our elimination systems are clean and no longer sluggish, thus allowing the toxins that we do put into our body and the toxins that develop in our body naturally are getting eliminated quickly and not accumulating.
4. Make sure we are getting proper amounts of nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cofactors, and life-sustaining ‘energy’ and make sure our system can assimilate these vital nutrients.
5. Reduce and/or neutralize the electromagnetic energy that is attacking our body energy fields and cells.
6. Reduce stress
7. Use our minds and words to create a healthy alkaline body pH, and actually change geneticall defective DNA structures into normal healthy DNA structures.
If the cause of all disease is too many toxins, nutritional deficiencies, electromagnetic chaos, and/or stress, then if you did not have toxins in the body, if you did not have nutritional deficiencies, if you did not have exposure to electromagnetic chaos, and if you did not have stress, then you cannot have any disease.
The fact of the matter is the way to prevent and cure any disease is relatively simple and inexpensive. If we look at the four basic causes for all disease and try to punch holes in it no one can.
And so, lovelies, that's all I have in me today, but I will be back with more soon.
Take care.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Look Around.
Why do I always have to be DOING something? I wake up, I go to the mirror, get ready, check my phone. I'm driving, I'm looking for my exit, I'm parking. I'm walking towards work, I'm clocking in, I'm checking the computer for emails. I'm looking at a piece of paper. I'm studying a new book. I'm clocking out for my break. I'm driving again. I'm looking for a place to get food. I'm parking. I'm selecting food. I'm eating my food. I'm opening up my computer. I'm typing on my computer. I'm looking at my computer. Looking at my computer. Until..
I stop.
Take my hands off the table, put them beside me. I look out the window. And I breathe deeply.
I'm not doing anything. I am not engaging anything. I am simply allowing myself to be still.
And wow does it feel good.
I stop.
Take my hands off the table, put them beside me. I look out the window. And I breathe deeply.
I'm not doing anything. I am not engaging anything. I am simply allowing myself to be still.
And wow does it feel good.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Yes, I am alive.
I am alive - oh so alive. Just wanted you all to know :)Lots to catch you up on, I'll get back to you later.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Supporting Sustainable Living
Hey lovelies,
Would you mind taking a minute to vote online for The Phoenix Local Market to win a $25,000 grant? It would mean a lot to me. :)
http://sharingtheprizeseed.org/grant/more-information/community-food
Select the 4th option on the right hand side of the page.
P.S. I'm down 3 pounds! :)
Would you mind taking a minute to vote online for The Phoenix Local Market to win a $25,000 grant? It would mean a lot to me. :)
http://sharingtheprizeseed.org/grant/more-information/community-food
Select the 4th option on the right hand side of the page.
P.S. I'm down 3 pounds! :)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Goal Setting - What's in it for me?
"Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I will give you a man who can make history. Give me a man without a goal, and I will give you a stock clerk." -J.C. Penny
Zig Zigler's formula for reaching your goals is this:
-Write it down.
-Put a date on it.
-Identify the obstacles.
-Identify the people/groups you need to work with.
-Develop a plan of action.
-Write down what's in it for you.
I was never one to make lists. My mother always encourage me to do so, but I would simply refuse to. Lists were bothersome and useless and they didn't work for me.
Then I started making lists. And it worked for me.
I'm making a fitness goal right now. I am identifying YOU my readers as part of the groups I am going to work with to keep me accountable!
My goal:
DEADLINE: 10 weeks from now. Wednesday, July 14th.
1 Be in the best health of my life and get in the best shape of my life. I don't want to set a weight because I want to build lean muscle. However, I would ideally like to be between 135-140. This is within the healthy range for my height. This means I need to lose about 15 pounds. Above all, I want to be healthy. I want a clean body, a strong immune system, stamina, flexibility, energy, and vivacity. I want to be able to share my story with others and be an inspiration.
2. The obstacles: I have self-discipline issues. I am currently doing the HCG protocol but I have been cheating a little bit here and there almost every day. This is a waste of my time and money. I see the quickest physical results when I exercise. I have not been able to because of school and work. This will change in about a week when school is out. So, my obstacles are:
-Lack of self-discipline
-Finding a way to exercise
3.I have already named you, my readers as part of my support system. My co-workers and I are also doing a 'Biggest Loser' contest so they are also keeping me accountable.
4.Plan of action:
-Complete HCG protocol
-Eat only organic fruits, veggies and meats.
-Do yoga at least 3 times a week
-Exercise at least 30 minutes a day (even if it's just walking)
-Get an exercise journal and write down exercises completed
-P90X?
-Continue studying and educating myself on natural health/anatomy/natural cures
5. What's in it for me? Confidence, health, an incredible feeling of satisfaction for FINALLY completing a long-overdue goal! Oh, also, a HUGE shopping spree! If I win the Biggest Loser contest, I'll get $100. I think I might allow myself a little bit more for reaching my goals. Can you say ANTHROPOLOGIE?!?
Well. There it is! Feels good to write it down.
Anybody else wanna share their goals? I'd love to be a part of your support team!!!
Zig Zigler's formula for reaching your goals is this:
-Write it down.
-Put a date on it.
-Identify the obstacles.
-Identify the people/groups you need to work with.
-Develop a plan of action.
-Write down what's in it for you.
I was never one to make lists. My mother always encourage me to do so, but I would simply refuse to. Lists were bothersome and useless and they didn't work for me.
Then I started making lists. And it worked for me.
I'm making a fitness goal right now. I am identifying YOU my readers as part of the groups I am going to work with to keep me accountable!
My goal:
DEADLINE: 10 weeks from now. Wednesday, July 14th.
1 Be in the best health of my life and get in the best shape of my life. I don't want to set a weight because I want to build lean muscle. However, I would ideally like to be between 135-140. This is within the healthy range for my height. This means I need to lose about 15 pounds. Above all, I want to be healthy. I want a clean body, a strong immune system, stamina, flexibility, energy, and vivacity. I want to be able to share my story with others and be an inspiration.
2. The obstacles: I have self-discipline issues. I am currently doing the HCG protocol but I have been cheating a little bit here and there almost every day. This is a waste of my time and money. I see the quickest physical results when I exercise. I have not been able to because of school and work. This will change in about a week when school is out. So, my obstacles are:
-Lack of self-discipline
-Finding a way to exercise
3.I have already named you, my readers as part of my support system. My co-workers and I are also doing a 'Biggest Loser' contest so they are also keeping me accountable.
4.Plan of action:
-Complete HCG protocol
-Eat only organic fruits, veggies and meats.
-Do yoga at least 3 times a week
-Exercise at least 30 minutes a day (even if it's just walking)
-Get an exercise journal and write down exercises completed
-P90X?
-Continue studying and educating myself on natural health/anatomy/natural cures
5. What's in it for me? Confidence, health, an incredible feeling of satisfaction for FINALLY completing a long-overdue goal! Oh, also, a HUGE shopping spree! If I win the Biggest Loser contest, I'll get $100. I think I might allow myself a little bit more for reaching my goals. Can you say ANTHROPOLOGIE?!?
Well. There it is! Feels good to write it down.
Anybody else wanna share their goals? I'd love to be a part of your support team!!!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
More Bookish Recommendations
Okay, folks. Here's the deal. If you're like me, you want to be healthy. You want to look great and feel great. You want to age well. You want to be in the best physical condition of your life. And you're sick and tired of the diet industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the self-help gurus, and the fitness instructors who never actually dealt with weight issues in their life.
After reading "Natural Cures they Don't Want You to Know About" I wanted to look around and see if other authors supported some of the claims made in the book. If you haven't read "Natural Cures" by the way I highly recommend it. I had heard that Kevin Trudeau was a conman and a fraud but uh, yeah that's not true. Seriously, read the book and you'll find out why the FDA is so scared oh him. He's had a huge impact on the pharmaceutical industry and is the biggest advocate for natural health.
And as it turns out, he is now being proven right.
Michael Pollan's two books "In Defense of Food" and "Food Rules" are each phenomenal books about eating and nutrition. Americans should be proud - we have created the only diet known to man that is proven to kill and destroy the body 100% of the time. Pollan's manifesto? Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Perfect.
"The Hundred-Year Lie" is another phenomenal read written by an investigative reporter. It exposes the food industry and the dangerous chemicals that are found in virtually everything we eat and drink. It's an extremely well-written book that everyone in America needs to read.
"What the Drug Companies Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know" is another fantastic book exposing the drug/pharmaceutical industry lies and myths. Written by a Michael T. Murray, N.D., I highly recommend reading it. You'll get mad and you'll get upset and you'll be better off after having read it. Murray explains the natural alternatives to synthetic drugs - many of which resound with Kevin Trudeau's book "Natural Cures."
I can't say it enough. If you're serious about your health - do something about it! Read, educate yourself, don't believe the ads on television. And always remember this: the only legal obligation of a publicly traded corporation is to increase profits. They don't give a damn about your health.
The health industry has totally and completely failed America. There are now more people on drugs than ever before, more people getting cancer, diabetes, heart disease than ever before, and yet we are spending more money on health care than ever before. You have just as much of a chance of dying from cancer today as you did in the 1950's. There has literally been no improvement. In fact, it's only gotten worse. The billions and billions of dollars sunk into 'cancer research organizations' has literally done nothing at all. The FDA firmly believes and states that 'the only cure for an illness or disease can be a drug.' So, rather than trying to find the cause of cancer and treating it naturally by cleansing the body of toxins that made it susceptible to disease in the first place, the health care industry spends billions of dollars trying to find a synthetic, oil-based drug 'cure.' Chemotherapy kills more people than it saves. Why? Because it is a deadly procedure. It radiates the body with poison - obliterating the immune system and virtually paralyzing the body of any ability to heal itself. WHY are we not addressing the CAUSE of cancer?
We think we can drink half-gallon buckets of diet soda, eat artificially grown produce, hormone-injected, diseased meat, sugary cereals and 'reduced-fat' treats and still be healthy.
It is not normal to get sick. It is not normal to be fat. It is not normal to have diabetes, heart problems, fibromyalgia and cancer.
Be healthy, America. Fight back. Eat well.
I apologize for my heated rants. I just can't help it sometimes. Sigh.
Be well today, lovelies. Take 5 deep breaths in a row. It's incredibly refreshing.
After reading "Natural Cures they Don't Want You to Know About" I wanted to look around and see if other authors supported some of the claims made in the book. If you haven't read "Natural Cures" by the way I highly recommend it. I had heard that Kevin Trudeau was a conman and a fraud but uh, yeah that's not true. Seriously, read the book and you'll find out why the FDA is so scared oh him. He's had a huge impact on the pharmaceutical industry and is the biggest advocate for natural health.
And as it turns out, he is now being proven right.
Michael Pollan's two books "In Defense of Food" and "Food Rules" are each phenomenal books about eating and nutrition. Americans should be proud - we have created the only diet known to man that is proven to kill and destroy the body 100% of the time. Pollan's manifesto? Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Perfect.
"The Hundred-Year Lie" is another phenomenal read written by an investigative reporter. It exposes the food industry and the dangerous chemicals that are found in virtually everything we eat and drink. It's an extremely well-written book that everyone in America needs to read.
"What the Drug Companies Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know" is another fantastic book exposing the drug/pharmaceutical industry lies and myths. Written by a Michael T. Murray, N.D., I highly recommend reading it. You'll get mad and you'll get upset and you'll be better off after having read it. Murray explains the natural alternatives to synthetic drugs - many of which resound with Kevin Trudeau's book "Natural Cures."
I can't say it enough. If you're serious about your health - do something about it! Read, educate yourself, don't believe the ads on television. And always remember this: the only legal obligation of a publicly traded corporation is to increase profits. They don't give a damn about your health.
The health industry has totally and completely failed America. There are now more people on drugs than ever before, more people getting cancer, diabetes, heart disease than ever before, and yet we are spending more money on health care than ever before. You have just as much of a chance of dying from cancer today as you did in the 1950's. There has literally been no improvement. In fact, it's only gotten worse. The billions and billions of dollars sunk into 'cancer research organizations' has literally done nothing at all. The FDA firmly believes and states that 'the only cure for an illness or disease can be a drug.' So, rather than trying to find the cause of cancer and treating it naturally by cleansing the body of toxins that made it susceptible to disease in the first place, the health care industry spends billions of dollars trying to find a synthetic, oil-based drug 'cure.' Chemotherapy kills more people than it saves. Why? Because it is a deadly procedure. It radiates the body with poison - obliterating the immune system and virtually paralyzing the body of any ability to heal itself. WHY are we not addressing the CAUSE of cancer?
We think we can drink half-gallon buckets of diet soda, eat artificially grown produce, hormone-injected, diseased meat, sugary cereals and 'reduced-fat' treats and still be healthy.
It is not normal to get sick. It is not normal to be fat. It is not normal to have diabetes, heart problems, fibromyalgia and cancer.
Be healthy, America. Fight back. Eat well.
I apologize for my heated rants. I just can't help it sometimes. Sigh.
Be well today, lovelies. Take 5 deep breaths in a row. It's incredibly refreshing.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Fashion Prediction - The Return of the Edwardian Era/1920's.
Hello lovelies!
As we all know, the 80's are back (heaven knows why). There is literally nothing cute about 80's fashion and I still don't get it (the above pictures are NOT from the 80's.) Fashion in the 80's was really inspired by Princess Di's wedding dress - a gorgeous Victorian princess gown with puffy sleeves, smothered in lace and fitted in all the right places. Fashion designers then took this as their cue to make a mockery and a sham of Victorian patterns, introducing neon pink to a tulle, puff-sleeved frock, resulting in one of the greatest fashion aberrations in history. Thus, the 80's were born. I thought the return of the 80's was a joke at first. The only good thing about 80's fashion to me were Ray Ban sunglasses. Needless to say, the big fashion moguls of the day jumped on the 80's bandwagon and thought it would be a good idea to bring back the jumpsuit, exposed zipper, awkwardly placed pockets, neon tights, horrid wallpaper-like prints and patterns, ill-fitting cuts, and space-age color pallets. I just don't get it. Can we move on please? Like say to...The Edwardian era? I do realize there are many similarities between 1980's fashion and 1900 fashion, but the main difference I think is femininity, thoughtful ensembles that flattered the figure, didn't reveal too much, and were made of good quality, durable materials.
Personally, it's one of my favorites and I wouldn't be surprised if we all start seeing more waistcoats, elegant blouses, and layered, complex, put-together outfits. Think Jane Seymour in "Somewhere in Time" and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady."
Femininity is back, modesty is back, romantic fashion is back, and there is hardly an era in fashion I quite adore so much as the Edwardian era.
Here are my predictions:
We will see more Edwardian-inspired blazers, more full-length dresses, more riding jackets, more skirts, more blouses, more buttons, more laces, more waistcoats, more corsets, more Oxfords, more silks and more tailored, feminine cuts. It's already happening on the runways and I am, needless to say, really excited.
Here are some pictures from Christian Dior's Fall 2010 runway show:
Isn't that fabulous?? I can honestly say I LOVED everything about this collection. What's really cool is I didn't know about this collection before I did this post - I was curious to see what the trends actually were and it turns out I was right! :)
What's great about picking a time period like the Edwardian era and into the 1920's is that there were so many layers to the clothing, we can, as a modern society, implement just one Edwardian-inspired layer in our wardrobe and it will look fantastic (ex. pairing a waistcoat with a high necked silk blouse and jeans or wearing lace-up, knee high leather riding boots with a simple dress). Fashion today is so flexible. Anything goes. We have all of fashion history to play with and play dress-up. What could be more fun than that? I love being a girl.
As we all know, the 80's are back (heaven knows why). There is literally nothing cute about 80's fashion and I still don't get it (the above pictures are NOT from the 80's.) Fashion in the 80's was really inspired by Princess Di's wedding dress - a gorgeous Victorian princess gown with puffy sleeves, smothered in lace and fitted in all the right places. Fashion designers then took this as their cue to make a mockery and a sham of Victorian patterns, introducing neon pink to a tulle, puff-sleeved frock, resulting in one of the greatest fashion aberrations in history. Thus, the 80's were born. I thought the return of the 80's was a joke at first. The only good thing about 80's fashion to me were Ray Ban sunglasses. Needless to say, the big fashion moguls of the day jumped on the 80's bandwagon and thought it would be a good idea to bring back the jumpsuit, exposed zipper, awkwardly placed pockets, neon tights, horrid wallpaper-like prints and patterns, ill-fitting cuts, and space-age color pallets. I just don't get it. Can we move on please? Like say to...The Edwardian era? I do realize there are many similarities between 1980's fashion and 1900 fashion, but the main difference I think is femininity, thoughtful ensembles that flattered the figure, didn't reveal too much, and were made of good quality, durable materials.
Personally, it's one of my favorites and I wouldn't be surprised if we all start seeing more waistcoats, elegant blouses, and layered, complex, put-together outfits. Think Jane Seymour in "Somewhere in Time" and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady."
Femininity is back, modesty is back, romantic fashion is back, and there is hardly an era in fashion I quite adore so much as the Edwardian era.
Here are my predictions:
We will see more Edwardian-inspired blazers, more full-length dresses, more riding jackets, more skirts, more blouses, more buttons, more laces, more waistcoats, more corsets, more Oxfords, more silks and more tailored, feminine cuts. It's already happening on the runways and I am, needless to say, really excited.
Here are some pictures from Christian Dior's Fall 2010 runway show:
Isn't that fabulous?? I can honestly say I LOVED everything about this collection. What's really cool is I didn't know about this collection before I did this post - I was curious to see what the trends actually were and it turns out I was right! :)
What's great about picking a time period like the Edwardian era and into the 1920's is that there were so many layers to the clothing, we can, as a modern society, implement just one Edwardian-inspired layer in our wardrobe and it will look fantastic (ex. pairing a waistcoat with a high necked silk blouse and jeans or wearing lace-up, knee high leather riding boots with a simple dress). Fashion today is so flexible. Anything goes. We have all of fashion history to play with and play dress-up. What could be more fun than that? I love being a girl.
Monday, April 19, 2010
An organic alternative to laundry detergent.
Hello, lovelies! I'm excited about this post because I've finally found an inexpensive, all natural alternative to commercial laundry detergent. Most organic laundry detergents on the market are supremely over-priced, but to be honest, it's better to pay a few extra dollars than to continue using commercial brand detergent.
Poll time: What is your detergent of choice? Do you know exactly what's in it?
Commercial detergents like Tide, Gain, Cheer, OxiClean, etc., are all loaded with, yep you guessed it, harmful chemicals. You wouldn't be able to tell by the cryptic ingredient labels: “Ingredients include surfactants (anionic and nonionic) and enzymes.” Most commercial detergents contain numerous chemicals that are detrimental to your health, harm the environment, and, especially in the case of commercial fabric softener, have been linked to cancer. You can read more about it here, here and here .
So here's the bottom line: if you're like me and would rather not expose the largest organ in your body (your skin) to carcinogenic chemicals that cause cancer, there are options!
Oli Nuts
I used these to wash my clothes last night. My clothes smell fresh, clean, and surprisingly enough, they felt soft! Oli Nuts, also called Soap Nuts, come from India and Nepal. They occur naturally in nature and have been used as a cleaning soap for centuries. The nuts I bought came in a small muslin bag and cost $2.50. Each bag has 5 or 6 nuts, which is good for about 5 or 6 loads of laundry. You drop the entire bag of nuts into your washing machine before loading your clothes, and that's it! No fabric softener needed. The only problem I have is that they work best for smaller loads, and won't take out tough stains. Other than that, they're perfect.
You can buy them in larger quantities but I wanted to test it first and see how I liked it. Needless to say, my clothes feel and smell so clean, the nuts leave behind no fragrance. I can't recommend them enough! It's also available in a concentrated liquid, so I'll try that next.
Other good organic detergent options are Seventh Generation and Nature Clean.
I know this sounds like good information, but I hope you can really understand just how important this is. We live in a toxic environment. The water we shower in, the air we breathe, the food we eat (unless you're eating organic food for every meal of the day) are all loaded with toxins. We literally cannot escape it. Haven't you ever wondered why we are, as of today, the sickest society in the history of the world? More people have cancer than ever before, more people are developing diseases than ever before, more people are obese than ever before, and yet, strangely enough, more people are on prescription drugs than ever before.
I don't want to be passive about this anymore - I've seen too many people die from cancer and disease. This is entirely preventable.
It is quite literally this simple: if we eliminate all the toxins in our body, we will not be susceptible to disease. The natural state of being for a human is vibrant, energetic health.
You are absolutely polluting your body whenever you use commercial detergents. You are absolutely polluting your body whenever you ingest prescription and non-prescription drugs. It's that simple.
Your skin is the biggest organ in your body. It is the most absorbent, and therefore the most important to take care of topically. What you put on your skin will have an effect on your health. You can immediately tell when someone is ill just by looking at their skin.
So.
Take care of your skin. Wear clean clothes.
And take care.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What's the beef about beef?
Don't eat beef. Eat beef. Don't eat too much beef. Eat beef, but only if it's organic. Eat beef, but only if it's organic and kosher.
Ok, so here's the sitch.
I love beef, I do. Like one of my favorite Threadless T-shirts says: Meat is Murder. Tasty, Tasty Murder.
Whether or not you're a meat lover, there are some things you need to know (and I hope, after reading this, you will come around to the same conclusions I did.)
There are HUGE differences in organic beef and non-organic beef. Even if the package says "All Natural" that doesn't mean it's good for you. (this is a general rule too, for all foods. Food companies have lobbied Congress to allow certain phrases to be put on their packaging to make them sound as if they're healthier for you. They're not.)
The following lists comparing a conventional animal and an organic animal are taken from Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About."
Conventional Animal:
-A conventional animal has been genetically modified in breeding, thus becoming an animal that could never occur naturally.
-A conventional animal is injected with growth hormones and antibiotics, meaning that the meat we consume is then loaded with drugs.
-A conventional animal is not allowed to roam freely or exercise normally, thus creating an incredibly toxic animal that is unnaturally obese and diseased.
-A conventional animal is fed an unnatural diet of chemicals and feed that it would never eat naturally. Conventional cows, for example, are also fed ground up cow parts, pig parts, goat parts and horse parts. Many of these ground up animal parts are from diseased, sick animals that are not fit for human consumption. Keep in mind that a cow is a vegetarian and is not designed to be eating ground up diseased animals.
-A conventional animal is slaughtered by being shot in the head with a bolt. The animal experiences incredible pain and trauma. Adrenaline, which is highly poisonous, permeates the animal's tissue. The blood, which is loaded with toxins, also permeates the tissue. The trauma increases the energy field in and around the animal to become highly negative. The animal usually dies in its own urine and feces.
-A conventional animal is usually aged, which means the animal flesh is hung in a dark room and allowed to rot. A green mold covers the rotting animal flesh. This green toxic mold is bacteria that tenderizes the meat, but also fills the meat with more toxic poisons.
Organic Animal:
-An organic animal has genetics that have not been modified by man and is in its most natural state.
-An organic animal is given no drugs, so its meat is drug free.
-An organic animal is allowed to roam naturally, grows at its normal rate, and is not loaded with toxins or diseased.
-A grass-fed organic cow eats grass as it would in nature, and the grass has not been laced with chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
-An organic animal that is also kosher is killed in the most humane way possible, by slicing its throat. The animal experiences no pain, is immediately drained of all blood, its internal organs are inspected to make sure the animal is 100 percent healthy, and the tissue is salted to draw out any blood and kill any bacteria.
-Organic kosher meat is not aged.
So. There you have it.
I hope your stomach turned when you read about conventional animals. Mine sure did.
I hope this has given you useful information and I hope you remember it the next time you're at the grocery store or (heaven forbid) a fast food restaurant.
Conclusion?
Yes, you can eat beef. But not too much. And as long as it's organic.
Common Sense. Commence.
Goooood afternoon, lovelies!
My but it was a beautiful day for a walk wasn't it?
Well..not too much to report as of today. I've been eating really well this week and going to bed earlier. For some inexplicable reason, I was completely dog-tired yesterday. And it wasn't just me. It was everyone. Strange, no?
Anywho. As the days pass, I find myself becoming more and more passionate about eating well and being healthy. And I find myself becoming more and more appalled at the "food" provided for us here in the United States of America.
I've been doing some reading. Because you have to read if you want to know anything. Medical doctors are not the end-all, be-all of health knowledge. Take your health in your own hands. Find out how your body works, find out what it needs, and do your best to take care of it.
Current List:
-Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About
-Alternative Cures
I also want to get "Let's Have Healthy Children"
but it's out of print. My mom told me it was the book she read when she was raisin' us kids, and she did a pretty dern good job.
Awesome story about my mom:
First of all, she is amazing. She is smart, she is intelligent, she finds things out for herself and is relentlessly curious. She had read about the benefits of taking folic acid during pregnancy but when she asked her doctor about it, he basically laughed in her face. She did it anyway - and had four healthy children. Years later, doctors now swear that getting enough folic acid in your diet is one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do to ensure the health of her baby. Doy.
Oh, also, she knew about and lost 30 pounds on the HCG diet way before it became the fad it is today. I remember telling people about it a year ago, and they looked at me like I was crazy. Well, now it's one of the most popular diets in the country because it actually works. It is unapproved by the FDA and is not supported by and medical doctor.
I use these example to iterate my contention that doctors don't know everything.
Consider this:
You don't get a headache from a lack of aspirin. You get a headache either from:
A)stress
B)low-blood sugar
C)dehydration
D)a combination of the above.
Consider this:
Drugs are poison. That's why they're called drugs. Every single prescription and non-prescription drug you put in your body absolutely is harmful.
Consider this:
For a nation that is more obsessed with diet and exercise than ever before, we are still the fattest people in the world. Obesity and prescription drugs are in the top 3 causes of death in the United States.
Before I rant for too long, let me just say this:
EDUCATE YOURSELF.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is read, read, read, read and read some more. Buy books on natural therapies, look for homeopathic doctors in your area, eat organic foods, cook, be kind to your body.
Doctors are basically trained to prescribe drugs and perform surgery. Which, in a serious situation, is exactly what you might need. If I've been in a horrific accident and I have a piece of metal lodged in my chest cavity, I will absolutely want to be taken to a hospital and be administered drugs and have the doctor perform surgery on me.
Other than that, you really don't need drugs.
I am open to any thoughts, comments and criticisms. I'm trying my best to educate myself about my body and the best way to take care of it.
Also, allow me to humbly submit to you that the food industry is not interested in providing actual food. In any given pre-packaged product by a major food producer, there at least 200-300 chemicals injected into the food that they are allowed to not print on the ingredients package.
Stay away from artificial sweeteners. PLEASE.
Stay away from food that contains ingredients you can't pronounce. PLEASE.
A woman came into work the other day and ordered an iced-venti black tea with 6 splendas. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from yelling "Do you WANT to die?!?"
Sigh. Anyway. I'm sure I come across as a nut. I think because this is all new to me, I'm just incredibly avid and anxious to tell everyone.
But you know, I really do think the world is waking up and finally realizing the abominable state of health we've put ourselves in. Check out the new show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on Hulu. It's great.
You know what I think, dears? I think we all know what's good for us and we know what's bad for us. It seems to me, that eating healthy is just not convenient. We know eating organic is better for us, but I don't think we realize just how bad NOT eating organic food is for our bodies. We know it's good for us to eat smaller portions and go to bed early, but we don't know just how bad it is for us to NOT do those very things. We know to eat our vegetables and not eat too much meat, but we don't really realize just how bad it is for us to NOT eat our vegetables and to eat too much meat (especially conventional meat.)
Ok ok now I'm ranting. But honestly. Educate yourself. Take your health into your own hands. Most doctors are not interested in your health. They make more money by prescribing drugs.
Rant over.
Read read read!
Top Five Nutrition Books I Recommend:
1. Michael Pollan's "Food Rules"
2. Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About"
3. Alternative Cures
4.Adelle Davis' "Let's Have Healthy Children"
5. Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food"
My but it was a beautiful day for a walk wasn't it?
Well..not too much to report as of today. I've been eating really well this week and going to bed earlier. For some inexplicable reason, I was completely dog-tired yesterday. And it wasn't just me. It was everyone. Strange, no?
Anywho. As the days pass, I find myself becoming more and more passionate about eating well and being healthy. And I find myself becoming more and more appalled at the "food" provided for us here in the United States of America.
I've been doing some reading. Because you have to read if you want to know anything. Medical doctors are not the end-all, be-all of health knowledge. Take your health in your own hands. Find out how your body works, find out what it needs, and do your best to take care of it.
Current List:
-Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About
-Alternative Cures
I also want to get "Let's Have Healthy Children"
but it's out of print. My mom told me it was the book she read when she was raisin' us kids, and she did a pretty dern good job. Awesome story about my mom:
First of all, she is amazing. She is smart, she is intelligent, she finds things out for herself and is relentlessly curious. She had read about the benefits of taking folic acid during pregnancy but when she asked her doctor about it, he basically laughed in her face. She did it anyway - and had four healthy children. Years later, doctors now swear that getting enough folic acid in your diet is one of the most important things a pregnant woman can do to ensure the health of her baby. Doy.
Oh, also, she knew about and lost 30 pounds on the HCG diet way before it became the fad it is today. I remember telling people about it a year ago, and they looked at me like I was crazy. Well, now it's one of the most popular diets in the country because it actually works. It is unapproved by the FDA and is not supported by and medical doctor.
I use these example to iterate my contention that doctors don't know everything.
Consider this:
You don't get a headache from a lack of aspirin. You get a headache either from:
A)stress
B)low-blood sugar
C)dehydration
D)a combination of the above.
Consider this:
Drugs are poison. That's why they're called drugs. Every single prescription and non-prescription drug you put in your body absolutely is harmful.
Consider this:
For a nation that is more obsessed with diet and exercise than ever before, we are still the fattest people in the world. Obesity and prescription drugs are in the top 3 causes of death in the United States.
Before I rant for too long, let me just say this:
EDUCATE YOURSELF.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is read, read, read, read and read some more. Buy books on natural therapies, look for homeopathic doctors in your area, eat organic foods, cook, be kind to your body.
Doctors are basically trained to prescribe drugs and perform surgery. Which, in a serious situation, is exactly what you might need. If I've been in a horrific accident and I have a piece of metal lodged in my chest cavity, I will absolutely want to be taken to a hospital and be administered drugs and have the doctor perform surgery on me.
Other than that, you really don't need drugs.
I am open to any thoughts, comments and criticisms. I'm trying my best to educate myself about my body and the best way to take care of it.
Also, allow me to humbly submit to you that the food industry is not interested in providing actual food. In any given pre-packaged product by a major food producer, there at least 200-300 chemicals injected into the food that they are allowed to not print on the ingredients package.
Stay away from artificial sweeteners. PLEASE.
Stay away from food that contains ingredients you can't pronounce. PLEASE.
A woman came into work the other day and ordered an iced-venti black tea with 6 splendas. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from yelling "Do you WANT to die?!?"
Sigh. Anyway. I'm sure I come across as a nut. I think because this is all new to me, I'm just incredibly avid and anxious to tell everyone.
But you know, I really do think the world is waking up and finally realizing the abominable state of health we've put ourselves in. Check out the new show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on Hulu. It's great.
You know what I think, dears? I think we all know what's good for us and we know what's bad for us. It seems to me, that eating healthy is just not convenient. We know eating organic is better for us, but I don't think we realize just how bad NOT eating organic food is for our bodies. We know it's good for us to eat smaller portions and go to bed early, but we don't know just how bad it is for us to NOT do those very things. We know to eat our vegetables and not eat too much meat, but we don't really realize just how bad it is for us to NOT eat our vegetables and to eat too much meat (especially conventional meat.)
Ok ok now I'm ranting. But honestly. Educate yourself. Take your health into your own hands. Most doctors are not interested in your health. They make more money by prescribing drugs.
Rant over.
Read read read!
Top Five Nutrition Books I Recommend:
1. Michael Pollan's "Food Rules"
2. Kevin Trudeau's "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know About"
3. Alternative Cures
4.Adelle Davis' "Let's Have Healthy Children"
5. Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food"
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Gearing Up!
Hello lovelies!
So, my co-workers and I are starting our very own "Biggest Loser" challenge. Starting Monday, we will report our weight and BMI (body mass index), and for the next 12 weeks, try to get in the best shape of our lives! The person who loses the most (percentage-wise to their own body mass) wins the pot! We're each putting in about $20. I'm stoked! You know, having accountability, no matter how little is so helpful.
So, along with reporting to you all the lovely, happy and healthy things I find, I will be using this blog as a tool to help me stay on track! I want you to take the journey with me. My goal is to lose 15-20 pounds. And hey! Maybe I'll make an easy 100 bucks!
So! I will see you all Monday! :)
So, my co-workers and I are starting our very own "Biggest Loser" challenge. Starting Monday, we will report our weight and BMI (body mass index), and for the next 12 weeks, try to get in the best shape of our lives! The person who loses the most (percentage-wise to their own body mass) wins the pot! We're each putting in about $20. I'm stoked! You know, having accountability, no matter how little is so helpful.
So, along with reporting to you all the lovely, happy and healthy things I find, I will be using this blog as a tool to help me stay on track! I want you to take the journey with me. My goal is to lose 15-20 pounds. And hey! Maybe I'll make an easy 100 bucks!
So! I will see you all Monday! :)
Friday, April 2, 2010
Eating Meals.
Hello lovelies!
I wanted to share with you one of the best food tips I've learned. It's amazing to me how many people in this world (especially in this country) don't know how to eat. I am including myself in this category. For the longest time, my relationship to food has been something like this:
-I'll eat when I'm hungry..but won't stop until I'm stuffed.
-I'll eat when I'm bored
-I'll eat when I'm not hungry but I'm in a social situation so I feel like it's 'polite' to eat the food provided
-I'll eat to reward myself for eating well
-I'll eat to comfort myself for eating poorly
-I'll eat too much, and too quickly
-I'll eat/graze/snack throughout the day, rarely when I'm even feeling hunger
-I'll eat to punish myself for eating poorly. Yes, you read that right.
-I'll eat standing up or in front of the computer.
These are all habits I've had over the years and haven't been brave enough to pinpoint. These are unhealthy habits. And I'm finally learning to change them. I'm learning to love and respect my relationship with food. Ideally, my 'food relationship' will look like this:
-Eating to satisfy my hunger. Not to feel stuffed.
-Enjoying food.
-NOT CLEANING MY PLATE. I was raised to always clean my plate, and this rule has stuck with my throughout my adult life. It's not healthy to stuff yourself - and it's something I'm still working on. It's hard to reverse this habit - but once it's done, it could be the best thing you can do for yourself.
-Eat like the French. Isn't it incredible that the French, who seem to eat nothing but bread, butter and fats are still one of the leanest, healthiest, long-lived people on the planet? It's because they know how to eat. The French rarely snack throughout the day, they eat their meals with friends and enjoy the food over a long period of time. They do not go back for seconds and they eat smaller portions. I truly believe you don't have to deprive yourself of rich foods - you just have to keep it in moderation. Which leads to...
-"Everything in moderation. Even Moderation." -Oscar Wilde. When you do allow yourself to indulge, keep it under control. DON'T have the mentality "Go big or go home." Not a good idea.
-EAT MEALS!! Seriously, this has been such a huge help for me over the past two weeks. Rather than stockpiling my groceries for the week, which only leads to binge-eating in dorm room, I've been taking the time to go buy my meals at the local farmer's market. Three times a day. I get my salad and my kombucha, and I sit in the sunshine and enjoy my meal for at least 20 minutes. I really let my taste-buds enjoy the flavors, and I try to savor every bite (although, the first bite is always the best.) I know this isn't the best option for everyone, but if you can just take the time out of your day to enjoy an actual meal instead of just grazing throughout the day, your body will love you. Mealtime is rarely enjoyed by Americans today. Most of our eating is done in the car or in front of the TV/computer. Ideally, you should eat meals at a table, on a real plate, with foods that contain simple, fresh ingredients.
-Take your time! The Chinese have a proverb that says "Drink your food, chew your drink." This means you should really chew your food until it becomes like a liquid, allowing you to savor the taste and flavor for as long as possible - and then to move your drink around inside your mouth so you can really savor how it feels, and how it tastes. This is a simple rule that's really helped me to slow down my eating.
-Cook. As often as I can, I want to be able to cook my own meals. Since I don't have a kitchen, I go to the next best thing. The farmer's market. The ingredients are fresh, locally produced, and are made to order right there on the premises. The best food you can eat is the kind you make for yourself! THIS DOES NOT MEAN HEATING UP A MICROWAVE DINNER.
When I have kids, I will not allow a microwave in our house. They will learn to cook their own meals at a young age, they will be taught to 'eat their colors,''leave a little on their plate for Mr. Manners,' they will go shopping with me for groceries at the local market, they will learn that 'if you're not hungry enough for an apple, you're not hungry,' they will be taught that real food comes from the plants that grow in the ground, not the plants that are built by man.
So, there you have it! I hope this was helpful/enlightening/encouraging in some small way. Also, if you haven't yet read Michael Pollan's book "Food Rules" I highly recommend you do so! It is the best book on nutrition I've ever read, and a lot of what I wrote about in this post comes from that book. You can get it on Amazon for $5 or at any bookstore for about $11.
As always, be lovely, happy and healthy today!
Much love,
EE
I wanted to share with you one of the best food tips I've learned. It's amazing to me how many people in this world (especially in this country) don't know how to eat. I am including myself in this category. For the longest time, my relationship to food has been something like this:
-I'll eat when I'm hungry..but won't stop until I'm stuffed.
-I'll eat when I'm bored
-I'll eat when I'm not hungry but I'm in a social situation so I feel like it's 'polite' to eat the food provided
-I'll eat to reward myself for eating well
-I'll eat to comfort myself for eating poorly
-I'll eat too much, and too quickly
-I'll eat/graze/snack throughout the day, rarely when I'm even feeling hunger
-I'll eat to punish myself for eating poorly. Yes, you read that right.
-I'll eat standing up or in front of the computer.
These are all habits I've had over the years and haven't been brave enough to pinpoint. These are unhealthy habits. And I'm finally learning to change them. I'm learning to love and respect my relationship with food. Ideally, my 'food relationship' will look like this:
-Eating to satisfy my hunger. Not to feel stuffed.
-Enjoying food.
-NOT CLEANING MY PLATE. I was raised to always clean my plate, and this rule has stuck with my throughout my adult life. It's not healthy to stuff yourself - and it's something I'm still working on. It's hard to reverse this habit - but once it's done, it could be the best thing you can do for yourself.
-Eat like the French. Isn't it incredible that the French, who seem to eat nothing but bread, butter and fats are still one of the leanest, healthiest, long-lived people on the planet? It's because they know how to eat. The French rarely snack throughout the day, they eat their meals with friends and enjoy the food over a long period of time. They do not go back for seconds and they eat smaller portions. I truly believe you don't have to deprive yourself of rich foods - you just have to keep it in moderation. Which leads to...
-"Everything in moderation. Even Moderation." -Oscar Wilde. When you do allow yourself to indulge, keep it under control. DON'T have the mentality "Go big or go home." Not a good idea.
-EAT MEALS!! Seriously, this has been such a huge help for me over the past two weeks. Rather than stockpiling my groceries for the week, which only leads to binge-eating in dorm room, I've been taking the time to go buy my meals at the local farmer's market. Three times a day. I get my salad and my kombucha, and I sit in the sunshine and enjoy my meal for at least 20 minutes. I really let my taste-buds enjoy the flavors, and I try to savor every bite (although, the first bite is always the best.) I know this isn't the best option for everyone, but if you can just take the time out of your day to enjoy an actual meal instead of just grazing throughout the day, your body will love you. Mealtime is rarely enjoyed by Americans today. Most of our eating is done in the car or in front of the TV/computer. Ideally, you should eat meals at a table, on a real plate, with foods that contain simple, fresh ingredients.
-Take your time! The Chinese have a proverb that says "Drink your food, chew your drink." This means you should really chew your food until it becomes like a liquid, allowing you to savor the taste and flavor for as long as possible - and then to move your drink around inside your mouth so you can really savor how it feels, and how it tastes. This is a simple rule that's really helped me to slow down my eating.
-Cook. As often as I can, I want to be able to cook my own meals. Since I don't have a kitchen, I go to the next best thing. The farmer's market. The ingredients are fresh, locally produced, and are made to order right there on the premises. The best food you can eat is the kind you make for yourself! THIS DOES NOT MEAN HEATING UP A MICROWAVE DINNER.
When I have kids, I will not allow a microwave in our house. They will learn to cook their own meals at a young age, they will be taught to 'eat their colors,''leave a little on their plate for Mr. Manners,' they will go shopping with me for groceries at the local market, they will learn that 'if you're not hungry enough for an apple, you're not hungry,' they will be taught that real food comes from the plants that grow in the ground, not the plants that are built by man.
So, there you have it! I hope this was helpful/enlightening/encouraging in some small way. Also, if you haven't yet read Michael Pollan's book "Food Rules" I highly recommend you do so! It is the best book on nutrition I've ever read, and a lot of what I wrote about in this post comes from that book. You can get it on Amazon for $5 or at any bookstore for about $11.
As always, be lovely, happy and healthy today!
Much love,
EE
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Egg White Facial
Hello, lovelies!
This is an awesome facial that is fast, cheap, simple, shrinks your pores, leaves your skin silky smooth, and feels like you've had a face lift!
You will need:
-One organic egg
-two small dishes to separate the yolk and the whites.
1) Cleanse your face - remove make-up, pat dry with towel.
2) Crack open your egg! Separate the egg white and the egg yolk into the two separate dishes.
3) Apply the egg-whites generously over your face. It shouldn't take much to coat your whole face - you can save the leftovers!
4) Wait. The egg-whites will dry very quickly and you'll feel your skin tighten. Wait until you can't smile widely - shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes.
5) Gently remove with a wet rag soaked in warm water. It comes right off!
*note: it will take no longer than five minutes for the egg-whites to dry, but you can leave it on for longer if you wish. I like to keep mine on for 10-15 minutes.
THIS PART IS OPTIONAL
6) Use the egg yolk as a natural moisturizer!
7) Apply the egg yolk to your face as you did the egg white. Let sit until dry and then rinse off with warm water. Your skin will feel baby soft - I promise!
8) Save the leftovers! Make yourself an omelet or some scrambled eggs :)
Enjoy!
This is an awesome facial that is fast, cheap, simple, shrinks your pores, leaves your skin silky smooth, and feels like you've had a face lift!
You will need:
-One organic egg
-two small dishes to separate the yolk and the whites.
1) Cleanse your face - remove make-up, pat dry with towel.
2) Crack open your egg! Separate the egg white and the egg yolk into the two separate dishes.
3) Apply the egg-whites generously over your face. It shouldn't take much to coat your whole face - you can save the leftovers!
4) Wait. The egg-whites will dry very quickly and you'll feel your skin tighten. Wait until you can't smile widely - shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes.
5) Gently remove with a wet rag soaked in warm water. It comes right off!
*note: it will take no longer than five minutes for the egg-whites to dry, but you can leave it on for longer if you wish. I like to keep mine on for 10-15 minutes.
THIS PART IS OPTIONAL
6) Use the egg yolk as a natural moisturizer!
7) Apply the egg yolk to your face as you did the egg white. Let sit until dry and then rinse off with warm water. Your skin will feel baby soft - I promise!
8) Save the leftovers! Make yourself an omelet or some scrambled eggs :)
Enjoy!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Today's LHH Tips - Kombucha, Plastic, Food
All right, so I'm sure I'm not the first person to blog about the health benefits of drinking Kombucha, but I don't care. For those of you who don't know, Kombucha is a fermented tea used traditionally for medicinal purposes. It supports, among other health benefits, digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control, liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin and hair. I started drinking Kombucha about two months ago, and, although I can't tell you any major noticeable improvements in my overall yet, it's one of those drinks that just feels good to drink. And it's actually pretty darn tasty too! The Synergy brand of Kombucha (bottled out of Beverly Hills) comes in several flavors. My favorites so far are Mystic Mango, Trinity and Gingerade. Look for it at your local farmer's market or just go straight to Synergy's website if you're interested. Synergy Kombucha comes in a great 16 oz. glass bottle, I like to save mine and use them as water bottles.
You should drink water out of glass as often as you can, by the way. The plastic of practically every water bottle brand = no bueno for your body!
*SIDEBAR*
You know the little number inside the triangle on the bottom of plastic bottles? It's not for recycling purposes. That number tells you the chemical make-up of the plastic. Although any kind of plastic is bad for you, the worst numbers for you are 3, 6 and 7.
1 Polyethylene terephalate (PET)
2 High density polyethylene (HPDE)
3 Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) or Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PPVC)
4 Low density polyethylene LDPE
5 Polypropylene (PP)
6 Polystyrene (PS) or Expandable polystyrene (EPS)
7 Other, including nylon and acrylic
So, why are these bad for you? The chemical make-up of these plastics, especially 3, 6 and 7 can break down easily, and leach out of the plastic and into the water. This is also why you should never wash or re-use plastic water bottles. Whenever plastic of any kind is exposed to heat, it changes the chemical make-up, and causes the plastic to break down easily. These chemicals are harmful to your body and can, to be perfectly blunt, royally screw up your system. Besides, everyone knows water tastes better out of glass! :) Ok. Sidebar over.
For all you Phoenicians out there, if you have not yet checked out The Phoenix Local Market, I highly encourage you to do so! Not only does it have an awesome, retro vibe, it's got some of the best tasting food you'll ever find. Living in downtown has really opened up my eyes to the jewel that is local farming and marketing. Buying and selling locally is one of the most important things we can do for our community - and it's one of the most important things we can do for our health! The food you buy locally is guaranteed to be the best for you (unless you grow your own food) because it is fresh, and hasn't been produced in bulk. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.
You should drink water out of glass as often as you can, by the way. The plastic of practically every water bottle brand = no bueno for your body!
*SIDEBAR*
You know the little number inside the triangle on the bottom of plastic bottles? It's not for recycling purposes. That number tells you the chemical make-up of the plastic. Although any kind of plastic is bad for you, the worst numbers for you are 3, 6 and 7.
1 Polyethylene terephalate (PET)
2 High density polyethylene (HPDE)
3 Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) or Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PPVC)
4 Low density polyethylene LDPE
5 Polypropylene (PP)
6 Polystyrene (PS) or Expandable polystyrene (EPS)
7 Other, including nylon and acrylic
So, why are these bad for you? The chemical make-up of these plastics, especially 3, 6 and 7 can break down easily, and leach out of the plastic and into the water. This is also why you should never wash or re-use plastic water bottles. Whenever plastic of any kind is exposed to heat, it changes the chemical make-up, and causes the plastic to break down easily. These chemicals are harmful to your body and can, to be perfectly blunt, royally screw up your system. Besides, everyone knows water tastes better out of glass! :) Ok. Sidebar over.
For all you Phoenicians out there, if you have not yet checked out The Phoenix Local Market, I highly encourage you to do so! Not only does it have an awesome, retro vibe, it's got some of the best tasting food you'll ever find. Living in downtown has really opened up my eyes to the jewel that is local farming and marketing. Buying and selling locally is one of the most important things we can do for our community - and it's one of the most important things we can do for our health! The food you buy locally is guaranteed to be the best for you (unless you grow your own food) because it is fresh, and hasn't been produced in bulk. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Lovely Things.
Although we can't take them with us, there are some lovely things on this planet that really shouldn't go unnoticed. I find that sometimes, it's the simplest things that make me happiest.
I have been lusting after this wardrobe from Anthropologie for years. It makes me think of Jasmine's birdcage in Aladdin. Actually, that's probably a huge part of its appeal for me.
I don't know what it is, but there's something about a wardrobe that makes me feel so girly. Then there's the wooden hangers:
I don't know what it is, but I love having wooden hangers. There's something about seeing my clothes all on the same type of hanger that just makes my heart happy. I can't explain it. Maybe it just makes me feel civilized. Also, I think it provides motivation for me to not throw my clothes on the floor. They look so pretty hanging on the wooden hangers, why would I ever want them to be on the floor?
Speaking of clothes...you know, there's a lot to be said for having nice things to wear. I'm really not the materialistic type, but I think dressing well is one of the biggest self-esteem boosts you can give yourself. Since I got a killer tax return this past month I took myself shopping...Anthropologie is so hard to resist. I daydream about hanging all my Anthropologie items on wooden hangers in that wardrobe..Hey. I'm a girl. A really girly one too.
I love this blouse. I wore it today when I went to the old bookstore in Tempe. There was a playful breeze that made the folds ripple so delightfully! I love spring. I love wearing materials that make me feel like a girl. Ya know?
Skirts are kind of a new thing for me. I've pretty much worn jeans every day for the past..oh..four years...I guess you could say I'm finally embracing femininity. It's a big step for me! This skirt looks super cute with the above blouse, by the way.
I also bought another skirt and a pair of navy, sailor style pants but I couldn't find pictures of them.
Oh, Anthropologie..I'm so glad I can only visit you once a month...otherwise my financial soul would be sucked dry.
I have been lusting after this wardrobe from Anthropologie for years. It makes me think of Jasmine's birdcage in Aladdin. Actually, that's probably a huge part of its appeal for me.
Speaking of clothes...you know, there's a lot to be said for having nice things to wear. I'm really not the materialistic type, but I think dressing well is one of the biggest self-esteem boosts you can give yourself. Since I got a killer tax return this past month I took myself shopping...Anthropologie is so hard to resist. I daydream about hanging all my Anthropologie items on wooden hangers in that wardrobe..Hey. I'm a girl. A really girly one too.
I love this blouse. I wore it today when I went to the old bookstore in Tempe. There was a playful breeze that made the folds ripple so delightfully! I love spring. I love wearing materials that make me feel like a girl. Ya know?
I also bought another skirt and a pair of navy, sailor style pants but I couldn't find pictures of them.
Oh, Anthropologie..I'm so glad I can only visit you once a month...otherwise my financial soul would be sucked dry.
Reasons to be Lovely, Happy and Healthy.
Well, hi there!
Ok, so what's this blog all about?
I'm a 20 year-old journalism student and I'm in a rut. I have learned a lot in the past couple of years about health, happiness, and loveliness (both on the inside and superficially.) Seriously, for a 20 year old, I'm kind of impressed about how much I know...ha! Talk about a Ron Burgundy-ism...
But you know, as much as I know and preach about it, I have a little tiny problem....it's called lack of self-discipline.
This blog is for me just as much as it is for you. It is here that I will record my personal journey into health, happiness and loveliness. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty happy person, a relatively healthy person, and I'm (finally) more secure about my physical appearance. But this journey is going deeper. I genuinely believe in everything I'm about to write about.
Our bodies are gifts. And they are gorgeous. It is capable of incredible feats of flexibility, strength, fluidity and mobility. Seriously, just look at yourself - not your face though. Look at your arms, your knees, your wrists, your shoulders, your belly button, your hips, your toes, your ankles. You're gorgeous. Your body was built for function, for movement, for life.
And as obvious as this may sound, I feel like it needs to be said.
Our bodies are living things. Treat it like it's alive. Run it, jump it, dance it, stomp it, scream it, pamper it, love it, take it on top of a mountain, let it breathe the air, let it grow, and feed it well.
So, there's your reason to be healthy. A bit out of order, but there you go.
Lovely.
What does it mean to be lovely? How many women do you know that you could truly call 'lovely'?
I don't care what you say, women and men are different. There are some things that men are better at than women, and vice versa. I honestly think feminism played a huge part in the death of chivalry. It frustrates me how so many women blindly accept the popular colloquialism that: 'anything men can do, we can do too.' Don't get me wrong, I'm as independent and strong-willed as the next woman, and I'm certainly not putting down our sex; if anything, I am passionately trying to preserve its dignity. I am a woman. I've got breasts, hips, thighs and soft skin. And there's something marvelous about that, isn't there?
Here's what I'm getting at: all women are lovely. I just wish we all believed it.
I have spent way too much time criticizing my body, my hair, my teeth and my freckles and not nearly enough time truly embracing the marvel that I really am.
"Vanity, thy name is woman" someone once wrote. But you know, vanity isn't always a bad thing. What's wrong with admiring your own beauty? In this humble blogger's opinion, it seems to me most women aren't vain enough. We're much quicker to moan, mourn and criticize our appearance than we are to praise it.
Loveliness, I think, comes from a place of security. I have just recently really become secure about myself - and I've found that I am no longer concerned with how I look from every different angle - rather, I have found myself engaging my focus towards other people's needs.
Being lovely means being loving.
And when you're healthy and lovely, it follows that you'll truly be happy.
That's my theory anyway. We'll see if it works.
Until tomorrow!
Ok, so what's this blog all about?
I'm a 20 year-old journalism student and I'm in a rut. I have learned a lot in the past couple of years about health, happiness, and loveliness (both on the inside and superficially.) Seriously, for a 20 year old, I'm kind of impressed about how much I know...ha! Talk about a Ron Burgundy-ism...
But you know, as much as I know and preach about it, I have a little tiny problem....it's called lack of self-discipline.
This blog is for me just as much as it is for you. It is here that I will record my personal journey into health, happiness and loveliness. Don't get me wrong, I'm a pretty happy person, a relatively healthy person, and I'm (finally) more secure about my physical appearance. But this journey is going deeper. I genuinely believe in everything I'm about to write about.
Our bodies are gifts. And they are gorgeous. It is capable of incredible feats of flexibility, strength, fluidity and mobility. Seriously, just look at yourself - not your face though. Look at your arms, your knees, your wrists, your shoulders, your belly button, your hips, your toes, your ankles. You're gorgeous. Your body was built for function, for movement, for life.
And as obvious as this may sound, I feel like it needs to be said.
Our bodies are living things. Treat it like it's alive. Run it, jump it, dance it, stomp it, scream it, pamper it, love it, take it on top of a mountain, let it breathe the air, let it grow, and feed it well.
So, there's your reason to be healthy. A bit out of order, but there you go.
Lovely.
What does it mean to be lovely? How many women do you know that you could truly call 'lovely'?
I don't care what you say, women and men are different. There are some things that men are better at than women, and vice versa. I honestly think feminism played a huge part in the death of chivalry. It frustrates me how so many women blindly accept the popular colloquialism that: 'anything men can do, we can do too.' Don't get me wrong, I'm as independent and strong-willed as the next woman, and I'm certainly not putting down our sex; if anything, I am passionately trying to preserve its dignity. I am a woman. I've got breasts, hips, thighs and soft skin. And there's something marvelous about that, isn't there?
Here's what I'm getting at: all women are lovely. I just wish we all believed it.
I have spent way too much time criticizing my body, my hair, my teeth and my freckles and not nearly enough time truly embracing the marvel that I really am.
"Vanity, thy name is woman" someone once wrote. But you know, vanity isn't always a bad thing. What's wrong with admiring your own beauty? In this humble blogger's opinion, it seems to me most women aren't vain enough. We're much quicker to moan, mourn and criticize our appearance than we are to praise it.
Loveliness, I think, comes from a place of security. I have just recently really become secure about myself - and I've found that I am no longer concerned with how I look from every different angle - rather, I have found myself engaging my focus towards other people's needs.
Being lovely means being loving.
And when you're healthy and lovely, it follows that you'll truly be happy.
That's my theory anyway. We'll see if it works.
Until tomorrow!
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