Have a Better 2019 By Getting Rid of Things That Bug You

One of my Pinterest boards is called “Health Beyond Diet”. And if you know me, you know that I think that food is medicine, but mental and spiritual health is even more important for optimal physical health. So, here are some ideas for starting 2019 on a great path, not by eliminating the things you enjoy, but by getting rid of the things you don’t.

This idea came from one of my mentors, a Naturopathic doctor named Ronda Nelson, who teaches for Standard Process. She calls it eliminating the “Intolerables”. Intolerables are things that are bugging you, or are just not up to your personal aesthetics or standards. Like that closet or room that needs to be sorted out or put in order, and getting rid of things you don’t want anymore.

You start by making a list of things that are irritating you in your life, big or little, and then once you have your list you handle them one at a time. An old habit would be an example, or a routine that keeps you from accomplishing something you wish you could do more of. This can apply to your home, your work  space, your business, or even relationships. You can probably look around the room you are sitting in right now and see something that is not how you would really like it, and that bugs you even a little bit.

We all can fall into ruts. And we all ignore areas of our lives that it would take just a bit of time and effort to improve, putting it off until we “have” more time, instead of making the time now. It can take some time to really make a list of intolerables. You can make lists in your phone or on a small notepad you keep with you, so you can jot down your intolerables as you spot them. Then cross them out as you handle them and see how that feels.

Eliminating the intolerances can pave the way to adding more of the things that you love and give you more joy in your life. That cuts down on stress levels, and will bring about better health!

One of my Pinterest boards is called “Health Beyond Diet”. And if you know me, you know that I think that food is medicine, but mental and spiritual health is even more important for optimal physical health. So, here are some ideas for starting 2019 on a great path, not by eliminating the things you enjoy, but by getting rid of the things you don’t.
 
This idea came from one of my mentors, a Naturopathic doctor named Ronda Nelson, who teaches for Standard Process. She calls it eliminating the “Intolerables”. Intolerables are things that are bugging you, or are just not up to your personal aesthetics or standards. Like that closet or room that needs to be sorted out or put in order, and getting rid of things you don’t want anymore.
 
You start by making a list of things that are irritating you in your life, big or little, and then once you have your list you handle them one at a time. An old habit would be an example, or a routine that keeps you from accomplishing something you wish you could do more of. This can apply to your home, your work  space, your business, or even relationships. You can probably look around the room you are sitting in right now and see something that is not how you would really like it, and that bugs you even a little bit. Maybe one of the reasons for our feelings of overwhelm or brain fog is because we have too much stuff around us, or what we have is not in good order. Or at the least tackling the physical environment can make you feel you are doing something positive and concrete in your life.

This may include relationships that make you feel overwhelmed or confused. There are a lot of people on this planet, so statistically there are bound to be some that are a good fit for you, and are fun to be around. This includes people you  have to work with. 
 
We all can fall into ruts. And we all ignore areas of our lives that it would take just a bit of time and effort to improve, putting it off until we “have” more time, instead of making the time now. It can take some effort to really make a list of intolerables. You can make lists on your phone or on a small notepad you keep with you, so you can jot down your intolerables as you spot them. Then cross them out as you handle them and see how that feels. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/well/mind/clutter-stress-procrastination-psychology.html

Another way to look at this is to get rid of things that do not give you joy. I started to apply this to my closet and it has helped me part with clothes I was hanging on to in case I might need them at some future date. Now, if a garment does not bring me joy, I don't consider how much I spent or if it is a good basic to have. And now I "enjoy" more the things that do bring me some joy, and my closet is a happier place. I Iearned this tip from Marie Kondo https://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-marie-kondo-20160206-story.html

If finding time for all the things you want to do (like listing your intolerances, or clearing out clutter) check out this Youtube video about organizing your day into blocks of activities and see if this works for you. We all have 24 hours in the day, so learning to be a master rather than a slave to time may be easier than you knew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKuSlstIBM

Eliminating the intolerances and increasing your joy-quoitent can pave the way to adding more of the things that you love and give you more joy in your life. That cuts down on stress levels, and will bring about better health!

Let me know any tips you have on how you are de-stressing and improving your life this year.
 

What's On Your Mind for Thanksgiving and the Holidays?

Does it seem like the Christmas Holidays now start right after Halloween? A week ago even our local Trader Joe’s dropped its famed pumpkin display for chocolate Christmas treats wrapped in red ribbons. What happened to Thanksgiving?

Yes, I do “mind” that Thanksgiving is being passed over for the retail glee of Christmas. And I do “mind” that I started hearing Christmas carols a week ago. If the Spirit of Christmas is giving and getting, then the Spirit of Thanksgiving is reflection and gratitude. Thanksgiving may include a night of pumpkin pie and whipped cream but Christmas is days of alcohol and sugar. So, even from a nutrition point of view, I mind glossing over Thanksgiving.

But, as with all things human, the Holidays are all about mind over matter. It takes toughness of mind to be disciplined enough to avoid gaining extra pounds. It takes a calculating mind to avoid the extra padding of your credit cards with new debt in the illusive pursuit of material happiness. It takes a patient mind to refrain from snarling at the extra traffic around shopping malls, and to juggle family obligations and expectations. It takes a quiet mind to be able to sleep easily when there are additional stresses and late nights due to parties and shopping outings.

We are all the Makers of Christmas for those around us, if we decide to be. And it takes a child’s mind viewpoint to keep the real Spirit of Christmas. The magic and joy in life is more about what we keep in “mind” more than anything else.

Even though being “empty minded” is not considered a good thing, being able to eliminate worry, strife, and hate is a very good move for health and well-being. Children have a heart full of love, and their eyes are wide with wonder. They see the world in their mind’s eye as a place full of possibilities, not to mention unicorns and pirates. Magic always starts with a magical frame of mind.

So, for this Thanksgiving holiday I wish for you an open heart, and a fanciful imagination. Eat with love and that might be better even for you than Brussels Sprouts and kale. Health is probably 80 % mental and only 20% physical. Right thinking is not a political stance, but monitoring your thoughts so that you are on the plus side of the mental ledger, insisting on your own happy state of mind regardless of life circumstances. Thomas Jefferson said, “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits”.

Speaking of Mr. Jefferson, I used to think that the “Pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration of Independence meant the right to reach for something outward. But I have learned that you pursue happiness in your own bathroom mirror at home. Loving that person we see in that mirror is sometimes the most difficult love of all. But it is the basis of real health, and leads to true abundance around us, beating out all the pumpkin pie (with whipped cream) in the world.

Happy Thanksgiving. I don’t mind telling your that you are one of the best things in my life.

The Human Body-An Insider’s Guide to What Goes On Inside

Well, think about it. You possess a body. So, it might be a good idea to find out a bit more about how the thing works. That is what this is about-giving you some idea about what is going on that you can’t actually see-an insider’s guide to what goes on inside.

When you understand more about how the body works inside you may be able to run yours better, and sort out some confusion about what you should be eating to help the body have more energy and last longer.

The body is pretty busy and there is a lot going on. Let’s start with some facts. 

Did You Know? 

The adult human body has about 372 trillion cells.

Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things. They provide structure for the body, take in nutrients from food, convert those nutrients into energy, and carry out specialized functions. Cells also contain the body’s hereditary material and can make copies of themselves. (U.S. National Library of Medicine)

Cells are little factories that take in food and convert that food to energy to perform cell function, and then release waste products.

222-242 billion new cells are produced every day.

300 million cells die every minute.

Adults take 15-20 breaths per minute equaling 20,000 breaths a day.

Cells need oxygen to function, and they get oxygen from air taken in by the lungs, and then cells release carbon dioxide, and that is carried through the blood back to the lungs to be breathed out. So, lungs have an intake and outtake function for getting oxygen to every cell in the body.

Blood vessels are tubular structures that carry blood. There are three types. Arteries carry blood away from the heart. If you cut an artery the blood will spurt out due to the pumping action of the heart. Veins carry blood back to the heart. Capillaries are the tiniest vessels. They carry oxygen and nutrients to the individual cells and receive the carbon dioxide and cellular waste products away from the cells.

There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in a child and 100,000 miles in an adult. The circumference of the earth is 25,000 miles. So that means that the blood vessels in the adult body could wrap around the earth 2.5 times.

These vessels carry one million barrels of blood in a lifetime.

The average heart is about the size of a fist. The heart beats approximately 115,000 beats per day and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood per day.

The heart weighs less than a pound. A man’s heart weighs about 2 oz. more than a woman’s but a woman’s heartbeat is slightly faster.

There are four chambers in the heart, and four valves. The sound of the heartbeat is caused by the valves opening and closing.

The average adult resting heartbeat is 75 beats per minute, the same as a sheep. Baaaaa.

For more comparison, the Blue Whales heart is the size of a compact car and only beats five times per minute. A shrew’s heart beats 1,000 times per minute. (Shrews, as one of the smallest mammals, may only be 4 inches long and weigh under a pound. They have grey fur and eat insects.)

The heart has its own electrical system and can beat disconnected from a body.

Blood passes through the lungs and gathers oxygen. That oxygen-rich blood then goes to the heart to get pumped out to the body through the larger veins called arteries. Veins carry blood with carbon dioxide from cell waste back to the lungs for elimination.

The largest artery called the aorta is larger in diameter than a garden hose. The smallest vessels are called capillaries and the tiniest of those are 10 times smaller than human hair. Their function is to carry the oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body from the head to the toes.

Blood takes about 20 seconds to circulate around the entire body.

One drop of blood contains over 5 million red blood cells. Blood cells have a red hue because of a mix of iron-rich hemoglobin with oxygen.

More to come in the next installment!

Easy Detoxification Without Pills!

If you hate taking supplements, there is a new detoxification/purificationh program designed for you! And it was developed by Standard Process, the leader in whole food concnentrated nutrition especially designed for optimum human health

If you read my blogs, you know that I write frequently about the need to detoxify the organs like kidney, liver, and colon. Honestly, with so many environmental toxins and chemicals I think it it almost impossible to get or stay healthy without supporting and enhancing the natural detoxification pathways in the body.

The body is actually much too complex for our modern lifestyles. For example, in order to fully neutralize harmful chemicals like pesticides and chlorine and solvents, the liver uses a first and second phase cycle. The toxins are not broken down to a safe level for elimination until toxins and chemicals have passed through both phases. But the second phase requires sulfur compounds and we modern humans have deficient diets and different degrees of genetic ability to operate a good Phase II detoxification. When toxins and metals are not broken down they can cause cellular damage.

Add to that the obesity problem, which can mean that the organs themselves have fat deposits in them. The abdomen may have a layer of fat on the outside of the muscles and organs, and that fat may be communicating with the brain through the hormonal system. That is bad enough. But if the fat invades the liver, for example, it will impair normal liver function since the liver was not designed as a fat repository. How does the fat get there? The culprits include high fructose corn syrup (currently added to almost all processed foods) and refined sugars. Fatty liver used to occur only in alcoholics, but not anymore.

Detoxification can be a first step towards handling cravings, losing weight, resetting metabolism, addressing sleep issues, reducing asthma and allergies, banishing foggy thinking, improving energy, clearing skin issues, balancing hormones, addressing Diabetes and low blood sugar, and arresting declining health.

With the new Standard Process 28-day Purification and Detoxification program you eat healthy meals and drink 1-3 shakes per day. No added supplements. The shake powder is designed to help you detox easily and painlessly by supporting the pathways for eliminating toxins.

The program guide has meal plans, recipes and more. Click here to learn about it. https://www.standardprocess.com/Products/Literature/SP-Detox-Balance-Program-Guide

Let me know that you want to try this program and get free shipping on the 28-day kit. If you cannot commit to 28 days, there is a 10-day program so that you can fit it into your schedule and get some benefits without the month-long commitment.

And, if you want more help with weight loss, stay tuned for another program that gives you five days of “foods” that mimic fasting, so you can eat and fast at the same time. You can alternate the five-day program with the Standard Process Purification program and reach your target weight healthier than ever, ending junk food cravings and building lean muscle.

This could be your year to tip the scales in your favor for a change, and be the slim healthy person who is peeking out from behind those extra pounds.