Ta-Da! Self-Confidence!

Self-Confidence Meter

A wonderful article was found on the web that sums up self-confidence quite well. While we would all love to think we had the confidence of a king, sometimes, this is not the truth of the matter. Case in point, myself- while writing this article for Expanded Well-being (and borrowing it for my blog!).
The proceeding article, after being written, helped immensely in terms of subject matter, and clarification for me. The hope is that it will lend the same support to my dear readers.
In order to gain self-confidence, one must understand it first.
Let us begin by defining what it is: Two main factors contribute to self-confidence; self-efficacy (A person’s belief about his or her ability and capacity to accomplish a task or to deal with the challenges of life.) and self-esteem (1. a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect. 2. an inordinately or exaggeratedly favorable impression of oneself.).
We gain a sense of self-efficacy when we master skills and achieve goals that matter in those skill areas. We learn that when we work hard in a particular area and succeed, we gain confidence from that, the type of confidence that leads people to accept difficult challenges, and endure in the face of setbacks. This overlaps with self-esteem because now we know we can cope with what goes on in our lives. We feel we have the right to be happy because we see, through our efforts; that the people around us approve of us and our competency.
We can gain self confidence through setting and achieving goals, and it is probably the best way, because we see the results in concrete form. You can also do daily affirmations to help you build self-confidence, and the two go hand-in-hand, but you may not be able to physically measure the level of success through reciting daily affirmations. If you are in tune with your body on a higher level, you might be able to.
In building self confidence (based on a solid appreciation of reality, with a firm foundation of competence from achieving goals), know that this will not happen overnight. There is no fast way to come into having self-confidence.
Proof will come, albeit slowly, and you will know when you have arrived when you are able to continually reach a balance between low self-confidence, and over-bearing confidence.

Other articles of interest for self-confidence:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/10-ways-to-instantly-build-self-confidence/
http://www.counselingcenter.illinois.edu/?page_id=191

Confidence Beyond Belief! Click Here!

What is Spirituality?

To understand spirituality, we will first define it, then compare and contrast it with religion. However, there are so many definitions available for spirituality, most relating to religion, but, some feel spirituality has nothing to do with religion. One definition stood out, and for the purposes of this article, was the best one to work with.

“Spirituality (spir-i-choo-al-i-tee) is that which gives meaning to one's life and draws one to transcend oneself. Spirituality is a broader concept than religion, although that is one expression of spirituality. Other expressions include prayer, meditation, interactions with others or nature, and relationship with God or a higher power.” (Burkhardt, M. "Spirituality: An Analysis of The Concept," Holistic Nursing Practice, May 1989:60-77)

World Spirituality

re·li·gion (riˈlijən)- Noun: 1a : the state of a religious religion
>b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3 archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.
One brilliant article (according to the Admin, this one had the best definitions for spirituality) written on spirituality holds that, “much debate surrounds the definition of both terms.”  So it would seem, every dictionary looked at derived a different definition for both spirituality and religion.
It seemed very unsettling to find that spirituality and religion should be so far apart. They both seek a higher power, yet, there are no written rules in spirituality as there are in religion, and leaves the possibility of a more accessible means to finding that higher power.
In an article from Psychology Today, it states that spirituality means something different to everyone, and mentions that it may mean being a part of an organized religion to some. Ohio State University is adamant that spirituality has no affiliation with religion whatsoever. We can see the differing views relating to the topics in question, leading us to find out just what spirituality means to us on a personal level.
Finding your own way to spirituality is a journey, not a destination, and should be enjoyed every step of the way, and not seen as an arduous task.

What is Energy Healing?

If you’re reading this blog, chances are, you already know what energy healing is. For those of you looking for an explanation, this article will do its level best to inform you a) what energy healing is, and b) what the modalities of energy healing are.

Healing With Energy

In short, healing is bringing a body from a state of imbalance (dis-ease) into balance (health). However one chooses to approach a state of balance depends on each person and the specifics of the dis-ease. Energy Healing is using the practitioner and client’s Universal Energy forces to bring the body back into ease (health).
Many people are lead to energy healing to ease their imbalances because traditional mainstream medicine, for whatever reason, did not bring their body back into balance. Many do not like the side-effects of the chemicals pharmaceuticals have been known to produce. A few have been raised around alternative healing practices, and know no other way, or choose to opt out of the mainstream medicinal practices.
Energy healing has beginnings, or roots, in both spirituality and science. Most programs do have their basis in a “spiritual layer” of the energy field, whether based upon science or spirituality. There are quite a few different avenues energy healing can take, and since healing involves the energy field of the practitioner and client, use of hands may not be needed, as in distance healing.
Most modalities refer to different types of energy (universal life) forces spoken of throughout the ages such as, chi, or prana, in fact Reiki roughly translates into “Universal Life Energy.” Energy healing commonly involves increasing the flow and quantity of energy, but not only that it also involves balancing energies, and re-patterning the flow of energy.
There are many different modalities of Energy Healing in the world today. One website lists about 1199 different modalities (flavors, as they are called) of Reiki alone! Here is a short list of Energy Healing Modalities found on the web, with a couple more that weren’t listed that the Admin felt ought to be given merit:

• Cranio-sacral Therapy
• Polarity
• Quantum Touch
• Therapeutic Touch
• Tachyon Therapy
• Reiki
• Qigong
• Somatic Healing
• Chakra Healing*
• Kinesiology (Muscle Testing)*
• Foot Zone Therapy*
• Jin Shin Jyutsu
• Shiatsu
• The WISE Method (Holistic Integrated Spiritual Energy)
• Eden Energy Medicine – approach developed by Donna Eden
• Wings*
• Body Talk
• Bio-Electric Synchronization Technique (BEST, or Brain Synch)*

*Not found in internet articles relating to topic.
Articles relating to this post:

1. http://curezone.org/forums/f.asp?f=601
2. http://heartofhealing.net/energy-healing/types-of-energy-healing/
3. http://www.sq-wellness.com/healing-modalities/what-is-healing/
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_alternative_medicine
5. http://www.thehealersway.com/energy-healing/power-of-energy-healing/

More information on Energy Healing- Click Here!

All About Bach Flower Remedies

"This work of healing has been done, and published and given freely so that people like yourselves can help yourselves"

- Dr Edward Bach, 1936

Bach Essences

Bach Flower Essences® (aka Remedies) are all natural, very dilute solutions made from spring water, an alcohol preservative, and the parts of specific flowers. They are used to help balance the emotions and bring about a state of equilibrium in living organisms, and have been successfully used with people, animals, and even plants. Bach Flower Essences® are listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), have been issued with National Drug Code (NDC) numbers by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are sold as over-the-counter homeopathic products in the United States. Foot Zone Practitioners use them along with the zone therapy for clients with moderate to severe emotional issues.
A brief history of Bach Flower Remedies:
Dr. Edward Bach (September 24, 1886 - November 27, 1936) was born in a village called Moseley, near Birmingham, England.
Dr. Edward Bach was a British Physician, who began to see disease as an end product; a final stage; a physical manifestation of unhappiness, fear and worry. He therefore, began to look to nature to find healing flowers. Over a period of years Dr. Bach found 38 healing flowers and plants that with the right preparation became the 38 Bach Flower Remedies®. These Remedies are enough to remove all negative emotional problems.
By 1932 he had discovered the first of his 12 remedies. These he used on the many patients who came to him for treatment.
In 1933 he began making the second group of remedies, the “7 Helpers.”
In 1934 Dr. Bach moved to Mount Vernon in Oxfordshire. It was in the lanes and fields round  about that he found the remaining 19 remedies that he needed to complete the series. He would suffer the emotional state that he needed to cure and then try various plants and flowers until he found the one single plant that could help him. In this way, through great personal suffering and sacrifice, he completed his life's work.
Dr. Bach separated the remedies into 7 different emotional groups:

• Fear
• Uncertainty
• Insufficient interest in present circumstances
• Loneliness
• Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
• Despondency or despair
• Over-care for welfare of others

What are the difference between Essential Oil and The Bach Flower Remedies®?
Essential Oil: As the name says it is oils from different plants and flowers. The smell very strongly, some of them should be avoided for people with different illnesses, pregnancy, in the sun etc. The Essential Oils comes from the whole world, however, the quality can easily be very different because some farmers cheat and mix in cheap oils.
Bach Flower Remedies®: They do not smell, they can never do any harm to anyone at any time, they are made by infusion of wild plants & flowers from a certain area in England.
The Bach Flower Remedies® are considered homeopathic. The Bach Flower Remedies® are produced at one location after old directions from Dr. Edward Bach who died in 1936. Dr. Bach was VERY specific with the directions on how & when to make the Essences. He told just before he died that many people will try to imitate and copy the Remedies and his assistances had to promise NEVER to alter the 38 Remedies, because he knew that there would be no more need for more than the 38 and the directions that he had given were the best possible.
How do I take the Bach Flower Remedies®?
The Bach Flower Remedies® can be taken either in a 30ml/1once treatment bottle filled with spring water. From the treatment bottle take 4 drops 4 times a day until relief is obtained, or two drops in a glass of water and sip at intervals. If no water is available the Remedies can be taken undiluted either in the mouth, on the skin behind the ears or on the inside of the wrist.
To prepare a treatment bottle, fill the bottle with fresh spring water and add 2 drops of each Remedy. You can combine up to 6 or 7 Remedies in a treatment bottle. As preservative (optional) you can use brandy, apple cider vinegar or vegetable glycerin, 1 tsp. in the treatment bottle.
What happens if I take too much of the Remedies?
It is impossible to overdose with the Bach Flower Remedies®, they are 100% natural and safe. You can drink a whole bottle of Remedies and not "overdose.". However, if you think that "more is better" you are wrong. The Bach Flower Remedies® work best over a period of time, taken from the treatment or stock bottle at least 4 times a day.
What happens if I take the wrong Remedy?
Nothing is going to happen if you take the wrong Remedies, the Remedy only work on the energy level that we are having problems with. For example, if you have a "known fear" (MIMULUS) and take ASPEN "unknown fear", nothing is going to happen. Your "known fear" will stay and ASPEN wouldn't do anything to you. When you take the wrong Remedy nothing happens.*

Books, Writings & Lectures of Dr. Bach.
Heal Thyself
Free Thyself
The Twelve Healers
Ye Suffer

Consideration of Disease
Wallingford Lecture
Masonic Lecture
New Remedies New Uses
Patterns of Life
Sources:
*Kathy Burrow katsmountain.com- Copyright 2011
http://www.bachflower.com/index.html

All About Essential Oils

As a Foot Zone Therapist, I use essential oils when I give foot zones, if you’re wondering why, it will be explained in this article. The benefits of essential oils in everyday life go further than just aromatherapy, you’ll discover why essential oils ought to be a part of your everyday life, and a part (if not all) of your medicine chest.

Different Essential Oils that are Available

What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are the volatile liquids that are distilled from plants (including their respective parts such as seeds, barks, leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruit, etc.).  They are natural and aromatic compounds found in these parts of plants. Essential oils can lift the mood, calm the senses, and elicit powerful emotional responses. Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts prove that priests and physicians have been using essential oils for thousands of years. In Egypt, the oils were used in the embalming process, and well preserved oils were found in alabaster jars in King Tut’s tomb. Recipes for the production and blending of the oils were recorded on the walls of Egyptian temples in hieroglyphs. Aditionally, there are 188 references to essential oils (frankincense, myrrh, rosemary, etc.) in the Bible.
Aromatherapy
Just one small part of the importance of essential oils:  Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from plants to enhance psychological and physical well-being. Aromatherapy helps the emotional, physical, and spiritual areas of our being. They help to soothe, stimulate, focus concentration, and can help relieve pain. When inhaled, essential oils go to the brain. The sense of smell is the only one of the five senses directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain. The limbic is the emotional control center. All other senses are routed through the thalamus and then to other parts of the brain. The inhalation of the essential oil stimulates brain function; think about jasmine or roses vs. a dirty toilet, or a sewage treatment plant. Emotions and memories are evoked first - then thoughts follow.
Why are Essential Oils so Important?
Essential oils of every species are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier (interstitial tissues of the brain that serve as a barrier to protect neurons and cerebrospinal fluid from many damaging substances) easily because they are both small (less than 500 atomic mass units, or AMU) and lipid soluble. The aromatic qualities of essential oils account for the small size of the AMU. A drop of essential oil can be detected across the room almost immediately upon opening a bottle. It is this size that allows the essence of the essential oil to cross the blood-brain barrier and enable the properties to address the fundamental root of illness- a person’s attitudes, belief structures, and emotions.
Essential oils can be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing. They are used for a variety of applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function.  In 1989, it was discovered that the amygdala plays a major role in the storing and releasing of emotional trauma. The only way to stimulate this gland is with fragrance, or the sense of smell. Therefore, essential oils can be a powerful key to help unlock and release emotional trauma.
There are many different healing properties within Essential Oils, each oil has one or more of these properties, and this is the reason I suggested using essential oils as part of, or in place of items in your medicine cabinet.

Extraction of Essential Oils

Properties of Essential Oils

• Antibacterial
• Anticatarrhal
• Antidepressant
• Antifungal
• Anti-infectious
• Anti-inflammitory
• Antimicrobal
• Antiparasitic
• Antirheumatic
• Antiseptic
• Antispasmodic
• Antiviral
• Analgesic
• Immune-stimulant

Ways to use Essential Oils

1. Aromatically- Nose and olfactory system.
2. Topically- Rubbed onto the skin, massage or foot zone, blended with lotion, or carrier oil.
3. Internally- Ingested, with water, or other liquids, on the tongue, or in a capsule.

• Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils,Third Edition; 2011; Abundant Health, LLC©,  pp. 6-7, 236-237 (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)
• http://www.examiner.com/article/summer-health-aromatherapy-essential-oils-5-proven-benefits
• Foot Zone Therapy: Advanced Training- The Nervous and Structural Systems; 2009;  K. Duvall and C. Christensen, p. 40 Academy of Foot Zone Therapy©  (some re-wording at Admin’s discretion)
• http://www.aromatherapy.com/ 

A New Year, A New Lease on Life!

     
     I have taken a break from the blog scene for a while, haven't I? I've been doing many wonderful things in my life in order to make a shift in my attitude from negative to positive. It has been a daily investment. I believe many wonderful things have come from this investment. 
     I have started to notice when I get angry, and I can just stop what I'm doing, and saying now before it goes any further. Once my ears start to burn, I just stop. For a while it was just something I said would be nice to be able to do, now through constant observation and inventory of myself, I am starting to realize when to go without saying anything!
     Having a positive attitude is very important to me. In past blogs, I have stated that whatever you put out into the Uni-verse, you get back, right? Putting all of that negativity out started to take its toll on my marriage. Not only did my husband have to put up with one negative former wife yelling about everything he wasn't doing, but he was dealing with the negativity I was putting out as well. He did not know if our marriage was going to be worth it, one train wreck after another. 
     This was my wake up call. Had my negative attitude really gotten that out of control? Yes, it had. I knew it had. I watched myself spiraling downward and oftentimes felt helpless. When my husband said he didn't know if it was worth staying in the marriage, I knew I had to step up the attitude adjustment. I had to stop playing the victim. Anger was not something that was happening to me. I was exuding it, seemingly from every pore.
     For the entire month of December, I dedicated myself to waking up grateful for all that I had, even if I didn't like what I had, and was pissed off at the situation I was in. It was the "pisstivity" that was bringing me, no- it was bringing US down. I had been practicing the "Gratitude Exercise" since November, and it was slowly seeping its way into my core. By Christmas, I could actually get out of bed and smile.
     It's not easy to write down 10 things I am grateful for every day, but I have noticed that on the days I forget to do it, or I "don't have time to" I don't feel quite as carefree, my day is just a little "off." It is a learning curve, to be sure. I have not yet mastered this curve, but I am getting there!
     I have also brought into my life an herbal supplement of St. John's Wort, and two stones which I believe have been helping me on my mission to stabilize my chemical imbalance, along with more counseling, and this time it will be cognitive therapy, and I will be getting a full psychological evaluation so I know what I am dealing with, and how best to proceed.

 This is Sodalite, it helps shift the brain from more emotional decisions, to more rationality based thinking, and it's quite beautiful! I've had the necklace for over a decade, but never really knew how much it helped because I never wore it close to my skin. The bracelet really grounds me, and if I'm feeling the slightest bit emotionally overwhelmed, I slip it on, and after a while, those emotions start to even out, and I don't feel quite so dysfunctional.

This is Lepidolite, it has naturally occurring lithium within it, so if you wear it close to your skin, it helps to control the chemical imbalance caused by ADHD, and Bi-Polar Disorder. If your body doesn't need the lithium, it will just eliminate it, no worries. It is a gorgeous purple stone, especially when tumbled & made into jewelry, but I just got a raw stone, that's all the rock shop had at the time. It has actually been a lifesaver over the past month. Now, I'm not sure if it's the stone, but I am seeing things more clearly these days than I used to. I am glad the Earth provides substances such as these to help us in our endeavors.








     Having the month of December start out so horribly, like my life was falling apart, and ending up so nicely, it makes me wonder just how much stock people ought to out into how they feel, and how their emotions can cause others around them to feel. I have yet to be able to make the rest of the family in the house as slap-happy as I am (I have my blue days still, they're just fewer, and farther between thank Heaven!), but this does not discourage me. I am seeing how it is affecting my relationship with my husband, and I like the results.
     There is nothing at all wrong with keeping this up. I intend to, and I would like to extend a challenge to anyone who reads this little blog: Notice how you are feeling. If you do not like it, you have the power within you to change it. Stop playing the victim. Victims always have stuff happen to them, and believe they are powerless to change those circumstances. That is an incorrect way of viewing yourself! 
     You have more power to change within you than ANYONE has lead you to believe! If you really want to change, you can.  I have proved this to myself. It doesn't hurt either, to have someone tell you that you are doing better than you thought you were doing. Please share with me how you are changing, and what steps you have taken to promote that change!

     
     Good luck, let me know how this goes for you.  As you can see, it has been going well for me- now if I could just get back into the habit of blogging weekly, that would top it all off.  I'm sure if I really wanted to, I could. I can do anything I put my mind to. So can you! Believe it! There is strength in numbers!

Namaste!

What are YOU Grateful for TODAY?!

     In November we have one day set aside in which to meet with our families, eat, and be thankful for all we have.  One day. I've never understood that. I know the history behind the holiday, yes. But- why just set aside ONE DAY to CELEBRATE the things in our lives for which we are thankful? 
     I started a "tradition" last year on Facebook for November, calling it "Thanksgiving Month;" I challenge my friends, family, and myself to post whatever we're grateful for that day, every day of the month. WOW! That's 30 days of something to be thankful for! Imagine that! In this exercise, I have stretched out my thinking cap, and used it to ponder what I am grateful for every day for 30 days, and I have also challenged others to do the same.
     There is an energetic vibration that goes along with gratitude.  It is a fast moving, healing vibration. These vibrations not only occur in our bodies, they emanate outward. Think: what happens when someone smiles at you? You have the sudden urge to smile at them, or at least I hope you do... So these energetic vibrations emanating from your body are felt unconsciously by others around you.  And if they're in a gratitude vibration, they're passing that along as well! Imagine if the world caught on to this? A truly magnificent shift could occur! Believe it.

     I was told the other day by a friend, that we should give thanks for the things we don't like about ourselves. It is a positive way of healing and moving forward when one is (like me, oftentimes) "stuck in a rut." I must add to this: not only give thanks for these things, but stop and ponder what you have learned because you had the "problem" in the first place. Are the "problems" then perhaps considered learning opportunities? 
     Another friend of mine learned to call her cancer a "health opportunity." These "problems" we have are all learning opportunities if we allow them to be such. Once we have thanked our health opportunities, and paused to consider what they may have taught us, we are then vibrating at a higher level, and our entire being will feel different. Better! Imagine what would happen if we kept sharing this gift of information with others we feel could use it? How many people could be blessed by this knowledge?
     OK, so- why stop at stating (writing is a great way to track progress as well) what we are thankful for in November only? Could we not multiply the healing vibration? Yes, I am quite sure we can! We can find something to be thankful for every single day! If the healing energetic vibration causes us to feel good, why stop after 30 days? I know, I have... But, when I look back over the past year, I know that I felt different last November for those days that I challenged myself to find one thing each day to give thanks for.

     That difference was a really good example to myself, of what I could have. Who wouldn't want that? I know that there are a few people out there like myself who are struggling with being addicted to the negative chemicals our brains pump out when we are depressed, angry, lonely, whatever. It is not easy to admit, nor is it easy to move forward out of a state of low energetic vibration. Sometimes it is hard for us to even want to get out of bed, and we are at a loss as to what we can do to get out of the Hell we are in. 
     Finding out that we put ourselves there is even harder to swallow. If we can come to this conclusion, and accept it, then we are more apt to accept that WE CAN CHANGE IT. We can move forward. It will not be easy, but it can be done, I saw it in a gal last night while in my weekly Anger Management class. At the beginning of the year, she was in misery. Almost without hope, poisoning herself with anger that held her back. She took the anger management classes, and what she got out of them were tools that helped her start working to change herself, which in turn changed her situation for the better. 
     She hit a snag along the line (as we do!), and the court has since sent her back to the class, but this did not stop her, like it would have me. She kept forging on (moving forward) beginning her day with stating "This is going to be a fabulous day!" Every day. She also said what really helped her, aside from making sure all of the tools she had learned in the class were close to her in her handy binder, was stating 10 things with which she was grateful- every day. 
     Ten things every day! Holy Toledo! She admitted that while her life was not perfect, she was happy with it. She has a job, and she has a reason to wake up every morning. She stated that she owed it not only to her children to get out of bed, but she owed it to herself. She was an inspiration to me. She was right there, in the flesh, smiling; and I felt a different vibration coming from her when we were in our group. It was different than mine and the other class member's. It was good. And I can have that. We all can! I intend to be in an attitude of gratitude this day, this month, and every day hereafter because I owe it to myself, my family, and my Creator! 
     So- What are you thankful for today? Tomorrow? Every Day?! Let's celebrate our gratitude every single day!

Namaste!

    

To GMO or Not To GMO, Good Question!

     I've been avoiding writing this post for a while now. There's so much controversy surrounding this subject. Whether it's true, or not true, whether we know what a GMO is or not, whether or not we are all science experiments. Regretfully, I think I may have even lost a friend over this subject.  How about them apples? What's the big deal anyway? Isn't ALL FOOD ORGANIC? Some people believe it is so. In my very humble opinion, and experience, I do not believe, nor will I be convinced, that all foods in a supermarket today, are created equally.
     There was a time, not too long ago, that I believed I could eat anything I darn well pleased.  And so I did! Candy, chips, pre-made packaged meals, or processed foods, I would go out to eat once or twice per week if I wanted, you name it, if it sounded like it would be yummy, I ate it! Then, I noticed I was packing on pounds, even though I was exercising, which is not like me. Then, I started feeling sick, not flu, or cold, or sniffles, sick; things inside my body just sort of stopped working properly, I developed unexplained areas of inflammation (with no apparent cause), that swell up worse to this day when I eat certain things.
     I had heard about GMOs (Genetically Engineered Organisms) a while back in my life, but thought nothing of it. How did they effect me? What were they anyway? If scientists want to experiment, let them, it's a free country, how else are we gonna learn? Hybridization has been done for centuries!  Little did I know that Genetic Engineering and Hybridization were not really the same thing. 

     I thought I'd run my own experiment, upon myself, because it couldn't hurt. I decided to see if eating more organic foods, cutting out the pre-made packaged & canned crap, and definitely avoiding anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it, held any merit. It was about this time I learned of something (which I thought was a fad) called "Green Drinks" or "Green Smoothies." Those really sounded disgusting, drinking SPINACH??? Ew. It took me about a year, year and a half, doing this experiment to correlate what I ate with my health.
     In April, my weight was way up, and it depressed me so very much, because I was exercising, and drinking my smoothies, I didn't get it.  I was still sort of eating some things that were not as good for me as they could have been. (Cough chough, tater tots!!)  I was also such a carnivore, another correlation revelation to be made down the road... 
     I do love meat. I never realized how much meat the average American consumes during the course of one day. Think about it: bacon or sausage with breakfast, lunch meat, or a salad with ham or the like on it, meatloaf or whatever else with meat for dinner. Never bothered me before. But, the more research I did in my Foot Zone Therapy class, and talking with my sister who is studying to be a botanist, I discovered that eating that much meat on a daily basis, just isn't good for the waistline. I won't even go into what it does to the environment, or farmers... 
     Having found out last year that I could no longer eat wheat (I've had stomach problems for a great deal of my adult life, tried all sorts of things to "cure" it, nothing worked until I quit eating wheat), which turned out to be the best thing for my health in many ways, I knew it was time to up my game this year in my quest for better health. 
     This year has been the real test.  This was the year I found Foot Zone Therapy, and have made it an everyday promise to drink either a green smoothie, or a wheatgrass shot. Let's see, no wheat, more vegetables and fruit, less meat (down to one meal per day, and non on Meatless Mondays), how in the world was I to survive? Very well, thank you.
     I also had the opportunity to get foot zones done on me for free. In six or more months of weekly foot zones, and eating better than I ever have been before, I saw that I had a lot more energy than I've ever had, well, since my late teens, early twenties anyway! Also, when everyone else in the house would fall ill, I stayed healthy. Huh.
     The real proof came recently, when I discovered that I had dropped 10 pounds from April, but it wasn't the weight loss that was amazing, it was the redistribution of the weight I had left (no more muffin top and chubby knees!). It may not have come off quickly, and it really didn't want to come off, I think. But it did, and I know I'm better for it. My knees don't hurt, my feet are not swollen, even the one that was swollen all the time for no apparent reason. My results may have had something to do with the weekly foot zones, but mark my words, my Nazi actions toward label reading have something to do with it as well. 
     The combination of eating better, and weekly foot zoning have seen me so much more healthy than I was, even from a year ago. I may get called a fanatic, but the results from eating healthier just seemed to happen too quickly for me to deny the existence of GMOs any longer. So, I came up with some rules of thumb while shopping: If there are more than 5 or 6 ingredients on the label of food (or shampoo, soap, or toothpaste, they get put in and on your body too!) you are about to purchase, should you eat it? If you do not know how to pronounce half or more of the ingredients, should you ingest it? Lastly, if you do NOT know what the heck it is that is typed on that label, even if you CAN pronounce it, do you really want it in your body?

     We only have one body, and it is supposed to last us until we are really old, hopefully, anyway. I personally would rather have QUALITY years over QUANTITY. I'm not old yet, and when things started pooping out on me within my vessel, I wanted to know what I could do to remedy that issue.  I also really dislike medical doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals. If I can heal myself without having to use any of those, I would rather. I know that I'm going to a doctor if my arm breaks, but I would like to prevent cancer or a heart attack, or kidney stones (oops, too late), or liver failure if I can.
     I am not one to sit idly by and accept that it is my age that brings on an influx of weight.  There are thin 70 year olds out there in existence! I am also not the kind of person who likes prescription drug side-effects. If there is even a remote chance that I can stay un-depressed without the pills, I am willing to try it.  Since I have been on at least 3 different prescriptions for my "depression" that have done nothing for me other than cause some other weird, abnormal occurrence in my body, I'll stay far away.
     Prove to yourselves, once and for all, that Genetic Modifications are a factor in our health, or should I say LACK THEREOF. Try it out for the minimum of six months to a year, for some it will happen faster. Note your health changes by kicking out the processed foods.  Eat organic more than not, cut back on your meat intake, it IS possible!  I guarantee you will see a change in your health.

     You could just accept that sickness is an everyday part of your life, and you can stay a couch potato, and keep eating whatever you want. It is your choice. You can choose to ignore this post, and go on eating, drinking, and being merry, that's up to you. But if you are like me, and you'd rather have quality in your years on this planet, and you wonder why illnesses that used to be fewer and farther between, are now epidemics, it certainly is a thought worth entertaining.  
     The sad fact is: "Genetically engineered foods are generally regarded as safe. There has been no adequate testing, however, to ensure complete safety. There are no reports of illness or injury due to genetically engineered foods. However, each new genetically engineered food will need to be judged individually." I for one, do not wish to be a human lab rat!
     Please know that while I do get upon my little soapbox often, I try not to tell people how they ought to run their lives.  I just know what has happened in my life, and why I made the choices I have made, and why I chose to stick with it, and I feel the need to share. you can use your own judgement, and figure it out for yourself, in fact, I would challenge you to!

Namaste!

Articles of interest on GMOs:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-gm-foods
http://www.nextgenerationfood.com/article/genetically-engineered-food
http://www.nextgenerationfood.com/news/should-packaging-be-labelled-for-gm-ingredients/


What I carry when I shop:
http://truefoodnow.org/shoppers-guide/

Websites:
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/
http://truefoodnow.org/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
http://www.forksoverknives.com/

Movies:
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead 
Forks over Knives
Food Inc.
Genetic Roulette

Sharing is Caring II

     

     I'm going to borrow -or share, rather- one of my articles from my website to tantalize you into going over to view it! I'm about ready to learn how to build profitable traffic, and I am EXCITED! I AM doing the Happy Dance.  I apologize for not keeping up with my weekly blogging, kids, but as you can guess, this website is taking up a ton of my extra time. I know it'll be worth it! So here's an excerpt from my first article entitled:

Health and Wellbeing

The first topic to be covered on this site, and a quite good question to answer is, “What is health & wellbeing?”
The dictionary defines each thusly:
Well-be·ing [wel-bee-ing] noun -a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare: to influence the well-being of the nation and its people.
Health [helth] noun -1. the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health.  2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or ailment: to have one's health; to lose one's health.  3. a polite or complimentary wish for a person's health, happiness, etc., especially as a toast: We drank a health to our guest of honor.  4. vigor; vitality: economic health.
Simple, easy, and to the point. Browsing around the internet can lead to information that is both good and bad; we need to remember to take a lot of what’s out there with a grain of salt. Amazingly enough, there was the perfect definition on a website just awaiting perusal:
Health and Wellbeing - more than just good health, wellbeing describes a state of wellness of body, mind and soul, where all are in a state of health, the individual is happy and prospering. Wellbeing is not available by prescription, there is no one path and many different roads can be taken to arrive there.¹...

To read more of this article, please click on this here link: http://expandedwellbeing.com/health-and-wellbeing/

Thank you for being so patient and sticking with me through this exciting time of CHANGE!! As I always say, "The ONLY constant in life is change."
Make it a blessed day!

Namaste!

Website Under Construction!

Just a quick few words... I've got to let the cat out of the bag... This week, I've been working on a website! It's still under construction, but I suppose I can tell a few important people about it. My site is about, well- Health & Well-being. What else would it be about? You can follow this link to find my site, tell your friends & neighbors. My hope is that there will be enough information on there once it's complete to cure what ails ya... Or at least give you a great start! To your health!





http://expandedwellbeing.com/


Namaste!