First things first, my apologies to everyone who reads this for being a lazy blogger as of late. However, I've been busy making preparations for motherhood, reading, learning and experimenting so I'm not really that sorry since my life has been seriously enhanced by the past few weeks of mind, body and soul food.
Now for the goodies!
Meditation! I've been saying that a post on meditation was coming, and believe me, it still is...but not yet! I've been a meditating mama for about 6 weeks now (with a little bit of laziness thrown in there) and the benefits are definitely starting to show. However, I am still learning, still taming my 'monkey mind' and trying to find the best positions, best conditions, best mantras and best times of day for me, and would like to have more info for you in terms of results before I blog. That way you don't get crap-for-blogs. I will tell you one thing though: I sincerely believe that every human being on the planet can benefit from a meditation practice. The mental, emotional and physical benefits of stopping, relaxing, taking deep breaths and learning to be mindful will enrich every area of your life if you let it. If you want to get started now (DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!) then download the *free!* starter course from this website: http://project-meditation.org. It's a super-simple, super-easy way to start out. You can also e-mail me with any questions and I will do my best to answer them!
I am also currently learning about different ways to keep my body in the rockin' state of homeostasis. Equilibrium is a beautiful thing my dears, and I plan on knowing how to keep myself thriving by encouraging and helping my body to stay in that blissful state. This research covers a whole lotta things, like stress management, time management, exercise, relaxation, mindfulness, a pH-balanced diet, detoxification, hydration, oxygenation...all fascinating topics that I am enjoying immensely!
Now a bit about the loveliness of green juice! Juicing has added vibrancy to my life. It kick-starts my mornings (and is about 1000x healthier than coffee - bonus!) and cleans the gunk outta my god pod. Juicing veggies has some tremendous health benefits. Green juice is full of vitamins, minerals, and *enzymes* and has the potential to rock your world! It's very simple to get started. First of all, get a juicer. You don't have to spend a ton of moula, but you definitely get what you pay for. I use Jack Lalanne's power juicer, and I love love love it. That thing could squeeze juice out of a rock.Then, get some fresh veggies (organic is obviously better, but do what you can with what $$ you've got) and get ready to juice! My current favourite juicing combination is 1-2 apples, 3 stalks of celery, 1/2 cucumber, kale and some romaine. The apples add a little sweetness, but pears work nicely too. That particular combination has been rocking my world, and my body is loving me for it. In these last weeks of pregnancy, my energy level is starting to wane and the juice packs a nice punch. I don't even want to think about how sluggish I would be without it. There are tonnes of green juice recipes online (some gross, some delish) so I recommend experimenting until you find a couple that you like. And yes, juicing can be pricey as a daily practice, and it is kind of annoying to clean the juicer every day, but guess what? This is the only body you get, and the only life you get, so take that seriously and get your ass to the market! Juicing shouldn't cost much more than your (insert ridiculous habit here - daily Starbucks, weekly Taco Bell, daily chocolate bar, weekly drinking session, etc.) fix so I don't wanna hear any excuses! Plus once you figure out what you like juice-wise, you can buy those veggies en masse. I personally like to buy my veggies for the week, wash them in water and a little vinegar (to get rid of those nasty stubborn pesticides), and seperate them into plastic bags (I wash and re-use the bags, so don't point your green finger at me) for every day of the week. It saves time and hassle in the morning, and can be especially helpful for those of you who have very little time in the morning. As for cleaning the juicer, after doing it about 5 times I got into a pattern that made cleaning it easy and simple. And as for the pulp, I compost it. Simple, easy, enviro-friendly and wicked healthy. Try it. I dare you.
I've also been vegan recipe hunting and testing so that I have a large selection of tasty recipes to choose from once the baby is here. My plan is to prepare and freeze meals for the week so that Jim and I can simplify our lives, free up some quality time, stay on the healthy living bandwagon and simplify our weekly grocery shopping. I figure anything that will make meal preparation simpler is going to be a huge help with a new baby thrown into the mix. I've a accumulated a nice collection of recipes already, all delicious, super-nutritious, and animal-environment-cell&tissue friendly. If you would like to try some out or just see some of the incredible possibilities that a vegan lifestyle has to offer, leave your email below, or e-mail me and I will e-mail you back a folder full of goodies.
I've been growing my own sprouts for about two weeks now, and I never imagined when I started how easy and fun it would be! The process can be super simple if you use something like the BioSnacky and will infuse your salads, casseroles, sandwiches and LIVES with incredible nutrition. Basically, I put seeds in my sprouter, water them twice a day, and 4 days later I have a whole lotta delicious, crispy and enzyme-loaded sprouts to add to pretty much anything and everything. You can even juice them! The great thing about using a sprouter with layers is that I can stagger my planting so that every two days I have a fresh batch of sprouts, never have surplus and never have to store them (which is perfectly fine of course, I just like my sprouts super-fresh!)
In terms of mental, spiritual and emotional health, besides meditation, I have been reading two books of note for the past couple of weeks. One is Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives by Deepak Chopra, which is a holistic guide to pregnancy and childbirth. It is packed with awesome information for mommies-to-be about mental, spiritual, physical and emotional self-love practices that can make pregnancy magical and transformative. I recommend it to any mother-to-be, mother, grandmother, and even fathers! It's a wonderful resource. The second book is called Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali. Now ignore the knee-jerk reaction to the word 'buddhism' you probably just had because this book is basically about mindful parenting. We can all use a reminder to be present, especially when our children are concerned, and this book offers a practical approach to being in the here-and-now as much as possible, to enrich our own lives and those of our children. It's pretty amazing. I'm reading and re-reading these two so I can extract every ounce of good-momma-deliciousness out of them. Lucky fetus, right?
OK, I'm done typing for now! A juicy article about pH balance is calling my name. I hope you enjoyed the info, and will do some exploring of your own to find what works best for you. If you want more info, resources or advice, shoot me an e-mail or message me on Facebook and I'll give you the goods.
Much love and green juice!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Anger...let it all out!
Aloha! I'm going to break from the physical health blogging for today and talk to you about an issue involving our emotional and mental health.
Anger! It's an emotion we all experience (some of us more than others) on a regular basis. Lately I've been doing alot of self-care work in the form of overcoming negative thought patterns. I've been doing my best to recognize negative thoughts that commonly plague me regarding all kinds of things (my body, motherhood, my relationship, my character) and replacing them with positive ones. So far it's been working pretty well and I've come a long way towards no longer beating myself up for being human, and accepting faults and differences in others. However, I've discovered that I was also using the practice of taking my thoughts captive as another way of suppressing emotions. Not good. There are certain things that are good to let go and put out of your mind (like negative thoughts, self-hate, materialism, etc.) but I don't believe we should ignore our emotions.
Some emotions are a result of a negative thought pattern, like jealousy, hatred or impatience. Sometimes anger is even the result of a negative thought pattern. But sometimes, we're just plain angry. I recieved this wake-up call on Friday morning. I've been having some trouble sleeping for the past few nights because I've been feeling angry about an issue that has come up in my relationship (which I won't be sharing out of respect for my significant other's privacy, so don't hold your breath) but the reason I couldn't sleep wasn't because I was angry...it was because I was angry and I wasn't doing anything about it. I was blaming my anger on negative thought patterns instead of looking at the situation and saying "OK. I'm really pissed about this, and I should do something about it." And frankly, that's not healthy for me, for my relationship, or for the people around me who have to deal with the negative energy I'm putting out there when I feel so pissy. I didn't realize this until I woke up feeling unrefreshed and stressed, checked out my fave website (crazysexylife.com) and watched Friday's vlog about anger! Because it was so relevant not only to my life in that moment, but to exactly how I felt in that moment, I kind of felt like it was there just for me. Anyways, a light came on and I realized I was just plain pissed.
I'll break from the personal aspect of this blog for a minute to talk a little bit about anger. First of all, it's normal to be angry. It's a natural human emotion and as long as we deal with it in a positive way, it's totally healthy to experience anger. When we keep it bottled up though, it feeds physical disease, mental disease and emotional disease. As women, we are encouraged to keep emotions like anger to ourselves, to bottle them up and push them down. It's considered unattractive to be angry. We're encouraged as girlfriends, wives and partners to keep that emotion in check. We're encouraged in the workplace to keep it in check. We're encouraged among friends to keep it in check. We are constantly told by society that anger is unattractive, so therefore we should never show it when we're angry. How many times have you lied when someone has asked how you're feeling and said you were 'fine' when in fact you were seeing red? We've all done it, we all do it, and it's about time we stopped!
I fully encourage you to take a moment to check in with yourself when you feel the rage start to bubble and ask yourself why you're angry. Sometimes we get irrationally angry because we're tired, hungry, stressed or just plain grumpy. When I find myself in those situations, I like to separate myself from everyone and just do my own thing for awhile. Nobody is going to judge you for saying "Listen, I need to go take care of myself for a bit. I'm feeling (grumpy, tired, hungry, stressed, etc.) and I am not going to be much fun to be around unless I do something about it." and checking out for awhile. You'll be doing them a favor, and yourself a favor. However, sometimes we are angry for a legitimate, concrete reason and have every right to feel that way, and to express that emotion. I don't encourage yelling at your kids or your spouse or your parent because you're angry about something that has nothing to do with them, or yelling at anyone for that matter, but it's important to recognize your anger and the reason for it, and do something about it.
Healthy expression of anger can mean talking to someone who has wronged you. It can mean going out for a run or having a crazy-intense workout. It can mean bending the ear of someone who cares about you just so you can get it off your chest. It can mean writing a letter or an e-mail to someone. It can mean going out into a field and yelling at the top of your lungs. Do whatever you have to do to get that nasty, white-hot pussy anger out of you. Just don't hurt anyone else in the process. Learning to get our anger out in the open and out of our mind and hearts makes a huge difference in our quality of life. Anger is a normal emotion, a healthy emotion, a common emotion. But it's an emotion we should acknowledge, and then kick out of our living space to make room for peace and content.
As soon as I realized that what I was so plagued by was anger and frustration, I dealt with it. I talked to my partner, we discussed the issue, made our feelings on the subject known, and then let go of it. If I had done that sooner, I would have slept this week. The huge difference I noticed afterwards in the way I felt was incredible. The perks of getting things out in the open included not only getting rid of the nasty mind infection I had been plagued with, but establishing an even deeper level of open, honest communication with my partner. It brought issues we both need to talk about to the forefront so they could be dealt with and we could move forward.
I'll end this by saying that it's okay to be angry. As women, it's our divine animal right to get pissed from time to time. But let's learn to deal with it in a healthy way, so we can kick out the negative emotions to make room for the lovely ones like love, peace and contentment.
Anger! It's an emotion we all experience (some of us more than others) on a regular basis. Lately I've been doing alot of self-care work in the form of overcoming negative thought patterns. I've been doing my best to recognize negative thoughts that commonly plague me regarding all kinds of things (my body, motherhood, my relationship, my character) and replacing them with positive ones. So far it's been working pretty well and I've come a long way towards no longer beating myself up for being human, and accepting faults and differences in others. However, I've discovered that I was also using the practice of taking my thoughts captive as another way of suppressing emotions. Not good. There are certain things that are good to let go and put out of your mind (like negative thoughts, self-hate, materialism, etc.) but I don't believe we should ignore our emotions.
Some emotions are a result of a negative thought pattern, like jealousy, hatred or impatience. Sometimes anger is even the result of a negative thought pattern. But sometimes, we're just plain angry. I recieved this wake-up call on Friday morning. I've been having some trouble sleeping for the past few nights because I've been feeling angry about an issue that has come up in my relationship (which I won't be sharing out of respect for my significant other's privacy, so don't hold your breath) but the reason I couldn't sleep wasn't because I was angry...it was because I was angry and I wasn't doing anything about it. I was blaming my anger on negative thought patterns instead of looking at the situation and saying "OK. I'm really pissed about this, and I should do something about it." And frankly, that's not healthy for me, for my relationship, or for the people around me who have to deal with the negative energy I'm putting out there when I feel so pissy. I didn't realize this until I woke up feeling unrefreshed and stressed, checked out my fave website (crazysexylife.com) and watched Friday's vlog about anger! Because it was so relevant not only to my life in that moment, but to exactly how I felt in that moment, I kind of felt like it was there just for me. Anyways, a light came on and I realized I was just plain pissed.
I'll break from the personal aspect of this blog for a minute to talk a little bit about anger. First of all, it's normal to be angry. It's a natural human emotion and as long as we deal with it in a positive way, it's totally healthy to experience anger. When we keep it bottled up though, it feeds physical disease, mental disease and emotional disease. As women, we are encouraged to keep emotions like anger to ourselves, to bottle them up and push them down. It's considered unattractive to be angry. We're encouraged as girlfriends, wives and partners to keep that emotion in check. We're encouraged in the workplace to keep it in check. We're encouraged among friends to keep it in check. We are constantly told by society that anger is unattractive, so therefore we should never show it when we're angry. How many times have you lied when someone has asked how you're feeling and said you were 'fine' when in fact you were seeing red? We've all done it, we all do it, and it's about time we stopped! 
I fully encourage you to take a moment to check in with yourself when you feel the rage start to bubble and ask yourself why you're angry. Sometimes we get irrationally angry because we're tired, hungry, stressed or just plain grumpy. When I find myself in those situations, I like to separate myself from everyone and just do my own thing for awhile. Nobody is going to judge you for saying "Listen, I need to go take care of myself for a bit. I'm feeling (grumpy, tired, hungry, stressed, etc.) and I am not going to be much fun to be around unless I do something about it." and checking out for awhile. You'll be doing them a favor, and yourself a favor. However, sometimes we are angry for a legitimate, concrete reason and have every right to feel that way, and to express that emotion. I don't encourage yelling at your kids or your spouse or your parent because you're angry about something that has nothing to do with them, or yelling at anyone for that matter, but it's important to recognize your anger and the reason for it, and do something about it.
Healthy expression of anger can mean talking to someone who has wronged you. It can mean going out for a run or having a crazy-intense workout. It can mean bending the ear of someone who cares about you just so you can get it off your chest. It can mean writing a letter or an e-mail to someone. It can mean going out into a field and yelling at the top of your lungs. Do whatever you have to do to get that nasty, white-hot pussy anger out of you. Just don't hurt anyone else in the process. Learning to get our anger out in the open and out of our mind and hearts makes a huge difference in our quality of life. Anger is a normal emotion, a healthy emotion, a common emotion. But it's an emotion we should acknowledge, and then kick out of our living space to make room for peace and content.
As soon as I realized that what I was so plagued by was anger and frustration, I dealt with it. I talked to my partner, we discussed the issue, made our feelings on the subject known, and then let go of it. If I had done that sooner, I would have slept this week. The huge difference I noticed afterwards in the way I felt was incredible. The perks of getting things out in the open included not only getting rid of the nasty mind infection I had been plagued with, but establishing an even deeper level of open, honest communication with my partner. It brought issues we both need to talk about to the forefront so they could be dealt with and we could move forward.
I'll end this by saying that it's okay to be angry. As women, it's our divine animal right to get pissed from time to time. But let's learn to deal with it in a healthy way, so we can kick out the negative emotions to make room for the lovely ones like love, peace and contentment.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Life is Sweet When You're Vegan!
I would like to share with you some of the wonderful things that have happened to me since I went raw/vegan.
First of all, I will list the 'common pregnancy symptoms' that I was experiencing full-force, which have now gone away. Keep in mind that these are common and many women take them for granted as something that is just a normal part of pregnancy - including my midwife. Here goes!
Insomnia - I now sleep like a wee baby, and hope my wee baby does as well when he arrives!
Fatigue - I no longer need a midday nap.
Restless legs - my poor sore restless legs no longer make me toss and turn at night.
Swelling in my face, hands, ankles and feet - all of these things have returned to their normal size, thankfully. I was starting to feel like a blimp.
Acne - My skin is beautiful. Most days I even skip my makeup routine because I found I was putting it on, then looking at myself and realizing I looked better before I applied it. And this is my skin all over.
Skin dryness - Dry skin is a thing of the past. My skin is not even a little bit thirsty. I still moisturize the belly to keep stretch marks and itchiness under control, but that is a separate issue.
Heartburn - this is a BIG one for me, because I was getting heartburn every night several times. I detest taking any kind of medication, and since I consider TUMS to be medication, I'm thrilled to be able to say that I no longer require those annoying little pills.
Constipation/Diarrhea - Let's just say I'm regular and leave it at that!
Other delightful things that have happened include:
I have found something I am deeply passionate about - holistic health - and look forward to exploring career options in this field.
My eyes, ears and heart have been opened to all kinds of different environmental and social justice issues, inspiring change in different areas of my life that make me feel like I can leave this earth having done more good than harm. This will also enable me to raise environmentally and self-aware children.
I have done a lot of work on the inside, including learning the joys of meditation (blog to come), the deliciousness of journaling, the all-over tingly feeling of delight caused by volunteering for a worthy cause, and the biggest one - learning to accept and love the things I can't change, and working lovingly and diligently on the things I can change.
Realizing how lovely life can be when you trim off all the unnecessary frills, embrace simplicity, and turn off the freakin' television!
For those of you who may be considering the raw/vegan lifestyle, I will share with you a few of my favourite meals that are simple and easy...and make you feel super-charged with healthy goodness!
For breakfast, my favourite things are rye toast with almond butter (and sometimes a little honey if I wake up feeling grumpy), Kashi 7-whole-grain Honey Puffed Cereal with cut up strawberries and banana, and a little almond milk, and any combination of breakfast smoothie - but this one's my fave:
- handful of frozen mango and strawberry
- 3 pieces of ice
- 1/4 cup chia gel (2 tbsp of chia seeds in 1 cup of water left to soak overnight makes chia gel - and the health benefits would rock your world!)
- 1/2 cup of almond milk or pure OJ - both are delicious.
- blend those together and listen to your tastebuds sing!!!
For lunch I enjoy homemade whole wheat pitas with all kinds of yummy veggies (I use lettuce, spinach, green and black olives, alfalfa sprouts, many colourful peppers and pickles) sometimes tofu, and either baba ganouj or hummus. The pita recipe I use is here. The only difference is that instead of white and wheat flour, I use wheat for the whole thing. These are also good cut into pieces and toasted to make yummy pita chips for dipping in hummus and other delicious vegan dips. Hummus woud have to be my fave though. You can buy all kinds of vegan dips at the grocery store, but for an even yummier experience make your own! There are all kinds of recipes online.
For supper my current faves are strawberry spinach salad with walnuts, a good old fashioned veggie burger, vegan whole-wheat pizza or tabouli-stuffed peppers.
For a snack I usually munch on a beautiful combo of nuts, seeds and dried fruit (my favourite combo being sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, raisins, banana chips, pistachios and dried figs). I also enjoy Kashi Honey-Puffed Cereal dry, and there's all kinds of recipes for vegan energy bars online - every one I've made so far has been ultra-yummy.
My fave drink right now would be 1 part Bolthouse Vanilla Chai (found at the grocery store in the refridgerated section) to 2 parts almond milk. It's delicious cold and at night-time I enjoy it warmed up with a little cinnamon added to it.
The moral of this TRUE story is that when you take your health and well-being into your own hands, do some good old-fashioned learning, keep the best and leave the rest, and decide for yourself what works for you, you will emerge from the experience feeling like a fresh spring chicken!
First of all, I will list the 'common pregnancy symptoms' that I was experiencing full-force, which have now gone away. Keep in mind that these are common and many women take them for granted as something that is just a normal part of pregnancy - including my midwife. Here goes!
Insomnia - I now sleep like a wee baby, and hope my wee baby does as well when he arrives!
Fatigue - I no longer need a midday nap.
Restless legs - my poor sore restless legs no longer make me toss and turn at night.
Swelling in my face, hands, ankles and feet - all of these things have returned to their normal size, thankfully. I was starting to feel like a blimp.
Acne - My skin is beautiful. Most days I even skip my makeup routine because I found I was putting it on, then looking at myself and realizing I looked better before I applied it. And this is my skin all over.
Skin dryness - Dry skin is a thing of the past. My skin is not even a little bit thirsty. I still moisturize the belly to keep stretch marks and itchiness under control, but that is a separate issue.
Heartburn - this is a BIG one for me, because I was getting heartburn every night several times. I detest taking any kind of medication, and since I consider TUMS to be medication, I'm thrilled to be able to say that I no longer require those annoying little pills.
Constipation/Diarrhea - Let's just say I'm regular and leave it at that!
Other delightful things that have happened include:
I have found something I am deeply passionate about - holistic health - and look forward to exploring career options in this field.
My eyes, ears and heart have been opened to all kinds of different environmental and social justice issues, inspiring change in different areas of my life that make me feel like I can leave this earth having done more good than harm. This will also enable me to raise environmentally and self-aware children.
I have done a lot of work on the inside, including learning the joys of meditation (blog to come), the deliciousness of journaling, the all-over tingly feeling of delight caused by volunteering for a worthy cause, and the biggest one - learning to accept and love the things I can't change, and working lovingly and diligently on the things I can change.
Realizing how lovely life can be when you trim off all the unnecessary frills, embrace simplicity, and turn off the freakin' television!
For those of you who may be considering the raw/vegan lifestyle, I will share with you a few of my favourite meals that are simple and easy...and make you feel super-charged with healthy goodness!
For breakfast, my favourite things are rye toast with almond butter (and sometimes a little honey if I wake up feeling grumpy), Kashi 7-whole-grain Honey Puffed Cereal with cut up strawberries and banana, and a little almond milk, and any combination of breakfast smoothie - but this one's my fave:
- handful of frozen mango and strawberry
- 3 pieces of ice
- 1/4 cup chia gel (2 tbsp of chia seeds in 1 cup of water left to soak overnight makes chia gel - and the health benefits would rock your world!)
- 1/2 cup of almond milk or pure OJ - both are delicious.
- blend those together and listen to your tastebuds sing!!!
For lunch I enjoy homemade whole wheat pitas with all kinds of yummy veggies (I use lettuce, spinach, green and black olives, alfalfa sprouts, many colourful peppers and pickles) sometimes tofu, and either baba ganouj or hummus. The pita recipe I use is here. The only difference is that instead of white and wheat flour, I use wheat for the whole thing. These are also good cut into pieces and toasted to make yummy pita chips for dipping in hummus and other delicious vegan dips. Hummus woud have to be my fave though. You can buy all kinds of vegan dips at the grocery store, but for an even yummier experience make your own! There are all kinds of recipes online.
For supper my current faves are strawberry spinach salad with walnuts, a good old fashioned veggie burger, vegan whole-wheat pizza or tabouli-stuffed peppers.
For a snack I usually munch on a beautiful combo of nuts, seeds and dried fruit (my favourite combo being sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, raisins, banana chips, pistachios and dried figs). I also enjoy Kashi Honey-Puffed Cereal dry, and there's all kinds of recipes for vegan energy bars online - every one I've made so far has been ultra-yummy.
My fave drink right now would be 1 part Bolthouse Vanilla Chai (found at the grocery store in the refridgerated section) to 2 parts almond milk. It's delicious cold and at night-time I enjoy it warmed up with a little cinnamon added to it.
The moral of this TRUE story is that when you take your health and well-being into your own hands, do some good old-fashioned learning, keep the best and leave the rest, and decide for yourself what works for you, you will emerge from the experience feeling like a fresh spring chicken!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Skin Deep
I am flipping out right now! A lovely girl I know sent me the link to a website (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) where I can type in the name of a cosmetics product and it will tell me how toxic that particular product is, what's in it, whether it's ingredients are linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, violations, restrictions and warnings and/or allergies and immunotoxicity.
I knew on some level that the products most people use have some chemicals in them, and that they may or may not be harmful to us, but in small doses what's the harm right? Wrong! Our skin is our largest organ! What we rub, smear, dab and spray onto our skin is absorbed into our bodies. This raises the question "If I wouldn't eat or drink this product, why would I put it on my skin?" Did you know that the average North American woman uses between 15-25 personal care products per day? Just think about your make-up bag and shower caddy and it's not hard to see that most of us use quite a few products as part of our self-care routine. Now if every one of those products had just one chemical in it, that's between 15-25 potentially harmful chemicals being absorbed by our bodies daily. And trust me, there is more than one chemical per product. Yikes.
With so many different cancers out there (HELLO- skin cancer!) why take the risk? Why wait to be one of the unlucky people who don't change the way they groom themselves until they get the "You have cancer." wake-up call?! Is it really worth it? There are products out there that are all-natural, that won't harm you and that will work just as well as the stuff that hurts us, it just takes a little extra effort to get it.
Anyhow, when I visited the website, I couldn't help but find out what was in the stuff I use. I thought it would be especially important to find out what I am smearing, dabbing and rubbing on my body because I currently share this body with a little developing person! So, I went into our bedroom and bathroom and grabbed every tube and bottle I could find (some of which I rarely use, but that's neither here nor there) and looked them up. I even looked up my significant other's cologne and daily moisturizer, and what I found was shocking. I'm only going to include the toxicity ratings of the products because listing all of the information would bore you, but I highly recommend that after reading this, you visit the link and type your own products in!
Even though I use natural deoderant and body lotion now, and have stopped using nailpolish and nailpolish remover, I still had a couple of bottles of those things kicking around so I looked them up just for the heck of it! I've also switched to natural toothpaste, shampoo and soap and have stopped using hair products so I had nothing to look up in that area, but I know they are worth looking into as well!
Anyways, here are the results!
Covergirl Trublend Whipped Foundation: 4/10 toxicity rating
Jamieson Provitamina Moisture Rich Nourishing Cream: 6/10 toxicity rating
Secret Original Anti-perspirant, Invisible Solid, Unscented: 4/10 toxicity rating
Covergirl Clean Fragrance-free Pressed Powder: 6/10 toxicity rating
OPI Nail Lacquer: 6/10 toxicity rating
Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer: 6/10 toxicity rating
Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion, Normal to Dry Skin, Fragrance-Free: 6/10 toxicity rating
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio for Men, eau de toilette: 8/10 toxicity rating
They didn't have my Avon mascara on the site, so I looked up the one I used to use, Covergirl Lashblast, and it had a 9/10 toxicity rating! You can't tell me that's not scary! We all need to realize and remember that just because something is widely sold all over the country doesn't mean it's safe to use. If you take your health and safety seriously, you need to find out what is in the products you use, and adjust your grooming routine accordingly. As far as I'm concerned, it's careless not to. This may sound harsh, but no-one is going to care that you smelled like a peach when you're six feet underground.
Also, the only company listed above that didn't test on animals was OPI.
Now I am not enough of a crunchy type to stop wearing make-up, using lotion or washing my hair, so here are a couple of sites I recommend for finding healthy, natural alternatives to the products we use daily.
http://www.lush.ca/shop/english - Incredible lotions, soaps, shampoos, fragrance and whatnot.
http://65.108.6.137/company.html - Nail care
And just a tip for deoderant - there is a type you can pick up easily at the drug store and it's a rock mineral solid. You just wet the tip and apply it, and it works wonderfully! Seriously, they even have it at Shoppers Drug Mart!
So anyways, what I'm saying here is that loving ourselves and loving our bodies means paying attention not only to whatwe eat and drink, how we exercise and manage time and stress, but also paying attention to the products we use. You only get one shot with the body you have, so do it right and treat it well!
P.S. This post is dedicated to Katrina, a wicked awesome bodacious babe!
I knew on some level that the products most people use have some chemicals in them, and that they may or may not be harmful to us, but in small doses what's the harm right? Wrong! Our skin is our largest organ! What we rub, smear, dab and spray onto our skin is absorbed into our bodies. This raises the question "If I wouldn't eat or drink this product, why would I put it on my skin?" Did you know that the average North American woman uses between 15-25 personal care products per day? Just think about your make-up bag and shower caddy and it's not hard to see that most of us use quite a few products as part of our self-care routine. Now if every one of those products had just one chemical in it, that's between 15-25 potentially harmful chemicals being absorbed by our bodies daily. And trust me, there is more than one chemical per product. Yikes.
With so many different cancers out there (HELLO- skin cancer!) why take the risk? Why wait to be one of the unlucky people who don't change the way they groom themselves until they get the "You have cancer." wake-up call?! Is it really worth it? There are products out there that are all-natural, that won't harm you and that will work just as well as the stuff that hurts us, it just takes a little extra effort to get it.
Anyhow, when I visited the website, I couldn't help but find out what was in the stuff I use. I thought it would be especially important to find out what I am smearing, dabbing and rubbing on my body because I currently share this body with a little developing person! So, I went into our bedroom and bathroom and grabbed every tube and bottle I could find (some of which I rarely use, but that's neither here nor there) and looked them up. I even looked up my significant other's cologne and daily moisturizer, and what I found was shocking. I'm only going to include the toxicity ratings of the products because listing all of the information would bore you, but I highly recommend that after reading this, you visit the link and type your own products in!
Even though I use natural deoderant and body lotion now, and have stopped using nailpolish and nailpolish remover, I still had a couple of bottles of those things kicking around so I looked them up just for the heck of it! I've also switched to natural toothpaste, shampoo and soap and have stopped using hair products so I had nothing to look up in that area, but I know they are worth looking into as well!
Anyways, here are the results!
Covergirl Trublend Whipped Foundation: 4/10 toxicity rating
Jamieson Provitamina Moisture Rich Nourishing Cream: 6/10 toxicity rating
Secret Original Anti-perspirant, Invisible Solid, Unscented: 4/10 toxicity rating
Covergirl Clean Fragrance-free Pressed Powder: 6/10 toxicity rating
OPI Nail Lacquer: 6/10 toxicity rating
Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer: 6/10 toxicity rating
Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion, Normal to Dry Skin, Fragrance-Free: 6/10 toxicity rating
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio for Men, eau de toilette: 8/10 toxicity rating
They didn't have my Avon mascara on the site, so I looked up the one I used to use, Covergirl Lashblast, and it had a 9/10 toxicity rating! You can't tell me that's not scary! We all need to realize and remember that just because something is widely sold all over the country doesn't mean it's safe to use. If you take your health and safety seriously, you need to find out what is in the products you use, and adjust your grooming routine accordingly. As far as I'm concerned, it's careless not to. This may sound harsh, but no-one is going to care that you smelled like a peach when you're six feet underground.
Also, the only company listed above that didn't test on animals was OPI.
Now I am not enough of a crunchy type to stop wearing make-up, using lotion or washing my hair, so here are a couple of sites I recommend for finding healthy, natural alternatives to the products we use daily.
http://www.lush.ca/shop/english - Incredible lotions, soaps, shampoos, fragrance and whatnot.
http://65.108.6.137/company.html - Nail care
http://www.earthsbeauty.com/ - Make-up
And just a tip for deoderant - there is a type you can pick up easily at the drug store and it's a rock mineral solid. You just wet the tip and apply it, and it works wonderfully! Seriously, they even have it at Shoppers Drug Mart!
So anyways, what I'm saying here is that loving ourselves and loving our bodies means paying attention not only to whatwe eat and drink, how we exercise and manage time and stress, but also paying attention to the products we use. You only get one shot with the body you have, so do it right and treat it well!
P.S. This post is dedicated to Katrina, a wicked awesome bodacious babe!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Times of Adversity
This afternoon I was reading an interview with Maya Angelou, and I have to say - that woman is incredible! She is powerful, insightful and inspiring. In the interview she was asked about women facing hard times and feeling depressed, and she replied not by saying that things could be worse or so many people have it so much harder (which is what I say to comfort myself when I'm going through something). Instead she says that we should look at our lives and realize that we have weathered loss, disappointment and pain before, and we have come through it. "You have gone through some pain. It cost you something. And you’ve come through it. So at least look at that. And have a sense to look at yourself and say, 'Well, wait a minute. I’m stronger than I thought I was.'"
I find so much inspiration lies in that way of thinking, because it encourages us not to look at others first for encouragement and strength, but to look inside of ourselves and realize that we have everything we need to survive. I believe it is also important to accept the help and support of others, and that we can learn a lot about the indomitable strength of humans to rise above suffering, heartache and times of adversity simply by watching others. But why not look first within ourselves?
Look back on your life and you will realize that you have been through hard times before. You may have hit rock bottom, or whatever your idea of rock bottom was at the time. And if you sit here reading this, then you have lived through it. Maybe you aren't going through anything particularly difficult at this point in your life, but you have before, and you will again. It's so important for us to hold words of wisdom like Maya's in our minds and hearts and call upon them to hold us up when we experience those times of difficulty. Just knowing that you have everything you need within yourself to keep on keepin' on is powerful.
Here's a poem by Maya Angelou that I find particularly inspiring. I also recommend reading the interview, because it is full to brimming with wisdom and sage advice: http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/interviews/mayaangelou.html
Phenomenal Woman
by: Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing of my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing of my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.
Now go be phenomenal and strong! Even if you're just doing laundry...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Cravings
Today something weird happened. Something unprecedented and highly unusual. Being a little more than six months pregnant, I've obviously had cravings before...and some of them have been really weird. I've devoured pickled jalapenos with shrimp, eaten ravioli at every meal for a week (I was experiencing extreme nausea and vomiting at that point and it was the only thing I could stomach - don't judge!) and cooked 4 ears of corn on the cob at midnight before inhaling them in bed. But today, this afternoon, right now in fact, I'm craving veggie burgers?
I can't help but wonder if this is my body's way of saying "Okay, you've been trying really hard to nourish me with a plant-based diet and I haven't always been super-supportive, so I'm going to stop craving meat and dairy now." I wouldn't complain if that were the case, but I'm just not sure. Have I successfully trained my body to stop wanting meat? Is it my brain that is finally on board? Have my tastebuds forgotten the deliciousness housed in a good piece of dead animal on a bun? Or is this just another incredibly random, ultra-bizarre craving that happens to be a big ol' coincidence?
I really don't know. If I cared to pursue the issue further, I would do some research about my brain and body and how they react when weaned off of certain foods. However - as much as I love research - I don't really want to know. I would rather tell myself and those around me that I believe my body has forgotten about meat. That I have successfully eliminated a food group from my diet and my memory, and I am awesome!!!
I wonder if I will be this successful trying to wean my own child off of things? Fingers are crossed!
I can't help but wonder if this is my body's way of saying "Okay, you've been trying really hard to nourish me with a plant-based diet and I haven't always been super-supportive, so I'm going to stop craving meat and dairy now." I wouldn't complain if that were the case, but I'm just not sure. Have I successfully trained my body to stop wanting meat? Is it my brain that is finally on board? Have my tastebuds forgotten the deliciousness housed in a good piece of dead animal on a bun? Or is this just another incredibly random, ultra-bizarre craving that happens to be a big ol' coincidence?
I really don't know. If I cared to pursue the issue further, I would do some research about my brain and body and how they react when weaned off of certain foods. However - as much as I love research - I don't really want to know. I would rather tell myself and those around me that I believe my body has forgotten about meat. That I have successfully eliminated a food group from my diet and my memory, and I am awesome!!!
I wonder if I will be this successful trying to wean my own child off of things? Fingers are crossed!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Change...a Wonderful Thing!
The past couple of weeks have been full of small changes, and now when I look at my life and the things in it, I realize that altogether, things have changed in a big way! I've now completely changed the way I eat and drink with a raw/vegan diet, slowly replaced all of my self-care products with all-natural ones, whittled my possessions down to what's necessary or too beautiful to give up (like the vase handcrafted from recycled glass from my friend Adrianne and the wind chimes Jim bought me for Christmas) and developed wonderful habits that have always seemed so out of reach to me, like meditating, reciting affirmations, thinking 'green' and practicing gratitude and mindfulness.
I used to wake up and flit from task to task, place to place, job to job with no time for true relaxation or 'me' time. I actually thought quality relaxation meant sitting in front of the television with a bowl of Doritos and a Diet Coke, putting my feet up and spending 2 hours watching reality TV!
These days I wake up, grab a big bowl of berries and a glass of water with lemon, and crawl back into bed to read for an hour. Then I choose what my affirmation for the day will be, recite it several times and move onto my daily yoga practice (which is becoming more and more like a series of easy stretches due to the fact that I'm 6 months pregnant, but still relaxing and rejuvenating!) After yoga I shower and get dressed (which doesn't take long since I'm mindful of my water usage and have only a handful of wardrobe options to choose from!) and head upstairs for a piece of toast with peanut butter, a banana and a glass of almond milk. My day will consist of reading outside on my patio, vines weaving, bees buzzing and trees swishing in the wind around me, walking in the field behind the house with Quincy the Wonder Dog, chatting with Edie, searching for and picking wildflowers, dancing to oldies music, making crafts and reading various articles about health and well-being or environmental issues. In the evening I eat dinner with Edie and Bill upstairs, drink some tea and watch some American politics shows on the telly (they love it and I find it highly entertaining) then retire downstairs to craft, talk to people I love who are much too far away, check my e-mail and drink some warm almond milk with vanilla chai and cinnamon on the patio, then crawl into bed with a delicious book. My life has become basically what I have always wanted it to be, just because I decided one day that I was going to stop waiting to stumble upon a rich, wholesome, healthy life and actually create it myself.
I realize that it's not as easy as that for most people. Not everyone can be blissfully growing a baby inside them, have oodles of time to read and research and fill their days with learning and experimentation. But everyone has time to do something. Anyone can take 30 minutes a day to read about something they're interested in. Anyone can find time to exercise in whatever form feels rejuvenating to them. Anyone can take 5 extra minutes to prepare a nutritious, wholesome meal. Anyone can choose to buy a natural product to replace their empty bottle of shampoo, stick of de-oderant or tube of toothpaste. Anyone can look at their life, decide what they want their priorities to be and live their lives accordingly. I can't think of any good reason why anyone living in a free country shouldn't be living the life they want to right now. Remember, when you take ownership of your life you give yourself permission to change it and live it the way you want to. I did! So can you!
I used to wake up and flit from task to task, place to place, job to job with no time for true relaxation or 'me' time. I actually thought quality relaxation meant sitting in front of the television with a bowl of Doritos and a Diet Coke, putting my feet up and spending 2 hours watching reality TV!
These days I wake up, grab a big bowl of berries and a glass of water with lemon, and crawl back into bed to read for an hour. Then I choose what my affirmation for the day will be, recite it several times and move onto my daily yoga practice (which is becoming more and more like a series of easy stretches due to the fact that I'm 6 months pregnant, but still relaxing and rejuvenating!) After yoga I shower and get dressed (which doesn't take long since I'm mindful of my water usage and have only a handful of wardrobe options to choose from!) and head upstairs for a piece of toast with peanut butter, a banana and a glass of almond milk. My day will consist of reading outside on my patio, vines weaving, bees buzzing and trees swishing in the wind around me, walking in the field behind the house with Quincy the Wonder Dog, chatting with Edie, searching for and picking wildflowers, dancing to oldies music, making crafts and reading various articles about health and well-being or environmental issues. In the evening I eat dinner with Edie and Bill upstairs, drink some tea and watch some American politics shows on the telly (they love it and I find it highly entertaining) then retire downstairs to craft, talk to people I love who are much too far away, check my e-mail and drink some warm almond milk with vanilla chai and cinnamon on the patio, then crawl into bed with a delicious book. My life has become basically what I have always wanted it to be, just because I decided one day that I was going to stop waiting to stumble upon a rich, wholesome, healthy life and actually create it myself.
I realize that it's not as easy as that for most people. Not everyone can be blissfully growing a baby inside them, have oodles of time to read and research and fill their days with learning and experimentation. But everyone has time to do something. Anyone can take 30 minutes a day to read about something they're interested in. Anyone can find time to exercise in whatever form feels rejuvenating to them. Anyone can take 5 extra minutes to prepare a nutritious, wholesome meal. Anyone can choose to buy a natural product to replace their empty bottle of shampoo, stick of de-oderant or tube of toothpaste. Anyone can look at their life, decide what they want their priorities to be and live their lives accordingly. I can't think of any good reason why anyone living in a free country shouldn't be living the life they want to right now. Remember, when you take ownership of your life you give yourself permission to change it and live it the way you want to. I did! So can you!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Gratitude
I've recently started making a daily practice of gratitude. Every morning or evening (sometimes both!) I write in a little notebook that I like to call my gratitude journal about various things I am grateful for. I've expressed my gratitude for lots of different things, from the beauty of a vase of lilacs in my bedroom to the intense kindness and welcoming attitude of my boyfriend's mother.
Just writing down things I am grateful for every day can turn my morning grumpiness into a wonderful feeling of contentedness - a much better way to start the day! It can also turn my day around when I feel stagnant or deflated. Reminding ourselves of the small pleasures in life is such a wonderful practice, because it stimulates our sense of awareness, which helps us live our lives in the moment, and makes it difficult to take things for granted.
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as recognizing the wonderful things and wonderful people in our life and taking a moment to appreciate them, in writing, vocally or just mentally. It can also mean taking the time to do something nice for someone who we appreciate, for thanking our mothers, for caring for an animal or object that may be a little neglected. Gratitude's brother is appreciation. Both of them make us feel good, and make others feel good. And I know everybody likes feeling good, so why not give it a try?
What can you be thankful for today?
Just writing down things I am grateful for every day can turn my morning grumpiness into a wonderful feeling of contentedness - a much better way to start the day! It can also turn my day around when I feel stagnant or deflated. Reminding ourselves of the small pleasures in life is such a wonderful practice, because it stimulates our sense of awareness, which helps us live our lives in the moment, and makes it difficult to take things for granted.
Practicing gratitude can be as simple as recognizing the wonderful things and wonderful people in our life and taking a moment to appreciate them, in writing, vocally or just mentally. It can also mean taking the time to do something nice for someone who we appreciate, for thanking our mothers, for caring for an animal or object that may be a little neglected. Gratitude's brother is appreciation. Both of them make us feel good, and make others feel good. And I know everybody likes feeling good, so why not give it a try?
What can you be thankful for today?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Permission to Live
Do you wake up with a to-do list on your mind, instantly thinking about what you need to do in the next few hours, how to get ready quickly, what you have to get done after work, how to work something into your schedule, what you're going to make for dinner and whether you have the ingredients for it, and so on? If so, you are not present in your life. Aren't you tired of going through the motions and having days, weeks and months speed by with no sign of pleasure or fulfillment besides the occasional fun night out, really delicious meal or romantic surprise from a lover? These things are wonderful of course, but wouldn't you rather feel happy every day? Wouldn't you rather feel fulfilled and at peace all of the time, regardless of how long your to-do list is, how much your back hurts, how many more hours you have until you get off work, etc? It's possible! It requires a serious lifestyle overhaul, but it is possible. It requires making dramatic, life-affirming changes in your life, but again, it is possible. You have so much living left to do, so why live it shelled up?.
Unfortunately, for most people it takes a crisis for us to realize the true value of life, that life is a gift, that we control our own destiny through the choices we make. It's empowering to say to yourself "If I'm unhappy, it's my fault I'm unhappy. My choices, my actions, my priorities have brought me to the exact spot where I stand today." because when you take ownership of your life, you give yourself the power to change it.
Life is a terminal condition. Someday, we're all going to die. The question 'if you had just one week, one month, one year left to live, how would you spend it?' makes me laugh, because when most people are asked this question, their answers are grand and inspiring. Well, guess what, depending on your age, you have anywhere between 1 minute and 80 years left to live. So how are you going to spend it?
Stop living life from paycheque to paycheque, from vacation to vacation, from weekend to weekend. Every day has the possibility to be the best day ever. It all depends on the choices you make and the outlook you have. You will never get today back, so why not be joyful and adventurous from this moment on? As soon as you close the browser, why not go for a walk in the grass in bare feet, try a crazy outlandish recipe you've never considered, give your stuff away, visit your grandmother, do something you have been putting off because there's no deadline for actually doing it. Stop waiting for some crisis or life-shattering event to give you the permission to live. Start now! Get going!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Your Life = Your Message
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a man of great passion. He was a political and spiritual leader in India during the India independence movement. He was a pioneer, social and political activist, and his name was Gandhi. I'm sure many of you have heard of him.
Gandhi was once asked by a reporter, "What is your message?" He responded by jotting down on a piece of paper, "My life is my message."
This is true of all of us. Our lives are our message. We can shout protests about clear-cutting forests from rooftops and think that is our message, but really it's what we do the rest of the the time that makes a difference. Gandhi could have sat in an easychair and told his friends and family about his beliefs, but if he had, what change would he have inspired? None of us would know who he is today. He wouldn't have inspired radical change during his life and the lives of many afterwards. He understood, the way most of us need to understand, the fact that without positive action towards change, our beliefs mean nothing. If we're not willing to take the time to live what we believe, to work towards social, political and environmental change, our lives and our potential is wasted.
This can be as simple as knowing it's wrong to eat animals and therefore not eating them. It could mean wanting more compassion and kindness in the world, and volunteering at a homeless shelter, donating food to a soup kitchen or simply getting to know your neighbours. Our beliefs can become manifest in our lives only by combining those beliefs with action.
Julia Butterfly Hill said "No matter the diversity of beliefs, we all know we live in a world full of problems. Yet, one of the biggest problems is that not enough of us realize that we also live in a world full of solutions- and then live our lives as these solutions in action." Basically, instead of sitting around feeling depressed, discouraged and helpless about the state of the world, we should acknowledge that our choices can make a difference, that our lives can make a difference, and get out there and make a difference! Knowing that one person has the potential to inspire radical change, what are we waiting for?
The way you live your life can be an incredible inspiration to others. Seeing someone who is living a healthy, active life usually makes people think about their own habits of eating and exercising. Seeing someone who is kind and generous makes people think about how they treat and react to others. Seeing someone donate their time or money to a worthy cause makes people wonder what they could be doing, or why they aren't doing anything!
Look at your life. How many hours a week do you spend watching television or doing something similarly sedentary? What if you used just one hour of that time trying to make a positive change in someone else's life. What if you baked cookies for your local soup kitchen, visited someone in a retirement home or volunteered at your local humane society or homeless shelter? What if you went for a walk and smiled at everyone you passed? One hour a week could make a big difference in the lives of many. I guarantee you will quickly notice that the wonderful thing about helping others is that you are also helping yourself. People who are generous with their time and resources are happier as a whole than people who don't because it feels good!
Our world is suffering and action is the antidote. What kind of action will you take? What message will you send out to the world?
Gandhi was once asked by a reporter, "What is your message?" He responded by jotting down on a piece of paper, "My life is my message."
This is true of all of us. Our lives are our message. We can shout protests about clear-cutting forests from rooftops and think that is our message, but really it's what we do the rest of the the time that makes a difference. Gandhi could have sat in an easychair and told his friends and family about his beliefs, but if he had, what change would he have inspired? None of us would know who he is today. He wouldn't have inspired radical change during his life and the lives of many afterwards. He understood, the way most of us need to understand, the fact that without positive action towards change, our beliefs mean nothing. If we're not willing to take the time to live what we believe, to work towards social, political and environmental change, our lives and our potential is wasted.
This can be as simple as knowing it's wrong to eat animals and therefore not eating them. It could mean wanting more compassion and kindness in the world, and volunteering at a homeless shelter, donating food to a soup kitchen or simply getting to know your neighbours. Our beliefs can become manifest in our lives only by combining those beliefs with action.
Julia Butterfly Hill said "No matter the diversity of beliefs, we all know we live in a world full of problems. Yet, one of the biggest problems is that not enough of us realize that we also live in a world full of solutions- and then live our lives as these solutions in action." Basically, instead of sitting around feeling depressed, discouraged and helpless about the state of the world, we should acknowledge that our choices can make a difference, that our lives can make a difference, and get out there and make a difference! Knowing that one person has the potential to inspire radical change, what are we waiting for?
The way you live your life can be an incredible inspiration to others. Seeing someone who is living a healthy, active life usually makes people think about their own habits of eating and exercising. Seeing someone who is kind and generous makes people think about how they treat and react to others. Seeing someone donate their time or money to a worthy cause makes people wonder what they could be doing, or why they aren't doing anything!
Look at your life. How many hours a week do you spend watching television or doing something similarly sedentary? What if you used just one hour of that time trying to make a positive change in someone else's life. What if you baked cookies for your local soup kitchen, visited someone in a retirement home or volunteered at your local humane society or homeless shelter? What if you went for a walk and smiled at everyone you passed? One hour a week could make a big difference in the lives of many. I guarantee you will quickly notice that the wonderful thing about helping others is that you are also helping yourself. People who are generous with their time and resources are happier as a whole than people who don't because it feels good!
Our world is suffering and action is the antidote. What kind of action will you take? What message will you send out to the world?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Aparigraha
Today I'd like to discuss the joy of simplicity.
Aparigraha is the concept of non-posessiveness. It means to limit posessions to what is necessary or most important. It is a lifestyle embraced by people all over the world, and is beginning to grow a following in North America. In our culture it is known as 'voluntary simplicity' and more and more people are daily giving up their 'possession obsession' for a more fulfilling lifestyle.
Every object we own and every object we buy is something that we have to pay for, care for, clean and ultimately dispose of someday...and as I discussed in my last post, even when we throw things 'away', they never actually go 'away'. So why are we as a culture so obsessed with possessions? Why are we so wrapped up in our desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts? Houses are getting bigger. Cars are getting fancier. Kids have so many toys that they forget about half of them, and always want something new and flashy they see on TV. For that matter, so do us adults. Why do we need to trade in our cell phones every few months for the newest model? Why do we need so many gadgets? Three living rooms? Two dining rooms? Five bathrooms? Three cars? So many clothes and shoes that it takes half an hour to choose what to wear? It's ridiculous! More importantly, why haven't we noticed that no matter how fancy our cars are, how many expensive pairs of shoes we have, how many applications our phone has, we aren't any happier than before?
I used to be a shopaholic. I couldn't have enough clothes. I didn't care too much about cell phones and computers and fancy cars, but I did have 5 different IPods. And guess what? None of that fulfilled me. Every time I went shopping I would lay out my new clothes and stare at them with a feeling of accomplishment and excitement. Then in a few minutes, hours or days that feeling would be gone and I would be back at the mall looking for my next 'high'. I'm sure many of you have experienced the same thing.
I've discovered the joy of simplicity by coincidence, not because I planned it. In the past few years, I've read articles online and in magazines about people who had embraced simplicity and found themselves more happy and fulfilled, and they always caught my eye and got me thinking about how nice that lifestyle sounded, but then I would usually close the magazine or shut off my computer, grab an iced cappuccino and hit the mall. I can't tell you how many times I considered giving away my stuff and living a simple existence. But I would also think to myself "Well, if you're going to change your lifestyle, you're going to need a new wardrobe, a new image." Yes, I do know how ridiculous that sounds. How I discovered the joy of simplicity is actually pretty funny. It started with me finding out I was pregnant.
For the first part of my pregnancy I had to cut back on spending because I knew I had a baby on the way, and my frivolous spending habits had to be reined in. Then I began to grow...and grow...and grow. As I grew, clothes started to get tighter...and tighter...and tighter, until eventually one morning I was trying to get dressed to go out and realized I had zero clothes that fit. So, with a limited amount of money, I had to go get a few things. I bought a couple of essentials...two pairs of pants, a good bra and a couple of shirts. Being someone who is used to being very fun and creative with what I wear, I felt a little depressed with my new boring monochromatic wardrobe. Everything I wore was either, black, grey or white. I found myself dressing outfits up with colourful scarves or fun jewellery that I had before but always took for granted. My wardrobe has grown a little bit since then, but not by much. Something I've learned from that experience is that it is wonderfully refreshing to be able to shower, brush my hair, dab some lotion on my face and throw on an outfit and be ready to go in 15 minutes. Freedom from fashion brainfreeze is just one of the perks I've noticed about my simple wardrobe.
I recently decided to take things further. I'm moving to Nova Scotia in a week, and I was constantly stressing about what to bring, what to leave, what to pack and send there by mail, how much I would be able to fit in my suitcase, what the weight limit on the plane was...etc. Then as I sat on my bed, exhausted and frustrated with this line of thinking I looked around and asked myself what I would truly miss if I simply left everything here except the necessities. I realized that aside from a couple of items that are very precious to me (a vase made by a friend, a jewellery box my grandfather bought my grandmother when they were teenagers, a picture frame, a few pictures, a set of windchimes, my two favourite books and my apron) I wouldn't miss much if I didn't bring it along. Since I haven't worn most of my clothes for months I knew I wouldn't miss them. I've already read all of my books, and could easily pick them up at a library if I wanted to read them again. I don't need 13 pairs of running shoes. I don't need 10 different flavours of scented candles. I don't need a collection of 100 DVD's. I really don't need 13 bottles of lotion in various scents or 7 different bottles of hair product. In fact, I don't even want any of this anymore. I was so disgusted looking around and thinking about how much money I've wasted on all of this stuff that I wanted to cry. I also wanted to go back in time and save all that money! In the end, I decided to donate most of my earthly possessions to the local soup kitchen and bring one suitcase with me on the plane, and mail a small box of my favourite keepsakes to make myself feel at home. That's it. That's all.
Realizing that possessions don't make me happy and deciding to give most of them away is such a free-ing choice to make. I feel light and unencumbered. I know if I wanted to move somewhere, I can pack up my small amount of belongings and just go. And I honestly don't miss any of it. I know the people who have my old things have very little and truly appreciate them more than I ever could. Fancy shirts I wore no more than twice and have forgotten about for the past two years are now the prized possessions of women who probably haven't owned anything nice in a long time. Knowing that belongings that mean so little to me have enriched someone else's life who normally wouldn't be able to afford such things is satisfying. More satisfying than any shopping trip I've ever been on.
Simplicity doesn't have to mean giving up all of your earthly posessions. We can weave simplicity into our lives in small ways. Yesterday I wanted to cheer up a friend, so I made her a homemade bracelet and homemade card, stuck them in an envelope and mailed them, which I know will go much further than a Hallmark card that costs $6.50 and took me no more time or thought than picking it out and writing a message in it. I have always enjoyed homemade gifts more then ones bought in a store. Why not give someone herbs you have carefully planted and tended to, or a scarf you've spent hours knitting with that person in mind, or a handpainted vase you made them? Those gifts mean so much more than things bought in a store. Simplicity can mean growing your own vegetables in a window garden. It can mean keeping one cell phone until it breaks or becomes obsolete. It can mean going for a walk with a loved one instead of spending $200 on a night out. The great thing about simplicity is that it's so simple.
I challenge you to give it a try. Next time you're out shopping, ask yourself if the item you're considering is something you really need. Put it back on the shelf and if you still want it in a week then go back and get it. Odds are you will have forgotten about it by then. Simplicity is easy, fun, and refreshing. I'm going to link to a few articles about voluntary simplicity that really moved me. I hope they inspire you!
Back to Basics: Living With Voluntary Simplicity
When Less Is More
Thoughts on Voluntary Simplicity
Aparigraha is the concept of non-posessiveness. It means to limit posessions to what is necessary or most important. It is a lifestyle embraced by people all over the world, and is beginning to grow a following in North America. In our culture it is known as 'voluntary simplicity' and more and more people are daily giving up their 'possession obsession' for a more fulfilling lifestyle.
Every object we own and every object we buy is something that we have to pay for, care for, clean and ultimately dispose of someday...and as I discussed in my last post, even when we throw things 'away', they never actually go 'away'. So why are we as a culture so obsessed with possessions? Why are we so wrapped up in our desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts? Houses are getting bigger. Cars are getting fancier. Kids have so many toys that they forget about half of them, and always want something new and flashy they see on TV. For that matter, so do us adults. Why do we need to trade in our cell phones every few months for the newest model? Why do we need so many gadgets? Three living rooms? Two dining rooms? Five bathrooms? Three cars? So many clothes and shoes that it takes half an hour to choose what to wear? It's ridiculous! More importantly, why haven't we noticed that no matter how fancy our cars are, how many expensive pairs of shoes we have, how many applications our phone has, we aren't any happier than before?
I used to be a shopaholic. I couldn't have enough clothes. I didn't care too much about cell phones and computers and fancy cars, but I did have 5 different IPods. And guess what? None of that fulfilled me. Every time I went shopping I would lay out my new clothes and stare at them with a feeling of accomplishment and excitement. Then in a few minutes, hours or days that feeling would be gone and I would be back at the mall looking for my next 'high'. I'm sure many of you have experienced the same thing.
I've discovered the joy of simplicity by coincidence, not because I planned it. In the past few years, I've read articles online and in magazines about people who had embraced simplicity and found themselves more happy and fulfilled, and they always caught my eye and got me thinking about how nice that lifestyle sounded, but then I would usually close the magazine or shut off my computer, grab an iced cappuccino and hit the mall. I can't tell you how many times I considered giving away my stuff and living a simple existence. But I would also think to myself "Well, if you're going to change your lifestyle, you're going to need a new wardrobe, a new image." Yes, I do know how ridiculous that sounds. How I discovered the joy of simplicity is actually pretty funny. It started with me finding out I was pregnant.
For the first part of my pregnancy I had to cut back on spending because I knew I had a baby on the way, and my frivolous spending habits had to be reined in. Then I began to grow...and grow...and grow. As I grew, clothes started to get tighter...and tighter...and tighter, until eventually one morning I was trying to get dressed to go out and realized I had zero clothes that fit. So, with a limited amount of money, I had to go get a few things. I bought a couple of essentials...two pairs of pants, a good bra and a couple of shirts. Being someone who is used to being very fun and creative with what I wear, I felt a little depressed with my new boring monochromatic wardrobe. Everything I wore was either, black, grey or white. I found myself dressing outfits up with colourful scarves or fun jewellery that I had before but always took for granted. My wardrobe has grown a little bit since then, but not by much. Something I've learned from that experience is that it is wonderfully refreshing to be able to shower, brush my hair, dab some lotion on my face and throw on an outfit and be ready to go in 15 minutes. Freedom from fashion brainfreeze is just one of the perks I've noticed about my simple wardrobe.
I recently decided to take things further. I'm moving to Nova Scotia in a week, and I was constantly stressing about what to bring, what to leave, what to pack and send there by mail, how much I would be able to fit in my suitcase, what the weight limit on the plane was...etc. Then as I sat on my bed, exhausted and frustrated with this line of thinking I looked around and asked myself what I would truly miss if I simply left everything here except the necessities. I realized that aside from a couple of items that are very precious to me (a vase made by a friend, a jewellery box my grandfather bought my grandmother when they were teenagers, a picture frame, a few pictures, a set of windchimes, my two favourite books and my apron) I wouldn't miss much if I didn't bring it along. Since I haven't worn most of my clothes for months I knew I wouldn't miss them. I've already read all of my books, and could easily pick them up at a library if I wanted to read them again. I don't need 13 pairs of running shoes. I don't need 10 different flavours of scented candles. I don't need a collection of 100 DVD's. I really don't need 13 bottles of lotion in various scents or 7 different bottles of hair product. In fact, I don't even want any of this anymore. I was so disgusted looking around and thinking about how much money I've wasted on all of this stuff that I wanted to cry. I also wanted to go back in time and save all that money! In the end, I decided to donate most of my earthly possessions to the local soup kitchen and bring one suitcase with me on the plane, and mail a small box of my favourite keepsakes to make myself feel at home. That's it. That's all.
Realizing that possessions don't make me happy and deciding to give most of them away is such a free-ing choice to make. I feel light and unencumbered. I know if I wanted to move somewhere, I can pack up my small amount of belongings and just go. And I honestly don't miss any of it. I know the people who have my old things have very little and truly appreciate them more than I ever could. Fancy shirts I wore no more than twice and have forgotten about for the past two years are now the prized possessions of women who probably haven't owned anything nice in a long time. Knowing that belongings that mean so little to me have enriched someone else's life who normally wouldn't be able to afford such things is satisfying. More satisfying than any shopping trip I've ever been on.
Simplicity doesn't have to mean giving up all of your earthly posessions. We can weave simplicity into our lives in small ways. Yesterday I wanted to cheer up a friend, so I made her a homemade bracelet and homemade card, stuck them in an envelope and mailed them, which I know will go much further than a Hallmark card that costs $6.50 and took me no more time or thought than picking it out and writing a message in it. I have always enjoyed homemade gifts more then ones bought in a store. Why not give someone herbs you have carefully planted and tended to, or a scarf you've spent hours knitting with that person in mind, or a handpainted vase you made them? Those gifts mean so much more than things bought in a store. Simplicity can mean growing your own vegetables in a window garden. It can mean keeping one cell phone until it breaks or becomes obsolete. It can mean going for a walk with a loved one instead of spending $200 on a night out. The great thing about simplicity is that it's so simple.
I challenge you to give it a try. Next time you're out shopping, ask yourself if the item you're considering is something you really need. Put it back on the shelf and if you still want it in a week then go back and get it. Odds are you will have forgotten about it by then. Simplicity is easy, fun, and refreshing. I'm going to link to a few articles about voluntary simplicity that really moved me. I hope they inspire you!
Back to Basics: Living With Voluntary Simplicity
When Less Is More
Thoughts on Voluntary Simplicity
Monday, May 17, 2010
Our Disease of Disconnect
I think it's important for us to take care of our minds and hearts along with our bodies. All people need to realize that every decision we make in every aspect of our lives has far-reaching consequences. When we make a decision we need to think of that decision as a middle point on a piece of thread. The choices we make about food, shopping, clothing, entertainment, daily interactions with strangers, the way we spend our free time, the way we clean our houses, the way we raise our children...all of these choices make a difference in the world. A great many people say that what one person does soesn't matter...many people think that one person's choice to abstain from meat or shopping or a certain religion has no effect on the universe as a whole, but they're wrong. One person's decision to eat vegan saves 98lbs of beef, 67lbs of pork and 102lbs of chicken annually, based on the average North American diet. If everyone in the country decided to go without our daily 8 ounces of meat for one day a week, we would save more greenhouse gas emissions over the course of a year than if we gave up traveling by cars, trains, planes and ships combined. And that is just one serving a day, one day a week, for one year. Let's also remember that one person's lifestyle decision can inspire other people, who can inspire other people, and so on. Keep this in mind as you read further.
In the video above, Julia Butterfly Hill talks about the 'disease of disconnect'. What that means is that when we make everyday choices, we rarely think about the consequences of those choices. How many of you think nothing of going to Tim Hortons or Starbucks for a cup of coffee? For most people it's just a part of their every day routine. A learned behaviour that they have become numb to the consequences of because they have become mentally disconnected from the earth and it's inhabitants. I'm making an assumption here, but I assume that when the average Joe buys a cup of coffee, he may wonder whether it's fair trade, but if it isn't that probably won't affect his decision. And furthermore, I'm sure he doesn't think about the fact that it's being served to him in a paper cup that once used to be part of a forest that was clear-cut in order to supply our growing demand of paper products, stealing homes from wildlife and clean air from the lungs of the people whose communities surround it. Does he think about the petroleum complex in Ecuador, Africa, Alaska, etc. when he sees the barista pop a plastic lid onto his cup? Or is his mind somewhere else entirely? This isn't meant as an accusation, it's meant as a call to consider what events have lead up to you, your friend or a stranger holding that cup of coffee. Now consider what events will follow. Will he throw it 'away'? There is no such place as 'away'. In our culture it is widely accepted that when you throw something in the trash it goes away...but it doesn't. It goes to a landfill. I won't insult your intelligence by explaining why that's not a good thing. But just consider how much trash could be avoided if one person skipped their daily cup of coffee (it's not good for us anyways!) made it at home, or brought a re-usable mug to the coffee shop? Now imagine how much trash one person could save over their lifetime by doing this! Get it? Our decisions matter. Our choices make a difference. We have the power to affect change!
We have this problem of disconnect in most areas of our lives. The way we raise our children affects the way they interact with other children, who they will grow up to become, how they raise their children, and so on. How we choose to shop affects our mental health, the people who created the product we're buying, the landfill that ultimately has to accomodate our waste when we (or the person we gave or sold an item to) choose to throw it 'away'. Every product is made from materials that came from somewhere, then was assembled by someone, then was driven in a truck or flown in a plane or shipped by boat or train to get to the store we're buying it from. Every animal we eat supports a meat industry that is exploiting animals, polluting the environment and putting family farmers out of business. Every decision we make about food will affect us sometime in the future, whether it be through disease, obesity, general lack of well-being or the eating habits we teach our children. The way we treat strangers affects the way they treat other people and the way they feel, which can affect decisions they make throughout their day. I'm sure you're getting the point here. Every decision we make not only matters, but has a huge potential to make a difference in the world. There is a beginning and an end to the string our choices hang on. Consider both ends of that string when you make your decisions. Think before you choose. If we all truly thought about the events leading up to our actions and the results afterwards, I think most of us would change the way we choose to live.
The current state of the world is a direct result of our choices and of the choices of the people who came before us. Anyone can see where our choices have led us and are continuing to lead us. If we don't change the way we think, the way we act, the way we live...eventually the gift of life on planet earth will end. It starts with a handful of people realizing that their decisions matter and changing the way they live. A compassionate, loving, positive lifestyle is infectious! Making joyful, life-affirming choices and embracing the wonder of simplicity will inspire change in others. If not change, att the very least it will inspire thought in others.
I hope this has inspired you to look at your lifestyle and ask whether your life - beginning to end - is going to bring more good to the earth than harm. We have the power as individuals to change the world. Let's take that seriously!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Changes.
This past week has been insane! The amount of reading I've done and the resulting wisdom and clarity I've gained has been absolutely unreal. This will be my less-than-adequate attempt to describe what has happened in my life this past week.
First of all, I did a ton of research about the Raw Food Lifestyle, and not only were my suspicions about it's nutritious, life-giving, nourishing benefits absolutely correct, it goes even beyond that! In addition to the reading I've done (online articles, blogs of raw foodies, magazine articles) I watched two documentaries on this incredible lifestyle choice and it's enormous health benefits. One such documentary, called Simply Raw, about a group of six diabetics, two of them Type I, four of them Type II, chronicled a one-month lifestyle overhaul. These six people went to a place called the Tree of Life Healing Centre and started a month of 100% raw eating. Within days all except one of them were off their medication and soon enough they were living without insulin shots - a dream for most diabetics. All of them lost significant amounts of weight, found themselves having more energy and feeling like brand-new people. All because of what they chose to put in their mouths. I seriously recommend watching this movie as it will change your perspective about food completely. Here's the link: http://www.novamov.com/video/49aae4406d96f
The other documentary is called Food Matters and is about the health industry, drug industry, raw food and it's immense health benefits, and vitamin therapy. It's an eye-opening movie about the way we are taught to approach sickness, disease and health, and our tendency as a society to use drugs to treat symptoms of sickness and disease instead of using food to treat the causes of sickness and disease, and it's ability to prevent them in the first place. Here's the link:
http://megavideo.com/?v=2TAZNZLA
Now, you may be wondering what form this research has taken in terms of change in my own life. Well, 3 days ago I began eating about 70% raw. Besides raw foods I also ate corn on the cob en masse (a cooked food I doubt I will ever be able to live without!) and some whole grain foods. I've continued eating some whole grain foods mostly because I don't know enough yet about sprouted grains to nourish myself. Once I do though, you can bet I will.
The first day was hard, but not in terms of eating the food. I enjoy fruits a lot, but vegetables not so much and nuts and seeds not so much, but because I knew the life-giving qualities of these foods, it wasn't hard to make the change. The difficult part was not eating things that I have always considered very healthy foods, like whole wheat pasta, peanut butter, granola, etc. I have always thought eating meat and dairy is unhealthy (knowledge that I have made a habit of ignoring for most of my life because meat and dairy is yummy) so cutting those out wasn't hard.
The second day was hard because although the raw foods and huge amounts of water were already making me feel lighter and more energized, the toxins leaving my body were making me feel a bit grumpy and gave me a headache. This, I know, is what happens when your body is undergoing a detoxing process. Although it feels crappy, it's the body's way of silently cheering, of taking a great sigh of relief.
Today is day three, and I feel INCREDIBLE!!! I feel energized, vibrant and full of life! As soon as I woke up I felt cheerful, optimistic and ready for a wonderful day! I didn't think I would feel so great so fast, but lo and behold, I feel better than I've felt in months. This is already proving that education, not medication, is the way to feel better. Now that I've read about and experienced for myself the incredible difference living, raw food can make in the way I feel, I realize what a joyful, life-affirming choice it is to go raw.
Now for my drug rant...
Go to a hospital and look around. What you are looking at is the failure of medicine. Less than 6% of physician graduates have any formal training in nutrition. Doesn't that seem crazy to you? How about the fact that it's illegal in North America to treat cancer with nutrition? ILLEGAL. So we pump people full of drugs that don't work, and are suprised when they die...I know I'm repeating myself here, but doesn't that seem crazy to you? Medicine is a bandage, not a cure. If all we do is treat symptoms instead of the root cause of a problem, we will never heal. It's time we all realize this and stop popping pills at the first sign of discomfort instead of asking ourselves why we're feeling the way we're feeling. Doctors should be prescribing nutrition and exercise, not drugs. As far as the drug industry is concerned, the perfect drug is one that doesn't cure you, but one that you will have to continue taking over a long period of time. The drug industry is an industry, and the main goal of any industry is to make money. See where I'm going with this? If we continue giving our body drugs, we're not promoting health, we're promoting drugs.
As I've learned in the last little while, if you want to know how to live and nourish yourself in the best possible way, you have to dig. You have to really look for the information. How pathetic is that? But the information is out there. You are the only person who has the power to make choices that will allow yourself to live longer, live healthier and live vibrantly.
I obviously need to stick with this to find out what raw foods will mean for my long-term health, but I've read enough testimonies, seen enough videos and felt enough of a change in my life in just three days that I am sure the results are going to be amazing.
Stay tuned. :)
First of all, I did a ton of research about the Raw Food Lifestyle, and not only were my suspicions about it's nutritious, life-giving, nourishing benefits absolutely correct, it goes even beyond that! In addition to the reading I've done (online articles, blogs of raw foodies, magazine articles) I watched two documentaries on this incredible lifestyle choice and it's enormous health benefits. One such documentary, called Simply Raw, about a group of six diabetics, two of them Type I, four of them Type II, chronicled a one-month lifestyle overhaul. These six people went to a place called the Tree of Life Healing Centre and started a month of 100% raw eating. Within days all except one of them were off their medication and soon enough they were living without insulin shots - a dream for most diabetics. All of them lost significant amounts of weight, found themselves having more energy and feeling like brand-new people. All because of what they chose to put in their mouths. I seriously recommend watching this movie as it will change your perspective about food completely. Here's the link: http://www.novamov.com/video/49aae4406d96f
The other documentary is called Food Matters and is about the health industry, drug industry, raw food and it's immense health benefits, and vitamin therapy. It's an eye-opening movie about the way we are taught to approach sickness, disease and health, and our tendency as a society to use drugs to treat symptoms of sickness and disease instead of using food to treat the causes of sickness and disease, and it's ability to prevent them in the first place. Here's the link:
http://megavideo.com/?v=2TAZNZLA
Now, you may be wondering what form this research has taken in terms of change in my own life. Well, 3 days ago I began eating about 70% raw. Besides raw foods I also ate corn on the cob en masse (a cooked food I doubt I will ever be able to live without!) and some whole grain foods. I've continued eating some whole grain foods mostly because I don't know enough yet about sprouted grains to nourish myself. Once I do though, you can bet I will.
The first day was hard, but not in terms of eating the food. I enjoy fruits a lot, but vegetables not so much and nuts and seeds not so much, but because I knew the life-giving qualities of these foods, it wasn't hard to make the change. The difficult part was not eating things that I have always considered very healthy foods, like whole wheat pasta, peanut butter, granola, etc. I have always thought eating meat and dairy is unhealthy (knowledge that I have made a habit of ignoring for most of my life because meat and dairy is yummy) so cutting those out wasn't hard.
The second day was hard because although the raw foods and huge amounts of water were already making me feel lighter and more energized, the toxins leaving my body were making me feel a bit grumpy and gave me a headache. This, I know, is what happens when your body is undergoing a detoxing process. Although it feels crappy, it's the body's way of silently cheering, of taking a great sigh of relief.
Today is day three, and I feel INCREDIBLE!!! I feel energized, vibrant and full of life! As soon as I woke up I felt cheerful, optimistic and ready for a wonderful day! I didn't think I would feel so great so fast, but lo and behold, I feel better than I've felt in months. This is already proving that education, not medication, is the way to feel better. Now that I've read about and experienced for myself the incredible difference living, raw food can make in the way I feel, I realize what a joyful, life-affirming choice it is to go raw.
Now for my drug rant...
Go to a hospital and look around. What you are looking at is the failure of medicine. Less than 6% of physician graduates have any formal training in nutrition. Doesn't that seem crazy to you? How about the fact that it's illegal in North America to treat cancer with nutrition? ILLEGAL. So we pump people full of drugs that don't work, and are suprised when they die...I know I'm repeating myself here, but doesn't that seem crazy to you? Medicine is a bandage, not a cure. If all we do is treat symptoms instead of the root cause of a problem, we will never heal. It's time we all realize this and stop popping pills at the first sign of discomfort instead of asking ourselves why we're feeling the way we're feeling. Doctors should be prescribing nutrition and exercise, not drugs. As far as the drug industry is concerned, the perfect drug is one that doesn't cure you, but one that you will have to continue taking over a long period of time. The drug industry is an industry, and the main goal of any industry is to make money. See where I'm going with this? If we continue giving our body drugs, we're not promoting health, we're promoting drugs.
As I've learned in the last little while, if you want to know how to live and nourish yourself in the best possible way, you have to dig. You have to really look for the information. How pathetic is that? But the information is out there. You are the only person who has the power to make choices that will allow yourself to live longer, live healthier and live vibrantly.
I obviously need to stick with this to find out what raw foods will mean for my long-term health, but I've read enough testimonies, seen enough videos and felt enough of a change in my life in just three days that I am sure the results are going to be amazing.
Stay tuned. :)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Television.
Last week a thought popped into my head...
"What if I stopped watching television?"
It didn't seem like a crazy idea to me, because to be honest I really don't like television. Besides the Gilmore Girls series that I own and watch on a regular basis because I LOVE it, and the Friends reruns and current season of Survivor, I really didn't think I would miss television if it wasn't a part of my life.
I decided to make a conscious effort to limit the amount of television I watch at that point. All week at times when I would normally flick on the television (while eating lunch, after a nap, arriving home from a walk and sitting down for a rest) I decided to occupy my time with other things. I also have a bad habit of watching television before bed, and at night when I can't get back to sleep (due to 4am bathroom breaks that are a seriously irritating pregnancy ritual) that I want to break.
These are a few things I noticed...
1- I slept better. By making the choice to read before bed I found my brain calming down faster, and by the time I was ready to sleep, I had no problem putting down my book, shutting of my light, and closing my eyes. With television, my bedtime would be decided by whatever program I was watching. When it was done, I would shut off the TV, ready for bed. Except that my brain wasn't so quick to calm down, leaving me laying in bed with a constant barrage of thoughts arguing for dominance in my head. This has habitually resulted in me turning the TV back on because clearly, I wasn't ready for bed yet...yeeash.
2- I had more time. I know this sounds weird, because technically I had no more time when I watched TV then I had when I didn't, but it felt like I did. How often do you find yourself looking at the clock and wondering where the past hour and a half went? (Let me give you a hint: It starts with turning on the TV, seeing your favourite show on and watching it, then noticing a rerun of a program you enjoy coming on next, then watching another re-run, because conveniently enough, they're airing back-to-back Seinfeld episodes today!) I know it's happened to everyone, some of us more than others. So ask yourself - what would you be doing with that hour and a half if not watching TV? I went outside, did research, cooked for my family, organized things, crossed things off my to-do list that had been left way too long, volunteered at my local soup kitchen and enjoyed relaxing in it's most basic form - sitting down, listening to some good music and drifting off into my head for awhile. At the end of the day, I felt I had gotten so much more accomplished. And who doesn't love that feeling?
3- More energy. Because I was sleeping more fitfully, getting outside more, taking more time to cook nutritious meals and getting the most out of relaxation time, I had more energy. I got through the day without feeling sluggish (as I often do when I realize it's time to roll off the couch and get moving) or lazy. I would move easily from one task to the next, and truly enjoyed relaxation time because I felt I had earned it.
4- I'm learning more. Because I spent time I would usually spend watching TV reading and doing research online, I have learned more in the past week about topics that really interest me than I have in months! I have a habit of writing down things I'd like to learn more about, and leaving these pieces of paper beside the computer for when I have time for them. Well guess what? I now had time for them. I bulldozed through all those pieces of paper and found myself making more lists because the topics I had researched had left me curious about other things. Who doesn't want to know more about the world around them?
Because of the incredible benefits I've already experienced from avoiding television, I decided to remove the television from my room. Now, in it's place sits a beautiful vase of flowers and a few candles. I have to say, not having a big black box in my room makes it feel so much more welcoming, relaxing and simple in here. I doubt I'm going to miss it.
My boyfriend has pointed out in the past that although I'm not a huge television fan, I do watch a lot of movies. I can't deny that. I could watch movies all day long (and have on occasion) and be perfectly content. I can watch a movie I like over and over and not get tired of it. I have a huge collection of them. The revelations of this past week have me wondering what would happen if I really stopped watching television in the sense that I would stop turning on the TV for the purose of watching anything - even movies. I'll bet I won't miss the movies I've already seen dozens of times. I'll bet going to the theatre and renting the occasional movie will feel like a real treat. I'll also bet that allowing myself to indulge in some movie-watching next time I'm sick will feel wonderful. I won't miss movies on TV, because I won't know they're on.
The prospect of life without television seems like a beautiful one to me. I also find it appealing that if I'm not a TV buff, my child won't grow up glued to the television either, but rather will see it as something we do as a family on occasion as a special treat. I really believe that is how TV should be enjoyed, and that very few people would be worse off without it.
I encourage anyone and everyone to try this out...even if just for a few days. If you try it and love it like I did, then good for you. If you were miserable, maybe you should ask yourself why. And if you aren't someone who watches it often and are good at controlling your television consumption, then props to you!
"What if I stopped watching television?"
It didn't seem like a crazy idea to me, because to be honest I really don't like television. Besides the Gilmore Girls series that I own and watch on a regular basis because I LOVE it, and the Friends reruns and current season of Survivor, I really didn't think I would miss television if it wasn't a part of my life.
I decided to make a conscious effort to limit the amount of television I watch at that point. All week at times when I would normally flick on the television (while eating lunch, after a nap, arriving home from a walk and sitting down for a rest) I decided to occupy my time with other things. I also have a bad habit of watching television before bed, and at night when I can't get back to sleep (due to 4am bathroom breaks that are a seriously irritating pregnancy ritual) that I want to break.
These are a few things I noticed...
1- I slept better. By making the choice to read before bed I found my brain calming down faster, and by the time I was ready to sleep, I had no problem putting down my book, shutting of my light, and closing my eyes. With television, my bedtime would be decided by whatever program I was watching. When it was done, I would shut off the TV, ready for bed. Except that my brain wasn't so quick to calm down, leaving me laying in bed with a constant barrage of thoughts arguing for dominance in my head. This has habitually resulted in me turning the TV back on because clearly, I wasn't ready for bed yet...yeeash.
2- I had more time. I know this sounds weird, because technically I had no more time when I watched TV then I had when I didn't, but it felt like I did. How often do you find yourself looking at the clock and wondering where the past hour and a half went? (Let me give you a hint: It starts with turning on the TV, seeing your favourite show on and watching it, then noticing a rerun of a program you enjoy coming on next, then watching another re-run, because conveniently enough, they're airing back-to-back Seinfeld episodes today!) I know it's happened to everyone, some of us more than others. So ask yourself - what would you be doing with that hour and a half if not watching TV? I went outside, did research, cooked for my family, organized things, crossed things off my to-do list that had been left way too long, volunteered at my local soup kitchen and enjoyed relaxing in it's most basic form - sitting down, listening to some good music and drifting off into my head for awhile. At the end of the day, I felt I had gotten so much more accomplished. And who doesn't love that feeling?
3- More energy. Because I was sleeping more fitfully, getting outside more, taking more time to cook nutritious meals and getting the most out of relaxation time, I had more energy. I got through the day without feeling sluggish (as I often do when I realize it's time to roll off the couch and get moving) or lazy. I would move easily from one task to the next, and truly enjoyed relaxation time because I felt I had earned it.
4- I'm learning more. Because I spent time I would usually spend watching TV reading and doing research online, I have learned more in the past week about topics that really interest me than I have in months! I have a habit of writing down things I'd like to learn more about, and leaving these pieces of paper beside the computer for when I have time for them. Well guess what? I now had time for them. I bulldozed through all those pieces of paper and found myself making more lists because the topics I had researched had left me curious about other things. Who doesn't want to know more about the world around them?
Because of the incredible benefits I've already experienced from avoiding television, I decided to remove the television from my room. Now, in it's place sits a beautiful vase of flowers and a few candles. I have to say, not having a big black box in my room makes it feel so much more welcoming, relaxing and simple in here. I doubt I'm going to miss it.
My boyfriend has pointed out in the past that although I'm not a huge television fan, I do watch a lot of movies. I can't deny that. I could watch movies all day long (and have on occasion) and be perfectly content. I can watch a movie I like over and over and not get tired of it. I have a huge collection of them. The revelations of this past week have me wondering what would happen if I really stopped watching television in the sense that I would stop turning on the TV for the purose of watching anything - even movies. I'll bet I won't miss the movies I've already seen dozens of times. I'll bet going to the theatre and renting the occasional movie will feel like a real treat. I'll also bet that allowing myself to indulge in some movie-watching next time I'm sick will feel wonderful. I won't miss movies on TV, because I won't know they're on.
The prospect of life without television seems like a beautiful one to me. I also find it appealing that if I'm not a TV buff, my child won't grow up glued to the television either, but rather will see it as something we do as a family on occasion as a special treat. I really believe that is how TV should be enjoyed, and that very few people would be worse off without it.
I encourage anyone and everyone to try this out...even if just for a few days. If you try it and love it like I did, then good for you. If you were miserable, maybe you should ask yourself why. And if you aren't someone who watches it often and are good at controlling your television consumption, then props to you!
The Raw Food Lifestyle
Well, I've spent a significant amount of time over the past couple of days reading and learning about the raw food diet. Raw foodism is a lifestyle promoting the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. Raw foodists typically believe that the greater percentage of raw food in the diet, the greater the health benefits.
I've come across many stories of people who have chosen a raw food lifestyle, and have reaped enormous benefits including weight loss, clearer skin, freedom from sickness and sluggishness, and basically improved overall health. Some of them have been so positively affected by this lifestyle choice that they have made a career out of the exploration and promotion of raw foodism. Their testimonies are truly inspiring.
A raw food diet basically consists of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains and legumes. Raw foodists believe that food that has been cooked over temperatures of 115 degrees fahrenheit have lost much of their nutritional value. I plan on looking into that further.
The raw food lifestyle probably seems extreme, especially since to most people veganism seems extreme, and raw foodism goes even further beyond that in regards to the foods eliminated from the diet. However, one could also look at this diet as a very simple, incredibly healthy way to nourish the body. No-one can successfully argue that processed, hormone-injected, factory-farmed, pesticide ridden foods are healthier for our bodies. I dare anyone to try without sounding like a moron.
I've done enough research on the topic of the meat industry and factory farming to know that the meat we buy in the supermarket is not even close to being good for us, let alone safe to eat or without long-term health risks. Anyone who takes the time to read and learn about today's meat industry would find out the same thing. Most people, either knowing this or being ignorant of the fact, choose not to find out. After all, what you don't know can't hurt you right? Wrong.
I'm not going to be so ridiculous as to say that non-organic fruits and vegetables are bad for us. Pesticides are obviously not good for the body or the environment (a topic I also plan on researching in the near future) but the fruits and vegetables available at our local supermarkets are both healthy and nourishing, and perfectly adequate for us to include in our diets. However, being something of an extremist in terms of...well, everything...I don't want to eat an apple that is 'perfectly adequate' when I could be eating an apple that will taste better and provide me with an even greater sense of well being.
I've come across many stories of people who have chosen a raw food lifestyle, and have reaped enormous benefits including weight loss, clearer skin, freedom from sickness and sluggishness, and basically improved overall health. Some of them have been so positively affected by this lifestyle choice that they have made a career out of the exploration and promotion of raw foodism. Their testimonies are truly inspiring.
A raw food diet basically consists of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains and legumes. Raw foodists believe that food that has been cooked over temperatures of 115 degrees fahrenheit have lost much of their nutritional value. I plan on looking into that further.
The raw food lifestyle probably seems extreme, especially since to most people veganism seems extreme, and raw foodism goes even further beyond that in regards to the foods eliminated from the diet. However, one could also look at this diet as a very simple, incredibly healthy way to nourish the body. No-one can successfully argue that processed, hormone-injected, factory-farmed, pesticide ridden foods are healthier for our bodies. I dare anyone to try without sounding like a moron.
I've done enough research on the topic of the meat industry and factory farming to know that the meat we buy in the supermarket is not even close to being good for us, let alone safe to eat or without long-term health risks. Anyone who takes the time to read and learn about today's meat industry would find out the same thing. Most people, either knowing this or being ignorant of the fact, choose not to find out. After all, what you don't know can't hurt you right? Wrong.
I'm not going to be so ridiculous as to say that non-organic fruits and vegetables are bad for us. Pesticides are obviously not good for the body or the environment (a topic I also plan on researching in the near future) but the fruits and vegetables available at our local supermarkets are both healthy and nourishing, and perfectly adequate for us to include in our diets. However, being something of an extremist in terms of...well, everything...I don't want to eat an apple that is 'perfectly adequate' when I could be eating an apple that will taste better and provide me with an even greater sense of well being.
Martin Luther King Jr. said that the question was not 'Will we be extremists?' but rather 'What kind of extremists will we be?' If the alternative to being a healthy eating extremist is being an unhealthy, sluggish, overweight human on the path towards disease, discomfort in old age and unhappiness with my body and spirit, guess which extreme I'm going to choose?
I will be looking further into raw foodism in the next few days, but so far it's looking like this may be exactly the kind of diet (and by diet, I mean food for life, not 'lose weight quick' scheme) I've been looking for. We all have an inner guidance system, and as I learn and grow, I become more and more in tune with mine. Some people may not even be aware of their own, because when you make a habit of ignoring something long enough, eventually it doesn't even register in your mind anymore. A great example of this is the 'to eat meat or not to eat meat question' that enters everyone's mind at least a few times in their lives. Another is global warming. As society becomes more aware of the downward spiral we're all quickly being swallowed by, I believe it will become even harder to ignore issues like this. Maybe someday instead of being seen as extremists, granola-heads and health nuts, raw foodists will be seen as pioneers.
Will I be one of them? Only time will tell.
Friday, May 7, 2010
A Fresh Start.
I've started this blog to chronicle my journey towards optimum health and wellness. I want to write about what I learn and experience for both my benefit and the benefit of others.
You should also know - I'm five months pregnant.
This all started a few days ago at my prenatal appointment when I realized that in just 5 short months, I had gained nearly 35 pounds. My midwife assured me that because I am eating well and exercising daily, that this is just my body's way of being pregnant. However, I've always felt that there is a seldom-chosen, somewhat more complicated but infinitely better way to live than the way we learn to from mass media, health officials and popular culture. There has to be.
For the past few years, I have been experimenting with different ways to eat, exercise, relax and live my life. I've taught myself the art of eating so I feel good. I've taught myself to love running. I've fallen in love with nature and the peace it brings me.
Now that I have a life growing inside me, a human that I already love with all my heart, who depends on me with all of his, I'm humbled. I also feel an incredible sense of responsibility to live in a way that gives him the best start possible, and that will also teach him by example the most healthy and successful way to live his life. I don't want to look back and say that my son grew up to be overweight, sedentery, stressed-out or altogether unhealthy because of the example I gave him. I especially don't want him to say that. So here goes...
First Exploration: The Raw Food Movement
Stay tuned. :)
You should also know - I'm five months pregnant.
This all started a few days ago at my prenatal appointment when I realized that in just 5 short months, I had gained nearly 35 pounds. My midwife assured me that because I am eating well and exercising daily, that this is just my body's way of being pregnant. However, I've always felt that there is a seldom-chosen, somewhat more complicated but infinitely better way to live than the way we learn to from mass media, health officials and popular culture. There has to be.
For the past few years, I have been experimenting with different ways to eat, exercise, relax and live my life. I've taught myself the art of eating so I feel good. I've taught myself to love running. I've fallen in love with nature and the peace it brings me.
Now that I have a life growing inside me, a human that I already love with all my heart, who depends on me with all of his, I'm humbled. I also feel an incredible sense of responsibility to live in a way that gives him the best start possible, and that will also teach him by example the most healthy and successful way to live his life. I don't want to look back and say that my son grew up to be overweight, sedentery, stressed-out or altogether unhealthy because of the example I gave him. I especially don't want him to say that. So here goes...
First Exploration: The Raw Food Movement
Stay tuned. :)
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