We humans are miraculous creatures! Our bodies, made up of more than a trillion cells, are both part and product of our relationships, our surroundings, the food our mothers ate when pregnant, the food we eat, the air we breath, the choices people made before we existed, and the choices, (exercise, play activities, work style, work hours, etc.), we make now. Approximately 90 percent of our cells are completely rebuilt every two years!
Tending Our Garden
When we take care of our mind, body and spirit as we would a garden, then we are better able to care for our loved ones, better able to focus, better able to manage our time, and better able to hold onto our spiritual attainments.
He who sows flowers shall harvest tenderness
‘Qui sème des fleurs, récolte de la tendresse’
A Simple Truth
The simple truth is that health is sustained and nourished, in large part, by good food, pure water, clean air, exercise and love. So many of us are working toward lofty goals and forgetting the the most fundamental requirements in the process. For a start, reconnecting to one's relationship with healthy food is a vital part ofpink-cheekedhealth. Perfect delicious, healthy, and nutritious, food is out there....But, we need to choose wisely.
The Health of Our Children
The following is from a recorded talk by Dr. Greene, a clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and father of four. Dr. Greene launchedDrGreene.com, which is cited by the AMA as “the pioneer physician Web site” on the Internet.
"I did a study with the Environmental Working Group where we measured umbilical cord blood in babies. We found an average of 200 different industrial chemicals in their cord blood at birth. Of the total 287 chemicals we detected, 180 are known to cause cancer in humans and 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system. So I realized that what's "out there" is in us -- even in the most inner sanctum of the womb. Being green and getting pregnant and raising a baby are so intimately connected." Dr. Greene, Grist Interview 07
In the last 10 years, in the U.S., all childhood cancers have gone up steadily about 25%. Brain cancers in kids have gone up 56%, and leukemia has gone up 68%. Just in babies, brain tumors have gone up 60% and reproductive tumors, (cancers), in babies have gone up 124%. It is not that their genes, their genetic make-up, has changed in the last 25 years. It is the environment.
We have released into our environment, in our sofas, our computers, our carpets, our drapes and our lawns, a wide variety of chemicals. Eighty five thousand new synthetic chemicals were developed in the last sixty years. Many of them we know are carcinogens, neurodevelopmental toxins, endocrine disruptor hormones. In kids we are seeing a rise in all the conditions related to those things. ADHD up 250% in just 10 years and linked to ADHD is not just lead and cigarette smoke, but also organophosphate pesticides exposure. Today, the average child has three times the EPA safe dose.
So, chronic diseases are increasing very rapidly. Children are more vulnerable to toxins. As Dr. Greene puts it, "the children have unwittingly become the canary in the mine." They are letting us know that things need to change now. It can feel overwhelming but there are simple, actionable steps, proven general knowledge, telling us what plastics are OK, what foods, even what baby formula! We just have to know that there is a good reason to take those steps. Dr. Greene Opening Speech, Healthy Child, Healthy World
Eat your fruits & vegetables! They promote health and help prevent cancer. They are amazing gifts. Take the gift and run!
Masquerading Food
When I first became food conscious I was overwhelmed by the information about healthy food. The simple task of eating became more complex the more I learned. As Micheal Pollen so eloquently puts it, "there are so many edible food-like substances in stores that are masquerading as food." I wondered, does everyone feel a angry in the beginning that they have to worry about bad things in the products? I missed my blissful grocery store innocence. Shopping had become an obstacle course, a serious challenge. In addition, my choices were limited by my salary. However, just like learning a new language, one day it became easier. I had found the stores that made the process easier, (Whole Foods Store & a local health food store), and it became easier to find what I wanted even in the regular store. Yet, I will never forget the first few years or learning and research. This site will make it easier for you. It connects you to sources for healthy food and to the nutrition savants, the ones in the know.
Our bodies and brains are not designed for the modern life of fast food, TV, computer sitting and retirement. We are designed to move. When we don't do regular cardiovascular exercise our brain interprets the non-movement as it's being non-essential, and it takes the declining path of decay along with the rest of our body. When we do exercise consistently, new brain cellscontinue to grow throughout our entire life along with the myriad of other benefits.
In addition to cardio exercize I try to practice yoga every day as a moving prayer. Yoga is my ultimate stress antidote. On my mat I begin to release, unbind. It helps me keep my innate balance and harmony. After practice I feel supple, calm, grounded, revitalized, and ready to face the challenges of the day.
I believes 100 percentinthe power of unconditionalloveand the practice offorgiveness. It is no secret that hate, bitterness, resentment and guilt can kill and do kill every day or that love, forgiveness, and compassion can heal and do heal every day. We all have experienced things that could make us bitter and resentful. Being angry about an injustice is healthy, holding onto anger is damaging to the mind, body and spirit. Love and forgiveness are two of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and others. (ps. forgiveness doesn't mean condoning and it doesn't always mean staying in touch with the person that hurt you. It does mean that you are letting go of the negative string that attaches you to the negative experience. It is the severing of a negative, and binding tie so that you can move on to better things.
blend together apples, oranges, lime and some sweet juice, add ginger spinach and kale, keep adding sweet juice to taste and voila! Truly amazingly delicious even though it is vibrant green. A gift from Maggie Barrack.
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