Day 1 - Raw & Alive

Breakfast: 

• salad (greens, mixed sprouts, carrots, corn, tomato, onion)
• juice - celery, kale, apple, carrot, broccoli

Snack:

• juice - carrot, apple

Lunch:

• Greek Salad (2 wedges of pita & some tzadziki <--moderation, see?)
• Green tea

Dinner:

• Vegetable Lentil Soup (Hubby made it - awesome)

Snack:

• Pau D'Arco tea
• almonds

 Notes:

• My body feels relieved.  Relieved that it is not going to face that "FULL" feeling.  I dislike that feeling of being "full" - tummy bursting, "Why did I eat that much?"
• When I did eat a good amount of the vegetable lentil soup, a part of me felt like I was still hungry, but it was moreso that I just wasn't full.  I think when I am HUNGRY, my body says "get that FULL feeling".  But I wasn't.  it wasn't even the amount that made a difference, it felt like it was more so what I ate, that it wasn't all filler.  
• There is a feeling of energy when you eat 'clean', alive foods.
• Juicing - FEELS AWESOME!  My 3 year old daughter says her body goes "BING!" when she drinks it.  Mine does too!  I almost can't describe it, but it is better than any caffeine kick or sugar rush you could get (in the case that you think you can't do without coffee, or that can of pop).  It feels innately right, like it just clicks in to every cell and rejuvenates it.  LOVE IT!
• Having food prepared is so key for me.  Especially for how skiddish I get when I get hungry, I need to grab something that is in the zone.  Case in point: the Greek salad with pita - we took my daughter out for a celebration and the place lacked great choices and I was HUNGRY.  I panicked.  Hubby just shook his head and agreed how not good at 'cleanses' I am.  "No, I'm not, which is why I'm not doing a cleanse."  His salad and vegetable lentil soup were so amazing, his meal prep makes it so much easier...
• I WANT to work out.  I want to kick some butt!  I attribute this to my veggie friends.  "Thank you for your energy little guys!"
• This is waaay better than the miso-soup deal-io I did years back... way better.  Too much fermented soy, rice & barley = not nice tummy etc.

Alive & Raw

Happy New Year everyone!

How are your tummies and bodies?  It's been a while since writing, but I'm back!

Every year, this happens: Christmas holidays come, visiting, extra treats, on the road even more, and then BAM! the New Year comes and my body aches for reprieve, "Just STOP, for the love of all things, just stop!".  And this year, I didn't even go super-crazy - just the two days of Turkey dinner madness at my parents' place and the extra snacks (potato chips at night for a few nights we were there).  Still.  I feel incredibly saturated.  I feel plugged, heavy, pudge from the inside, less energy, dreary, plugging along.  That's what I feel.

During the holidays, I checked back on a documentary I've been meaning to see for a while, but didn't find available in Canada until this time around.  "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" by Joe Cross.  Very intriguing documentary.  Not in the sense that I think juicing is revolutionary or the best thing for everyone, but moreso for the emphasis he places on the misconception of the North American diet.  Amidst his quest for overcoming illness and being overweight, Australian Joe Cross goes to the U.S. to juice fast for sixty days.  Through the documentary, he interviews Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of the New York Times Best Selling book "Eat To Live" and subsequent book "Super Immunity".  He interviews others on their eating habits, their health issues.

My opinion?  Any human being is going to lose weight on a juice fast and I do not think it is a healthy way to lose/maintain weight.  But what stood out to me is the epidemic of mediocre wellness, the plight for doctors to fix us, for medications to make us feel better, thinking it is just normal, but continually inputting such over-processed crap in to our bodies, taking away the needed space our bodies have for things that are alive, natural and meant to nourish us since the beginning of time.  How do you argue with 200,000 years (give or take) of human evolution on this planet?  It reminds me of an example on unethical marketing done in the 1970's-1980's and beyond in third world countries, to tell mothers formula was healthier than breastmilk. 

Both the documentary and book made me look in the mirror and realize I've been wearing an incredibly distorted (and common) pair of glasses - seeing my own diet and nutrition through a perspective that doesn't really match my intuition at this point in my life.

I grew up eating mostly what I want.  But I do recall being quite young, thinking "I wish I could just eat vegetables and fruit".  That wouldn't happen though - our family was somewhat typical in our 1980's North American eating habits.  My mom made most of our meals homemade and some were Japanese dishes which were quite healthy.  But we also had "The Chef" (Boyardee) feeding us, some instant Japanese noodles, the golden arches on weekends, and when I was in highschool, and could afford my own lunches, man were my choices poor! 

Cut to: me all grown up.  I'm 37.  I thought my little family was pretty healthy.  At the grocery store, aside from a loaf of bread, everything else are ingredients - rarely a pre-packaged meal.  I make our pasta sauce with organic, free-range beef, homegrown tomatoes, and kale.  But we are on the road a lot.  Anywhere we drive, is on average thirty minutes away which means, after we eat breakfast, get ready for the day, we are on the road, doing our errands, then lunch time.  Go back home thirty minutes there and back, or grab a bite?  Common sense is to grab a bite for me and my daughter and so we go to our usual places, Cactus Club, sushi, the occasional pasta. 

"Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" had me assess the components of my diet.  There are some really healthy things amidst what we eat, but not a lot of it purely.  Pasta, the white rice at sushi, the bag of chips snack, a very sweek granola bar, sauces, dips, etc. 

Over the past six months, I have looked at the health of myself and those around me that I love.  My views on medicine have shifted (whether it be Western medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathic etc.).  I believe that medicine and each branch has huge merit, but I also believe that our wellness is compromised by a blind faith our society seems to have in it - "if something goes wrong, take a pill, a tincture, it must be in your head, etc".

My realization is:  I am plugging in so many 'fillers' in to my body that I have dug myself in to ignorance about the nutrition my body needs and deserves to be well.  A vegetable is not a side dish that I forgot to have in some meals.  It should be the majority of what I eat.

I was going to do the 15-Day Reboot Your Life program that the "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" folks put up on their www.rebootyourlife.com website.  I am having issue (not able to access the pages) with the 15-day RYL website and the program is not entirely what I want (do not want to do 5 days of just juicing), so I am having to modify as the days go on.  My husband is doing a modified program of the Wild Rose Cleanse (with no pills) and the RYL program.

I am not really a 'cleanse' type person, and I think for everyone's sake (I am mean when I am deprived of food), I will keep "moderation" of daily life guilt-free - if events come up, I'm not going to deny whatever is there.  But for the next couple of weeks, I am loading up on tons of veggies, and fruit, mostly raw and this will be the majority of my intake.   I am juicing as well.

Yup, I'm posting.  Each day will be an account of what is going in and any notes of the process.  Will it make a difference?...  Guess we'll see...

Months

The past few months have been interesting.  "Interesting".  It's been a mixture of feeling somewhat bound.  Life is fine, but just a feeling of helplessness to people I love dearly that are struggling.  It is somewhat easier when you 'get life': A + B = C. But things aren't always that clear, especially in the moment, is it?

This fall has affirmed a lot of life lessons:

• When challenges happen, it shakes things up.  Other issues come to the surface bubbling all around the challenge.  It makes us reconsider things, change our paths if we so choose.  Back to the post about Trauma & Growth, hopefully we grow.  
• Family and good friends are an undeniable force.  When shit hits the fan, if family pulls together, nobody feels so alone.  My family is amazing and I am so thankful to learn life lessons amongst the people who I love most in this world.  I love you dearly.
• Sometimes life takes away things/people we are used to going to, so that we learn to either suck it up and go, or perhaps strengthen, or make new relationships that otherwise may not have grown.
• Your own life is your own life and that's it. We live by our choices, yet all walk together.  Amazing how life binds these two contrasts in such a way.  Very yin/yang...
• It is fundamental to have people around that you can count on.  That takes building with mindfulness and love.
• We are not meant to do it all alone.

I watched one of the best documentaries I've seen the other day with my mom.  "I Am" by Tom Shadyac  THAT is what life is about.  I'm not going to tell you what it is about.  Go see it for yourself.   Best.  Ever.

I will say, we aren't meant to go through life feeling alone.  Doing so drains the spirit.

I am in awe of my daughter.  She is three and out and about, she chooses people and just has an urge to go and say "hi", to tell a girl who looked a bit sad at the sinks in the washroom that she is beautiful.  She just goes through her days 'lighting people'.  I am so deeply proud of her.  She gives to people's spirits and teaches me everyday.

You have to count on those in your inner circle.  They hopefully can count on you.  But all of that is earned and doesn't come easy.  In life, I'm not sure there is anything more important than that as the foundation of who we all are.  You have that and no matter what, you are fortunate.



Go light someone up and tell those in your circle you love them.

Thought

Do you ever get that feeling, that something extraordinary must be done?

The Other Story

A couple of points to make:

1. I am now a Pinterest.com addict
2. I am sitting here eating a plate of hashbrowns at 11:41pm wondering where my body is going to put it (ugh, but YUM!)

So what then comes to mind from the above, is a quote  that I came across on Pinterest*:

I don't believe things are THAT simple.  Life happens.  Environmental factors are in place.  Life is not that simple.  BUT...

        what
                          if 
                                         it 
                                                      was?

If every act you chose to do (consciously or subconsciously) was a direct input to what the output was, what would your body show?  What you put in (and on) to your body, what you tell your body, how you direct its' resources, how you repeatedly deal with stress - how would all of these things translate if genetics and environmental factors out of our hands did not matter?  What would you be creating?  Are you helping your own creation and maintenance or are you just plugging the metre with what you were conditioned with, or feel is 'good enough'?

A step further.   If I were to take every increment of energy I expel, and those outputs directly illustrated ME (who I am), what would my world be?  What/how much energy do I give my daughter?  What words do I use with her?  What does my husband get from me?  What do I input in to our relationship?    What do I offer to work?  What feelings, intentions and energy do I invest in these things?  What would my life be if all that I invested were the only factors in creating myself? 

The past six months have been a challenge.  Alongside some really amazing times, and grounding moments that I am thankful for,  I also feel, in a sense that I am spinning my wheels - waiting for certain things to come to completion, for life to be different, wishing I could do more, feeling helpless or far away from those I hold most dear, missing them etc.  Our society lives so much outside of the present moment, that what we expend our energy on, is completely inappropriate for what we are truly aiming to create in our lives.  We work our tails off so that 'one day', we will have enough money to retire.  We throw all of our energy in to work, so our family will thrive.  We stress about things of the past, or what is to come, so that one day we might have peace.  We are hard on our loved ones, because we need help or do not feel heard.

I am not saying that where each of us is in life, is because of what we have done and that alone.  Life ain't that simple.  However, there is a simplicity that we must be accountable for: where we put our energy is what will grow (with the footnote that we are not in control of everything, and can not change everything).  Sometimes life sucks.  We can't possibly choose everything with full knowledge (unless all info is fully disclosed and available - in that case, we are responsible).  We can not change our surroundings on many levels.  So no, not all things are a result of our own actions.  However, we have more control than we realize and that scares us.  In reality, it should empower us, but when we are so used to being told what to buy, what to take and when, how to raise our children, what we should have, what should not have happened etc., having the reigns firmly and solely in our hands can be daunting.  But, you know what?  Now is the time. 

For 24 hours, put your energy/decisions purposefully towards those things in your life and see how parallel what you put out, is what you create.

*I hate to show a photo without crediting the creator, but as far as I can tell, it came from here. 

Life Systems

Throughout this blog, I have pulled out a number of analogies in day-to-day life ('managing one's garden'/social circles/Social Accountability,  being 'Plugged In', 'Poop=Fertilizer', water Overflowing, 'Trauma and Growth'/pain before or accompanying growth, Intuition versus Anxiety).  When I write, these circumstances are things that just stick out in my mind, that influence and inspire me.  It is for a reason.

I believe that Life, is an incredibly complex whole, which, under most circumstances, continues with underlying common theories.  What it takes to live is common in some fundamental ways.

• Life is begins
• there is an innate nature to that life
• It is played upon by the environment around it
• the inherent nature of the life seeks to fulfill itself, to be expressed
• the life, struggles to bring its innate nature to fruition while maintaining what balance it can to survive
• if it succeeds or is consistent in bringing it's inherent nature forward, the environment (including life forms around it) around it become enriched
• if it fails, for whatever reason, it causes a draw upon, or unhealthy balance to the environment around it
• There is a complex, yet progressive interaction between all life forms, but rarely do they stand alone
•  When a life ends, it either continues on another generation and/or continues itself in some type of legacy- the energy is taken forward to continue to affect the life forms around it

Whether you or I believe that God starts this life and guides it, or science, spirituality, metaphysics, nothing even - whatever feels right to you and expresses this in the most meaningful manner, is what is right for you.  But the thing is, there are common themes and I believe, we are neither above, nor below these patterns.

Whether a community, a body system in itself, an environment, a family, the periodic table,  a solar system, religions, a film crew, a recipe for cake, a garden  - all of these have independent systems within it that create a whole.  That is just life.  They all have a balance of its parts that make them survive.

Take our physical self:  Each organ and the system it belongs to has a collection of tasks, amongst the whole system.  The digestive system supplies the body with energy and discards what it does not utilize.  The skeletal and muscular system is our physical framework geared to move us.  The immune system adaptst us to our environment and defend us.  The reproductive system continues us on.  Etc. Etc. Etc.  Each system has its place within the whole, just a bunch of cells which in the beginning began to realize their purpose and complete it.  And there you have a human body.  When the organs in that system begin to be compromised, the others around it must help it along,  compensate.  It redirects energy, sometimes putting things in overdrive to either recover, or just survive.  They whole system may be compromised in efficiency, even causing discomfort or more to the entire being. 

A family system - dysfunctional or not, are still a system.  When one member is down, the others rally to recover the member, to show their love, to say the tough things, or even walk away.  We affect one another.  We walk out in to the world in adulthood, imprinted with one, two or more decades of being a certain system within the whole.  Even when you walk away or move on, we are still, to an extent a part of that whole in the patterns we carry forward - even if it is to NOT carry the pattern forward (ah evolution).   And when we go out in to the world, ourselves as a part of that family system, are part of a community now, a society etc.  We have talents, we have patterns that we contribute to our environment good or not so good. 

Are we as humans, a positive system within the world as a whole?  Do I, as an individual, live who i am and offer my part to maintain balance within my family or social system?  Am I maintaining the balance my body, my physical self requires for wellness?  If I am not, at what cost and for what am I paying for? 

It seems way too simple to live these patterns what with all that us human beings are, but perhaps like all other systems, it is part of our survival to do so. 

Favourite Products & Things - Part III

A fantastic list of new things to share!

Onyx Ice Pop Molds & Storage Containers

I'll start off with the Onyx products, which I recently purchased.  It was a discussion on a wonderful parent's board*, that I saw all the yummy homemade ice pop (aka pops#cl#s, but apparently that name can't be used due to copyright issues) recipes that people were making and I was inspired:

• Easy, Creamy, Lemon Drop Ice Pops (from Carolyn, the owner of Onyx herself)
• Coconut Dream (we all know the current swarm for coconut products and the benefits!)
• Pineapple/ Blueberry 
• Coconut Pineapple
• Apple, Lime Watermelon
• Mango Peach Pop
• French Vanilla Cherry (excellent for all the end of season cherries!)

Someone mentioned the Onyx ice-pop trays which I have heard of before.  I don't care if September is below freezing the entire time, there will be ice pops.

Onyx is owned and operated by a local (Lower Mainland of B.C.) mom/family.  Searching for alternatives to plastic storage containers for her own new family and little one, she started her company.  Onyx offers the highest grade products for great value, all manufactured in responsible conditions.

I purchased the storage containers, the ice-pop trays, and some extra sticks.  I am in love with the storage containers.  They seal really well and who'd have thought my fridge could look SEXY, but it does with those storage containers!  Imagine that.  And the icepops have been a huge hit at our home.

I have made a batch of Cherry Vanilla and Vanilla Orange Creme ice-pops (all organic - orange juice, Greek yoghurt with vanilla and maple syrup).  Totally daughter, cousin (& momma) approved!

Sappho Cosmetics

I recall hearing a radio documentary on CBC Radio about a woman who was fighting cancer.  She brought up the cosmetic industry and how unregulated and sometimes toxic many of the products we use on our skin are - containing phthalates, dimethicone, parabens (will allow you to do your own research on those).  With makeups and personal skin care products designed to not only sit upon our skin, but penetrate it as well, it made me look in to what my own make up was carrying.  With the use of the Environmental Working Group's database, Skin Deep, I realized my make up was rated as being a 7-8 out of 10 - high toxicity.  Not happy makeup.  Then my hunt began.

I looked and looked, studied and looked some more, tried various makeups.  A makeup artist mentioned a makeup I had already tried and really liked a while back, AND it was very low (good rating) on the EWG website.  Concealer was a 1 out of 10.  Foundation was a 2 out of 10.  I found cosmetics that had ratings any lower didn't have a great range of colour, ease of use, nor resilience throughout the day.  Sappho's ingredients contained the following:

Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Jojoba Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Organic Rooibos Extract, Organic Calendula Extract (very calming for the skin), Emulsifying Wax, Iron Oxide, Organic Green Tea Extract, Vitamin E, Mica, Zinc Oxide, Rosemary Extract, Neem (excellent for problem skin including eczema), Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), Stearic Acid, Meadowfoam Oil, Daucus carota sativa (Carrot) Oil, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Frankincense Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Rockrose Essential Oil, Cedarwood Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Roman Chamomile Essential Oil, Konjac Glucomannan (Mannan), Citric Acid.

Finding Sappho Cosmetics foundation has given peace to my skin and my mind.  My skin feels alive, nourished and protected now.  Sappho does not dry out my skin and look cakey by days' end like my previous (and very expensive) makeup did.  The range of colours is fantastic as well.  I purchased two shades and mix as my skin has a wide range from summer to winter.  Love it!

To check out your makeup or skin care products' safety, visit the EWG Skin Deep Database and punch in your products.

The Bucket Books

The summer-time was a fantastic and challenging summer.  Our daughter made excellent friends in summer camp, new bonds with family, all of which, challenged her social skills.  I came upon "How Full Is Your Bucket - for kids" by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer:

It is about a boy who one day discovers an imaginary bucket over his head.  As bad things happen, his bucket empties.  As good things happen, his bucket fills.  He learns that giving to people helps to not only fill their bucket, but fills his own at the same time.

It is a great book for helping to explain how people feel and how we affect one another.  Right away, my three year old daughter flipped a switch and we began chatting about our 'buckets' and those around us, knowing she had an affect on their 'buckets'.

After that book, I found others:

 

 And if you have an interest beyond a great gift for a child, there's the New York Times #1 Bestseller for adults.  That will be a read sometime, hopefully in my future!

Infusion BouTeaque - Vanilla Honeybush Latte (tea)

What more could a gal want than to curl up in the gorgeous Autumn unfolding with a lovely book, a warm blanket and a cup of tea.  I stopped in to Infusion Bouteaque the other day with a friend.  Their special on the board sounded irresistible: Vanilla Honeybush Latte.  That alone melted me in to a pat of vanilla warmth!  Taking a smell of their sample tea leaves had me sold.   Honeybush is a tea leaf indigenous to the Cape of South Africa.  It is a non-caffeinated tea and carries some antioxidant properties, among a handful of others.  That all aside, the tea whether in latte form or plain, is like a toasty vanilla honey blankie in a up!  So consoling and my all time most favourite tea  ...although their Creme Earl Grey is not far behind...

So that is it for now.  Busy day tomorrow, so will sign off here.

May your Autumn bring you warmth, a loving environment and wellness always.

Plugged In

"Sometimes you make something and the Universe just says, 'yes, you did good today'.  You woke up with nothing and then you made something where there was nothing"  Anthony Kiedis, Red Hot Chili Peppers.

There are those days where you feel grounded, satisfied, content and the greatest feeling of it all was that you gave.  This is 'peace' and a measure of a good day to me - when you feel 'plugged in' to life, from the essence of who you are, to the reception of such by your surroundings.

We are all born with unique strengths that we come by naturally, that often times we disregard as talents because it is just how we innately express ourselves.  Perhaps it is the gift of humour, of insight, story-telling, an artistic eye, or physical, musical, intellectual talent.  Maybe the gift to see people wholly, or to engage them to bring their best to light.  The ability to problem solve in a particular way, organize thoughts or facts.  Maybe it is carrying a sense of peace, or being a conduit for a certain theme in life, of just giving love in a certain way etc.  When we are in touch with who we are and what makes us unique, we can offer these facets of who we are to contribute to Life.  When they are received by those beings in our surroundings, we have made a difference - we fit (I believe it is our responsibility as a part of the whole, to acknowledge and show appreciation when people offer their own gifts as it is not always easy for the person themselves to pin-point their own strengths - again, what a better world it would be if we lead by positive reinforcement and gratitude when possible) .

It is not what we earn, nor the "stuff" we have, but what we nurture and express in this world that makes the greatest difference in ourselves and the world around us.  Perhaps we are collectively learning this amongst all those things in life that deepen us - the tragedies, the losses, the injustices and equally, the dreams we share and strive for.   More and more people are caring to see what they, themselves are all about and are finding the need to express it and be received.

This year has been a year of reflection, of attaining more balance and, I feel, conserving and expending more focused energy mindfully.  Life has deepened in many ways - due to major happenings in the world, personal circumstances, investment in things that truly matter.

May you live today from the foundation of your own unique gifts, and if you see those around you living from theirs and making a positive impact, show gratitude.

"Plug-in"  

There will be a day when my lungs empty of their last breath.  My heart will spin and fear letting go of this life and from my loved ones, and memories will pass like a slow, easy breeze across my mind.

I will remember, summer days walking down the long driveway to the garden with my little girl chattering away with that sweet voice I sometimes nowadays take for granted.  Her picking and eating a meals' worth of veggies from the patch of earth we planted together.  Little hands plucking sun-warmed strawberries from the barrel - her most treasured gems of the garden.  Then one fine, plump strawberry left, she holds it up to the blue-skies and without a thought, offers it to me.  The sweetest, most flavourful strawberry I can remember.

It is crazy how life moves along, those moments that just happen.  Some moments make you just stop, as though the whole world suddenly slowed just for you to take note.  The first kiss my husband gave me will ride along that breeze too.

These moments cost nothing.  Most of the time they make me wonder what all the 'chasing' in life is for, but for chasing moments like these.

All About A Glue Stick

The past while has been busy on both the home-front and professionally.  Many changes, shifts, fantastic moments, learning curves, and professional challenges. 

A slice of life within all of that was a moment between my daughter and another little one.  They were playing together, doing crafts.  One wanted the glue stick the other was using.  We were doing 5 minute intervals of switching  - glue stick versus dollop of glue.  Both had had turns with the two means of gluing.  But it had come to a crucial moment.  Even though there was a dollop of glue on a plate for the other to use, she still wanted what the other had.  It was in her mind.   I encouraged the two to work it out.  Tears began to fall.  I took a deep breath (and took my Rescue Remedy).

Tears tumbled down the sun-kissed cheeks.  I took her hands in mine and looked her in the eyes and said the first thing that came to mind. "I am a firm believer that when we don't have exactly what we want, we are meant to see what else can be done, and you know what?  What else is out there, is often times better than what we wished we'd had, or way more creative than what we originally wanted".  Her tear-soaked eyes glimmered and her sweet little heart shifted gears.  She now had a challenge to seek what else could be done.

To the table she went with q-tips and a whole new game plan!  ...Till the timer went off, when the other little one wanted the q-tips and the glue-stick was absolutely not feasible to the other... sigh...

In the end though, I was gifted a funky cool craft with some very artistic gluing... HA!

It was a reminder to me:  If I'm not able to access what I want or think I need, maybe lift my eyes and let go.  Look for what else is out there to make things work or flow.  Flexibility.

Thankful for the lessons little ones consistently bring.