These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....

Life is what we make of it.   Each day brings to us new offerings which open the doors to our discovery and growth.   Reach out for them and grab a hold, even if something seems a bit strange or against the norm.  If we close our minds without experiencing life’s offerings, we will miss out.  They are there to enrich us in our journey.  We should be striving to learn something new every day. 

1.  Dates:  “Dates are Nature’s Candy.”  Well, they certainly are my candy!  When I’m in the mood for something sweet, I pop a date into my mouth.  Explain to me how someone would rather eat a chemical infested candy bar than a date.  Have you ever tried a Medjool date?  They taste a bit like caramel.  If you stop eating refined sugar, your taste buds will desensitize and you will actually taste the sweetness in nature’s fruits.  Once you taste how delicious dates are, you will not want the super sweet stuff.  I buy organic medjool dates from either Whole Foods or Wild by Nature.

Medjool Dates

2.  Organic Cotton & Bamboo Clothing:  I just love the soft and cozy feel of organic cotton.  We have been wearing synthetic fabrics for way too long that we forgot how nice organic cotton and bamboo fabrics feel on our skin.  Not only that, they are breathable fabrics that possess antibacterial properties.  When it is excruciatingly hot outside, our skin can freely get the air through the fabric which allows us to sweat naturally. (http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2216076119636682072&postID=8072371061218150846) Organic clothing is available for men, women, children and babies.  You can do a search online and find a nice selection.  Would you believe I purchased this outfit at the grocery store?  Yes, Wild by Nature in East Setauket had the natural fabric manufacturer Jonao (http://www.jonano.com/).  I just dressed up the outfit with a belt, shoes and my grandmother’s vintage butterfly necklace.

Organic Cotton & Organic Bamboo Clothing

3.  Cucumber Water:  Thanks to my friend Natalie, I’ve been sipping filtered water garnished with a chunk of cucumber every day this summer.  It is absolutely the most refreshing drink I’ve ever had.  I prefer it to lemon water.  The cucumber has high levels of silica which is great for your bones.  In addition, the silica keeps your hair, nails and skin supple.  Just make sure there is no waxy film on the cucumber.  Opt for an organic cucumber and don’t peel off the skin.  This is my new water of choice.  Thanks Natalie!

Cucumber Water

4.  Antique Books:  I love old books!  There is so much wisdom and knowledge to be gained by reading other people’s thoughts, both fact and fiction.  Years ago, I acquired a complete set of Harvard Classics from 1910.   In addition, I also have a complete set of Dickens novels and some Shakespeare.  Also, I enjoy browsing old book stores. (http://innerbeautyworkshops.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-lovers-paradise.html)  Pretty cool huh…..

Antique Books

5.  High John:  Several weeks ago, I stumbled across a congregation in Sayville called “The Silver Broom.”  As I was walking around the gift shop, my eye wondered upon a basket full of small items.  I instinctively picked one up and written on the little bag was “High John.  Helps to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.  Also protects against negative energies and curses.  Good for love spells and similar magic.”  With my interest completely peaked, I walked over to the sales lady to make an inquiry.  She told me that the dark brown nuggets that look like walnuts inside the plastic bag was a dried root vegetable called High John, a close relative of the sweet potato family and a member of the morning glory family.  You don’t eat it, but put the root in some olive oil, where it will fuse its scent into the oil.  This oil is called High John the Conqueror named after John the Conqueror, an African American prince who was sold as a slave in the Americas.  He became known as a hero and a man of incredible strength.  After the High John has fused in the oil for approx six weeks, you can rub it on yourself to attract protection, money, courage and love.   Hmmmm….what’s coming my way……?????

High John Oil/High John

REFERENCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Conqueror#John_the_Conqueror_root

Book Lover's Paradise

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved to read.   Nancy Drew always solved her mysteries.  Laura Ingalls grew up on that prairie and thank goodness God showed up for Margaret.  I remember placing my monthly order with the Scholastic Book Club and getting so excited upon its arrival and distribution.   Times change and things are so different today.  Of course, with the advent of the computer and increased technology, books as we know them are becoming increasingly obsolete.  Textbooks are now being downloaded online so college kids can read them from the computer, people can download books to their kindles or nooks and bookstores as we know them are struggling to stay afloat.  In addition, older books are becoming increasingly difficult to find.  Beneficial knowledge lost forever to this and subsequent generations.

I am sad to see books as we know them go.  Did you see the headlines this week that Borders is closing?  Books are being substituted for more electronics.  Is there anything that is not sacred anymore?  Who would prefer to curl up with a bright electronic light rather than an old book?  I cannot even imagine how hard it must be on your eyes to focus on an electronic reader hour after hour.  What do these do to the health of the eye?  Where are the double blind studies?   Furthermore, these electronic contraptions completely take the fun out of reading.  There’s no more turning the pages to see what’s happening next  (The Monster at the End of this Book) or skipping to the last page because you cannot take the suspense of a mystery novel (Murder on the Orient Express).  I’m sorry, but curling up with a kindle on a cold winter’s day just does not cut it!  Why are we ruining the book?

Knowledge is power!  The more we read, learn, observe the more wisdom we gain.  Can it be that we are being lead into the dark?  I don’t want to bring up conspiracy theories here but it does make you scratch your head.  Especially since preliminary studies show that simple fonts on e-books make it harder for people to retain the information that they are reading.  Apparently, a Princeton University study found that the harder fonts (like those in our standard books) require more concentration and thus the participant is more likely to retain the information.  Yet another reason to save the book!

Where's Christine?

Just as most bookstores are going bankrupt or forever closing their doors, I found a jewel.  Book Lover’s Paradise, located in Bellmore, New York is an absolute diamond in the rough!  They have used and rare books, probably over 60,000 volumes.  Look at this place! (http://www.booklovers-paradise.com/)

What a treasure trove of information!  One can spend entire week here and still not see everything.  What a joy.  I’m in my element!

Amnon Tishler - Owner, Book Lover's Paradise

Technology is always growing and evolving.  Evolution is a part of life.  However, sometimes things are better off being left alone.  Sometimes we get things right the first time.  Why change something we know already works and is so ingrained in our culture?  Call me old-fashioned but I cannot imagine life without books.

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REFERENCES:

http://www.booklovers-paradise.com/

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S28/82/93O80/

(516) 221-0994

Sleep, Dreams & Health

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

There is a lot of truth in that quote!  You’ve got to love Benjamin Franklin.  The man was an absolute genius!  I really do follow that saying.  I like to go to bed early and get up early.  If I go to sleep after midnight, I feel lousy the next day.  In fact, without a good night’s rest, I am not at all productive.  Of course, I frequently get made fun of because I prefer to have my lights out by 10:30 p.m.  Yes I know I’ve heard all the complaints from family and friends..."You’re missing all the fun!"  "You’re missing late night television!  "You’re  missing the bar life!" "You’re missing chatting on the computer!"   Well….. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything!  Why should I stay up a few extra hours and feel like crap the ENTIRE next day?  Seriously, there is a reason the sun goes down at night and the sky turns dark.  It’s nature’s way of telling us to go to sleep!  Aside from the fact that you will feel better going to bed early, it is a necessity if one wants to remain healthy. 

When we sleep, our body repairs itself.  Our vital organs do what is necessary to maintain health.  In addition, the billions of cells that make up our body take from the blood what they want (nutrients) and discharge what they don’t want (toxins) into the channels of elimination.  Cells that are tired and worn are restored.  Most of the deeper repair work that the body needs is done in the two hours before midnight.  A good night sleep is vital in maintaining the health of our body and mind. 

What’s needed to get a good night’s rest?  I can easily name two things: keeping the body clean and keeping the mind calm and tranquil.  How does that sound?  Not so bad.  It seems that in each blog post, I’m trying to tell you the same things over and over again.  We need to eat organic, healthy non-genetically modified foods.  I’ve been eating healthy for many years now and I can definitively say that it made a huge difference in my ability to obtain a good night’s rest.  If you wake up the next morning and feel fatigued, you are too toxic.  A healthy body will wake up refreshed.   Once you are making strides to clean your body, you can concentrate on calming your mind……

The mind needs to be clear not only so you can be in a relaxed state and get a good night’s rest but also so that dreams can be reduced to a minimum.  Yes, you read that right…..

Healthy people who sleep soundly dream very little.  Usually when a person dreams it is upon awakening in the morning after a very sound nights rest.  You shouldn’t remember your dreams in the middle of the night.  That usually means that you are sleeping too lightly and your body will be unable to complete all its nighttime tasks.  To get the body into a deeper sleep, you must do your best to clear your mind of troubling thoughts.  If you feel you have too much on your mind before bed, try getting it out by writing your thoughts in a journal.  When you put your head on the pillow, think of positive emotions like kindness, love, success, health and beauty.  This way your conscience mind will direct your subconscious mind into positive channels and you will get a more restful night’s sleep.  In terms of health, the most rejuvenating kind of sleep is so deep that you remember nothing between when you fall asleep and when you awaken.

The world is at your fingertips when you follow a healthy lifestyle.  Getting a good night’s rest is crucial to your overall health and wellbeing.  I cannot emphasize it enough.  You will get more accomplished and be more productive during daylight hours if your mind can thoroughly relax and have a restful and rejuvenating sleep.   I can write and suggest the same things week after week, but only you can travel your own path.  No other person can do for you what you can do for yourself.  It’s your choice…………..

Good Night Moon!

REFERENCES:

Alsaker, Rasmus, M.D., “The Master Key to Health.” Sun-Diet Health Foundation Publishers, East Aurora, New York:  1933

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OUT-TAKES!!!

"I washed ashore"....LOL





Couldn't Resist

Laughing so hard and trying not to fall in

I'm not supposed to look dead....LOL



Exploding Moon





Why Exercise?

How many times do we hear how important it is to exercise.  We have heard those words for our entire lives.  The mainstream news tells us that exercising will benefit our heart by getting our heart rate up and that we should get some form of daily physical exercise.  Then why is it when I look around, I see three out of four Americans overweight?  Why the big disconnect?  It’s because humans tend to be on the lazy side.  That is why it is easier to sit with a bowl of ice cream and watch television after work rather than take a walk.  I have spoken at length why it is so important to eat healthy nutrient dense non-genetically modified foods and how it contributes to a healthy mind, body and soul.  What I want to point out in this blog writing is that without a normal amount of physical exercise maintaining health is absolutely impossible.  What does exercise provide that is crucial for maintaining health in the body?  I can sum it up in one word…..OXYGEN! 

I want you to think of oxygen as a food just like you would of fruits and vegetables.  According to MacFadden, “Everything that enters into the composition of a healthy body is a food, and as oxygen is the chief element in giving life and strength to the blood stream, its importance as a food cannot be over-estimated.”  When you exercise, the body demands an increased amount of oxygen and thus forces the inhalation of greater quantities of air.  This oxygen is carried through the entire body and increases the work of the red blood cells.  These cells carry oxygen to the body cells and carbon dioxide to the lungs to be excreted.  What happens if you don’t exercise?   Your system will stagnate, your blood will fill with impurities and there will be an accumulation of dead cells and other waste material.  The more muscles we use, the more we speed up both respiration and circulation of the blood. If we exercise strenuous enough and for a long enough period of time, the pores of our skin will open and we will eliminate toxic material by sweat.  Doesn’t that last sentence make you want to get up and dance?

(**I am sharing with you a video of a PRACTICE  session of The Blue Spruce Cloggers, of which I am a member. http://www.bluesprucecloggers.com/  The dancers’ ages are 46-68.  This is only half of our group.  We just learned this routine and are working on perfecting it so it can be performed in our fall shows.)

 Exercise should be fun and enjoyable.  I’m sure you can find something that you enjoy spending your time doing.  You don’t have to overdo it either.  You never want to exercise to the point of exhaustion.  If you feel fatigued, it is time to stop.   Our body knows when to quit running that marathon.  When our stomach growls, we know it is time to eat.  When we get the sensation of thirst, we know it is time to drink.  When we get the feeling of fatigue while exercising, it is time to stop and rest.  Aaaahhhh….Doesn’t it feel good after a nice workout to take a shower and relax.  Don’t you feel much better than sitting in front of the television with that bowl of ice cream?

REFERENCES

Macfadden, Bernarr, “Macfadden’s Encyclopedia of Physical Culture,” New York: MacFadden Publication, Inc. 1928

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Spiritual Health

I guess it’s safe to say that I will never fly to the moon in this lifetime.  I really have no desire to risk my life on a spaceship to put my foot prints on the moon.  But….there is a place I do want to go and it’s going to be equally as tough to get there.  This place doesn’t involve me risking my life.  In fact, it doesn’t involve me going anywhere.  It’s a place that only my soul can go.  It’s a connection to the spiritual side and the only way to get there is through the mind.  I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about.  So, I will try and be as clear as I can, especially given the fact that I am just learning about this myself.  It’s about a journey to the unknown and you cannot get there unless you are healthy.  Your body and mind must be clean.  I am absolutely fascinated by the topic of Spiritual Health.  If I were a PhD. student, I would write my thesis on this. 

According to Dr. William Howard Hay, human beings are a trinity.  This trinity is comprised of three parts: spiritual, mental and physical.  In order to reach the spiritual side of yourself, both your mental and physical state have to be in complete balance and harmony.  Dr. Hay writes, “When the mind and body are in harmony, only then will there be opportunity for proper spiritual development; for do not forget that the spiritual man is the first man, the mental the second, and the physical the third man; and only when these second and third are in harmony can there be a proper spiritual state.”  How can you get yourself in complete harmony?  The very first step is watching what you eat. 

The food you eat and what you put on your body directly affects the human thought process.   Approximately 20 percent of the blood flowing from the heart is pumped to the brain.  If your blood is filled with impurities, this impure blood will be pumped to the brain creating a “foggy” feeling.  We have a left and right side to the brain.  The left side of the brain processes information and allows for the following functions; analysis, logics, precision, repetition, organization, details, scientific studies, literal and sequential learning.  The right side of the brain is where creativity takes place and allows for these functions; imagination, intuition, conceptual knowledge, empathy, heuristic methods and just plain old common sense.  When you eat things that are impure it taints the blood and makes it toxic.  This will befuddle the brain and make it IMPOSSIBLE to think clearly. 

This is why is it imperative we stay away from anything nature doesn’t recognize as food such as anything artificial, preservatives, genetically modified organisms, food dyes, growth hormones, alcohol, caffeine, all medicines and pharmaceuticals, anything altered or cloned, refined foods and artificial sweeteners.  As Jack LaLanne used to say, “If man made it, don’t eat it!”  If you constantly eat these things, you will constantly be in a state of fog.  In addition, you will have poor reasoning power, loss of memory, lack of concentration and less productivity to get things done or achieve your life’s goals.  So when you decide to eat less and less man made foods, your blood will begin to carry less waste to the brain and there will be an instant improvement in your thought process.  In the Bible, the Lord advised Adam and Eve that they should eat of every herb that is upon the face of the whole earth, and of every herb bearing seed (vegetables, greens, grains), and of the fruit of every tree in which there is the seed of a tree bearing fruit.  I don’t remember reading anything about a tomato that contains the gene of a flounder or a seed that has been inserted with a soil organism so it cannot be killed when sprayed with a chemical.  And…who made “them” God for playing with our food like that?  The cleaner your blood becomes, the clearer your thoughts will be and the more productive you will become and the more spirituality you will develop.  It’s that simple.

Oh…and don’t criticize what you cannot see.  If you were color blind and couldn’t see colors you wouldn’t know of them unless someone told you.  It’s the same thing for the spiritual side.  Until your body is clean and your blood pure, it is very difficult to see or comprehend.

If we want to experience something amazing in this lifetime, we have to take very good care of ourselves, starting with putting very healthy nutrient dense food in our body.  We can choose to treat the body in a way that establishes a normal working order, a fit temple for the mind and spirit.  This is the first step!  Are you with me?  The choice is up to you……………….

REFERENCES:

Hay, Willam Howard, M.D., “A New Health Era” Pocono Haven, Mount Pocono, PA: 1933

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