Inner Beauty Workshops

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Inner Beauty Workshops Field Trip – Green festival NYC 2012

On Saturday, April 21^st I ventured into NYC to spend the day at the Green Festival at Javits Center. The main reason I wanted to attend was to meet Jeffrey Smith, Author of “Seeds of Deception” and “Genetic Roulette.” I completely admire this man who has fought tirelessly to make the public aware of the dangers of genetically modified foods. He maintains an informational website; Institute for Responsible Technology (http://www.responsibletechnology.org/) which has the most up-to-date news on GMO’s. He has developed a labeling system for items that do NOT contain GMO’s. Please visit his website to request a shopping guide brochure that contains products from manufacturers who are free & clear of genetically modified ingredients.

Jeffrey Smith, Green Festival NYC 2012

Jeffrey Smith presented the most recent science validating the dangers of GMO’s. Please visit his website for this information.

Christine Segal, Jeffrey Smith, Green Festival NYC 2012

Here is his first book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Seeds-Deception-Government-Genetically-Engineered/dp/0972966587/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335385265&sr=1-2

*You can educate yourself about GMO’s for the price of a movie and popcorn...think about it!

I also attended a lecture of the delightful Frances Moore Lappe. She discussed her new book “Eco-Mind. Changing the Way We Think, to Create The World We Want.” Her message is for each and every one of us, no matter what age, to set our fears aside and collectively focus on solutions to the problems our world faces today.

Frances Moore Lappe, Christine Segal - Green Festival NYC 2012

Here is her book at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/EcoMind-Changing-Think-Create-World/dp/1568586833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335385212&sr=1-

I had a blast looking at all the vendor tables. There was such a variety of eco-savvy information there. I liked all the vendors and what they had to offer, however, here are a few that really caught my eye:

1. Mr. Ellie Pooh is a fair trade company that makes paper products out of elephant poo. That’s right; the paper is made from 50 percent fiber from elephant dung and 50 percent from post consumer paper. I was handed a sample of this paper at the festival. It reminds me of what construction paper used to look like when I was a kid. Check them out: www.mrelliepooh.com

2. Walleska Ecochicc is an innovative company who uses recycled aluminum can tabs to make items such as pocketbooks, belts, vests or jewelry. These items will definitely make a statement wherever you g o. Please visit their website to view items: www.ecochicc.com

3. I just loved the kale chips from Alive & Radiant Foods. The kale chips are raw, gluten free, and made with organic ingredients. There are many varieties including Southwest Ranch, Tarragon Dijon and Cheezy Chips. http://blessingsaliveandradiantfoods.com/

4. Phytopod is a gardening container that allows you to grow a 20 square foot garden in a 2’ x 2’ space. Now you have no excuses as to why you cannot grow your own garden. Check this out: http://verticalhomegardens.com/

5. Kopali Organics had samples of wonderful Kopali Chocolates which originated from Peru. They have no refined sugars, no cholesterol, no transfats, no dairy, no animal products, vegan and gluten free. Flavors include: organic dark chocolate covered banana, organic dark covered goji berries and organic dark chocolate covered cocao nibs. Here is the website for further information: www.kopali.com

I cannot wait until next year!

Inner Beauty Workshops offers

in person coaching as well as telephone coaching. Please contact christine@innerbeautyworkshops.com or (631)355-9442 for details…

Friday, April 20, 2012

A Matter of Principle

Have you ever had something happen to you that you felt the need to stick up for your rights? For instance, a traffic violation you felt you didn’t deserve. When something happens to me in life which doesn’t sit right inside of me, I always stand up for myself and express my concerns. I wanted to write this blog post so you can follow my train of thoughts to understand my thinking process in dealing with an uncomfortable situation.

This week I got a “Notice Before Summons” mailed to my home from the Department of Waste Management from my town stating that I had five days to clean up debris such as “litter, paper, loose branches and leaves” from an area behind my fence or else I would be fined and cited with a misdemeanor. This area is about 10 feet wide and meets with a traveled road. I was told when I moved in my house over 20 years ago that the property belonged to the Town. Consequently, the Town cared for the property up until I received the letter basically cutting down any tree branches that impacted the road and picking up any litter that passerby’s threw out of their car windows. I never considered this area my responsibility.

The area in question

I was taken aback by the tone of the letter…”I had five days to clean up this area or else….” Why do people in the place of authority think it is okay to speak down to other people? There was no reason to send a threatening letter. Why not simply send a letter asking the homeowner to clean up the property because the Town is lacking the funding or the manpower? Why not send out a letter in the spirit of cooperation? By sending out a threatening letter, yes I may be forced to clean up the property, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth regarding those whom I voted into office. Therefore, I phoned in a complaint. As a tax paying citizen, I have the right to stick up for what I believe is inherently right.

A few thoughts on the summons itself….As I stated above, the summons stipulates for me to remove “loose branches and leaves” from the property. Why on Earth would I get fined for removing Mother Nature? Those leaves and branches fell naturally to the ground. They will eventually naturally decompose and benefit the soil underneath. “Hell can freeze over” before I pick up naturally falling leaves and branches. How about instead issuing a summons to those who put chemicals on their property which sink into the ground and contaminate our drinking water? Am I living in the twilight zone?

It’s time we collectively learn how to stick up for our rights as citizens of the Earth. (Notice I didn’t write citizens of the United States). We are born free, yet because of man-made arbitrary rules, we are bound so tight we cannot move. It’s time to release the chains that bind.

I did contact my local politician with my concerns and received a response that my complaint was “being looked into.” My next course of action is to write an editorial to the local papers.

“A girl’s gotto do what a girl’s gotto do!”

Flexing some muscle...lol

Inner Beauty Workshops offers

in person coaching as well as telephone coaching. Please contact christine@innerbeautyworkshops.com or (631)355-9442 for details…

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Pay Attention to your Posture

The older I get, the more I seem to slump. I need to “check” myself throughout the day to make sure my body is in correct alignment. I ask that you do the same. Today, we spend many hours in front of a computer screen. Let me ask you to examine yourself as you read this. Are your feet firmly placed on the ground? Are you sitting up straight in your chair? If not, “sit up straight!” Correct your posture. It is not good for your spine to be sitting hours on end with your shoulders rounded. If you are sitting in a room with others, take a look at them. Are they slouched in their chairs? If you want a good lesson in how not to sit, examine the people around you. Make a mental note of what you see.

In the good old days, our Mother used to tell us to “sit up straight.” For some of us, this conjures up bad memories. As children, we didn’t like being told what to do. As adults, we like it even less. However we need to learn what’s best for us and incorporate it into our daily routine. Why is checking your posture important? Here are some reasons:

1. Good posture and health are interdependent. Physical ills sometimes vanish when posture is corrected. Among these troubles is backache, which can be caused by muscular strain.

2. Good posture facilitates deep breathing, which contributes to better over-all health.

3. Good posture protects the spine. If we do not sit or stand in a straight position, this can restrict our blood vessels and nerves which can lead to problems of the joints, discs or muscles.

4. Good posture eliminates “rounded shoulders.” Rounded shoulders can lead to compression of the chest which can cramp the heart and lungs and over crowd the digestive and other functional organs of the body.

5. Good posture makes a better impression on others. For example, would you hire the person who is slouched in a chair during an interview or a person who is sitting up straight? If an interviewee is slumped over that person can be read as self-conscious, shy or discouraged verses the person who sits straight up, which can be seen as confident, poised and dynamic.

What is the proper position of the body for perfect posture? Here is a description from MacFadden’s Encyclopedia.

“The shoulders should be back, the abdomen should not be drawn in as is commonly recommended. It should be relaxed and perfectly free to move outward and inward as the breath is inhaled and exhaled. There should be no strain in any part.”

Picture from MacFadden's Encyclopedia - Correct Posture

For today, pay close attention to your posture when you are seated especially in front of the computer. In addition, make a mental note to throw your shoulders back and stand up straight as you perform routine daily tasks. Remember repetition leads to habit. By adjusting yourself daily, you will see an improvement not only in your posture but in your overall health and well-being.

REFERENCES

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

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Why I didn’t purchase a lottery ticket….

The car radio blared that the lottery was now up to 650 million and people were scrambling to purchase tickets. I must admit that even me, someone who has NEVER purchased a lottery ticket, turned up the volume. Should I find the nearest card store and purchase a ticket? The thought was intriguing as my eyes scanned passing stores. If I had $650 million there were so many things I could do with the money like producing my own television show or paying off the mortgage of loved ones. What a glorious life it would be….or would it?

We have all heard the phrases “money doesn’t buy happiness” and “money cannot buy love.” These statements we know are true because money, after all, is just paper. Money cannot buy an emotion. What we think and how we feel are consequences of our journey and the choices we have made. Time moves forward each and every day. We can either take a step forward in the direction of our goal(s) or we can stay still. Winning the lottery may get us to our destination, but it cannot give us pride, accomplishment and satisfaction for a job well done. If we want to feel happy we have to earn it, not purchase it. How do you earn the right to be happy? First, by being grateful that each day you wake up you have 86,400 seconds at your disposal. Second that you use your time wisely and take the necessary steps to reach your goals. Lastly, that you face any adversity head-on and move forward with determination and perseverance.

Character is built by appreciating and valuing yourself. Winning the lottery would drastically change my journey, hence affecting my life’s lessons, which can only be learned through hard work, sweat and tears. I smiled as these thoughts encompassed my brain, turned the radio to another channel and kept driving.

Nope!

I am now coaching clients via telephone. Please contact: christine@innerbeautyworkshops.com for additional information.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

April 2012 Monthly Challenge – Plant a Garden!

Gone are the days when we can trust where our food comes from. Today, it is imperative to know who has grown, raised and prepared our food. In order to determine this, we must read labels and ask questions. If we want total control, no questions asked, we must grow our own food like our ancestors did. Yes, growing your own food does take a bit of work, but only if we view it as such. Gardening is very therapeutic and rewarding. How cool would it be to head out to the garden at lunchtime and pick your own lunch! A freshly picked fruit or vegetable has the most nutrients; you can almost taste the sunshine.

April is the perfect time to begin your summer garden. Here is what I would like you to do each week:

(Week 1) Purchase you seeds. The best place to purchase your seeds is at your local health food store. Most stores, including Whole Foods, already have seed packets available for sale. Of course, you can also order your seeds online. My favorite place is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (http://rareseeds.com/). All of their seeds are pure, natural and Non-GMO. What seeds should you order? Why a rainbow of course! In addition to purchasing your seeds, please buy seed starting kits and organic potting soil. These items can be purchased at your local home improvement store.

(Week2) Read the back of each seed packet and begin indoor seeds. Make a list so you know which seeds will sow directly into the ground and which ones need to be started indoors. Fill all seed starting kits with soil and plant all indoor seeds such as tomatoes, cucumber, peppers etc. Make sure you mark each plant carefully so there is no confusion later on. Mist with spray bottle and place in a sunny warm window. I start my seeds with the protected clear covering to keep them moist and warm. This is a great and fun project you can do with your children. You can ask them to check it daily and provide water if the soil gets too dry.

(Week3) Clean out last year’s garden. This can be a huge job depending on the size of your garden. It is a good idea to weed, turn the soil and add fresh compost. If you don’t have a garden, this is a time to designate a small area and make one. There are numerous videos and articles of instruction on how to make your own garden. If you have no space at all, please look into container gardening. Growing pots can be purchased at your local home improvement store. I read an article once where someone, who had absolutely no room to plant a garden, took some gutters and screwed them onto the side of their house. They filled them with dirt and voila a garden! There is no excuse! You can find a way to do it!

(Week4) This is the perfect time to begin planting outdoors. Lettuce, kale and some herbs can be safely planted at this time. Please look at the back of your seed packet for specific instructions.

Watch your indoor seeds grow and become miniature plants. Once the danger of frost has passed, usually around Mother’s Day, you can safely plant your indoor plants outdoors. In addition, this is the time to sow your remaining seed packets outdoors. Please watch for weeds, as they can choke your plants. Taking care of a garden is a daily activity, however, it won’t take up too much time if you get family members involved or just plain old relax and enjoy it!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Hospital Food – Don’t Eat It!

My brother John....lol

People always ask me if I miss eating sweets such as ice cream, cookies, cakes, etc. I can honestly tell you that I don’t. I ate my fair share in my youth. I was lucky enough to be able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound. Just like I wouldn’t want to repeat High School, I wouldn’t want to go back to eating sweets. “Been there, done that.” I now look at those types of foods and many others as poison. Why would I want to ingest poison? I love the way I feel each day when I eat an abundance of organically grown whole foods. This type of food is what we all need to keep our bodies strong and protect them from getting ill. If we don’t get the protected elements (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) we can wind up sick – enough to be hospitalized.

A hospital cafeteria

When you are sick, you need extra nutrition and good quality protein to heal. Actually, depending on the illness, light foods such as broth may be needed to give the body the ability to heal and gain strength. Often times we eat three meals out of habit, which is not necessary or desirable when we are ill. The body should not be constantly digesting food when sick. If you give digestion a rest, in conjunction with sleep, the body will concentrate on fixing itself. Since most conventional doctors do not have nutritional education backgrounds, they lack this simple knowledge and give people the wrong advice, to “eat up.” To make the situation even worse, the patient is stuck eating hospital foods, which are worse than our school lunches. I particularly cannot believe when a doctor prescribes “light” foods, such as jello.

A hospital cafeteria

My Dad spent over a month in three different hospitals last December/January. As a consequence, I spent a lot of time there. What an eye opener! Hippocrates built his first hospital by a stream so he can grow watercress because he was aware of the beneficial and healing properties of the plant. Do you know what was given to my Father? ENSURE….AS IN ENSURE SICKNESS…

Here are the ingredients on the bottle: water, corn maltodextrin, sugar, milk protein concentrate, canola oil, soy protein concentrate, corn oil, short chain fructooligosaccharides: Less than 0.5% of: whey protein concentrate, natural and artificial flavors, magnesium phosphate, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, soy lecithin, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt (sodium chloride) choline chloride, ascorbic acid, carrageenan sulfate, niacinamide, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, cupric sulfate, vitamin A palmitate, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, chromium chloride, biotin, sodium molybdate, sodium selenate, potassium iodide, phylloquinone, vitamin d3 and cyanocobalamin.

Seriously, have you ever looked closely at a hospital menu? Yikes! It’s frightening! If you have a loved one in the hospital, do him/her a favor and BRING FOOD! I brought my Dad fruit and salads daily and my Mom cooked and brought him most of his meals. I’m sure it was one of the reasons why he recuperated so quickly from an illness that takes people much longer to recover from. If the hospital has a window that opens, open it! Fresh air will circulate oxygen to the body which is also mandatory for health. By doing these suggestions, you will help your loved one to regain strength and heal much quicker.

A hospital cafeteria

If you have to be in the hospital visiting a sick friend or family member, “bring your own food.” The hospital cafeterias have nothing healthy in them!

New this week:

My video on rebounding!

I have also become Vision Board Certified! Thank you to Joyce Schwartz for teaching me the techniques to help people reach their goals and dreams.

http://www.visionboardinstitute.com/

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Food, Sex & Politics

Goddess Ariadne - I was almost named Ariadne, except my Mom was worried people would call me "Ari"

If someone tells you that what you eat has nothing to do with your sex drive or function, he/she is speaking through complete ignorance. The connection between what you eat and sex is closely linked, however, few people realize this. Today we are told that a simple trip to the doctor will solve all your troubles. “Just take this pill” is the remedy for sexual dysfunction. Sure, a pill can stimulate your circulation by pumping the blood into extraneous organs. The doctor told you so! Your mind then believes that a pill can solve your troubles when in fact the pill is nothing but a placebo. It’s your mind that believes the pill will work and then it does. If you take Viagra or some other stimulating pill, how about believing it doesn’t work and see what happens.

Now, let’s look at the cause and not the effect of the trouble. I will discuss today one cause, which is lack of ”NUTRIENTS.” Foods may be said to effect sex in two main ways (1) by simulating or deadening desire and, (2) by influencing general health and vigor. Vitamins, minerals and protein are essential for normal sexual function. All are equally important. This is why it is crucial to eat a balanced diet consisting of whole foods in their natural state. Nature has provided an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables nuts and seeds each season that will keep the body in its highest form of working order. Did you know that tomatoes, rich in Vitamins A and C were known at one point as “love apples?” Or are you aware that artichokes and asparagus produce stimulating effects on the urinary passages of the body?

Spices also awaken sexual desire. The ancient Phoenicians (can you believe 1500 BC – 300 BC) used saffron as a love spice. Additionally, Cleopatra used saffron in her bath to enhance her sexuality. (I cannot wait to try this in my next bath…lol) Cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and peppermint are other well-known spice excitants.

Meat is stimulating and can enhance sexual vigor. Meat, eggs and fish (from grass-fed animals) contain first rate proteins. Just be careful because a little bit of animal protein goes a long way. I do not recommend eating large quantities of animal foods. Potency and fertility depend greatly upon the amount and quality of food eaten.

Malnutrition plays a huge role in fertility. In fact, if one wanted to decrease the population, it can easily be done by manipulating the food supply. How many of you remember learning about the severe food restrictions imposed by the Nazi’s upon subject peoples? These were designed in large measure to rob people of potency, among other things. Eugenics, a movement concerned with human evolution, desires to see people with good health, high intelligence and character evolving and people with lower IQ’s and socio-economic status declining. A way to decrease the general population is by limiting its access to quality nutrients while increasing the levels of chemicals in the body. The effect of which is both infertility and disease. The amount of chemicals in our foods, the decline of fertile soils, and the inability to find clean/pure water in combination with the amount of medication prescribed and consumed today has created a “diseased” society instead of a society of health and vigor, which is necessary for an evolved species. Is the government and big business our friend or foe? That’s not a determination I can stipulate based on subjective information and hearsay. However, allowing carcinogens into our food supply certainly makes you go hmmmm……

I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important quality foods are to the body. Sexual interest naturally declines with fatigue and lack of vitality. In order to maintain peek effectiveness, please eat a balanced diet of organically grown fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds as well as small bits of protein from quality sources. *This is especially important if you are planning on having children.*