Recipe: Beet Carpaccio on Sauteed Greens

Beets are high in folic acid and potassium, and are a good source of vitamins A and C. As a root vegetable, they provide lots of fibre, and they helps support the liver in its detoxification job. The naturally sweet taste helps satisfy those cravings for sugar. Flax oil provides essential omega-3 fats.

This recipe calls for gold coloured beets. These are a little hard to come by, but don't let that stop you. Go ahead and use red!

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 medium gold coloured beets, crisp greens attached
1/3 cup flaxseed oil
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (I didn't bother toasting)
1 cup shaved Manchego cheese (I just used a few shavings of fresh parmesan... maybe 1/8 of a cup worth)

Directions:

1. trim beets, leaving roots/bulbs intact. Set greens aside.
2. place beets in large pot of water and bring to a boil
3. reduce heat to medium, and gently boil beets until tender but still slightly firm when pierced with a fork.
   
4. drain and cool in cold water
5. wash and dry leaves
6. place in a saucepan with a little water and steam/boil until wilted
7. drain well and coursely chop (I actually chopped before boiling)
8. combine oil, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl and whisk to blend
9. drizzle 2 Tbsp over greens and toss to coat
10. divide greens into 4 servings and place on plates
11. peel the cooled beets and thinly slice
12. divide sliced beets into 4 servings, and place over top of beet greens
13. sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and cheese

recipe courtesy Alive magazine, Nov 2009

Recipe: Simple Sesame Grilled Chicken

I didn't feel like pulling my indoor grill out from the back of my pantry and having to clean it and everything, so I just baked it (at 385 F for 25 minutes, uncovered) and it came out super juicy, tender and flavourful. I'm sure grilling it would be just as tasty.

Chicken breast is lean source of protein. Choose organic or at least "free-from" choices to avoid hormones and antibiotics, and preferably free-range which just makes for a happier chicken life and gives you peace of mind that you're not supporting the awful conditions that "regular" chickens are raised in (plus sparing you from the stress hormones that are at a peak for those poor chickens). The sesame seeds provide a great source of calcium, and the olive oil provides monounsatured fats and omega-3s.

Serves 4
Ingredients
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (I didn't bother to toast them)
1/4 cup chives, chopped

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together except chicken, sesame seeds, and chives
2. Put chicken breasts into a glass bowl and pour sauce over top; roll chicken around in it so it's completely covered. Cover bowl and marinate in fridge for a couple of hours
3. Drain and grill chicken just until tender but still moist and no longer pink in centre
4. Place on plate and drizzle with a little lemon juice, sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped chives.

recipe courtesy of Alive magazine, Nov 2009

Gourmet dinner for one... in just 30 minutes!

Oh if only I'd thought to take a picture of my dinner before I was half finished. I would love to have shown you it's beautiful deliciousness. Well, chances are I'll be having it again soon, so if I do, I'll add a picture.

So here's what I had:

• a starter of fresh figs with goat cheese
• Sesame baked chicken breast - juicy and flavourful
• a side of beets on beet greens with pine nuts and fresh parmesan
• oh and since I had started out my cooking this evening making the Spicy Carrot & Lentil Curry that I posted a few days ago, I had a 1/2 a cup of that to try it out too and it was delicious!

Yep, all just for me. Would have been really lovely with a glass of red wine. What brought on this occasion? Absolutely nothing remarkable. I found some recipes that sounded good, and had the ingredients that I needed to use before they started to spoil. It was such a treat! And, yes, it really only took 30 minutes, 25 of which was the chicken baking in the oven while the beet boiled on the stove. I prepared the other ingredients while those parts were cooking, then took a few minutes to put it all together on a plate.

My point in telling you about my meal is to demonstrate, for all those who say that healthy eating takes too much work, too much time, and there's no point when it's all just for yourself (I often hear singles saying that they can't be bothered to cook just for themselves). It doesn't have to take a lot of time at all. And aren't you worth the effort and the nutrition? If you could have super nutritious and super delicious food like that every night while still spending less than an hour in the kitchen, isn't that a heck of a lot better than any fast food burgers, chinese food, pizza, or whatever other delivery place you have on your speed dial? Those foods only leave you feeling greasy, gassy, and gaining weight.... not to mention triggering your brain and biochemistry to drive you to want more and more, insatiably.

If you're under the impression that healthy eating has to be a time consuming chore, I challenge you to give it a try. Certainly as you're building new habits you have to be more conscious about what you're doing, but practice enough, and before you know it, you're whipping up nutritilicious meals in less time than Pizza Pizza can get to your door!

To get you started, here's the recipes for what I had tonight:

Fresh figs - cut in half and sprinkle with feta/goat cheese
Beet Carpaccio on Sauteed Greens
Simple Sesame Grilled Chicken

Enjoy!

Recipe: Spicy Carrot and Lentil Curry

This meal is a good source of Vitamin A (important for healthy skin and eyes) and a great source of vegetarian protein, AND it warms you up on a chilly fall or or winter day.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 Tbsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
2 cups sweet onions, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 Tbsp red curry paste
4 cups organic vegetable stock
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup dried red split lentils
1 cup frozen shelled edamame beans (soybeans), thawed
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heath oil in large saucepan over med-high heat
2. add onion, garlic, and ginger; saute 5 min or until soft and translucent. Stir occasionally
3. stir in curry paste and 1 cup stock to blend.
   
4. add carrots, and crushed red pepper
5. reduce heat to med-low, cover, and cook until carrots are crisply tender, about 5 min. Stir.
6. add remaining stock, lentils, edamame beans, and bring to boil.
   
7. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes until lentils are tender
8. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper
9. spoon into individual serving bowls and serve with crusty whole grain bread

recipe courtesy Alive magazine, Nov 2009

Recipe: Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Satisfy your sweet tooth NATURALLY with whole grains, fruit, and natural sweeteners! In addition to providing natural sweetness, the whole grains help keep your blood sugar steady (avoiding those sugar highs and lows that lead to cravings and weight gain), provide fibre, and B-vitamins for energy. The coconut oil provides a metabolically-friendly source of fat, nuts provide essentially fats (omega-3) and protein, and cinnamon further helps stabilize the blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity (helping cells make use of the energy you're feeding them). And of course bananas are sweet and provide fibre, and loads of potassium. What more can you ask for from a cookie? Enjoy!

These cookies freeze and thaw well, so make a batch and stick them in the freezer for munchie emergencies!

Ingredients
1.5 cups oats
.5 cup whole grain flour (try almond flour, or oat flour, or brown rice flour)
.5 tsp salt
.25 tsp baking soda
dash or two cinnamon
2 Tbsp chopped nuts (walnuts go great)
2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
2 med, ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
3/8 cup coconut oil

Directions

1. preheat over to 350 F
2. mix dry ingredients
3. in a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas and oil
4. add banana mixture to the dry ingredients
5. drop in heaping teaspoons on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
6. bake 10-15 minutes

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Satisfying your Sweet Tooth

No willpower when it comes to sweets? You are not alone! We all crave sweet foods. Here's why: our tongues have a large amount of sweet taste buds, and they demand to be satisfied. As well, highly sweet foods trigger reward centres in the brain, and create an automatic drive for them when triggered (by a taste of sweetness, or by places, people, activities, emotions, etc, that are associated with sweet foods). There can also be underlying factors (such as candida overgrowth) that can contribute to strong sugar cravings (a natural healthcare practitioner such as a Naturopathic Doctor or a Holistic Nutritionist can help you assess this, and prepare a personalized protocol to help you cleanse candida if it is a factor for you). So how can we satisfy a sweet tooth without resorting to a date with Oh Henry, Mr Big, or Ben & Jerry?

One strategy that works beautifully for my clients is, rather than focusing on removing sugary foods, focus on adding naturally sweet foods to their diets every day. Sweet buds become less demanding when they're getting their daily fix. So what are naturally sweet foods? Fruit, of course. Root veggies such as sweet potatoes and squash. And, surprise surprise: Grains! The longer you chew whole grains, they sweeter they taste, and they keep your blood sugar steady, and keep your gut-friendly bacteria happy too!

How else can we tame the Cookie Monster who lives within? After you've added sweet foods to your daily diet, look for ways to add sweetness to your life. We often settle for sweet foods when what we really want is a hug, a nap, a walk, or a laugh with a good friend. This is particularly true at night. If you find your sweet tooth consistently talking to you around 8 to 10pm, it may be rearing its head to cover up feelings of loneliness or anxiety. Or it may have become a habit to help you relax, or reward yourself after a long day. The next time your PM craving hits, ask yourself what you really, truly need. Then do your best to give it to yourself, and watch the sweet cravings fade away.

Wellness quick tip:
Sleep cures sugar cravings! Sound simplistic? It is, and it works! Check out how much sleep you're getting. If it's less than 8 hours a night, you may crave sugar (and caffeine) during the day to make up for the recharging sleep you missed. Start going to bed a half hour earlier each week until you're regularly waking up refreshed and watch your cravings disappear.

And don't forget, Spring is offering an informative workshop to learn more about how to Shake the Sugar Habit, this Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Click the link to learn more!

What is the TRUth?

So a new product is about to start appearing on our store shelves - Truvia. It's a product manufactured by Cargill and Coca-Cola, that takes extracts of the stevia plant to produce a highly sweet substance with zero calories. Another alternative to sugar. You'll start to see diet pop and other beverages that will be marketed as health products, as well as the product itself available for purchase in the not too distant future. There is also some word that Pepsi Co. has its version coming out as well, coined Purevia.

Anything in that paragraph got your Spidey senses on alert? It should. The first thing to raise my suspicions is the fact that the product has been manufactured, based on extracts from the Stevia plant. Stevia has been available for many many years, and in fact has been used for over 1500 years in South America where the herb originates. The second thing that triggers questions for me is the fact that it has been patented (and by Coke, no less). Why do we suddenly need a patented product to make this available to us? It turns out that Stevia itself, while available for purchase as a "nutritional supplement" has not been approved for "regular use" as a food additive, as not enough testing has been done for it to be recognized as safe. There are concerns that it may disrupt hormone levels in some individuals and may become a factor in infertility (in fact some evidence does point that it may have been used as a contraception in some South American tribes), as well as potentially having negative impacts to the cardiovascular and renal systems. These potential side effects need to be explored.

Meantime, Cargill and Coke have now taken the active ingredient of Stevia, and combined it with other chemicals, to create Truvia, and somehow THIS has been found to be GRAS (generally recognized as safe). And it is going to start appearing in products that are being consumed often in large quantities. That's convenient... and profitable! Lucky Cargill and Coke!

It's yet another experiment I will choose not to take part in. I'd rather take my chances with the pure whole leaf, than with an extract of it. As we know, often it is the synergistic properties of different parts of a food that not only enables its healthful properties, but also helps to mitigate or prevent its possible dangerous properties. Although, frankly, to my lips, Stevia tastes a little "asparatame-ish" so I tend not to use it anyway. I'd really prefer to stick with the old fashioned whole stuff if I really need a sweetener - maple syrup (heaven on earth!), honey, and maaaaybe agave nectar (maybe).

By the way, you may be wondering, why Stevia can be purchased as a "dietary supplement" in health food stores if it hasn't been approved as GRAS? The reason is that natural health products are not regulated by the government. And while there are definitely consumer and human rights that come into play with regards to the issue of whether the government should or shouldn't be regulating these substances (a whole other topic... after all, they are also the ones that approve aspartame and splenda or MSG, etc etc, as GRAS), this is an example that does serve to illustrate that we need to take responsibility for ourselves by researching our choices and learning about them before blindly accepting what marketing gurus, the government, and even health food proponents tell us.

References
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/29/cargill-rolls-out-stevia-based-sweetener.aspx
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/stevia-is-sweet-but-is-it-safe/article1333389/
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html

Warming up to Winter

Aah, it's that time again. We in Toronto might be experiencing a bit of an "Indian Summer" but we all know what is right around the corner... When the air is brisk, the sky is gray, the land is frozen... and so are we! HELP!

Rest easy, we've got your cure for the winter blues, which often start to take hold this time of year. Sometimes known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the blues usually begin when the days get shorter and the sky clouds over into perpetual gray. If we were bears, we would follow our natural instincts and go into hibernation until the temperature warms up again. But, we humans have to keep functioning, even in winter. So, without further ado, our Top Ten Tips to help make your winter - yes, it's possible - wonderful.

1. Go outside and walk briskly with your face in the light - even if it's gray outside -for 20 minutes every day. Both the light and the exercise will kick up your feel-good serotonin. If the wind chill outside will deep-freeze your face, find a health club with windows, locate a treadmill or stationary bike in the brightest light, and hop on.
2. Try a sunlamp specifically designed to improve SAD. Use it just 15 minutes in the morning to reset your circadian rhythms.
3. Hit the hay! Be like the bears and give in to the dark nights. Don't push yourself to stay up late.
4. Eat warming foods like whole grains, free-range organic meats, root veggies, and soups.
5. Add warming spices like cayenne, garlic, and ginger to your foods.
6. Supplements that can help: quality fish oil, St John's Wort, and 5-HTP are all supplements known to help improve moods. Consult an ND, nutritionist, or your doctor to learn more.
7. Avoid foods that stress your body in the cold like ice-cream, too many raw foods, cold smoothies and too much sugar.
8. Drink warm herbal teas to get your water quota. Try immune-stimulating Echinacea Special Formula from Yogi tea.
9. Try a hot water bottle. Sounds a little 1800s, but it works! You can get a hot water bottle at any drugstore. Toss it in your bed to warm up your sheets, or use it on an achy, crampy belly or back.
10. Health-up your comfort foods. We all crave comfort foods in winter - our serotonin levels are lower due to lack of sun. So the body compensates by craving carbohydrates and sugary foods to naturally boost serotonin. Remake your favourite foods with the highest quality ingredients, and savour them slowly after playing in the snow!

Wellness Quick Tip
The secret weapon for winter wellness may be Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced when the sun's rays hit our skin, making deficiencies common in winter. It has also been found that SAD tends to be prevalent when Vitamin D stores are low. Many people report improvement in mood with only 1000 mg per day. Check with your doctor to see what dosage might be right for you.

You are getting sleepy... you are getting verrrrry sleepy….

Recently I had a question from a reader about alternative modalities for weight release, and specifically about hypnosis... Not being an expert in hypnosis myself, I decided to reach out to a professional hypnotist I met some time ago to get his take on this topic. Here's what he had to say:

We are living in such a great time. We’ve come so far, are so advanced. We fly around the globe – even to outer space! We communicate with people all over the world in an instant. And yet, when it comes to health, dieting, and losing weight, something that in most respects is within our power, we are often lost. You would think by now we would have discovered something that can make us happy, living with purpose, in our perfect careers, with our perfect relationships, in our perfect lives and perfect bodies. But from generation to generation we have passed down belief systems of fear, lack, suffering, and limitation. Now is the time collectively when we are waking up. If you don't get the subtle nudges and hints to wake up to start living your full potential, to live your dreams, you’ll get the hard rough ones. We do have the potential of living in that dream world. It’s no longer a dream for many people, it’s their actual reality. Never in the told history of humanity have we ever had so many options and powerful modalities to turn our lives around. There are many powerful yet misunderstood modalities and healers out there who are making miraculous transformations. These modalities include NLP, energy healing like reiki, and hypnosis, amongst others. Today, we’re focusing on hypnosis.

So, why hypnosis, and how does it work? Ellen de Generes says it saved her life when she unexpectedly did a session with a hypnotist on her show to stop her from smoking, and she has never smoked since. Even Oprah invited a past life regression therapist to her show. There are many misunderstood facts about hypnosis, too many to cover here. One of the key concerns people express is the fear of losing control. I want to dispel this myth: You are in full control the whole session. In fact, throughout the day, we are in and out of a state that you can call hypnosis: day dreaming, automatic driving, watching tv, reading a book, all these things induce a natural state of hypnosis.

Let me walk you through what you can expect. When you call me, we will go over all the problems (which I prefer to call “challenges”) you want to address. We go over all your concerns and fears about hypnosis, addressing each one until you understand the process and feel comfortable with it, have no fears, and are very excited about the session. You can get a good feel for who I am over the phone, and know that you are talking to someone who sincerely loves helping people and is well qualified to do so. When you come for a first session we first determine if you can get hypnotised (90% of my clients can easily do so). Some of the ways you can determine if you have experienced hypnosis include feeling that the session was much shorter than it actually was, a very heavy or very light/floaty feeling in the body, tingling sensations, or your eyelids may flutter. For those who are not ready or willing or feel unable to be hypnotised, I offer a hypnosis cd to listen to as you go to sleep at night. A one-on-one session is most powerful as the hypnotist is there to ask your subconscious questions. It is also especially helpful when you don't have a specific and clear goal you are working on. In one-on-one sessions there are no limitations or restrictions to what we can work on. On the other hand, the audio programs are great if you are clear on your challenge, and every time you listen to the program you clear/heal more layers and strengthen the positive suggestions. It’s like having a full time hypnotist with you guiding you through your challenge.

In the session I guide you to relax your body from head to toe, and then relax your mind through a guided visualization. I count down from ten to zero. By the time you hear zero you are in a deeply relaxed state. This may seem similar to meditation, but it’s deeper and the impact of the healings is more powerful. During the hypnosis session, we are able to access the back recesses of your mind which are more open. This is more extreme than stating suggestions or affirmations while in meditation. In that case, your conscious mind can still get in the way and can block the suggestions from sinking into the most powerful part of your mind, your subconscious. In the hypnotic state, your mind is at complete peace, you escape time, you are connected to your higher self, or subconscious mind. You receive information or solutions to your problems with ease and precision, and are tapped into the infinite knowledge that is all around us.

We then ask your subconscious mind what needs to be done. For example, when the goal is to lose weight, most of the time you will be shown something from your past, perhaps a painful experience. I then guide you to find out where in your body you are holding on to that energy or emotion. These emotions or blocked energy may be deep rooted - fears, beliefs, memories, hurt, guilt… it’s all there at the back of your mind waiting to be released and healed. Once it’s released you are ready for permanent changes to happen, with a lot less effort. In a session you may become aware of the subconscious emotions that have blocked you until now, or you may not become aware, but in either case, they will be released and healed. Through visualisations, using colours for healing, and breathing techniques, you completely clear that energy and replace it with a lighter, loving energy. Sometimes an immediate shift takes place. Once it’s cleared - and it will completely be cleared – it’s cleared for good. At this point clients often start to tear, laugh, feel a weight lifted off... And ultimately the result is you start losing weight more effortlessly, you feel more peace, love and joy. Some clients clear all their blocks in one session, others require several sessions or on-going as they progress toward their goal. Typically weight-loss clients will come to a session every other week until they reach their goal weight, and typically they lose about 2 lbs per week, a very healthy and sustainable rate.

If you are ready and willing to explore your subconscious and make changes in a deep way, I am willing and ready to help and assist you to transform you life for good. Let’s bring heaven to earth where it belongs one being at a time.

Tarek has been practicing hypnotherapy for 3 wonderful years. You can meet him through his youtube videos at www.youtube.com/esotarek. Sessions can be conducted in person or by phone. As a friend of Spring nutrition, Tarek has a special offer for you: A free session! Tarek also offers a weight loss audio hypnosis program. Contact him for more information. riseandshinehypnotherapy@gmail.com / ph: 647-340-5774

And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home

I have been purposely avoiding talking about the H1N1 (aka: Swine Flu) issue. I wanted to avoid feeding into the hype that has been created around this so-called "approaching pandemic." But by not addressing it, I'm not doing my part in representing the "alternative" view of this disease, so, here we go!

Did you know...This is not the first time there's been a panic about a Swine Flu pandemic? The first time was in 1976**. And similar to this time around, big-pharma companies quickly sprang into action to create a vaccine, and amidst all the hype and fear-mongering, got it on the market swiftly. The result? Following vaccination several hundred people - including healthy young people - developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome, ending up paralyzed and even paraplegics, and 25 people died. More people died from the Swine Flu Vaccine than died from the Swine Flu. And, in the end, the pandemic never developed.

Let's get some perspective. The "regular flu" has killed over 13,000 people in the US since January. The swine flu has killed 27. In Canada there have only been 4 deaths due to H1N1 and under 3000 total reported cases (you can get the latest stats HERE). And while “[p]eople are easily infected as it is a novel virus and there is no immunity against it [and] it also spreads quicker than the seasonal flu (influenza),” says Dr Christopher Lee, consultant physician and head of infectious diseases at Sungai Buloh Hospital, it is also relatively mild virus, and is no more deadly than the regular flu.

So why all the hype? Well, I'm not one to usually buy into conspiracy theories, but the speed with which the pharmaceutical industry has responded to put a vaccine on the market just smacks of corporate greed. The media supports this by reporting sensational headlines; would they sell so many newspapers or get as many viewers for their advertisers were they to report that "well, someone else has recovered well from the swine flu, it was a great day in Swellsville."

As for the vaccine, it is controversial. Side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Cough

Basically a mild version of the flu itself (not surprising since the whole premise of vaccination is to administer small doses of the infectious agent itself to stimulate an immune response). However, more serious side effects can include convulsions, delirium or delusions, and it has in fact resulted in deaths in children. And the "proven results" it produces is really only a reduction in flu symptoms by 1.5 days. Doesn't seem worth the risk to me. Especially when there are other approaches I can take that can help me avoid catching this (or any) flu in the first place, and quicken my recovery if I should succumb to it. And, surveys and focus group reports are indicating that most health care workers won't accept the vaccination themselves... that's pretty telling.

The Alternative?
Anything that will enhance our immune system will help us fight off any infection, including the H1N1 flu virus. Steps to boosting your immune system are:


Vitamin D - studies are showing that Vit D is a key nutrient in boosting immunity against all infections, and deficiency in this vitamin may be the real cause behind seasonal flus. Most people in Canada in the non-summer months are deficient in this vitamin unless they supplement with it. You can get your levels checked through a simple blood test.


Avoid/reduce your intake of sugar and processed foods - these have an almost immediate effect of weakening the cells that fight viruses.

Get enough rest - your body needs sleep to recover and repair from the day's stresses and strains. During sleep is also when your body does its detoxifying. Without adequate rest, your body and all its systems become run down, overburdened, and sluggish and immunity will be compromised.

Exercise! The lymph system, which is integral to the immune system, removes foreign cells and proteins, and stores cells that help destroy foreign invaders. The system does not have a pump to help circulate the lymph fluid that transports these , like the circulatory system does, so it requires mechanical effort for its proper function. The contraction of muscles during activity accomplishes this.

Wash your hands well and often - don't think I need to say anything about this!

Eat lots of garlic! Garlic has natural antiviral properties

Eat good sources of fats, especially those high in Omega 3 (such as flax), monounsaturated sources (such as Olive Oil or avocado), and Coconut Oil which in addition to providing a healthy source of saturated fat also has antibacterial, antiviral, and immune boosting properties as well. All of these fats help to support cellular structure and integrity.

Drink your water! It helps flush toxins out of the body and keeps the metabolism strong (metabolism refers to ALL body reactions, not just the rate of caloric burn).

Eat your protein - this stimulates the immune system and antibodies are a form of protein in the body, so amino acids from your protein are critical to fighting infection.

Important vitamins for the immune system include: Vit A, B6, B12, E and C

Important minerals include: Zinc, Iron, Copper, and Selenium

Herbs that can help boost the immune system include: echinacea, goldenseal, ginseng, and licorice

There are LOTS of ways to keep your body healthy and strong. They require proactive efforts, and making yourself a priority. It's always your choice though... My view is that you can make time for health now, or for illness later....our choices do have a way of catching up on us. The benefit of choosing health is not just the absence of illness, but the energy, vitality, vigour, and joy that results from the cumulative effects of small changes that add up. It doesn't have to be hard, just choose to make one change toward health each week, and before you know it, you'll be realizing how much better you're feeling... and maybe you'll even look back next spring on this winter and realize that you managed to avoid the cold and flu season altogether. Wouldn't that be worth it?

A little comic relief: Make Your Own Flu Vaccine!

**actually the first time was in 1918 when it was known as the Spanish Flu.

References
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/04/28/US-seasonal-flu-kills-13000-since-Jan/UPI-64801240974841/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/28/Swine-Flu.aspx http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/28/focus/4214386&sec=focus
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/health/091012/x101215A.html

Feeling Good!

Well it's been a while since I've posted something new here... I've had a busy couple of weeks attending a workshop called "Get Out of Your Own Way" facilitated by the wonderful Jennifer Hough. Jennifer is a highly intuitive teacher, who really helps you get to the core of the obstacles you are creating that block you from reaching your goals whether they be health, financial, relationship, or any other goal. It's a very experiential course in an intimate and supportive group setting. And since health and vitality are about more than just what you eat or how much you exercise, today's article is all about the power of the mind in creating our experiences.

Most of us have become aware of the Law of Attraction (LoA), often referred to in pop culture circles as "The Secret." In a nutshell, LoA is a universal law that states that we draw to ourselves what we focus on. If we accept the premise that we, and everything in this world, are really just balls of energy in solid form - that everything has its own vibrational energy - and you understand that like attracts like, then you understand the premise of the LoA. We create our own reality by what we put our attention on, and the vibrational energy of that attention and the feeling that goes with it draws more of the same to us. So for example, if we focus on how much we hate our jobs, we won't notice the things that may be satisfying to us. We may notice that we want something different, but instead of focusing on the joyful possibility of it manifesting in our lives, we focus on the fact that we don't have it, and simply draw to ourselves the continuation of not having it.

If you've felt stuck in a situation for a long time, perhaps after several attempts to change it, but still finding yourself stuck, that is an indication that your focus has been on lack. If you're wondering what you are a "vibrational match" for, just look at what you have... that is what you've drawn into your life so far. The key to creating something different is to focus on what makes you feel good... create "good feelings" in yourself, and carry those with you throughout your day. This brings your energy to a new vibration and will draw to you things and situations that match the new vibration.

I know this sounds very Pollyanna. But consider that every feeling you have is the result of a thought. If you have a thought of "I'm not good enough" doesn't that change the way you interact with the world? From the actions you're willing to take to the opportunities you may choose to ignore, even the way you carry yourself and hold your head or make eye contact with others (or not) will all be affected by your thought that you're not good enough. You will continue to see evidence that you're not good enough. But these types of thoughts are so faulty. They tend to arise from experiences (often misunderstood) when we were so little and young and didn't have the capacity to question or be aware of other possibilities. And then, they persist, because they become a very well practiced habit. If you think all day long for 20 years "I'm not good enough" that tape will play on automatic every opportunity it has. So in the beginning we have to start addressing those automatic thoughts, and challenging them, and reminding ourselves that there are other possibilities that are just as valid, and that really feel so much better. And if they feel better, then THAT is the place we want to put our focus. The more we choose to place our attention on what feels good, the more things that make us feel good will come to us.

As Thanksgiving approaches here in Canada, now is a perfect time to start practicing generating positive good feelings through the practice of appreciation. Take a few moments to consider what (and who) you are so grateful for, and bask in the beauty and joy you are so lucky to have!

This is really just scratching the surface and is a very simplified explanation of the LoA. There is a lot of material out there that you can read (check out Jerry & Esther Hicks, for example) to get deeper into this. Or consider taking the Get Out of Your Own Way course to experience it at a deeper level. If anything about this resonates for you, or if you feel like you've been in your own way and whatever you've been doing so far hasn't been working, maybe it's time to try playing with this a little... What's the worst that can happen? You might just feel a little better for a while? Sounds like a good bet to me.