Tag: Health

Elder’s Meditation of the Day July 14

Elder’s Meditation of the Day July 14

“It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth… The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing.”

–Chief Luther Standing Bear, TETON SIOUX

Touching the earth – getting grounded, centered. There is magic in touching the earth and feeling her healing power. This is especially healthy to do during a troubling time when our minds are racing or can’t stop thinking or are locked onto fear or resentment. When I need to feel free I can go to the Mother Earth. The Mother Earth is full of life and love. She always gives her powers to those who come to her. The Mother Earth is alive.

Today, my Great Spirit, let me remember to touch the earth. Let me slow down and live just for today. Let me be gentle, patient and kind.

July 14 – Daily Feast

July 14 – Daily Feast

Never quit when the going gets tough. Now is the time to bear down even harder. It would be a shame to quit and find we had almost reached our goal. If a person that can’t swim panics in deep water, he will sink. But if he rolls over and floats for a while, he can get his sense of balance and make the distance easily. The Cherokee believes he can endure, he can work, and he can fight. He will not be a tsv na, turned back. We owe it to ourselves to see what we can accomplish. And it may well be that we can do what others said is not possible.

~ You showed me….the spirit shape of things as they should be. You have shown me, and I have seen. ~

BLACK ELK

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Daily OM for July 14 – Earth Living

Earth Living

Following Nature’s Cycles

Nature, in all its myriad forms, is the most powerful force on earth. Although mankind has tried, we have not found a way to match its awesome power, but we have found ways to work with it. Science often confirms the wisdom of the ancients who observed and then harnessed nature’s rhythms and cycles to shape and enhance their lives. We can begin to do this in our own lives by first paying attention to our own natural rhythms, such as when we wake or when we feel the need to sleep. If possible, we may want to try to rise and sleep with the sun or live without electricity for a weekend and then monitor how we feel. We can make the choice to eat the foods of the seasons and to seek fresher, locally grown, or organic produce whose own cycles have not been tampered with by technology.

We can create harmony in our homes by making a smooth transition between our indoor and outdoor spaces. By bringing some of the outdoors inside and taking some of our indoor décor out, we can simultaneously enjoy nature and the comforts of home and the feeling that our living space is expanded. Then, whether inside or out, we can lounge on a comfortable piece of furniture and feel the wind, inhale the scent of deeply breathing plants, listen for the many songs of life, and observe the moon and the stars. As we do this more often, we may find ourselves noticing the pull of the full moon on bodies of water, as well as the water in bodies, or the music of the night acting as a lullaby.

When we seek balance in our lives, we want to balance not just our roles in life but also the natural elements in our spaces. Having representations of the elements in the colors, shapes, and textures of our homes will appeal to our mind, body, and spirit. We may find that when we sync ourselves with nature’s rhythms, we ride the waves of energy to feel more in harmony with life and the world around us.

12 Foods With Super-Healing Powers

12 Foods With Super-Healing Powers

Caring.com, supporting caregivers

As part of a healthy diet, whole foods play a significant role in helping our  bodies function optimally. There are hundreds of extremely nutritious whole  foods, but the dozen on this list do more than contribute healthy nutrients —  they help you heal. In fact, every food on this list boasts multiple healing  effects, from fighting cancer to reducing cholesterol, guarding against heart  disease, and more. Eat these super-healing picks and start feeling pretty super  yourself.

1. Kiwifruit This tiny, nutrient-dense fruit packs an  amazing amount of vitamin C (double the amount found in oranges), has more fiber  than apples, and beats bananas as a high-potassium food. The unique blend of  phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in kiwifruit helps protect against  heart disease, stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease. Kiwifruit’s natural  blood-thinning properties work without the side effects of aspirin and support  vascular health by reducing the formation of spontaneous blood clots, lowering  LDL cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Multiple studies have shown that  kiwifruit not only reduces oxidative stress and damage to DNA but also prompts  damaged cells to repair themselves.

Kiwifruit is often prescribed as part of a dietary regimen to battle cancer  and heart disease, and in Chinese medicine it’s used to accelerate the healing  of wounds and sores.

How much: Aim to eat one to two kiwifruit a day while  they’re in season, for the best taste and nutrition. California-grown kiwifruit  are in season from October through May, and New Zealand kiwifruit are available  between April and November.

Tips:

  • Kiwifruit contains enzymes that activate once you cut the fruit, causing  the flesh to tenderize. So if you’re making a fruit salad, cut the kiwifruit  last.
  • The riper the kiwifruit, the greater the antioxidant power, so let them  ripen before you dig in.

2. Cherries Cherries boast a laundry list of healing  powers. For starters, they pack a powerful nutritional punch for a relatively  low calorie count. They’re also packed with substances that help fight  inflammation and cancer. As if that weren’t enough, in lab studies, quercetin  and ellagic acid, two compounds contained in cherries, have been shown to  inhibit the growth of tumors and even cause cancer cells to commit suicide —  without damaging healthy cells. Cherries also have antiviral and antibacterial  properties.

Anthocyanin, another compound in cherries, is credited with lowering the uric  acid levels in the blood, thereby reducing a common cause of gout. Researchers believe anthocyanins may also  reduce your risk of colon cancer. Further, these compounds work like a natural  form of ibuprofen, reducing inflammation and curbing pain. Regular consumption  may help lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

In Chinese medicine, cherries are routinely used as a remedy for gout,  arthritis, and rheumatism (as well as anemia, due to their high iron content).  Plus they’re delicious.

How much: Aim for a daily serving while they’re in season  locally. And keep a bag of frozen cherries in your freezer the rest of the year;  frozen cherries retain 100 percent of their nutritional value and make a great  addition to smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal.

Tips:

  • Buy organic, since conventionally grown cherries can be high in  pesticides.

 

3. Guavas Guavas are a small tropical fruit that can be  round, oval, or pear-shaped. They’re not all that common, so they might be hard  to find, depending on where you live. But if you can track them down, it’s more  than worth it. Guavas contain more of the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene  than any other fruit or vegetable, and nearly 20 percent more than tomatoes. Our  bodies can’t process much of the lycopene in tomatoes until they’re cooked; the  processing helps break down tough cell walls. However, guavas’ cell structure  allows the antioxidant to be absorbed whether the fruit is raw or cooked, and  the whole fruit offers the nutrition without the added sodium of processed  tomato products.

Lycopene protects our healthy cells from free radicals that can cause all  kinds of damage, including blocked arteries, joint degeneration, nervous system  problems, and even cancer. Lycopene consumption is associated with significantly  lower rates of prostate cancer; in addition, men with prostate tumors who  consumed lycopene supplements showed significant improvements, such as smaller  tumors and decreased malignancy. Lycopene has also been found to inhibit the  growth of breast cancer cells, and research suggests that this antioxidant may  also help protect against coronary heart disease.

This strange-looking little fruit is also packed with vitamin C and other  antioxidants. Serving for serving, guava offers more than 60 percent more  potassium than a banana, which can help protect against heart disease and  stroke. In fact, the nutrients found in guavas have been shown to lower LDL and  boost HDL cholesterol, reduce triglycerides, and lower blood pressure.

How much: Aim to eat fresh guavas as often as you can when  you can find them in stores. They’re not commonly available in the freezer  section; and most guava juices are processed and sweetened, so they don’t  provide the same superior nutrition that the whole, fresh fruit does. One to two  guavas a day is a good goal.

Tip:

  • Opt for the red-fleshed variety if you can; both are loaded with  antioxidants, but the red type has more than the white-fleshed apple  guava.

4. Beans Beans are a miracle food. They lower  cholesterol, regulate blood sugar and insulin production, promote digestive  health, and protect  against cancer. If you think of fiber, protein, and antioxidants and  immediately think whole grains, meat, and fruit, think again — beans offer all  three in a single package.

An assortment of phytochemicals found in beans has been shown to protect  cells from cancerous activity by inhibiting cancer cells from reproducing,  slowing tumor growth. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health  reported that women who consumed beans at least twice a week were 24 percent  less likely to develop breast cancer, and multiple studies have tied beans to a  reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast  and colon cancers.

Beans deliver a whopping amount of antioxidants, which help prevent and fight  oxidative damage. In fact, the USDA’s ranking of foods by antioxidant capacity  places three varieties of beans (red beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans)  in the top four — and that’s among all food groups. Beans are a great source of  dietary fiber, protein, and iron. They also contain the amino acid tryptophan;  foods with high amounts of tryptophan can help regulate your appetite, aid in  sleep, and improve your mood. Many are also rich in folate, which plays a  significant role in heart health. And depending on the type of bean you choose,  you’ll also get decent amounts of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B1 and B2, and  vitamin K. Soybeans are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In Chinese medicine, various types of beans have been used to treat  alcoholism, food poisoning, edema (particularly in the legs), high blood  pressure, diarrhea, laryngitis, kidney stones, rheumatism, and dozens of other  conditions.

How much: Aim for a minimum of two servings of beans per  week.

Tips:

  • Adzuki and mung beans are among the most easily digested;  pinto, kidney, navy, garbanzo, lima, and black beans are more difficult to  digest.

5. Watercress Not only is watercress extremely  nutritious, it’s about as close as you can get to a calorie-free food. Calorie  for calorie, it provides four times the calcium of 2 percent milk. Ounce for  ounce, it offers as much vitamin C as an orange and more iron than spinach. It’s  packed with vitamin A and has lots of vitamin K, along with multiple antioxidant  carotenoids and protective phytochemicals.

The nutrients in watercress protect against cancer and macular degeneration,  help build the immune system, and support bone health. The iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to  your body’s tissues for energy. The phytochemicals in watercress battle cancer  in three ways: killing cancer cells, blocking carcinogens, and protecting  healthy cells from carcinogens. They’ve also been shown to help prevent lung and  esophageal cancer and can help lower your risk for other cancers.

In Chinese medicine, watercress is thought to help reduce tumors, improve  night vision, and stimulate bile production (improving digestion and settling  intestinal gas). It’s used as a remedy for jaundice, urinary difficulty, sore  throat, mumps, and bad breath.

How much: Eat watercress daily if you can. In some regions,  it’s more widely available during the spring and summer, when it’s cultivated  outdoors. But since it can also be grown hydroponically in greenhouses, you can  find it year-round in many grocery stores and at your local farmer’s market.

Tips:

  • You can cook it, but watercress is better for you when you eat it raw. Tuck  it into a sandwich in place of lettuce.
  • Toss it with your favorite vegetables and eat it in a salad.
  • Watercress is great in pesto — just replace the basil with watercress — and  soups.
  • Use watercress as a wonderfully detoxifying ingredient in a juice or  smoothie.

6. Spinach You already knew spinach was good for you,  but did you know just how good? Spinach protects against eye disease and vision  loss; it’s good for brain function; it guards against colon, prostate, and  breast cancers; it protects against heart disease, stroke, and dementia; it  lowers blood pressure; it’s anti-inflammatory; and it’s great for bone health.  Spinach has an amazing array of nutrients, including high amounts of vitamin K,  calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and iron.

A carotenoid found in spinach not only kills prostate cancer cells, it also  prevents them from multiplying. Folate promotes vascular health by lowering  homocysteine, an amino acid that, at high levels, raises the risk of dementia  and cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. Folate has also  been shown to reduce the risk of developing colorectal, ovarian, and breast  cancers and to help stop uncontrolled cell growth, one of the primary  characteristics of all cancers. The vitamin C and beta-carotene in spinach  protect against colon cancer in addition to fighting inflammation, making them  key components of brain health, particularly in older adults.

Spinach is loaded with vitamin K (one cup of cooked spinach provides 1,111  percent of the recommended daily amount!), which builds strong bones by helping  calcium adhere to the bone. Spinach is also rich in lutein, which protects  against age-related macular degeneration, and it may help prevent heart attacks  by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol buildup.

How much: Fresh spinach should be a daily staple in your  diet. It’s available in practically every grocery store, no matter where you  live, it’s easy to find year-round, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more  nutritionally sound, versatile green. So do yourself a healthy favor and aim for  a few ounces, raw or lightly steamed, every day.

Tips:

  • Add a handful of fresh spinach to your next fruit smoothie. It’ll change the  color but not the taste.
  • Conventionally grown spinach is susceptible to pesticide residue; stick to  organic.

7. Onions Onions get a bad rap for their effect on the breath, but  that’s not the only part of the body where they pack a wallop. Onions contain  potent cancer-fighting enzymes; onion consumption has been shown to help lower  the risk of prostate and esophageal cancers and has also been linked to reduced  mortality from coronary heart disease. Research suggests that they may help  protect against stomach cancer. Onions contain sulfides that help lower blood  pressure and cholesterol, as well as a peptide that may help prevent bone loss  by inhibiting the loss of calcium and other bone minerals.

Onions have super antioxidant power. They contain quercetin, a natural  antihistamine that reduces airway inflammation and helps relieve symptoms of  allergies and hay fever. Onions also boast high levels of vitamin C, which,  along with the quercetin, battles cold and flu symptoms. Onions’ anti-inflammatory properties  help fight the pain and swelling associated with osteo- and rheumatoid  arthritis. Onions are also extremely rich in sulfur and they have antibiotic and  antiviral properties, making them excellent for people who consume a diet high  in protein, fat, or sugar, as they help cleanse the arteries and impede the  growth of viruses, yeasts, and other disease-causing agents, which can build up  in an imbalanced diet.

 

How much: For all the health benefits onions provide, it  would be ideal to eat one a day. However, if that’s not doable for you, add a  few onions to your weekly grocery list and try to eat a little bit every day.  All varieties are extremely good for you, but shallots and yellow onions lead  the pack in antioxidant activity. Raw onions provide the best nutrition, but  they’re still great for you when they’re lightly cooked. And cooking meat at  high temperatures (such as on a grill) with onions can help reduce or counteract  carcinogens produced by the meat.

Tips:

  • Onions should be stored at room temperature, but if they bother your eyes  when you cut them, try refrigerating them for an hour beforehand.

8. Carrots Carrots are a great source of the potent  antioxidants known as carotenoids. Diets high in carotenoids have been tied to a  decreased risk in postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the  bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus. Conversely, diets low  in carotenoids have been associated with chronic disease, including heart  disease and various cancers. Research suggests that just one carrot per day  could reduce your risk of lung cancer by half. Carrots may also reduce your risk  of kidney and ovarian cancers. In addition to fighting cancer, the nutrients in  carrots inhibit cardiovascular disease, stimulate the immune system, promote  colon health, and support ear and eye health.

Carrots contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin C,  and an incredible amount of vitamin A. The alpha-carotene in carrots has shown  promise in inhibiting tumor growth. Carrots also contain the carotenoids lutein  and zeaxanthin, which work together to promote eye health and prevent macular  degeneration and cataracts. In Chinese medicine, carrots are used to treat  rheumatism, kidney stones, tumors, indigestion, diarrhea, night blindness, ear  infections, earaches, deafness, skin lesions, urinary tract infections, coughs,  and constipation.

How much: Eat a serving of carrots each day if you can, and  enjoy them year-round. Carrots are good for you whether they’re raw or lightly  cooked; cooking helps break down the tough fiber, making some of the nutrients  more easily absorbed. For the best nutrition, go for whole carrots that are firm  and fresh-looking. Precut baby carrots are made from whole carrots and, although  they’re convenient, they tend to lose important nutrients during processing.

Tips:

  • Remove carrot tops before storing them in the fridge, as the tops drain  moisture from the roots and will cause the carrots to wilt.
  • Buy organic; conventionally grown carrots frequently show high pesticide  residues.

9. Cabbage Cabbage is a powerhouse source of vitamins K  and C. Just one cup supplies 91 percent of the recommended daily amount for  vitamin K, 50 percent of vitamin C, good amounts of fiber, and decent scores of  manganese, vitamin B6, folate, and more — and it’ll only cost you about 33  calories. Calorie for calorie, cabbage offers 11 percent more vitamin C than  oranges.

Cabbage contains high levels of antioxidant sulforaphanes that not only fight  free radicals before they damage DNA but also stimulate enzymes that detoxify  carcinogens in the body. Researchers believe this one-two approach may  contribute to the apparent ability of cruciferous vegetables to reduce the risk  of cancer more effectively than any other plant food group. Numerous studies  point to a strong association between diets high in cruciferous vegetables and a  low incidence of lung, colon, breast, ovarian, and bladder cancers.

Cabbage builds strong bones, dampens allergic reactions, reduces  inflammation, and promotes gastrointestinal health. Cabbage is routinely juiced as a  natural remedy for healing peptic ulcers due to its high glutamine content. It  also provides significant cardiovascular benefit by preventing plaque formation  in the blood vessels. In Chinese medicine, cabbage is used to treat  constipation, the common cold, whooping cough, depression and irritability, and  stomach ulcers. When eaten and used as a poultice, as a dual treatment, cabbage  is helpful for healing bedsores, varicose veins, and arthritis.

How much: The more cabbage you can include in your diet, the  better. A study of Polish women found that those who ate at least four servings  of cabbage per week as adolescents were 72 percent less likely to develop breast  cancer later in life than their peers who consumed only one weekly serving or  less.

Tips:

  • Try raw sauerkraut. It has all the health properties of cabbage, plus some  potent probiotics, which are excellent for digestive health.
  • Use the whole cabbage; the outer leaves contain a third more calcium than  the inner leaves.
  • Both are nutritional stars, but red cabbages are far superior to the white  variety, with about seven times more vitamin C and more than four times the  polyphenols, which protect cells from oxidative stress and cancer.

10. Broccoli You’ll find it difficult to locate another  single food source with as much naturally occurring health-promoting properties  as broccoli. A single cup of steamed broccoli provides more than 200 percent of  the RDA for vitamin C (again, more than oranges), nearly as much of vitamin K,  and about half of the daily allowance for vitamin A, along with plentiful  folate, fiber, sulfur, iron, B vitamins, and a whole host of other important  nutrients. Calorie for calorie, broccoli contains about twice the amount of  protein as steak — and a lot more protective phytonutrients.

Broccoli’s phytochemicals fight cancer by neutralizing carcinogens and  accelerating their elimination from the body, in addition to inhibiting tumors  caused by chemical carcinogens. Studies show evidence that these substances help  prevent lung and esophageal cancers and may play a role in lowering the risk of  other cancers, including gastrointestinal cancer.

Phytonutrients called indoles found in broccoli help protect against  prostate, gastric, skin, breast, and cervical cancers. Some research suggests  that indoles also protect the structure of DNA and may reduce the risk of  prostate cancer. Extensive studies have linked broccoli to a 20 percent  reduction in heart disease risk. In Chinese medicine, broccoli is used to treat  eye inflammation.

How much: If you can eat a little broccoli every day, your  body will thank you for it. If you can’t swing it, aim for eating it as  regularly as possible. Like many other vegetables, broccoli provides fantastic  nutrition both in its raw form and when it’s properly cooked. Cooking reduces  some of broccoli’s anticancer components, but lightly steaming it will preserve  most of the nutrients. Broccoli is available fresh year-round in most areas, but  if you can’t find it where you live, frozen broccoli is a good substitute.

Tip:

  • Steaming or cooking broccoli lightly releases the maximum amount of the  antioxidant sulforaphane.

11. Kale Kale is highly nutritious, has powerful antioxidant  properties, and is anti-inflammatory. One cup of cooked kale contains an  astounding 1,328 percent of the RDA for vitamin K, 192 percent of the RDA for  vitamin A, and 89 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. It’s also a good source of  calcium and iron.

Kale is in the same plant family as broccoli and cabbage, and, like its  cruciferous cousins, it contains high levels of the cancer-fighting compound  sulforaphane, which guards against prostate, gastric, skin, and breast cancers  by boosting the body’s detoxification enzymes and fighting free radicals in the  body. The indoles in kale have been shown to protect against breast, cervical,  and colon cancers. The vitamin K in kale promotes blood clotting, protects the  heart, and helps build strong bones by anchoring calcium to the bone. It also  has more antioxidant power than spinach, protecting against free-radical damage.  Kale is extra rich in beta-carotene (containing seven times as much as does  broccoli), lutein, and zeaxanthin (ten times the amount in broccoli). In Chinese  medicine, kale is used to help ease lung congestion.

How much: Like cabbage, the more kale you can eat, the  better. A daily serving is ideal. Eat it as much as you can, as long as you can  find it fresh at your local grocery or farmer’s market. In some areas, it’s  available all year; in others, it only makes an appearance during summer and  fall.

Tips:

  • Kale’s growing season extends nearly year-round; the only time it’s out of  season is summer, when plenty of other leafy greens are abundant.
  • Steam or saute kale on its own, or add it to soups and stews. Cooking helps  tenderize the leaves.
  • Kale is also a great addition when it’s blended in fruit smoothies or  juiced with other vegetables.

12. Dandelion The same pesky weed known for ruining  lawns has a long history of being used as a healing herb in cultures around the  globe. One cup of raw dandelion greens provides 535 percent of the RDA of  vitamin K and 112 percent of the RDA for vitamin A. Dandelion greens are also a  good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber, and potassium. Among all foods,  it’s one of the richest sources of vitamin A; among all green vegetables, it’s  one of the best sources of beta-carotene.

Dandelion has been used for centuries to treat hepatitis, kidney, and liver  disorders such as kidney stones, jaundice, and cirrhosis. It’s routinely  prescribed as a natural treatment for hepatitis C, anemia, and liver  detoxification (poor liver function has been linked to numerous conditions, from  indigestion and hepatitis to irritability and depression). As a natural  diuretic, dandelion supports the entire digestive system and increases urine  output, helping flush toxins and excess salt from the kidneys. The naturally  occurring potassium in dandelions helps prevent the loss of potassium that can  occur with pharmaceutical diuretics.

Dandelion promotes digestive health by stimulating bile production, resulting  in a gentle laxative effect. Inulin, a naturally occurring soluble fiber in  dandelion, further aids digestion by feeding the healthy probiotic bacteria in  the intestines; it also increases calcium absorption and has a beneficial effect  on blood sugar levels, therefore being useful in treating diabetes. Both the  dandelion leaves and root are used to treat heartburn and indigestion. The  pectin in dandelion relieves constipation and, in combination with vitamin C,  reduces cholesterol. Dandelion is excellent for reducing edema, bloating, and  water retention; it can also help reduce high blood pressure. On top of all  that, dandelion contains multiple antidiarrheal and antibacterial  properties.

In Chinese medicine, dandelion is used in combination with other herbs to  treat hepatitis and upper respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and  pneumonia. The sap from the stem and root is a topical remedy for warts. Imagine  — all this from a lowly weed!

How much: How much dandelion to incorporate into your diet  boils down to two factors: availability and personal preference. Dandelion  greens are considered a specialty item in some areas and therefore can be  difficult to find. They also have a pungent taste, and people tend to love or  hate the flavor. If you can find fresh dandelion greens and you enjoy the taste,  make them a regular part of your diet.

Tips:

  • Use the root in soups or saute it on its own.
  • If the raw leaves are too bitter for you, try them lightly steamed or  sauteed.

 

Dietary Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

Dietary Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

Inflammation has recently emerged as an important player in the development  of age-related disability and many of our major chronic diseases including heart  disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Now that laboratory tests  such as C-reactive protein have been developed, we can measure the effects  different foods and diets have on inflammatory markers.

Most plant-based foods decrease inflammation. Processing destroys the  anti-inflammatory effects of some (garlic decreases inflammation but garlic  powder does not), but improves these effects in others (tomato juice decreases  inflammation but whole tomatoes do not).

Do these anti-inflammatory plant foods actually have an impact on  inflammatory disease mortality though?  I profile a new study  out of Australia, which followed about 2,500 older adults and their diets for 15  years. In that time, about 200 participants died of inflammatory diseases,  allowing the scientists to calculate the specific aspect of the survivors’ diets  that seemed to help the most. It was nuts! The equivalent of half a walnut a day  appeared to cut the risk of dying from inflammatory disease in nearly half. Fish  consumption, to their surprise, didn’t seem to help, which may be due to pro-inflammatory  industrial pollutants that build up the food chain. This may help explain  why most studies done to date on those eating vegetarian or vegan have found  lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers in their bodies.

However, just because plant-based diets decrease markers of  inflammation doesn’t necessarily mean that plant-based diets can successfully be  used to fight inflammatory disease. To find that out, you’ve got to put it to  the test. The gold standard for evidence in nutritional science is an  interventional trial. You split people into two groups and ask half to go on one  diet, half to go on another, and then stand back and see what happens. That’s  just what researchers recently did for the autoimmune inflammatory bowel  condition known as Crohn’s disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease risk has been tied to arachidonic acid, which may partially explain the  animal protein connection given the levels in chicken and eggs. The anti-inflammatory nature of  plant foods may explain why those eating plant-based diets have less diabetes, fewer allergies, less heart disease, better moods, and fewer chronic diseases in chronic diseases in general.

In health, Michael Greger, M.D.

Home Is Where The Health Is

Home Is Where The Health Is

Habitat for Humanity is well known for how successfully they use volunteers  to build homes for families in need. All you have to say is “Habitat” and most  people can conjure up an image of diverse groups working together with lumber,  insulation and bricks and mortar. Habitat is busily building all over the world,  because the need for housing is profound and ever growing. In America alone, 95  million people have housing problems that include insurmountable mortgages,  overcrowding, substandard shelter and homelessness. When families who have been  living in substandard housing are given a chance to buy, and have a hand at  building their own homes, aspects of their lives can take dramatic turns for the  better. The benefits go far beyond just having a solid roof over their heads.  One crucial improvement is the health of their children.

According to Houston Habitat  for Humanity, the number of low-income families that lack safe and  affordable housing is related to the number of children that suffer from viral  infections, anemia, stunted growth and asthma. All of these factors are  attributed to the lack of stable housing. In addition, 10,000  children aged 4 to 9 are hospitalized for asthma attacks each year because  their homes are infested with cockroaches,  a known asthma trigger. For children without stable housing, the effects of  chronic health problems are long-term and far-reaching. Housing  deprivation leads to an average of 25%  greater risk of disability or severe ill health across a person’s  lifespan.

On the other hand, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to  Build a Better America, ”…when adequate housing protects individuals  and families from harmful exposures and provides them with a sense of privacy,  security, stability, and control, it can make important contributions to  health.” Children in stable, healthy home environments are more likely to  stay in school and experience improved test scores in math and reading.

Poor Children Need Healthy Homes

We already know that poor  children are disproportionately affected by environmental pollutants like  those from power plants and refineries. But they are also exposed to indoor  health hazards like lead, mold, mites and other insects and pests, a myriad of  other allergens, radon, volatile organic compounds and asbestos. These  pollutants make them sicker and more susceptible to other illnesses. Of the 26  million Americans who suffer from asthma, 7 million are children. Asthma is the most common chronic diseases among children. And poor children and  children of color suffer asthma at higher rates. Approximately 40% of diagnosed  asthma in children is attributed to residential exposures. The annual economic  cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays and indirect  costs such as lost school and work days, amounts  to approximately $56 billion. These are costs that families on the economic  edge cannot afford.

All Families Need Energy-Efficient Homes

Habitat homes are built with stability and energy efficiency in mind. Each  Houston Habitat home receives Energy Star certification, demonstrating a  commitment to energy efficiency and affordability. The families that will buy  the homes take part in their construction. They become homeowners and thus  stakeholders in their community. This is how Habitat not only improves the  health of families, but of entire communities.

Where We Live Matters

Where we live is at the core of our daily lives. Our homes have the most  significant impact on how we survive and how we view our place in the world.  Habitat for Humanity provides the opportunity for families to improve their  economic situations and live in safe homes as sanctuaries against the onslaught  of health and safety threats outdoors. For these families, in a very real sense,  their Habitat homes help them live better and longer.

Habitat for Humanity is doing their part to address pollution, the asthma  epidemic here in Houston, the environment, and preventable childhood illnesses  worldwide. Each of us must do our part too.

EVERY CHILD DESERVES A HEALTHY HOME PLEASE TAKE ACTION WITH  MOMS CLEAN AIR FORCE

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for July 14 is 44: Liaison

44: Liaison

Hexagram 44

General Meaning: The attraction is strong, but the relationship is not destined to last. So, be careful — the magnetism of polarized forces may not be what it seems. An apparently harmless, but potentially dangerous, energy has attracted attention to itself and is pulling on a stronger one. The ancient image is of a bold but immature girl who uses her charms to gain influence with a stable, powerful man. The man dallies with her, thinking that it can do him no harm. Ha, famous last thoughts! When power shifts into the hands of those unprepared for it, harm comes to all parties.

Still, you need not fear meetings with those whose positions are widely different from your own, as long as you can remain free of ulterior motives.

Be especially wary of temptations that arise because of your connections to important people. Generally, it is best to combat such temptations by snipping them in the bud before they can flower. Just as soon as a dangerous liaison presents itself is the time to take note and speak up. On the other hand, there are times when the meeting of the yielding and the strong turn out to be opportunities for truly positive and constructive relationships. The difference between careless connection and a relationship of depth lies in the motives of the heart. How sincere are you?

Your Magickal Correspondence for Saturday, July 14th

Your Magickal Correspondence for Saturday, July 14

Saturday Is Ruled By Saturn

Archangel:  Cassiel

Candle color:  Purple or brown

Incenses:  Patchouli or mimosa

Crystals:  Jet or banded agate

Use Saturdays for spells to do with property, security and long-term financial matters, for closing doors on the past, for psychic protection and for locating lost objects (as well as animals and people).

Where possible, work in woodland, near rocks and stones or on animal or bird reserves.

Daily OM for July 12 – The Friend We Want to Be

The Friend We Want to Be

Evaluating Our Relationships

by Madisyn Taylor

Be the friend to others that you wish them to be to you.

 

There comes a time in all our lives when we may need to evaluate our relationships, making sure that they are having a positive effect on us, rather than dragging us down. Without realizing it, we may be spending precious time and energy engaging in friendships that let us down, rather than cultivating ones that support and nourish us along our path. Life, with its many twists, turns, and challenges, is difficult enough without us entertaining people in our inner circle who drain our energy. We can do so much more in this world when we are surrounded by people who understand what we’re trying to do and who positively support our efforts to walk our path.

We can begin this evaluation process by simply noticing how we feel in the context of each one of our close relationships. We may begin to see that an old friend is still carrying negative attitudes or ideas that we ourselves need to let go of in order to move forward. Or we may find that we have a long-term relationship with someone who has a habit of letting us down, or not showing up for us when we need support. There are many ways to go about changing the status quo in situations like this, having a heart to heart with our friend showing through example. This process isn’t so much about abandoning old friends as it is about shifting our relationships so that they support us on our journey rather than holding us back.

An important part of this process is looking at ourselves and noticing what kind of friend we are to the people in our lives. We might find that as we adjust our own approach to a relationship, challenging ourselves to be more supportive and positive, our friends make adjustments as well and the whole world benefits.

What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You: 9 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You: 9 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

The body is a magnificent machine. When things go awry, it generally  doesn’t  just shut down without warning, like an incandescent light bulb  popping its  filament. Instead it sends us little signals (think of them  as gentle  biological taps on the shoulder) letting us know that  something is amiss.

“Physical signs and symptoms are ways your body  tries to alert you to deeper  imbalances,” says Elson M. Haas, MD, a San  Rafael, Calif., physician with a  natural-medicine approach and author of  Staying  Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts,  2006). “Taking the  time to decipher the body’s codes is always better than  simply popping a  pill and hoping the symptoms just go away. Ideally, we want to  get to  the causes of problems, not just suppress the end result of ill health.”  But interpreting the body’s quirky Morse code requires a deep level  of body  awareness that, like any skill, takes time and practice to  perfect. To that  end, we recruited a handful of the country’s leading  integrative health  practitioners to help identify nine of the most  common conditions underlying  frequent, and sometimes mysterious,  symptoms. Read on to clue into your body’s  messages.

You’re  drinking too much diet soda…

One likely signal: Headaches

Background: Artificial sweeteners, particularly  aspartame   (found in Nutrasweet and Equal), can trigger headaches, even  migraines.  At  highest risk are people with a genetic disorder called   phenylketonuria (or PKU  for short); they lack the enzyme needed to   metabolize a substance  (phenylalanine) that is created when the body   breaks down aspartame. But even those without the genetic  disorder may   find that drinking diet soda results in brain fog or  headache. Why?  Animal  studies have shown aspartame to be a potent  neurotoxin, at least  in young  rats. I’m concerned about whether  aspartame might cause nerve  damage in  humans, as well — or at least  disrupt the nerve signaling that  enables the  brain to register  satiety,” says Sharon Fowler, MPH, a  faculty associate at  the  University of Texas Health Science Center at  San Antonio who studies  the  health effects of artificial sweetener use.  One of the prime  suspects is the  methanol in aspartame, which is broken  down into  formaldehyde, a known  carcinogen. People who are sensitive to   formaldehyde may experience headaches  after ingesting aspartame.

Other signals: Intense cravings for sweet or salty  foods,   inability to focus, irritability

How to respond: When the urge for diet soda strikes,  Kathie  Swift, MS, RD, LDN, chief nutrition adviser for the online-based  sites   MyFoodMyHealth and My Foundation Diet, suggests drinking  sparkling  water  flavored with a splash of 100 percent fruit juice and a  squeeze  of lime.

You’ve got candida overgrowth…

One likely signal: Itchy ears, throat or mucus   membranes

Background: The average American downs nearly 150  pounds of  sugar and high-fructose corn syrup a year, according to the  United  States Department of Agriculture. And if you’re eating anywhere  near that much  sugar, you may have more than just a sweet tooth — your  body may be hosting an  unhealthy overgrowth of Candida albicans.  A small amount of this  common, yeast like fungus living in the gut is OK  when its numbers are kept in  check by healthy flora. But when an  intestinal imbalance allows it to run amok,  it acts like kudzu,  colonizing everything in its path. Among its favorite  environs are the  body’s warm, dark nooks and crannies, such as between the  toes, under  the breasts and, yes, in the ears. As it infiltrates, it irritates  and  inflames the skin, leading to the telltale signs of itching and  redness.

Other signals: Mood swings, fatigue, weak immune  system, weight gain, frequent yeast  infections

How to respond: If you think you have candida  overgrowth,  the quickest fix is to starve the little buggers. Candida  flourish in the  presence of both refined and unrefined sugar, such as  fresh fruit, dried fruit  and fruit juice. Cutting off their food supply  can bring their numbers back to  a healthy level. They also love refined  flour products and anything fermented,  such as alcohol and soy, so if  you have a serious overgrowth, you may need to  cut out all of the above  for a number of consecutive weeks.

You’re  dehydrated…

One likely signal: Chapped lips

Background: Lips are a reflection of the health and   hydration of the entire body. “If you are well hydrated, then your lips  will be  well hydrated,” says Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, clinical  nutritionist and author of  Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill,  2004). Less water  in the body means less moisture for the skin– the  body’s largest organ. The  delicate tissue of the lips is extra sensitive  to drought. “If you are  constantly using lip balm or lip gloss to sooth  chapped lips, it’s a sign you  need to drink up,” says Lipski.

Other signals: Headaches, infrequent urination, dark  yellow  or smelly urine, dry skin, slow turgor (meaning that if you  pinch the skin on  the back of your hand, it doesn’t snap right back into  place). Although the  aging process slows turgor down somewhat, even in  older adults it still should  return to normal within a second or two.

How to respond: Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of  water a  day can be intimidating, says Swift, so if you’re not able to  quaff that  amount, you can still get hydrated by sipping herbal tea and  working additional  servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily  diet. “The transition to a  more whole-foods diet puts us on autopilot to  get more water because they are  naturally high in moisture,” says  Swift. And, make sure to include whole foods  that are rich in essential  fatty acids, such as nuts and seeds, avocados, and  anchovies and  sardines, which help maintain healthy cell membranes and hold in   moisture.

You’re  not getting enough fiber…

One likely signal: Constipation

Background: Constipation is the clearest indicator  of the  body’s need for more fiber. “Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate up  to 100 grams  of fiber a day and had an average stool weight of 2  pounds,” says Mark Hyman,  MD, the editor of Alternative Therapies in  Health and Medicine and  author of The UltraSimple  Diet (Pocket Books, 2007).

“Today, the average American eats less than 8 grams of fiber a day,  and the  average bowel movement is a puny 4 ounces.” That’s a problem, he  says, because  the bowels are key to the body’s elimination process.  When traffic is backed  up, toxins from the bowel leach back into the  body and can cause a multitude of  inflammation-based health problems in  everything from your  digestion and skin to your heart and brain. They  can also disrupt hormonal  balance and immunity. The bottom line, Hyman  says: “If stools are hard and hard  to pass, you’ve got a problem.”

Other signals: Frequent hunger pangs, energy slumps,   digestive trouble, skin problems, inflammatory conditions

How to respond: Eat more legumes, vegetables, fruits  and  whole grains. All are chock-full of fiber and other nutrients,  making them  natural go-to foods. Getting the recommended 35 to 40 grams  of fiber a day not only improves bowel health, but it also  lowers the  risk of diabetes and heart disease, says Andrew Weil, MD, director  of  the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine  at  the University of Arizona in Tucson.

If you want other ways to sneak extra roughage into your day, Swift  suggests  sprinkling rice-bran fiber on salads or oatmeal. She likes  rice-bran fiber  because it’s gluten-free and has been shown to help  eliminate toxins, such as  PCBs. Another one of her favorite fiber  boosters is a seasoning she makes out  of crushed pumpkin seeds, ground  flax meal, sesame seeds, kelp flakes and sea salt —  basically, a riff on  gomasio, which is used as a salt alternative in Japanese  cuisine. Put  it in a wrap, sprinkle over brown rice or use to garnish soups,  she  says. “The nuts, seeds and ocean veggies are a nutrient- and  fiber-licous  powerhouse.” (Keep it in the fridge to lengthen its  lifespan.)

You  have a B-vitamin deficiency…

One likely signal: Cracks at the corners of the  mouth

Background: “You see nutritional deficiencies first  in  those  tissues that turn over the quickest, such as the tongue and  lips,” says   Lipski. Studies show that cracks or sores that appear at the  corners  of the  mouth (a.k.a. cheilitis) may be a sign that your body  isn’t  getting enough B  vitamins. “Deficiencies of one or more of the B   vitamins may occur fairly  easily,” notes Haas, “especially with diets   that include substantial amounts  of refined and processed food, sugar or   alcohol.”

Other signals: Anemia, low energy, fatigue, skin  problems,   dark circles under the eyes

How to respond: Your best bet is eating a  whole-foods  diet and prioritizing foods high in B vitamins.  The richest   dietary source of B vitamins is found in brewer’s yeast or  nutritional   yeast (although, if you have candida issues, you’ll want to skip  those).   Other solid picks include wheat germ, whole grains, legumes, egg   yolks,  sweet potatoes, salmon, red meat, liver and poultry.

Taking a good B-complex vitamin  supplement can also be helpful  (particularly if  you’re a  vegetarian). Under the care of a nutritionally  inclined health   professional, you may also be prescribed a supplement  for a specific B  vitamin  (or even given a vitamin B-12 shot) to help  correct a  significant deficiency.  But be careful mixing up your own  B-vitamin  cocktails. When taken in excess  and out of balance with other  B’s,  certain B vitamins can wind up leaching  nutrients out of your  system.  That’s why emphasizing B-rich foods should be  your first  priority.

You’re eating something that doesn’t agree with you…

One likely signal: Eczema

Background: First a little background about food  intolerances. When the body doesn’t tolerate a food  well, ingesting that  food creates a chronic, low-level irritation or  inflammation in the  gut. Over time, with regular exposure, the irritation  worsens and  creates fissures in the spaces between the cells. (Picture the  walls of  the gut, once tightly knitted together, looking more like an old   afghan.) These holes allow bacteria and their toxins, as well as  incompletely  digested proteins and fats, to “leak” out of the gut and  into the bloodstream.  Called leaky gut syndrome (or increased intestinal  permeability), this  condition sets the stage for myriad health  problems, including rashes and skin  problems, like eczema.

The skin is the body’s largest elimination organ, notes Lipski, so  it’s not  surprising that it comes under assault when toxins careen  through the  bloodstream. “A skin rash or eczema is a sign that the body  is trying to slough out  these toxins,” she says. “It’s trying to  eliminate the problem the best way it  knows how.

Other signals: Gas, bloating, fatigue, sinus  congestion,  foggy thinking

How to respond: An elimination diet is the best way  to  pinpoint the offending food. “Start with one or two foods you  suspect,” says  Swift, who prefers to call this the “illumination diet”  because its focus is on  “illuminating your health.”

Don’t know where to start? Foods that are most likely to wreak havoc  on the  gut include wheat and gluten-containing products, dairy products,  sugar, soy, eggs, corn and yeast. If you’re  uber-motivated, take Haas’s  advice and go off what he calls “the big five” for  a week: wheat,  dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. “It’s not easy to do”, he  admits, “but you’re guaranteed to learn a lot about your body’s signals.” You  might also consider keeping a food journal. Spend a week or two  writing down  what you eat and how your body feels in the minutes, hours  and days afterward  (e.g., an hour after you eat dairy, you feel  bloated). “It’s about pattern and  symptom recognition and connecting the  dots,” says Swift, which in turn helps  you decide which foods to  eliminate first.

You’re  drinking too much caffeine…

One likely signal: Fatigue

Background: “Caffeine goes to an already low energy  bank account and  tries to lend it a little extra energy for the short  term,” says Haas. “But  it’s getting that energy from your own stores,  meaning you have less and less  on reserve, leaving you less able to  generate your own energy on an ongoing  basis.”

Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system.  Specifically, the  chemical gooses the adrenal glands into releasing  hormones — namely cortisol  and adrenaline that tell the body to go  faster. The short-term result can be  increased focus and better hand-eye  coordination. But overdo caffeine on a  regular basis and, eventually,  the central nervous system runs out of gas. “If  you don’t restore  yourself with sleep, nutrients and relaxation, you’ll quickly get into a   cycle of whipping a weakened horse,” says Haas.

Other signals: Jitters, agitation, insomnia,  heartbeat  irregularities, frequent urination

How to respond: Weil advises limiting your daily  dose of  caffeine to less than 300 milligrams (mg). As a reference, a  12-ounce cup of  Starbucks brewed coffee packs 260 mg of caffeine, while a  12-ounce Americano  (two shots of the coffee chain’s espresso added to  hot water) contains 150 mg.  A 12-ounce cup of black tea, on the other  hand, contains roughly 100 mg and  green tea only 50 mg. “If you’re going  to indulge,” advises Swift, “think about  the quality of the source. Are  you drinking green tea or a chemical-laden energy drink? What’s a   healthy amount for you? Most people know what amount their system can  handle,”  she says. In the meantime, support your adrenal glands with B  vitamins  (especially B5/pantothenic acid), vitamin C and licorice. Also,  fuel up on  healthy, whole foods that boost and maintain your energy.

You’re low on stomach acid…

One likely signal: Burping and indigestion

Background: If you’re low on stomach acid, your body  won’t  digest foods efficiently, especially dense foods like fats and  proteins. When  food sits in the stomach, so does the air you naturally  swallow when you eat.  The air has only two options — get pushed down the  digestive tract with food or  catch the next flight up the esophagus and  out the mouth. The longer food  loiters in the stomach, the more likely  you’ll burp.

Other signals: Gastric reflux, weak immune system,  cracked  fingernails, chronic infections, gas

How to respond: Boost the first phase of digestion by becoming a more “sensory-based eater,” says  Swift. “That means enjoy  the sight and smell of the meal before you dig in so  that your gut has  time to release digestive factors, such as hydrochloric acid,  in  anticipation of a meal.” Then, eat more mindfully. Chew your food so  that it’s easier for  the gut to digest, especially proteins and fats.

If you still feel like your food sits in your stomach like a rock,  Haas  recommends trying digestive enzymes, which can help you better  digest your  food. For example, he says, you might try a product called  betaine  hydrochloride with pepsin (a time-released protein digestant),  found at  health-food stores.

Hydrochloric acid is the main ingredient in stomach acid. By taking  it as a  supplement, you’re basically giving your stomach a head start,  especially with  proteins and fats, which are the hardest food stuffs to  digest, meaning they  require more stomach acids than carbs. After you  begin eating a meal with  protein and fat, for instance, take one  capsule. See how you feel after a  couple of meals. If you feel OK, you  can try two capsules and gradually  increase to three or four. If you  have any sensation of burning or acid  indigestion, cut back to a level  where you didn’t experience any negative side  effects.

You’re  short on good flora…

One likely signal: Frequent colds

Background: The immune system‘s command center is  housed inside the gut.  “An ecological imbalance of organisms in the gut  means the body can’t defend  itself against unfriendly microbes,” says  Swift. “The result is we get sick a  lot.” Ironically, says Hyman, it’s  often medicine, such as antibiotics, that  wipe out the gut’s supply of  good bacteria. “When we wipe them out again and  again with antibiotics  and then eat a poor diet, it’s a disaster for the gut.”  That, in turn,  can spell trouble for the rest of the body.

Other signals: Intestinal gas, bloating, loose  stools or  constipation, vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract  infections, skin rash,  athlete’s foot, nail fungus

How to respond: The experts agree that one of the  easiest  (and most delicious) ways to restore the gut’s healthy flora is  to eat more  foods rich in good bacteria, such as miso, sauerkraut,  kombucha (a fermented Japanese tea),  yogurt that contains live bacteria,  and kefir (a fermented milk drink). “The  gut houses 5 pounds of  beneficial bacteria,” notes Haas. “We have to feed this  stuff.”

If you think your gut needs more than food can deliver, Weil  recommends  taking a daily probiotic that contains Lactobacillus GG or  Bacillus coagulans (BC-30).

Although many of the body’s messages can be decoded with a little  guesswork  and a lot of active listening, it’s important to remember that  some of these  same symptoms can be signs of more serious illnesses. If,  after a couple of  weeks of self-care, things don’t improve or resolve,  it’s best to consult a  health-care professional.

“A chronic ache or pain is an invitation to stop and take a look at  your  life,” says Lipski. “Your body is telling you it’s time to make a  change.  Respect its request and odds are you’ll be heading off a greater  health issue  down the pike.”

More Than One Way to Heal

A multipronged approach to health-care — seeking advice from both  alternative medicine practitioners as well as Western  doctors — can help  you decode your body’s warning signals before they cascade  into  something more serious.

Western medicine has many strengths: stamping out infections;  treating  emergencies, like heart attacks; and swooping in with trauma  care after an  accident or disaster. But when a condition is hard to  diagnose, or is chronic  or nagging, like poor digestion, insomnia or  general fatigue, going outside the  doctor’s office may be your best bet.

“Most medical-school curriculum focuses on acute care and doesn’t  adequately  train for chronic health issues — which constitute the most  common troubles for  most of the patients they see,” says Elizabeth  Lipski, PhD, CCN, and author of  Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill, 2004).

As both a medical doctor and a naturopath, Elson M. Haas has a foot  in each  world. He tends to agree with Lipski’s take, and he also sees  limitations in  the way that Western medical practitioners typically try  to snuff out the  body’s attempts to heal.

“Many symptoms, such as sinus congestion, allergies and excess mucus,  are  ways it’s trying to rid itself of excess toxins,” he says. “Western  medicine  tries to control these symptoms, by suppressing the fever or  drying up the  congestion, instead of supporting the body’s natural means  of elimination and  detoxification.”

Alternative practitioners come in many forms. In addition to your  primary  care physician, consider seeing a chiropractor or osteopath if  your condition  is skeletal; a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner  for hormone imbalances; or a  naturopath for overall wellness, digestive,  immunity and dietary advice. All of  these modalities have regulating  organizations that provide lists of qualified  practitioners.

Catherine Guthrie is a freelance writer based in Bloomington,   Ind.

Daily OM for July 11 – Getting Run Down

Getting Run Down

Recharging Your Batteries

by Madisyn Taylor

 

Getting worn out and run down robs you of receiving what you need from the universe.

 

Our natural state of being is vibrant, happy to be alive. Yet, there can be times when we feel run down and worn out. This does not mean that we are lazy or unfit for the tasks in our lives; it means that we need to recharge our batteries and find a way of keeping them charged. Vitamins and extra rest can be very helpful in restoring our physical bodies. And if we are willing to delve deeper, we may discover that there is an underlying cause for our exhaustion.

Whenever you are feeling run down, take an honest look at how you have been thinking, feeling and acting. You will likely find a belief, behavior pattern or even a relationship that is out of alignment with who you really are. Perhaps you believe you have to be perfect at everything or you have been bending over backwards to get people to like you. Maybe you are dealing with mild depression or simply have too much on your plate right now. There may also be people or situations in your life which are draining your energy. Once you get clear on the root cause, you can weed it out and better direct your flow of energy in the future.

In time, you might notice that the reasons you feel run down have less to do with how much you are doing and more to do with the fact that in your heart, you would rather be doing something else entirely. From now on, try and listen to what your heart really wants. It may take meditation, or just a moment of silent tuning in to gain the clarity you need, but it is well worth the effort. When you know what you truly want to do, and honor that in all situations, you will find that getting run down is a thing of the past.

When Is It Time To Make A Change?

When Is It Time To Make A Change?

by Christy Diane Farr

 

Several years ago, I ended a very rocky off again/on again relationship. I  quit eating meat. A couple of years later, my daughter decided she didn’t want  to eat meat anymore either. My wife, who never ate much meat anyway, followed  suit too.

My charming son, who previously preferred potatoes and pasta to animal  protein, no questions asked, has now declared himself the resident carnivore –  the proud and mighty meat eating man of the house. I suspect the renewed  commitment to meat consumption reflects his quest to define himself, the lone  male, in a household with three girl people, three girl cats, and one neutered  boy cat, who he tells me “does not count for the boy team, because we had him  fixed”. So, testosterone driven or not, we support him in his life as a  meat eater, and he supports us in ours.

Several months ago, I gave up crack, I mean sugar… again. After more than two  years without the poison, I’d “relapsed” and felt sincerely mortified to find  myself deep in the throes of a toxic relationship with it once again. That is  always a good sign that you should stop eating something, when you realize that  you not only have a “relationship” with a food, but that you describe it as  toxic. Never a good sign, but if there is uncertainty, look for other  signs you need to give it up. For example, how often have you had a hysterical  fit of crying and screaming because someone used the last of the milk, without  warning you or replacing it, leaving you with a dry bowl of Fruity Pebbles? If  the answer is more than zero, you might want to give it some thought…

While I have no energy for the debate about whether one can be “addicted” to  sugar or not, my relatively recently established policy prohibiting “toxic  relationships” forced me to put down the spoon and walk away from sugar for  good. Yes, I miss cake but there really isn’t anything that tastes better than  sanity feels. I’ve resisted forcing my dietary choices on my family and friends,  perhaps excessively so, and the living by example thing works slower than I ever  imagined. It’s just me, living sugar-free, and while it is a difficult choice at  times, I live with certainty that it is best for me (and everyone who encounters  me).

Do you know the feeling that comes to let you know it is time to make a  change? It is a message that bubbles up from deep within, or sometimes the  universal brick to the forehead,  that the time to act is now. Sometimes they  are strong enough that by simply receiving it, we feel the strength and  certainty to move into alignment with it. These are powerful moments and I’ve  found that by taking action when the time is right, I have what it takes to  actually do it.

Well, not long after I released sugar,  I heard that the time had  come to make two other big dietary adjustments – releasing dairy and gluten.  I’ve done these two before, just long enough to know that my body wasn’t  responding well to them. I knew it would come eventually, but when word came  that it was time, I freaked out.

Immediately, the voice in my head started explaining how hard it is to give  up wheat, to give up dairy, to give them up in addition to sugar, to give them  up when I don’t eat meat. It told me that this was absolutely unreasonable. It  told me how this would be better to do later.

The good news is that I am impressively tenacious.

(“Tenacious” is the post-therapy translation of childhood labels like  bull-headed, stubborn, cantankerous, unmanageable, and just plain bitchy.)

I won’t listen to anyone, even  the little voices in my head, when I can  discern they are coming from a place of fear. Part of me felt afraid that these  changes would be too hard. Part of me certainly — and perhaps even reasonably —  felt afraid that I wouldn’t know what to eat or how to prepare my food. I was  afraid because I sincerely wanted to make these changes and that meant it  would  hurt so badly if I failed.

But all of that is about fear and we already know that nothing of value ever  comes from fear.

So, here’s the deal: I am a catalyst. I write and teach because these are the  gifts I possess to help me blow up obstacles to personal freedom — both in my  life and in yours — because that’s what I believe I was created to do. With that  in mind, what  I’m trying to tell you is this: Once you hear the whispers (or  feel bricks) about making changes in your life, the time to take action is now.  Period.

When you feel the energy surge, that’s your sign, jump on and ride it all the  way. Do whatever it takes to cultivate the health, sanity, creativity,  abundance, love, or whatever else you need and desire. That’s how this works.  And when you commit, the universe will rush in to support you. You’ll receive  the your life equivalent of friends who are masterful vegan cooks to  teach you how prepare what you eat now, Kundalini Yoga classes to help you heal,  and too-tight favorite blue jeans to remind you why you care about making this  change.

While I could write, at remarkable length, about the merits of sugar-free  food, being a vegetarian or vegan, food sensitivities, respecting an 11 year-old  boy’s need to carve a space for himself in the world by eating meat, and the  healing power of self-love, that is not what I want you to hear in this story  about what’s changing in my world.

Instead, I’m writing to ask you — plain and simple — to listen when your  intuition speaks to you. Regardless of what healing journey writers like me are  sharing with you, or what your partner/boss/mother/society believes you “should”  be, I’m asking you to find your own answers. What does your body need you to do?  What does your soul long for? What are the personal and professional dreams  waiting for your attention?

Listen to the beautiful voice inside your heart; the tender one who whispers  about your strength and your power; the one who knows, intimately, all the best  parts of you and who remembers the reason for your life on this earth. When that  voice says it is time, listen… act. Your life is waiting for you.

 

7 Reasons to Cut Back on Coffee

7 Reasons to Cut Back on Coffee

Written by Randy Fritz, co-creator with Diana Herrington at Real Food for Life

Coffee is for Bugs not Your Body!

Caffeine is a natural insecticide that plants have been using to  protect themselves from insects for thousands of years!

That caffeine in your steaming cup of coffee has been put to much better use  in driving away or killing insects in your backyard, rather than  getting you going in the morning.

7 Reasons to Cut Down on Your Coffee or Caffeine Consumption 

1. Caffeine was developed as a poison.

Over millions of years, plants have developed various powerful compounds to  stop insects from stripping away every bit of greenery from the planet. Many  plants are obviously poisonous or extremely inedible to protect themselves.  Other examples of slightly toxic substances include oxalic acid in  leafy greens and capsaicin in chili peppers. When you consider the fact that we  consume 12,000 tons of caffeine a year, the amounts in these other foods are  miniscule in comparison. A good rule of thumb for health is to avoid or reduce  poisons.

2. Caffeine exhausts the adrenals.

Whereas a dose of caffeine in a small insect may stun or even kill it, in  humans it just gives us a little “buzz.” This stimulation is what many people  depend on to get themselves going with their morning coffee, but it is short  lived.

Since it really is just stimulation, an excitement of the nervous and  glandular system, it’s not producing any long term energy; and as soon as that  little high wears off, you are reaching for another shot.  Do this enough  times and your nervous and glandular system, particularly the adrenal gland, is  exhausted.  You have to keep increasing the “dose” to have energy and  eventually nothing works and you crash.

3.  Caffeine is addictive.

The fact that you can get caffeine withdrawal symptoms if you stop is an  obvious symptom of addiction. Most people don’t want to be addicted to  anything!

You probably think you don’t drink enough to be addicted, but research shows  you probably already are. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine showed  that low to moderate caffeine intake (as little as one small cup of coffee per  day) can quickly produce withdrawal symptoms.

4.  Caffeine often comes with sugar and other health hazards. 

Raw coffee beans by themselves don’t taste good, so sweeteners are  usually  added. This is usually white sugar or some artificial chemical  that tastes  sweet.

Some people consider white sugar to also be a chemical poison.

At the very least, sugar is definitely a dumb carb and not a smart carb.  Other than the  simple sugars, it has no micronutrients like vitamins or  minerals to help your  body. Also it has a high glycemic index so it  goes quickly into the system,  creating insulin spikes and insulin  resistance, which eventually leads to  weight gain.

5.  Caffeine toxicity has been linked to, well, almost  everything.

The above four points are pretty well known. Caffeine toxicity, on the other  hand, doesn’t seem to be as commonly discussed. If you do a  medical search for  “caffeine toxicity” on Google Scholar, you get 44,000 entries.

Caffeine has been associated with studies in a lot of conditions  including:

  • irregular heartbeat
  • insomnia
  • psychosis
  • anorexia
  • sleeplessness
  • headaches
  • nervousness
  • irritability
  • depression
  • bedwetting
  • birth defects in rodents

6.  Caffeine is used as an insecticide.

Back to my original point. Over 20 years ago James Nathanson,  assistant  professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, reported in Science magazine of this  important function of caffeine. The study determined that  caffeine  combined with other insecticides increases their killing power. In one  test, a small dose of caffeine increased known pesticides potency by 10  times. Caffeine appears to produce the destructive effect by  suppressing certain enzymes in the insects’ nervous systems. In man, caffeine is  now classified by many scientists as a neurotoxin. That means it is definitely  not “good” for your nerves.

Do you think that maybe you have other pesticides in your system that  caffeine could react with?

7.  Coffee cups destroy the environment.

The world drinks 400 billion coffees a year. We toss away 100 million cups a  year which, if we are careful with our trash, ends up in landfills.

The paper in landfills, like all organic matter, decomposes without oxygen,  and thus produces methane which has 23 times the heat trapping power of CO2.

The plastic coating of the paper and the polystyrene coffee cup lid, after  its minutes-long use, will continue to exist for hundreds of years. Plastic  coffee cup lids contain the toxic substances styrene and benzene, which have  been documented as suspected carcinogens and neurotoxins. That’s also bad!

You Could Choose Worse!

If you are going to choose a drug, caffeine is certainly better than alcohol,  nicotine, cocaine or narcotics.  Narcotics used to be readily available in  the drugstore but new understanding has caused their restriction, so most people  have moved into caffeine and alcohol.

Coffee does some have specific uses: They would tend to be medicinal.  Caffeine, for example, is added to many cold and pain medications to increase  their speed and potency.  This decreases overall medicine use.

Coffee also has some great social benefits. The coffee shops around the world  seem to fulfill a universal urge to come together to talk and eat and drink. In  the crazy world we live in, coffee shops are often a tiny oasis of comfort and  calm. That being said, perhaps we could be drinking alternate beverages with  less caffeine.

You Could Choose Better: 5 Caffeine Alternatives

1. Green Tea

Green tea has one-half to one-sixth the caffeine of regular brewed coffee. It  has about half the caffeine as a Coke or Pepsi. Some specialty green teas have  even less caffeine than this.

What green tea has more of is all kinds of health benefits,  including prevention in cancer and  heart disease. Maybe this is why green  tea is the second most popular beverage in the world (after water) and the  most popular health beverage. Green tea is considered a critical element in  the development of the British middle class, women’s liberation, girl guides,  charity organizations, and the American Revolution.

2. Herbal Beverages

Other than in bars, it is now socially acceptable to drink herbal drinks in  public!  They are often called “herbal teas” although technically they are  not.

3.  Ice Cold Orange Juice or Lemon Water

Both will give you smart carbs with natural energy and will also reduce your  risk of heart disease. Most other fruit juices have additional health benefits.  Lemon water is also highly alkalizing. It will take a bit more time or energy to  have fresh juice but you won’t be spending time making coffee.

4.  Dandelion Coffee

The nice thing about this is that it can be absolutely free. Dandelion root  has a host of health benefits.

5.  Power Foods:  Pick One, Any One

There are whole foods that will give you the energy and clarity that you are  trying to get with coffee. They are probably in your kitchen right now. Below is  a list of great choices for breakfast or a snack. Take your pick from the list  and enjoy the energy and health benefits!

  • Apples: One of these per day will keep the doctor  away!
  • Bananas
  • Raspberries Contains the anti-carcinogenic  substance, ellagic acid.
  • Almonds
  • Walnuts: The crinkly  powerfood with the highest antioxidant activity of any nut.
  • Pumpkin Seeds: The alkalizing seed.
  • Quinoa: This nutty-flavored powerfood is pronounced  keen–wa.
  • Oatmeal  Much more health benefits than just fiber.

 

9 Essential Oils with Huge Health Benefits

9 Essential Oils with Huge Health Benefits

Samantha, selected from TreeHugger

 

Essential  oils have their place secured in a natural beauty routine: They’re   natural, chemical-free alternatives to everything from traditional  cosmetics to  potentially toxic fragrances.   But many can do a lot more than just smell good:  While we can’t say  with authority the 10 oils highlighted here are miracle  cures,  throughout history they’ve been credited with treating problems   including digestion issues and acne; increasing concentration; killing  germs  and much more.

Peppermint

The bright scent of peppermint does more than freshen your breath: It is also  used to soothe nausea and other stomach issues, help stop itching, and cool  overworked  muscles (thanks to the menthol).Add drops of peppermint oil to a  bowl of hot water and breathe in the  steam to fight congestion, or rub diluted  oil into sore muscles. And  that’s not all: Peppermint is a key ingredient in oil mixtures that fight  PMS, act as an  all-natural alternative to VapoRub, cool sore throats, and quiet  headaches — and it’s often credited with increasing concentration, so  ideal  for a mid-afternoon alternative to coffee pick-me-up.

Lavender

For Anita Boen, who runs an organic farm that provides  herbs and oils to  upscale spas, lavender is a go-to oil for almost any situation: Not only  is it one of the few  oils that is gentle enough to use undiluted, it’s a  “virtual first aid  kit in a bottle.”The antibacterial  properties allow it to fight germs (which is  why it’s also such an  important ingredient in many all-natural  cleaning products for home and body), and, like  peppermint, it’s  often credited with aiding digestion and helping fight  headaches.

Lavender oil’s soft scent is said to help calm the nervous system,  improve  sleep quality, combat joint pain, and fight everything from  urinary disorders  and respiratory problems to high blood pressure and acne.

Sesame

Sesame  oil may be best known for its moisturizing  qualities, which make it  a favorite ingredient for hair  and skin treatments.But the health benefits go beyond  beauty: Sesame oil has a slight SPF  factor, contains fatty acids believed to  lower stress and blood  pressure, and has been shown to help  slow the growth of cancer in cells.

Rose

This rose by any name will smell as sweet: Look for it  labeled as Rose Otto,  rose oil, or rose  essential oil, and choose oils produced in Bulgaria  and Turkey for  the highest quality. These slightly-distilled oils won’t have  the strong  scents of oils used for perfumes, but they are more popular with   aromatherapists.  Nature’s  Gift calls rose oil “the ultimate woman’s oil,”  because it has a  reputation for improving hormone balance, treating PMS and  menopause,  counteracting problems in the bedroom, and improving the look and  health  of your skin.

Geranium

Planet Green suggests including geranium  oil as an ingredient in a PMS-fighting  solution,  but it’s also  well-known for its astringent properties —  which allow it to  refresh  skin — and its styptic aspects, which calm  inflammations and stop   hemorrhaging.You can also use geranium  oil to treat acne, and oily skin, boost   circulation, and decrease  bloating. The oil can reduce the appearance  of scars  and blemishes, get  rid of body odor, and contract  blood  vessels to diminish the appearance of lines  and wrinkles.

Pine

The sharp tang of pine   oil may call up Christmas trees and rugged aftershaves, but this   tree’s  needles also offer antiseptic, antibacterial, and analgesic   properties that  make it a favorite of holistic health experts.Pine oil  is said to help treat  skin issues — including psoriasis,  eczema, and  pimples; speed up metabolism;  act as an antidote to food  poisoning;  ease joint pain and arthritis; kill  germs; and battle  respiratory  problems that go along with cough and cold  season.

Clove

Spicy clove  oil is one of the main ingredients in Tiger  Balm, an all-natural remedy said to temper hangover  headaches —  but holistic health practitioners find other uses for it, too.It’s  a popular choice for dental issues, including tooth and gum  pain, and some  sites recommend using it for bad breath (although whether  you’d rather have  your breath smell like cloves is up to you).

Clove  oil is also antiseptic, so diluted versions can treat  bug bites,  cuts, and scrapes; other suggested treatments help clear up  earaches,  digestion problems, nasal congestion, stomachaches, and headaches. As  an  added bonus, it’s an aphrodisiac — and therefore a popular form of  stress  relief.

Black Pepper

It might not be as  sweet-smelling as the more floral entries on this list,  but black  pepper oil still has its place in your natural health  arsenal.Pepper had its day as one of the world’s most valuable spices, in  part  because of its healing properties, which include aiding digestion,  undoing  cramps and convulsions, warming muscles to ease joint pain and  arthritis, and  curing bacterial infections.

Lemon Balm

Lemon  balm essential oil, also known as Melissa essential  oil after the  plant’s Latin name, Melissa officinalis, doesn’t look  like much,  but it has plenty of benefits. It’s an antidepressant, it keeps your  nervous  system working smoothly, it calms anxiety and inflammation, it   counteracts insomnia, it heals ulcers, it fights bacterial infections,  and has  been credited with treating herpes, headaches, and high blood  pressure.

 

Clean Air Alternatives to Aerosol Spray

Clean Air Alternatives to Aerosol Spray

by Cherise Udell

This is probably not a surprise to you if you have ever used an aerosol spray  can, but these little stinkers are often dangerously toxic to you and the  environment. All you have to do is read the warning label to realize you just  may have a time-bomb in your hand. We all know that if allowed to heat-up, that  pressurized aerosol can actually become a real bomb and explode. But did you  also know that the fine vapor mist, along with the inevitable chemical cocktail  of some aerosol products, has been linked to cancer, brain damage and even death  for the user? Furthermore, aerosols are at the root of some big environmental problems  such as air pollution and global warming.

Next to injections, breathing fine vapor mist is the fastest way to absorb a  chemical into your body. For someone having a massive asthma attack, medicinal  delivery through a fine mist is a godsend. For children getting their annual flu  shot, the new flu mist, in lieu of a needle, is also something to be celebrated.  But for the rest of us just trying to get ready for the day, clean our homes or  finish a project, the user-friendly aerosol can often requires a deal with the  devil. Just as asthma medication is quickly inhaled via aerosol spraying, so are  the hundreds of questionable chemicals that come in other types of aerosol  cans.

Fortunately, there are numerous alternatives to that highly flammable, often  highly polluting, potentially cancer-causing aerosol can.

Sunscreen

The spray-on sunscreen is mighty tempting; who likes the  greasy feeling of hand-applying suntan lotion? I know I don’t and neither do my  kids. But it is very likely your lungs or your children’s lungs like the fine  particle spray laced with numerous dubious chemicals even less. Furthermore, why  trade the possibility of skin cancer from the sun for the possibility of another  type of cancer somewhere inside your body? Do your body and the air a favor and  return to the hand-applied sunscreens — or find a “stick” alternative such as  California Baby.

Odor Removal

We all enjoy a fresh-smelling home, car and office. Yet diaper pails, pet  odors, and food odors are notoriously difficult to dispel….unless you know about  vinegar.  Vinegar has an extraordinary capacity to wipe-out even the  strongest, most persistent odors. All you need to do is mix water with white vinegar (I like 2/3 vinegar and 1/3 water) in a spray  bottle and mist as you would with an air freshener. You will smell the strong  scent of vinegar for about five minutes, but then it dissipates, taking along  the offensive order with it! I spray trash bins, shoes, pet areas, the kitchen,  my car and laundry room with vinegar on a regular basis and without the guilt  and risk of using toxic aerosols. Another plus to vinegar — it is very  inexpensive, especially if you buy the big jugs at Costco.

If just removing the stinky smells is not enough and you want some lovely  scents to escort you through your day, try pure essential oils. You can apply the scent of your choice in a  number of ways: a) just sprinkle a few drops on your carpet, bed linens or wood  floors; b) mix a few drops of the essential oil in a spray bottle filled with  water and spray; c) use a water-based diffuser or d) use a candle diffuser. Try  lemon, lavender, rose and/or cinnamon for some fresh clean scents. Personally, I  love Do Terra essential oils for their purity and high medicinal grade – and  thus recommend these highly.

Clothing Starch

Some people love their clothes starched to keep them extra  crisp and fresh. If you are one of these well-dressed individuals, try ditching  the aerosol spray and use a mixture of cornstarch and water in a spray bottle  instead. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch for each pint of water. Test the blend  on a dish towel and add more cornstarch if needed (a 1/2 teaspoon or less at a  time), to get the crispness you desire.

Furniture and Stainless Steel Polish

Try olive oil or any cooking oil as a wood furniture polish. Olive oil also  works well with stainless steel. If you prefer a scented polish, again, just add  a few drops of a pure essential oil such as lavender or lemon. Be sure to use a  little elbow grease to polish the oil to create a nice sheen and remove any oily  residue left behind.

Hair Spray

Farrah Fawcett probably could not have managed her signature hairdo if it  weren’t for aerosol hair spray, but fortunately having two shellacked wings of  hair framing your face is no longer in style. That is not to say that some of us  still don’t rely on a little help with our locks. If you need hairspray, ditch  the aerosol can and choose a pump hair spray instead. Early forms of aerosol  hairspray contained vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, as well as, CFCs which  were very effective at eating the ozone in our atmosphere, and therefore a big  culprit in global warming. Fortunately, both CFCs and vinyl chloride were banned  in hairspray products in the 1970s. However, according to a PBS website, even  without the vinyl chloride, it is not known whether the ingredients currently  used in hairspray are safe for human use.

Food Can Nourish the Spirit

Food Can Nourish the Spirit

by Sarah Cooke

Today, a friend and I had a conversation about the role that relationships  can play in our enjoyment of food. For example, when I prepare dishes using my  mother’s recipes, the flavor is the same but the experience is often less  fulfilling than enjoying a meal she has prepared for me. Similarly, when I  prepare a meal for my fiancé and myself, I often enjoy the dish more than I do  when I am the only one eating.

It is not only the flavor of a dish or the quality of the ingredients that  contributes to our enjoyment. It is the energy surrounding the food – and the  consumption of it. When a meal is prepared and eaten with love,  it is generally more enjoyable.

Yes, this phenomenon can lead to emotional  eating when we try to recreate the positive memories and feelings associated  with particular foods. But it also has the potential to be quite beneficial.  When we enjoy food on the level of the spirit, we are often more likely to feel  more fulfilled, meaning we consume fewer empty calories than we do when we eat  processed foods, which are less fulfilling. When we eat processed food, we often  must eat more to feel fulfilled. In addition, when we learn to appreciate the  deep, emotional nourishment that food can offer us in a balanced way, we are  likely to choose high quality foods that can offer that kind of sustenance.

 

Help for Making New Habits Deepak Chopra

Help for Making New Habits

by Deepak Chopra

Every habit is a cooperative venture between body and mind. Generally  speaking, the mind leads the venture and body follows as a silent partner. It is  attention, or awareness, that touches the sleeping powers of the mind and makes  them vital again. The smallest shift of attention can change the world you  perceive and the body you live with.

Guidelines for new habits:

1. The habit should be  acquired effortlessly over a period of time.

2. It should be guided by  positive thoughts.

3. It should be consciously repeated, but always in a  good frame of mind, never forced in as the enemy of a bad habit.

Cultivated in this way, new habits condition the whole mind-body system to  create health and happiness automatically.

I am again reminded of those two sentences from Abraham Maslow about very  healthy, creative people: “What such a person wants and enjoys is apt to be just  what is good for him. His spontaneous reactions are as capable, efficient and  right as if they had been thought out in advance.” It sounds too good to be  true, but is just habit at work.

All that is needed is the awareness that the unconscious mind can be changed  in its routine, and then one simply changes it. People who have been unhappy all  their lives can become happy simply by realizing that the source of change is  inside themselves.

The unconscious can be refined and rechanneled through suggestions,  repetition, and above all, attention. Do not fret too much over “how it all  happens”—that is just an old mindset saying, “It won’t happen, it can’t.”

 

Your Magickal Correspondence for Monday, July 9th

Your Magickal Correspondence for Monday, July 9th

Monday Is Ruled By The Moon

Archangel:  Gabriel

Candle Colour:  Silver

Incenses:  Jasmine or Myrrh

Crystals:  Moonstone or Opal

Use Mondays for spells for fertility, protection especially while traveling for home and family and to increase psychic and healing powers.

Where possible, work close to any water and, as a bonus, by moonlight.