Take a Breath

On a cellular level, Oxygen is the key ingredient in all processes that involve the absorption of nutrients, the energy cycle of the cell itself, and the elimination of toxins from the cell. If there is not enough oxygen in the blood and delivered to the cells, then this process breaks down.

Important side note: Insufficient Oxygen in the blood also reduces the "line-of-defense" of the human immune system.

Get breathing gang. Zowie!
 
How do you breathe? Yoga, CrossFit, walking, meditation? Well, whatever your choice, just get it done!



In, pause and Out, ahhhhh ~jgirl

 

Tearing Down to Rebuild

Rethinking Complaining

When we complain we are tearing down an undesirable structure in order to make room for something new.

We all know someone who has elevated the process of complaining to a high art. Sometimes funny, sometimes exhausting, these people have the ability to find a problem just about anywhere. In its more evolved form, complaining is simply the ability to see what’s not working, in one’s own life or in the external world, and it can be quite useful if followed to its natural conclusion—finding a solution and applying it. However, many of us don’t get that far, and we find that complaining has become an end in itself. In small doses, this is not a big problem, but if complaining has become a huge part of our identities, it may be time to take a good look at how we are spending our energy.

Complaining is a person’s way of acknowledging that they are not happy with the way things are. In a metaphorical way, when we complain or criticize, we are tearing down an undesirable structure in order to make room for something new. But if all we do is tear down, never bothering to summon the creative energy required to create something new, we are not fulfilling the process. In fact, we are at risk for becoming a stagnant and destructive force in our own lives and in the lives of the people we love. Another issue with complaining is that we sometimes tend to focus on other people, whom we can’t change, as a way of deflecting attention from the one person we can change—ourselves. So transforming complaining into something useful is a twofold process that begins with turning our critical eye to look at things we can actually do something about, and then taking positive action.

When we find ourselves complaining, the last thing we need to do is get down on ourselves. Instead, we can begin by noticing that we are in the mode of wanting to make some changes. But rather than lashing out at somebody or an organization, we can take responsibility and look at our own house—not our neighbor’s house. Finally, we can ask ourselves the positive question of what we would like to create in the place of whatever it is we want to tear down. When we do this, we channel a negative habit into a creative process, thus using our energy to change the world around us in a positive way.

I love these OM's. Really take a sec with this one. A solution to your resolution. Make a real change and see lasting benefits. ~jgirl

This little OM is dedicated to my good friend. We have recently had this conversation and there is so much truth to be found in it.

Enjoy and be aware that there is not only physical and mental/emotional aspects of our health, but spiritual as well and they work together in a beautiful dance that we call life.

Blessings for the season. ~jgirl

The Journey Of Commitment
Entering Into Commitment

Entering into a committed relationship is in fact a spiritual journey that we undertake with another person.

Loving and committing to another person is a spiritual process whether it involves a wedding or any other type of commitment ceremony. Often when we enter into a relationship, we allow our emotions to lead us forward without thinking more deeply about what true commitment involves. If we can understand that sharing our lives with another person is not just based on love but also on the hard work of being able to compromise and enter into a dialogue with them, then we are much more likely to find the key to having a successful relationship with our partners. So many people have not experienced a loving relationship between their own parents and therefore have no role model of what love should feel like or look like.


Many of us have been exposed to the idea that love should be romantic and sweep us off our feet. While this is a natural part of any relationship, the true test of our love comes from our willingness to explore this world with another person; to not only share in the delights that we encounter but also to negotiate the bumps in the road together. Generally this often takes the form of a mutual exchange of ideas, but because any relationship is based on the needs and experiences of two people, we might also face a certain amount of misunderstanding. Learning to be open and receptive to our partners and to treat their wants and ideas with respect can help us navigate even the most difficult situations. One way to do this is to take a deep breath, holding our partner in a space of love, and allow ourselves to listen fully with our hearts to what they have to say. Should this become difficult to do, we can also turn toward people whose relationships we admire for advice or guida! nce. Knowing that there are resources out there to help us and being up for exploring them with our partner will only serve to deepen and strengthen our relationship.


Entering into a committed relationship is in fact a spiritual journey that we undertake with another person. By being able to love and care for someone else with an open heart, we will find that we can reach a greater level of personal transformation, evolving along our path and learning powerful lessons about ourselves that we might not otherwise be able to do on our own.

Give the Gift of Wellness!

Nutritional Wellness Analysis - $95

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• Lipid Profile
• CBC
• Thyroid w/TSH
• Minerals & Bone
• Fluid & Electrolytes
• Glucose
• Kidney panel
• Liver panel

An annual check-in of your health is a gift to yourself

and your loved ones!

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Call today to schedule your appt!

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exp. 1/31/11

Think Globally, Eat Locally

Now it is more important than ever to eat locally and shop your local farmer's market and small grocery store.

We all know that the quality of our food is in jeapordy these days. Farmers, politics and disease are all related in a crazy world. But what can we do?

Awareness is a powerful tool. 

Belive it or not the simplest of things...speak with your dollar, vote with  your choice...on a daily basis buying and eating food that is grown locally.

Food that has been transported long distances doesn't contain much life force by the time it gets to your kitchen. Making a commitment to shop, buy, and eat locally is not  and only a very important part of creating positive change, it can also be delicious fun and far more nourishing than you thought.

One of the best places to begin the adventure of eating locally is a farmer's market. Stalls brim with fresh fruits and vegetables grown on nearby farms. Not only is this good for the environment, it's good for the farmers since they benefit from selling directly to the consumer. The consumer benefits, too, from the intimate experience of buying food from the hand of the person who grew it. In addition, the food is fresher and more diverse. In supermarkets, particular varieties of fruits and vegetables are favored due to their ability to survive transport to a far destination. Alternately, at a farmer's market, you will find versions of the fruits and vegetables you know that will surprise and delight your senses—green striped heirloom tomatoes, purple cauliflower, white carrots, and edible flowers, just to name a few.

Make an effort to buy as much of your food as possible directly from local farmers. You will become one of a growing number of people eating delicious food to save the planet and having fun doing it.

Are You Full of IT?
Water that is...

Hey blogger peeps! Get and stay hydrated this holiday season. You may find yourself a little overextended, extra glass of wine, big meal, skipped a workout.

Stay strong.

You can do it!

Schedule in one extra workout session each week to ensure you are on track and bring your water!

• 1% dehydration will impact your athlectic performance!
• 2% and your metabolism really starts running amuck.

Keep it green at mealtime and enjoy a salad for balance. It's easy to celebrate with fruits and vegetables! Soups, stews, salads, sides, all opportunities for a cellular celebration ;-)

After oxygen, water is your highest priority for attaining optimum health. Why? It's quite simple-your body is over 70% water. Your brain is over 85% water. So it makes sense that you can't drink too much water - pure water. Staying hydrated is absolutely crucial for optimum brain function and optimum health.


Adequate hydration is not only essential for optimum brain function, it also:


• Maintains your body temperature
• Aids in digestion
• Metabolizes fat
• Lubricates and cushions your organs
• Transports nutrients throughout your body
• Flushes toxic waste from your body
• Keeps you looking and feeling young

There is evidence that cellular hydration state is an important factor controlling cellular protein turnover; protein synthesis and protein degradation are affected in opposite directions by cell swelling and shrinking. An increase in cellular hydration (swelling) acts as an anabolic proliferative signal, whereas cell shrinkage is catabolic and antiproliferative. The cellular hydration state is mainly determined by the activity of ion and substrate transport systems in the plasma membrane. Hormones, substrates, and oxidative stress can change the cellular hydration state within minutes, thereby affecting protein turnover. We postulate that a decrease in cellular hydration in liver and skeletal muscle triggers the protein catabolic states that accompany various diseases.

Cellular hydration state: an important determinant of protein catabolism in health and disease

Enduring Discomfort
Missing Our Old Habits

Sometimes you may find yourself missing an old habit or pattern or having a craving for something that you have sworn off as a detriment to your lifestyle! This this is actually normal and happens to most of us from time to time or at first, daily.

Whenever we make the effort to free ourselves of an addiction or a habit we no longer need or want, we are often surprised to find ourselves missing it as if we are depriving ourselves of food, air, water or shelter...you know, survival. Yes, it sounds crazy because our brain tells is that we think we should instinctively gravitate toward that which is good for us. And yet, it makes a lot of sense when you consider that we humans are creatures of habit. This is why we gravitate to people and places—and patterns of behavior--that make us feel comfortable. Here's the bomb...many of the habits we form are not conscious and are based instead on learned behavior from role models, experiences or programming that might not always have had health in clear view.

Most addictions begin as a way of avoiding feelings that are extremely uncomfortable, so it makes sense that stopping the addiction means, for a time, a fair amount of discomfort. The same, of course, is true of habits that we have developed over time that we are ready to release. This is tough stuff, yep hard. Don't be so hard on yourself, work through it and stay the course. Two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward. Create those new healthier patterns, and one day you won't even notice that you haven't looked back in a while. Take advantage of simple tools that can help your move past the emotional aspect of those habits. EFT, TFT and ERT are all great options.

Step up to the plate. If you have decided to make a change, keep it in your crosshairs, work through the self sabotage. You are worth it! Be confident! Remember that it will lead to the change we seek in our lives. Our bodies, hearts, and minds always need time to adjust to a new way of doing things, but they will adapt, and even become our allies, if we remain true to our vision of a new way.

Being Clear About Desires

Getting What We Want

The best way to get what we want from life is to first know what we want. If we haven't taken the time to really understand and identify what would truly make us happy, we won't be able to ask for it from those around us or from the universe. We may not even be able to recognize it once it arrives. Once we are clear about what we want, we can communicate it. When we can be honest about who we are and what we want, there is no need to demand, be rude or aggressive, or manipulate others that are involved in helping us get what we want. Instead, we know that we are transmitting a signal on the right frequency to bring all that we desire into our experience.


As the world evolves, humanity is learning to work from the heart. We may have been taught that the way to get what we want is to follow certain rules, play particular games, or even engage in acts that use less than our highest integrity. The only rules we need to apply are those of intention and connection. In terms of energy, we can see that it takes a lot of energy to keep up a false front or act in a way that is counter to our true nature, but much less energy is expended when we can just be and enjoy connections that energize us in return. Then our energy can be directed toward living the life we want right now.


Society has certain expectations of behavior and the roles each of us should play, but as spiritual beings we are not bound by these superficial structures unless we choose to accept them. Instead, we can listen to our hearts and follow what we know to be true and meaningful for us. In doing so, we will find others who have chosen the same path. It can be easy to get caught up in following goals that appear to be what we want, but when we pursue the underlying value, we are certain to stay on our right path and continue to feed our soul.

Knowledge Is Power


Farmageddon Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Your thoughts will become your words.

Your words will become your actions.

Your actions will become your habits.

Your habits will become your character.

Your character will define your destiny.

Now, knowing that what you think about expands...
what's on your mind?!

 

~jgirl

Use your imagination not to scare yourself to death

but to inspire yourself to life.

~Adele Brookman

Culling Out the Weeds

Mind Over Matter

The power of the mind is a curious thing, because it is so powerful yet so difficult to control sometimes.

The power of the mind is a curious thing, because it is so powerful yet so difficult to control sometimes. We find ourselves thinking a certain way, knowing that this thought may be creating trouble for us yet we find it difficult to stop. For example, many people have the experience of getting sick at the same time every year or every time they go on a plane. They may even be aware that their beliefs impact their experiences, so continue to think they will get sick and then they do.

Sometimes we need to get sick in order to process something or move something through our bodies. But often we get sick, or feel exhausted, because we don’t make the effort to galvanize the power of our minds in the service of our physical health, which is one of its most important functions. We really can use it to communicate to our bodies, yet we often regard the two as separate entities that have little to do with one another.

Knowing this, we have the power to create physical health and mental health, simply by paying attention to the tapes running in our minds. Once we hear ourselves, we have the option to let that tape keep running or to make a new recording. We harness the power of the mind in our defense when we choose supportive, healing words that foster good health and high spirits. All we need to do is remember to tend the field of our mind with the attentive and loving hand of a master gardener tending her flower beds, culling out the weeds so that the blossoms may come to fruition.

hope heALS

Sacramento ALS Walk today with the family and friends.

There are so many heartfelt expressions that can be made in an event like this and I find myself unable to put them into words. It is with so much gratitude that I say thank you.

I am daily striving to find those things that are my invisible barriers and yet they seem to pale in comparison to the struggle that happens inside a person with ALS (PALS), they are constantly moving forward with the spirit of a warrior.

That's YOU mom!

What a great inaugural event for Team hope heALS.  Again, much thanks for the love and support of our friends and family.

Live, Love, Fight! One of the many awesome slogans that I saw today.

Never Give Up on yourself or those that you care about.

We love you~

Inner Hierarchy

Listening with Your Heart 

Most of us were born and raised in cultures that value the head over the heart and, as a result, we place our own hearts below our heads in a sort of inner hierarchy of which we may not be conscious. What this means is that we tend to listen and respond from the neck up, often leaving the rest of our bodies with little or no say in most matters. This is a physical habit, which sometimes feels as ingrained as the way we breathe or walk. However, with effort and awareness, we can shift the energy into our hearts, listening and responding from this much deeper, more resonant place.

The brain has a masterful way of imposing structure and order on the world, creating divisions and categories, devising plans and strategies. In many ways, we have our brains to thank for our survival on this planet. However, as is so clear at this time, we also need the wisdom of our hearts if we wish to continue surviving in a viable way. When we listen from our heart, the logical grid of the brain tends to soften and melt, which enables us to perceive the interconnectedness beneath the divisions and categories we use to organize the world. We begin to understand that just as the heart underlies the brain, this interconnectedness underlies everything.

Many agree that this is the most important work we can do at this time in history, and there are many practices at our disposal. For a simple start, try sitting with a friend and asking him to tell you about his life at this moment. For 10 minutes or more, try to listen without responding verbally, offering suggestions, or brainstorming solutions. Instead, breathe into your heart and your belly, listening and feeling instead of thinking. When you do this, you may find that it’s much more difficult to offer advice and much easier to identify with the feelings your friend is sharing. You may also find that your friend opens up more, goes deeper, and feels he has really been heard. If you also feel great warmth and compassion, almost as if you are seeing your friend for the first time, then you will know that you have begun to tap the power of listening with your heart.

Great baseline laboratory test!
An overall view of your health.

If you aren't looking with an annual check-in and are serious about prevention you should consider this test. Get it through your doctor, your health care practitioner, your nutritionist or a knowledgeable trainer. Bottom line, you should know what this looks like annually.

Cardio Plus Special $29
This is a great offer!

Here is a description of the profile. DirectLabs offers testing directly to the consumer. You can order it by the end of the month (Sept 20X) and have the draw done within another 30 days or so. Again, this is a basic baseline.  ~jgirl

The process is simple.

1. Order the test online (see link below).
2. Go right to the LabCorp near your home or office once the requisition hits your email box.
3. Results are within 3-4 days. If you are unsure about reading the results a 30 minute phone or online consultation is available for $49.

Link for ordering: Cardio Plus - Sept Special - scroll down a bit on the page OR

Enter in search: CardioPlus-Sept Test of the Month

Description
CardioPlus Profile - Only $29 - (DLS Regular Price $45- Valued at over $280)
This is a great baseline laboratory test! An overall view of your health.

Tests Included:

• Glucose
• Uric Acid, Serum
• Bun (Urea Nitrogen)
• Creatinine, Serum
• Bun/Creatinine Ratio
• Sodium, Serum
• Potassium
• Chloride, Serum
• Calcium, Serum
• Phosphorous
• Iron, Serum
• Protein, Total Serum
• Albumin, Serum
• Globulin, Total
• Albumin/Globulin Ratio
• Bilirubin, Total
• Alkaline Phosphatase, S
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)
• Triglycerides
• LDL Cholesterol
• GGT
• Cholesterol, Total
• HDL Cholesterol
• VLDL
• Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
• Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT)
• Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST or SGOT)

Seeing Inside

Sight Versus Vision

Sight is the ability to see the physical world while vision is the gift of seeing beyond it.

When we look with our eyes, we see the physical world in so we can participate in it with knowledge. It brings us pleasure using our senses, which perceive the colors and shapes of all the myriad expressions of nature and human beings. It helps us feel in control, allowing us to see what is coming toward us, which way we are going, and exactly where we are standing at a given moment. We are able to read signs and books, navigate the interiors of buildings with ease, sense and perceive how a person is feeling by the expressions that cross her face.

As anyone who has lost their eyesight can tell you, though, there are things that are clearer when you cannot see the world through your eyes. One of the reasons you meditate pr pray with the eyes closed is because we automatically become more in touch with our inner world when we are not distracted by the outer world.

It is in this state that vision becomes our mode of seeing.

Vision comes from within and shows us how to navigate the realms of thought, feeling, and emotion. It enables us to see things that aren’t yet manifested in the world of form, and it also connects us to that part of ourselves that exists separately from the world of form.

As we age, even those of us with perfect eyesight will generally lose some of our acuity, but this loss is usually replaced with inner vision. This is the time of life when we are meant to turn inside and take what are sometimes the very first steps of a journey that cannot be traced on a map. We call upon intuition and feel our way along a path that ultimately carries us beyond the realm we can see with our eyes and into the land of spirit.

 Discover the Joy of Eating

•  Eat a variety of real foods – nutrient dense…meat, fish, eggs, nuts, roots, fruits and veggies!
• Chemical free –organic, bio-dynamic, less packaged
• Staple foods on hand – be prepared, meal & menu planning
• Choose good fats – rich in omega 3’s, essential fats EFA’s
• Healthy clean proteins – hormone, antibiotic & nitrate free…grass fed, pasture raised.
• Eat fresh, seasonal, local grown foods – right in your community!
• Relaxed eating – eat slowly and savor your meals… chew, chew, chew!!

 ~ it’s more than just food!

  

Put Some Brain & Some Brawn Into It!

When considering an exercise routine you have to consider training with weights. Olympic lifts, Dumbbells and Kettlebells. Yes, your other weights are valid and if they work for you USE THEM! But I promise I will forget to mention a few here or there so I am mentioning the ones that I regularly use for training.

Here's the key point! And completely in a nutshell.


Weight training is good for your brain. Period. It stimulates a neuroendocrineimmune response. There is a cascade of anabolic hormones that are released during training. Anabolic hormones are not only important to muscle development but for the nervous sytem and the even complex neurological function of your brain.


Don't just give your workouts some muscle but put your brain into it! Give it a strong message of longevity and vitality. It makes sense!


On the flip side...detrimental to good brain health is stress. This is the biggest hindrance in our society to higher cognitive frontal lobe functions. I see it in your scans ALL THE TIME!


If you are under stress your frontal lobes shut down and you become reactionary rather than reflective. This is the sympathetic nervous system overworking and the parasympathetic nervous system never getting a chance to engage. Having stress hormones constantly released can literally wear you out.


We were not built to be under constant stress. Physical, emotional or mental. So, take the appropriate rest and recovery time. That might mean a day off from exercise or even your lifestyle once in a while. Incorporate some strategies to lower or remove stress. There are many options that fit and that will be in a different blog post. In the meantime, work smarter, not harder and find joy in your choices!


Here's to a iron-clad opinion!~ jgirl

Levels of Action!

Just a quick tidbit on nutrients and a few levels of their actions~

Nutrients can effect the body at 4 degrees of action or levels.

1. A homeopathic level which is mildly stimulating to the neuroendocrine system.
2. A physiological level which is required by cells for growth and repair.
3. A pharmacological level where the nutrients forcefully stimulates a biological or neuroendocrine pathway.
4. And a toxicological level where the substance is in excess and overwhelms or poisons the cells or biological systems.

Turning Inward

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The outer world serves as a mirror and our inner world has a magnetic force that draws to us what we need to evolve.

We spend a lot of our lives looking for role models, mentors, teachers, and gurus to guide us on our path. There is nothing wrong with this and, in fact, finding the right person at the right time can really help. However, it is important to realize that in the absence of such a figure, we can very safely rely upon ourselves. We carry within us everything we need to know to make progress on our paths to self-realization. The outer world serves as a mirror. Or to use another metaphor, our inner world has a magnetic force that draws to us what we need to evolve to the next level. All we need to do to see that we already have everything we need is to let go of our belief that we need to seek in order to find.

The path of the spirit is often defined as a journey with a goal such as the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In this metaphor, a person begins a search for something they want but do not have and then they find it, and there is a happy ending. However, most of us know that getting what we want only makes us happy for a moment, and then the happiness passes until a new object of desire presents itself. Joy is a permanent aspect of our inner selves and is not separate from us at any point. We do not have to travel to find it or imagine that it resides only in the body of another. In fact, what the best teachers will do is point out that this very precious elixir is something we already possess.

So when we find ourselves on our path, not knowing which way to turn and wishing for guidance, we can turn to ourselves. We may not know the right answer rationally or intellectually, but if we simply ask, let go, and wait patiently, an answer will come. The more we practice this and trust this process, the less we will look outside ourselves for teachers and guides for we will have successfully become our own.