With the current wellness challenge relating to spirituality, I am certain that many of us had widely varying thoughts about how to approach the task of nourishing that part of ourselves. For some people that focus could relate to formal religious observance while for others it could be exploration of a new paradigm of spirit. But whether structured or not, this portion of our wellness is often neglected when we get busy working, spending time with our family and friends, and the day to day tasks of life.
Within my own paradigm of spirituality, I have been trying to be grateful. It's amazing how easily I generate negative energy in my soul and how easily gratitude seems to remedy that condition. With gratitude comes the companions of awareness and respect, and when those emotions are present I am rarely able to complain with much force. I recall a renowned TV host strongly advocating a journal of gratitude and helping her viewers to get in the habit of seeing the bounty in their lives, so I have taken up that process as well and find that it brings me peace in times of stress.
Within the Young Living world, Gary Young has seen the benefits of gratitude and has formulated an essential oil blend to allow us to get in touch with that part of our being. Furthermore, many other spiritual pursuits can be enhanced with the oil blends in our product offering: Grounding, Forgiveness, Abundance, Acceptance, Clarity, Awaken, Believe, Harmony, Humility, Envision, Magnify Your Purpose, Live With Passion, Hope, Gathering, Peace and Calming, Motivation, Release, Present Time, Transformation, Valor and so many more. Gary is aware of the link between mind and body as well as the power ability of the oils to illicit a reaction that can aid us in our journey. We are so fortunate to have his expertise and the power of therapeutic-grade essential oils literally at our fingertips!
I hope that as employees of Young Living, we all have stories we could share relating to the oils. During yoga classes, I have diffused Bergamot and found it lifts spirits and while bringing a sense of calm. Oils such as Palo Santo and Frankincense have long spiritual histories as cleansing oils and meditative focal points. Cedarwood is another favorite of mine for the woodsy, clear scent it possesses and the way it clears my thoughts. You can bet than any successful distributor in the Young Living family will have a list of oils and experiences relating to those oils, so perhaps we should as well.
So based on your goal toward enhancing your spirit, I challenge you to obtain an oil/oil blend to aid in your efforts. Learn to utilize that oil as a companion in your journey toward a more powerful self. Allow yourself to be healed, fortified, and open to new growth as you move toward total wellness. There are many powerful experiences to be had in this neglected realm, so move beyond what you already do and know to something greater.
I look forward to comments and suggestions from anyone who cares to share in the comments section of the blog. Let's continue to foster a community of wellness where we can grow together!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Random Acts of Kindness
“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”
—William Wordsworth
I have been very blessed, in my lifetime, to know several great people who have seemingly mastered the so-called random act of kindness. In their quiet and unassuming way, they taught me a great deal about giving and the power it has to nourish the soul. When our recent wellness challenge was to, daily, commit a random act of kindness, my memory immediately went to these individuals and the lessons they taught me.
One good friend of mine, while I lived in California, made it a practice to pay the tolls of random cars when we'd go to San Francisco. We'd often use the approach time to the toll stations to find someone who, on a cursory glance, looked to be in a bad mood. It's amazing how stress and fatigue can show in a person's face! We'd then slip into the stream of traffic, right in front of that person, and pay their toll leaving a simple message, "Tell the person in the blue van to have a nice day." Often, that person would pursue us in an attempt to who we were. It made the trip into town that much more fun and was something he did every time we crossed the bridge.
Another friend of mine loves buying coffee for people in the drive-through at Starbucks. As he pays for his chai, he'll pick up the tab of the car behind him and just drive away. Imagine the surprise of your morning coffee being paid for by a total stranger. I did this one morning during the challenge, with my kids in the back seat, as I explained to them about our challenge. They showed obvious delight after we paid, urging me to hurry so that the recipient of our random act would not be able to see who we were.
During the challenge, I found I was more conscious of things like letting people merge into traffic. This showed that I needed to be more aware as I had much room for improvement in this area. Within a couple of weeks it is amazing how a few little things can become a habit, one that I hope I can continue and nourish in my lifetime. Involving my kids was a great deal of the fun, telling them we were doing things to make some one's day better and to bring a smile to a stranger's face. I tried to do things for people I didn't know, often in situations where I got no feedback, no thank-you wave, no reinforcement other than the feeling that came from being creative and giving.
For some great ideas on how to work with your family and or friends on making "random acts of kindness" a lasting part of your life, check out the resources on http://www.actsofkindness.org/ and look at the great plans and lesson ideas.
—William Wordsworth
I have been very blessed, in my lifetime, to know several great people who have seemingly mastered the so-called random act of kindness. In their quiet and unassuming way, they taught me a great deal about giving and the power it has to nourish the soul. When our recent wellness challenge was to, daily, commit a random act of kindness, my memory immediately went to these individuals and the lessons they taught me.
One good friend of mine, while I lived in California, made it a practice to pay the tolls of random cars when we'd go to San Francisco. We'd often use the approach time to the toll stations to find someone who, on a cursory glance, looked to be in a bad mood. It's amazing how stress and fatigue can show in a person's face! We'd then slip into the stream of traffic, right in front of that person, and pay their toll leaving a simple message, "Tell the person in the blue van to have a nice day." Often, that person would pursue us in an attempt to who we were. It made the trip into town that much more fun and was something he did every time we crossed the bridge.
Another friend of mine loves buying coffee for people in the drive-through at Starbucks. As he pays for his chai, he'll pick up the tab of the car behind him and just drive away. Imagine the surprise of your morning coffee being paid for by a total stranger. I did this one morning during the challenge, with my kids in the back seat, as I explained to them about our challenge. They showed obvious delight after we paid, urging me to hurry so that the recipient of our random act would not be able to see who we were.
During the challenge, I found I was more conscious of things like letting people merge into traffic. This showed that I needed to be more aware as I had much room for improvement in this area. Within a couple of weeks it is amazing how a few little things can become a habit, one that I hope I can continue and nourish in my lifetime. Involving my kids was a great deal of the fun, telling them we were doing things to make some one's day better and to bring a smile to a stranger's face. I tried to do things for people I didn't know, often in situations where I got no feedback, no thank-you wave, no reinforcement other than the feeling that came from being creative and giving.
For some great ideas on how to work with your family and or friends on making "random acts of kindness" a lasting part of your life, check out the resources on http://www.actsofkindness.org/ and look at the great plans and lesson ideas.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Reality, Resolutions, and Results
At the start of the year, it's a natural process to want to set new goals and to have a better year than the last. We tend to be a bit more introspective as we look at the close on one year and the beginning of another, and it's a great opportunity to plan for a strong year and new progress. In reading up on New Year's resolutions, some estimates say that as many as 90% of them go by the wayside before January 31st. As many as 85% of those resolutions are estimated to be health related.
So why are so many people not finding success when setting New Year's resolutions? Here's a few hints that might help you set smarter goals:
So why are so many people not finding success when setting New Year's resolutions? Here's a few hints that might help you set smarter goals:
- Make small goals to start. For example, if you want to quit smoking then consider a gradual reduction in the amount of smoking you do rather than quitting cold turkey. Your chances for success are much higher and you can use the small successes along the way to give yourself further momentum! Then eventually, with smaller attainable goals, you can reach the ultimate goal of quitting altogether. Trying to do it all at once may set you up for a failure and not allow you to make progress at a comfortable rate. Also, weight loss goals go better in small doses as well. Start with 5 or 10 pounds, even if your ultimate goal is 40 pounds. A goal to workout twice a week is much easier to attain than five times a week, and you can celebrate the small steps along the way.
- Make your goals quantifiable. Saying, "I want to eat healthier this year," is vague and won't be easily tracked. How can you know how much progress you are making on a goal like this? A more affective goal would be, "I will only eat fast-food one meal a week, instead of 3 times a week."
- Track your progress. Using the previous point as an example, make a tally mark on your calender every time you eat fast food. You can easily see how often you are eating off plan and adjust your behavior accordingly.
- Enlist a friend. Our new wellness program has us working together as teams to assist in motivation and to bring us all positive energy and support. You may want to set a goal with a friend or significant other, so that you support each other in your endeavors for change. I have a friend who used to text me each day, letting me know she had worked out. I did not ever call her to check up on her but it helped her to know that she had to text me each day and let me know how she was doing. There are also myriad bulletin boards online that foster great community involvement for all kinds of improvement endeavors. These boards allow you anonymity to any degree you choose and can be a great support when you are feeling less than motivated. Conversely, you can be an advocate for the change that you want to initiate in your life and perhaps be stronger in your resolve as you help others toward the same goal.
- Realize that the life you are leading right now is going to have to change, to some degree or another, to accommodate your new goal. If achieving this goal was going to be simple and quick, you'd probably have already done it. You may have to hang out with different people, go to different places, and change your existing patterns of behavior. So don't sabotage yourself by taking on too many goals at once and expecting to make them all happen.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Emergency Preparedness
Young Living recently had a great training meeting about emergency preparedness, with Marsha from Altius. Shortly after that meeting, I got a handout in my kids school folders with a request for an emergency kit for each of them to keep at school: a granola bar, bottle of water, fruit snacks of some sort, crackers, and a short note and family photo. Seems like preparedness is a hot topic at the moment!
I got to thinking more about planning ahead and the peace of mind that could bring if something DID happen. For my kids, can you imagine being in a school and trying to comfort all those kids in the event of an emergency? And if they each had a snack, some water, and a family photo, how much easier would it be to keep them calm?
I recall the night I had a spark plug pop out of the cylinder in my car one night on my way back from Park City. I was on I-15 near American Fork and it was snowing hard and I heard this loud pop under the hood and this thunderous noise. I pulled over, not knowing a thing about engines, and wouldn't you know it that I was wearing a dress and four inch stiletto heels? A pair of jeans and some old boots stashed in the trunk would have gone a LONG way.
So Marsha and Angie gave us all a good start. But for more information, the American Red Cross has a great site with lots of ideas as http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_500_,00.html and the government site at www.ready.gov is a great resource as well. Locally, there are lots of businesses that are fully devoted to kits and supplies for disaster preparedness. If you don't want to think about compiling your own kits, they have some great ready made resources available at reasonable prices and are a quick solution.
Also, did you ever stop to think about Young Living products that would have a place in your emergency kit? Balance Complete and Power Meal have an excellent nutrition profile and are easily/quickly made. Think of the potentially life sustaining energy that this product could have in the event of a disaster. We always think about being in a shelter somewhere, bored and worried, when in reality we could be assisting in rescue efforts (perhaps for our own loved ones!). This would be light-weight and very portable as well.
Many of the essential oils have some properties that would make them very useful. Lemon oil can be used to cleanse and flavor questionable drinking water, lavender on burns, clove for its antiseptic quailities, peppermint or orange to give yourself a mental boost. Get creative with our great product line and integrate some of these things into your kit!
Young Living provided basic first aid kits to attendees at the last wellness meeting and mine promptly went into the trunk of my car. I used to keep a first aid kit in my trunk and was shocked at how often I used it for minor emergencies at trips to the park or camping. Take a look at some of these websites and get dialogue going with your loved ones about a plan. Once you get some ideas, it's not difficult to recognize an item here and there that could be useful in your kit.
Also, with the holidays upon us, these kinds of kits make very thoughtful gifts for anyone on your list. You can spend as little or much as you like, even getting some basic items into a plastic bag with a list of suggested future additions. It will help the recipient to know what to buy and add to the kit.
Happy Holidays and here's to hoping those kits go unused as long as possible!
I got to thinking more about planning ahead and the peace of mind that could bring if something DID happen. For my kids, can you imagine being in a school and trying to comfort all those kids in the event of an emergency? And if they each had a snack, some water, and a family photo, how much easier would it be to keep them calm?
I recall the night I had a spark plug pop out of the cylinder in my car one night on my way back from Park City. I was on I-15 near American Fork and it was snowing hard and I heard this loud pop under the hood and this thunderous noise. I pulled over, not knowing a thing about engines, and wouldn't you know it that I was wearing a dress and four inch stiletto heels? A pair of jeans and some old boots stashed in the trunk would have gone a LONG way.
So Marsha and Angie gave us all a good start. But for more information, the American Red Cross has a great site with lots of ideas as http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_500_,00.html and the government site at www.ready.gov is a great resource as well. Locally, there are lots of businesses that are fully devoted to kits and supplies for disaster preparedness. If you don't want to think about compiling your own kits, they have some great ready made resources available at reasonable prices and are a quick solution.
Also, did you ever stop to think about Young Living products that would have a place in your emergency kit? Balance Complete and Power Meal have an excellent nutrition profile and are easily/quickly made. Think of the potentially life sustaining energy that this product could have in the event of a disaster. We always think about being in a shelter somewhere, bored and worried, when in reality we could be assisting in rescue efforts (perhaps for our own loved ones!). This would be light-weight and very portable as well.
Many of the essential oils have some properties that would make them very useful. Lemon oil can be used to cleanse and flavor questionable drinking water, lavender on burns, clove for its antiseptic quailities, peppermint or orange to give yourself a mental boost. Get creative with our great product line and integrate some of these things into your kit!
Young Living provided basic first aid kits to attendees at the last wellness meeting and mine promptly went into the trunk of my car. I used to keep a first aid kit in my trunk and was shocked at how often I used it for minor emergencies at trips to the park or camping. Take a look at some of these websites and get dialogue going with your loved ones about a plan. Once you get some ideas, it's not difficult to recognize an item here and there that could be useful in your kit.
Also, with the holidays upon us, these kinds of kits make very thoughtful gifts for anyone on your list. You can spend as little or much as you like, even getting some basic items into a plastic bag with a list of suggested future additions. It will help the recipient to know what to buy and add to the kit.
Happy Holidays and here's to hoping those kits go unused as long as possible!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Financial Wellness
Angie Clark forwarded the following information to me with some GREAT suggestions regarding financial wellness. It's from www.mercola.com:
| How to Live Below Your Means |
|
1) Redefine your definition of “rich” -- “I remember sitting in a cubicle at my first professional job staring at a picture of an SUV I wanted to buy (and eventually did). Now, I sit in my office and look at the pictures of my kids, and just outside my window I can see the beater I drive sitting in the company parking lot. What a difference a decade makes! To sum things up, my definition of being rich is having enough money to meet my family’s basic needs, a few of our wants, and to be able to give some away to others.” -- via Frugal Dad 2) Borrow and share. Everyone wins! -- “We borrowed a DVD from a friend instead of renting or buying and had a little snack from our own fridge! Way cheaper than using gas to drive to the theater/rental place, paying for a movie, and paying for a snack.” -- via My Dollar Plan 3) Avoid the mall -- “Going to the mall is not entertainment! We used to go when we were bored. Of course, we usually ended up spending money while we were there. If you need clothes, then shop sales or go to stores that offer name-brands at a discount. You can save a ton on these items if you are a smart shopper. Dave Ramsey says, “Never pay retail!” We probably save $15 to $30 per month by staying away from the mall.” -- via My Super-Charged Life 4) Limit your intake of advertisements -- “Advertising sucks. That’s the cold, hard truth. It’s engineered to make you feel like you’re incomplete, that you have an unfulfilled need, that you’re not good enough.” -- via On Simplicity 5) Buy with cash -- “You can’t spend money you don’t have. Many bank accounts provide overdraft protection, so even with a debit card, it’s easier to go over your account balance than you think.” -- via Simple Mom 6) Find a better deal and actually SAVE the difference -- “Regardless of what they sell, if you’ve switched companies for price reasons, save the difference. Think of phone companies, internet access, cell phones, credit cards, and others.” -- via The Wisdom Journal 7) Adhere to a long-term investment strategy -- “I’m a long-term investor. The stock portion of my portfolio is spread over several mutual funds, a few ETFs and a few individual stocks. Each and every one of these holdings was carefully chosen, after thorough research. I believe in these stocks and funds. I consider them as my best bet in growing my money -- LONG TERM.” -- via MomGrind 8) Curb your consumerism! -- “Have you ever watched how a child can play with a cardboard box for hours, and leave the toy that came in it by the wayside? How is it that children can enjoy themselves without a lot of “stuff”, but we as adults feel the need to reward ourselves by buying more stuff?” -- via Billionaire Woman 9) Stay Healthy! Medical problems drain bank accounts -- “James M. Rippe, M.D is a best-selling author, world-renowned cardiologist, and founder of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute. He explains that if you look at all the risk factors for dying, the one that is most predictive is fitness level. In addition, an older person with high cardiovascular fitness is healthier than a younger person who is physically inactive. By increasing your fitness level, you can actually roll back your biological clock.” -- via Abundance Blog 10) Stay in and relax -- “So, think about it the next time you go out. Are you going for with a purpose? Maybe the solution is to not go out at all. Stay home and save! Save up for something you really want or need.” -- via The Jungle of Life 11) Gradually prepare yourself for a rainy day -- “Even when things are going great, and you feel on top of the world, you must always be prepared for a change. If you take the time and patience to set yourself up properly, then when things to take a turn for the worse, you will be prepared to handle it. If you live above your means, then when the slightest change occurs, you will not be prepared to adapt. Financial flexibility is more important then keeping up with the Jones’.” -- via Yin vs. Yang 12) Stop competing. Forget about the Jones’ altogether -- “If getting rich makes us happy, then why don’t countries as a whole get happier as they grow wealthier? They discovered that as a country gets wealthier there’s no overall increase in happiness. Why? We continually compare our wealth against that of others. We are competitive and envious. Add to that the fact that Western countries encourage people to strive for more and more, and you have a formula that spins many into depression.” -- via Color Your Life Happy 13) Get out of the “easy street” mentality -- “I think there is too much emphasis on the quick fix or the easy option in today’s society. For example taking diet pills to lose weight instead of the “hard option” - exercising and eating well ... money is sometimes being used as a substitute for hard work. Do you think there is an increasing expectation that you can get want you want by throwing money around instead of working hard and “earning” it? -- via Forever Change 14) Avoid impulse buying; buy things you truly need -- “Don’t you just love the excitement you feel after coming home with a new TV? Driving home in a new car? Opening the box on a new pair of shoes? I sure do. But, from watching the behavior of myself and my friends I’ve found that the new quickly becomes just another item. The excitement of novelty passes quickly.” -- via Think Simple Now 15) Time is money; properly manage your time -- “The fewer tasks you have, the less you have to do to organize them. Focus only on those tasks that give you the absolute most return on your time investment, and you will become more productive and have less to do. You will need only the simplest tools and system, and you will be much less stressed. I think that’s a winning combination. Focus always on simplifying, reducing, eliminating. And keep your focus on what’s important. Everything else is easy.” -- via LifeDev 16) Find ways to give without spending -- “Want a quick, easy and (almost) free way to be guaranteed that you’ll make someone’s day special? Send them a letter. Why not set aside some time this weekend to sit down and write to a few people? If you don’t enjoy writing, try buying some nice postcards of your home town. If you’ve got an artistic streak, why not design your own note cards? You don’t have to write a long letter for it to be effective. It’s the thought that counts and the personal touch that makes it special.” --via Dumb Little Man 17) Don’t let greed and deceit get the best of you -- “According to Stephen R. Covey, if you reach an admirable end through the wrong means it will ultimately turn to dust in your hands. This is due to unintended consequences that are not seen or evident at first. The example he gives in The 8th Habit is: The parent who yells at their kids to clean their rooms will accomplish the end of having a clean room. But this very means has the potential to negatively affect relationships, and it is unlikely the room will stay clean when the parent leaves town for a few days. Now, to return to the topic of wealth, I think it is possible to see much of the world’s current financial problems as stemming from people who wrongly believe the ends justify the means. My advice? It is fine to aspire to wealth, but don’t lose sight of the means to accomplishing it.” -- via The Change Blog 18) Never ever pay retail -- “You can easily save hundreds of dollars a year on clothing purchases by waiting for sales or shopping at discount retailers like Marshalls. Better yet, avoid name brand clothing all together.” -- via Marc and Angel Hack Life |
Living below your means is one of the best ways to become wealthy, or simply break free of the financial stress and cycle of debt that is plaguing so many right now.Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thanks to everyone who came to the Wellness Meeting on the 30th of September. We had some great snacks and relaxing time away from our desks! Lots of folks wanted references and recipes so here is coverage of what we had at the meeting. For those who didn't make it or who are in Spanish Fork or Mona, these are some great suggestions on a couple of new foods to try and some great healthy snacking ideas.
Kashi TLC Crackers
In a few different flavors, the Kashi Crackers are multi-grain snacking with amazing flavor. They come in Original 7-Grain, Fire Roasted Vegetable, Honey Sesame and Country Cheddar. Why eat this over a Wheat Thin?
We also tried some cereals.
First sample was a granola from Good Earth, right on main street in American Fork. It is from the bulk food section and is called "Strawberry Vanilla Hempseed." No processed sugars or marshmallows shaped like rainbows, this cereal is so good that my kids will sit around munching it all day if I leave it where they can reach it. Once you put milk on it, the dried strawberries plump right up. Great for breakfast or snacking!
We also sampled a few Kashi cereals, the Strawberry Fields and the Cnnamon Harvest.
The Strawberry Fields is a nice 7 grain cereal with the same freeze-dried strawberries in the granola I just mentioned. Light flakes, great in milk, super tasty. This cereal is readily available at most local grocers and all the big chains.
The Cinnamon Harvest reminds of old-school Shredded Wheat, but with lots more natural sweetness. This is another cereal you will find yourself snacking on, right out of the box. I adore cinnamon so this on is a favorite of mine as well. Also available at most grocers.
I also introduced a lot of folks to a grain they weren't familiar with, called Quinoa (say KEEN-wah).
This is available at the bulk section of health food places and is a very cost-effective way to eat well. It cooks up like rice, and texture-wise it is somewhere in between rice and cous cous. Quinoa is the only grain that has a complete protein, meaning you don't have to combine it with other foods (think beans and rice, which only meet the complete protein requirement if they are together). You can use it in soups, served hot with stir fry, with warm apples and cinnamon for breakfast, and any other way you can think. It's extremely nutritious and a near-essential food for any vegetarian. Meat eaters will find it's subtle flavor a great way to get non-animal protein into their diet. When you buy this, be sure and soak it in water or rinse it 2-3 times before you cook it, until the water runs clear. One of the great things about quinoa is that it has its own natural pesticide, which is a bitter coating called saponin. Birds and insects won't eat it, so no need to pollute the earth with chemicals! You need simply rinse it a few times before you cook it and the saponin is gone, releasing that subtle nutty flavor and goodness.
We served some almonds. Raw, unsalted, and available in the bulk food section of the health food store (or, for a little more money, in regular grocers baking isle).
Almonds can help lower your cholesterol and are a great source of good fats in your diet. The recommendation is for 23 almonds a day, which would cover a single post-it note (the standard square ones). Be cautious and look for the raw variety, unsalted if your cholesterol is high.
I also shared a green dip made from edamame, or soy beans. Just take some raw garlic, peeled, and shred it good in your food processor (maybe a clove or two). Add some sun dried tomatoes (I prefer the ones packed in olive oil) and pulse a time or two, taking into account that the tomatoes bring a lot of sweetness (go slow adding them). Then add the soybeans/edamame, pulse until its chunky, then drizzle some of the olive oil from the tomatoes into the mix. Grind coarse sea salt over the top and serve! Works great with the Kashi crackers above.
So get out and try some of these great new foods. A few subtle changes in your eating can yield big results in terms of your health. You'll feel better, look better, and have more energy.
Kashi TLC Crackers
In a few different flavors, the Kashi Crackers are multi-grain snacking with amazing flavor. They come in Original 7-Grain, Fire Roasted Vegetable, Honey Sesame and Country Cheddar. Why eat this over a Wheat Thin?
- TLC Original 7 Grain has half the fat of a Wheat Thin
- TLC has no saturated fat (present in Wheat Thins)
- 15 TLC crackers have the same calories as 9 Wheat Thins
- TLC has twice the fiber present in Wheat Thins
- TLC is made from whole wheat flour and 6 other whole grains (while Wheat Thins are from enriched bleached flour, which is vastly nutritionally inferior)
We also tried some cereals.
First sample was a granola from Good Earth, right on main street in American Fork. It is from the bulk food section and is called "Strawberry Vanilla Hempseed." No processed sugars or marshmallows shaped like rainbows, this cereal is so good that my kids will sit around munching it all day if I leave it where they can reach it. Once you put milk on it, the dried strawberries plump right up. Great for breakfast or snacking!We also sampled a few Kashi cereals, the Strawberry Fields and the Cnnamon Harvest.
The Strawberry Fields is a nice 7 grain cereal with the same freeze-dried strawberries in the granola I just mentioned. Light flakes, great in milk, super tasty. This cereal is readily available at most local grocers and all the big chains.
The Cinnamon Harvest reminds of old-school Shredded Wheat, but with lots more natural sweetness. This is another cereal you will find yourself snacking on, right out of the box. I adore cinnamon so this on is a favorite of mine as well. Also available at most grocers.
I also introduced a lot of folks to a grain they weren't familiar with, called Quinoa (say KEEN-wah).
This is available at the bulk section of health food places and is a very cost-effective way to eat well. It cooks up like rice, and texture-wise it is somewhere in between rice and cous cous. Quinoa is the only grain that has a complete protein, meaning you don't have to combine it with other foods (think beans and rice, which only meet the complete protein requirement if they are together). You can use it in soups, served hot with stir fry, with warm apples and cinnamon for breakfast, and any other way you can think. It's extremely nutritious and a near-essential food for any vegetarian. Meat eaters will find it's subtle flavor a great way to get non-animal protein into their diet. When you buy this, be sure and soak it in water or rinse it 2-3 times before you cook it, until the water runs clear. One of the great things about quinoa is that it has its own natural pesticide, which is a bitter coating called saponin. Birds and insects won't eat it, so no need to pollute the earth with chemicals! You need simply rinse it a few times before you cook it and the saponin is gone, releasing that subtle nutty flavor and goodness.
We served some almonds. Raw, unsalted, and available in the bulk food section of the health food store (or, for a little more money, in regular grocers baking isle).
Almonds can help lower your cholesterol and are a great source of good fats in your diet. The recommendation is for 23 almonds a day, which would cover a single post-it note (the standard square ones). Be cautious and look for the raw variety, unsalted if your cholesterol is high.
I also shared a green dip made from edamame, or soy beans. Just take some raw garlic, peeled, and shred it good in your food processor (maybe a clove or two). Add some sun dried tomatoes (I prefer the ones packed in olive oil) and pulse a time or two, taking into account that the tomatoes bring a lot of sweetness (go slow adding them). Then add the soybeans/edamame, pulse until its chunky, then drizzle some of the olive oil from the tomatoes into the mix. Grind coarse sea salt over the top and serve! Works great with the Kashi crackers above.
So get out and try some of these great new foods. A few subtle changes in your eating can yield big results in terms of your health. You'll feel better, look better, and have more energy.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Controlling your Cholesterol Levels
The Young Living Health and Wellness Fair was a resounding success. Lots of folks at corporate took time out of their busy day to come and check in on their health; glucose screenings, bone density checks, body mass index checks, and of course cholesterol screenings. I had lots of questions about cholesterol that day and thought it might warrant a posting here, to cover all the bases.
The American Heart Association lists the following ranges for ranking your cholesterol health: 200mg/dl and below is healthy, 201-239mg/dl is borderline high risk, 240mg/dl and above is high risk meaning you are twice as likely as someone in the healthy range for a heart attack. In your overall cholesterol score you have two different numbers: your LDL, or bad cholesterol, and your HDL, or good cholesterol. I recommend that if your score was high when you were tested at the health fair, check with your doctor and have it retested so that he can evaluate BOTH of your scores. You may have your LDL levels in an acceptable range and just have high scoring HDL numbers, which can be good. That being said, your results could also be worse if your LDL levels are very elevated and your HDL numbers are low. There is a specific fat form called a triglyceride that comes into play here as well, and your doctor can help you understand your numbers best.
A number of Young Living employees approached me after the Fair, asking what they can do to lower their numbers. Your doctor can evaluate your particular needs best, but a few things we can all do for healthy levels include: modifying your diet, getting regular physical activity, and avoiding cigarette smoke.
As for eating better, here are a few suggestions. First, pay attention to your fiber intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends between 25-30 grams of fiber per day (note: one serving of Balance Complete has 11 grams of fiber!). Next, watch your sodium intake. The AHA recommends less than 2,300 mgs per day with high risk folks targeting more like 1,500 mgs per day. Again, if you are high risk it is worth consulting your health care professional. Also, keep your alcohol intake low, restrict/eliminate trans fats, and keep your saturated/animal fat intake low. Whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, and eliminating heavily processed foods are just good general guidelines for heart health whether you are high risk or not! Try to eat fish twice a week if you don't already as that helps to boost your HDL levels (Young Living Omega Blue is also critical here, loaded with heart-healthy omega 3 oils).
The AHA recommendation of exercise is at least 30 minutes a day 4 days a week, but we all benefit from more days if you can work that into your schedule. Find something that you genuinely love doing, whether it be walking, biking, dancing, yoga, rowing, martial arts or whatever works for you. Keep it in your schedule like an appointment that you just don't miss. After all, this is keeping your body healthy and happy and is critical to every aspect of your quality of life.
There are also several foods with strong correlations to cholesterol reduction, easily worked into your eating plan. The Mayo Clinic has five recommendations: oatmeal and oat bran, walnuts and almonds, fish and omega fatty 3 fatty acids (Omega Blue, Young Living's amazing blend of essential oils and fish oils, is perfect for this application), olive oil, and the foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols (these are naturally occurring compounds found in plants, and have been shown to have as much as a 10% reduction on cholesterol levels. You'll find them in some orange juices, for example). These are quick changes that can get your numbers moving in the right direction. Feel free to post questions!
The American Heart Association lists the following ranges for ranking your cholesterol health: 200mg/dl and below is healthy, 201-239mg/dl is borderline high risk, 240mg/dl and above is high risk meaning you are twice as likely as someone in the healthy range for a heart attack. In your overall cholesterol score you have two different numbers: your LDL, or bad cholesterol, and your HDL, or good cholesterol. I recommend that if your score was high when you were tested at the health fair, check with your doctor and have it retested so that he can evaluate BOTH of your scores. You may have your LDL levels in an acceptable range and just have high scoring HDL numbers, which can be good. That being said, your results could also be worse if your LDL levels are very elevated and your HDL numbers are low. There is a specific fat form called a triglyceride that comes into play here as well, and your doctor can help you understand your numbers best.
A number of Young Living employees approached me after the Fair, asking what they can do to lower their numbers. Your doctor can evaluate your particular needs best, but a few things we can all do for healthy levels include: modifying your diet, getting regular physical activity, and avoiding cigarette smoke.
As for eating better, here are a few suggestions. First, pay attention to your fiber intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends between 25-30 grams of fiber per day (note: one serving of Balance Complete has 11 grams of fiber!). Next, watch your sodium intake. The AHA recommends less than 2,300 mgs per day with high risk folks targeting more like 1,500 mgs per day. Again, if you are high risk it is worth consulting your health care professional. Also, keep your alcohol intake low, restrict/eliminate trans fats, and keep your saturated/animal fat intake low. Whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, and eliminating heavily processed foods are just good general guidelines for heart health whether you are high risk or not! Try to eat fish twice a week if you don't already as that helps to boost your HDL levels (Young Living Omega Blue is also critical here, loaded with heart-healthy omega 3 oils).
The AHA recommendation of exercise is at least 30 minutes a day 4 days a week, but we all benefit from more days if you can work that into your schedule. Find something that you genuinely love doing, whether it be walking, biking, dancing, yoga, rowing, martial arts or whatever works for you. Keep it in your schedule like an appointment that you just don't miss. After all, this is keeping your body healthy and happy and is critical to every aspect of your quality of life.
There are also several foods with strong correlations to cholesterol reduction, easily worked into your eating plan. The Mayo Clinic has five recommendations: oatmeal and oat bran, walnuts and almonds, fish and omega fatty 3 fatty acids (Omega Blue, Young Living's amazing blend of essential oils and fish oils, is perfect for this application), olive oil, and the foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols (these are naturally occurring compounds found in plants, and have been shown to have as much as a 10% reduction on cholesterol levels. You'll find them in some orange juices, for example). These are quick changes that can get your numbers moving in the right direction. Feel free to post questions!
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