We need your vote!

Today is the final day for voting.  Please take the time to read this blog entry, follow the link and vote for Laura James.  It is a quick easy way to help us locally.  Thank you for your time!

Beneath the Looking Glass Project

Day Three - Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

1.  Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.  While you walk, smile.  It is the ultimate antidepressant.

We went to the West Seattle Street Fair and walked a lot!  It was fun to see all the different booths, and all of the different people.  What a treat!  We also went to the beach and walked a little and then to the park.  I definitely got my walking in yesterday!

2.  Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.  Buy a lock if you have to!

I had time in the morning for my quiet time.  I was able to find a quiet spot and just breathe in the silence.  Sometimes when I'm feeling stressed at work, I will sneak out to my car and go to YouTube on my phone and search for a 10 minute guided meditation.  There are so many there that are specifically for stress reduction!

3.  Buy or lease a  DVR (digital video recorder), record your favorite late night shows and get more sleep.

We did this last month!  Its silly that there are shows that I just HAVE to watch no matter what time they are on.  I find myself scheduling my life around the television.  How awful is that?  No more!  My sleep is important!  Unfortunately, I find myself exhausted, but having trouble sleeping.  Here are some tips from a article that I found:

Create the right environment. Get your body and mind in the habit of using your bedroom for sleeping. If you frequently sit in bed to pay your bills, do your homework, watch television, eat, talk on the phone, etc., your mind will expect that the bedroom is for daytime activities. Instead, create an environment that is suitable for sleeping. Equip your room with soft lighting, comfortable bedding, and relaxing music. Other tricks include turning the temperature down a few notches, and turning the clock away from your view. Recent studies reveal that watching your sleep time vanish into the morning hours only makes you more anxious and less able to fall asleep.
 

Get yourself into a routine. This is especially hard for people with wavering, active schedules, like students and parents. On busy days, it is difficult—but crucial—to be firm with a routine. If you normally don't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, or if you don't have a sleep schedule at all, try going to bed a half an hour earlier each week, or set a time to get in bed and stick with it. Eventually your body will get used to going to sleep at that time and it will begin to come naturally.
 

Limit food and beverage intake before bed. As you lie down to sleep, acids in the stomach level out, making heartburn and indigestion more likely to occur. Also, your metabolism increases slightly to digest food, which can also raise your energy level. Stop eating at least three hours before your scheduled bedtime. If you must snack on something, keep it small, and avoid high-fat foods, which take longer to digest. Instead, have a granola bar, some toast, or a small bowl of cereal, but keep your portion small. Say no to stimulants like caffeine and nicotine, which can raise blood pressure and energy levels. Alcohol may be a depressant, but after its sedative effects wear off, your sleep patterns will suffer.
 

Consider a natural approach. Certain herbal teas can help you relax and fall asleep. Chamomile is a popular herb that slows the nervous system and promotes relaxation, for example. As always, consult your health care provider, use herbs and other supplements only as directed, and make sure to read labels. Some herbs may react with certain types of medication or cause adverse effects in individuals with liver disease, Parkinson's disease, and pregnant or nursing women. Other liquids, such as a small glass of warm milk, may also help.
 

Know when and how to nap. When energy levels drop around 3-5 p.m., most of us desire a little shut-eye. Napping is okay, as long as you do it wisely. Most sleep counselors recommend napping for no longer than 20 minutes. Exceeding 20 minutes could leave you feeling groggier and make it harder for you to fall asleep at bedtime. If you know you have to stay up late, or if you have an erratic sleep schedule (especially new moms), take a nap during the day. You’ll be more productive and in a better mood.
 

Take control of your worries. Let’s face it—most of us lead very stressful lives. Stress, surprises, and changes can take a toll on your sleep habits. Schedule some downtime each day for meditative activities like stretching or a hot bath. Try to decrease your brain activity before bed by writing down your thoughts in a journal and closing the book on the day. If thinking keeps you up at night, get out of bed and try to be productive. Deal with those thoughts (pay the bill that you are worried about forgetting, make a to-do list, etc.) in a positive way, and come back to bed when you’re ready to sleep.
 

Get a check-up. If you toss and turn most nights, it may be time to see a physician. You could be suffering from one or more sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea. The sooner you find out what's wrong, the sooner you can fix it. Sleep disorders are dangerous to your health, so if you suspect something is wrong, tend to it immediately.

The article "7 Hidden Ways to Get Better Sleep" by Christine Seymour can be found here!

Day Two - Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

1.  Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.  While you walk, smile.  It is the ultimate antidepressant.  

10 People committed to the 40 day commitment to an exceptional, superb & powerful life!  

Congratulations to those of you that made that commitment!  I'm excited to have you along for our new journey!  How many of you were able to make time in your day for that walk?  It's OK if you didn't get to it yesterday, you can't go back and change it, so no sense worrying about it now!    You can make it happen today though!  Are you ready for number 2?


2.  Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.  Buy a lock if you have to!

I have been lucky enough to start a new journey with meditation.  It was something that I was a little leery sharing with others because some people (you know who you are) think people that meditate are a little wacky.  Oh well!  Life is so much better with meditation.  If you're curious about meditation, I did a post on it awhile back, you can see it HERE.

Maybe you're not ready for meditation, that's OK!  But take 10 minutes to sit in silence EVERY DAY.  I think that you will find the process so incredible that you will begin to crave more time and you'll find yourself sneaking quiet time a few times a day.  

Another blogger, SUSAN, from "The Life of Susan" made a great statement    "i suppose the ultimate challenge is letting go of the expectations we place on ourselves and letting ourselves just be still."  You can read her post about being still HERE

OK guys, you've received your assignment for the day...  

1.  10-30 minute walk

2.  10 minutes of silence.

Day One - Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

I was at my Women's Circle on Monday and was given a sheet with 40 Tips for an exceptional, superb & powerful life.  While reading through the items, it inspired me to not only intentionally do these things, but to share them with YOU so that you can walk with me for the next 40 days.

Please feel free to join the group on Facebook if you want the short version of the steps:

Or, follow along here.... or BOTH!

If you feel the need to share your opinions and ideas, please do so.  If you feel moved to share with your friends, please do so.  If you're ready to go, I can't wait to begin the journey.

1.  Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.  While you walk, smile.  It is the ultimate antidepressant.

Here is an excerpt from an article that I found by Ann Pietrangelo,"Walking Your Way to a Healthier Mind, Body, and Soul"

You can walk the dog, walk with the kids, or just take a stroll by yourself. However you do it, walking is good for the mind, body, and soul, and here’s why:

• Walking helps you manage your weight, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
• It is a gentle, low-impact exercise and easy on the joints.
• Walking improves circulation; increases your energy level; improves sleep, mood, and sense of well-being.
• It is free. You don’t need a health club membership or special equipment. A good pair of walking shoes will do the trick.
• Walking with family, friends, or neighbors can be a social outlet.
• You don’t have to go anywhere in particular, although that’s certainly efficient; it is more about the journey.
• It is a good way to calm and de-clutter your mind. It will get you out of the house and into the great outdoors, where you can let your thoughts roam freely. (Turn off that cell phone!)

Walk. Walk somewhere. Walk nowhere. Be creative. If you are physically able, you owe it to yourself to use those marvelous legs to walk your way to a healthier body, mind, and spirit… one step at a time.

To read the whole article, click HERE!!

Coconut Milk ???

My daughter and I are lactose intolerant and usually drink soy milk.  I have been hearing so many negative things about soy lately.  My daughter convinced me to try coconut milk.  YUM.  But now I am hearing so much conflicting information.

I found an article - "3 reasons why coconut milk may not be your friend" by Chris Kresser, L. Ac

It basically says to drink coconut milk that does not contain the following:

• Bisphenol-A (BPA)
• Guar Gum
• Fructose

He lists all of the reasons why one should avoid these things and provides alternatives, brands without these ingrediants and a home made recipe.  

So, I keep searching to see what else I can find and I find a post titled "Coconut and Almond Milk in Cartons not a Healthy Buy" by SARAH, The Healthy Home Economist.  This post lists a couple things in the coconut milk that are not good for you;

• Vitamin A Palmitate
• Vitamin D2

Sarah goes on to tell us why these are bad for us and offers alternatives and a home made recipe just like the previous site.  

I go ahead and grab my container of Coconut Milk and look to see what is in mine....

Guar Gum, Vitamin A Palmitate and Vitamin D2.... it seems I have a bad choice here.  I guess that I will keep researching and see what else I can find.  

Anyone got any info or ideas?

Meditation

meditation  (ˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən) -n.
1.	the act of meditating; contemplation; reflection
2.	contemplation of spiritual matters, esp as a religious practice

I just recently joined a Women's Circle led by an amazing woman Jen Trulson.  She has had many different groups that I wanted to join but a lot of them just haven't worked with my schedule.  A few months ago I found her Women's Circle and the time commitment was only one evening a month.  Yahooooooo, I can do that!  I signed up and a few months later, here I am!

I won't get into the details, but the group talks about different topics and then we have a guided meditation in closing.  I've meditated before.  Maybe once or twice.  WOW.

Let's back up a little bit....

I have been a mom for almost twenty four years.  I have been surrounded by noise and devoting myself to my family for twenty four years.  I still have a teenager at home and a few toddlers here and there and I never even considered what silence sounds like.  I don't mind the noise, it is full of love.  No complaints.

Now that I've dipped my foot into some quiet time, I am completely addicted.  I love the quiet.  Who knew?  I find myself wondering what people are thinking when I talk about meditation.  I know that a lot of people do meditate, but the people that don't kind of look at me funny.  Maybe I've looked at people funny in the past for the same thing.

I have been finding different guided meditations and have found several that I love, in fact, I don't think I've found any that I don't love.  :)   I have just gone on YouTube and searched through the millions of meditations there.  What I do know is that just ten minutes of meditation can completely change my entire being.  I'm officially in love!

Here is an some information that I found that may help answer some questions, for those of you that don't meditate but are curious about it.  Enjoy!

This article taken from - Pick The Brain

These are some of the benefits of meditation:

1. Improved concentration – A clear mind makes you more productive, especially in creative disciplines like writing.
2. Less bothered by little things – Do you sometimes allow yourself to get upset by little things? It is the nature of the mind to magnify small things into serious problems. Meditation helps us detach. We learn to live in the here and now, rather than worrying about the past or future. We do not worry about meaningless things, but see the bigger picture.
3. Better Health – There have been numerous studies pointing to the health benefits of meditation. The reason is that meditation reduces stress levels and alleviates anxiety. If we can reduce stress, many health benefits follow.
4. Knowledge of Self – Meditation enables us to have a deeper understanding of our inner self. Through meditation we can gain a better understanding of our life’s purpose.

Is Meditation Religious?

The great thing about meditation is that our philosophy/religious belief is not important. Meditation is about consciousness. The beliefs of the mind become trivial. We dive deep into the heart of the matter to gain access to our soul – our inner reality. Therefore, mediation can (and is ) practiced by people of different religions or no religion.

But I don’t have time To Meditate

Many people like the idea of meditation, but feel they don’t have enough time. When you really want to do something you can find time. Get up earlier or watch 30 minutes less TV. Meditation requires an investment of time, but clearing the mind makes the the rest of the day more productive. Nothing is better than the feeling of inner peace. What is the point in being tremendously busy but unable to enjoy it? Meditation is not about retreating from the world; it gives us inspiration. Whatever you do, if you have peace of mind, your work will be more enjoyable and productive.

To read the rest of the article, please go click here!  

Let me know what you think.  Do you meditate?  Why or why not?

Get Healthy in 2012 - Anti-Aging Foods

I have found that the more time I spend trying to figure out what to eat, the more amounts of conflicting information that I find.  I can find you articles that support something and just as many articles that do not support the same thing.  How are we supposed to know what to eat?  Who are we supposed to believe?  

I will continue to read all of the articles, but I tend to resort back to the same thing every time.  Organic locally grown products are the best for our bodies.  The biggest problem that people struggle with is that these things cost more than the processed stuff.  There are a lot of struggling families out there just trying to get by and it is tough to find healthy things to feed our families.  

Here is an article that I found about foods that are "anti-aging."  I thought it was pretty good information to pass along to you.  I'm not sure how "anti-aging" they are, but they seem to be healthy choices and I'm all about healthy choices!  Enjoy!

1.  Tomatoes contain large amounts of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.  Lycopene helps reduce the chances of several cancers - most notably prostrat cancer - and is also associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.  It may even help prevent skin aging.  One of the quirky things about tomoatoes is that the amount of lycopene they have actually increases when you cook and crush them, so tomato paste and sauce are more powerful than fresh tomatoes.

2.  Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.  It also has high antioxidant levels, a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels, and an anti-inflammatory effect.  No wonder the Mediterranean diet is so healthy!  Choose cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil for maximum benefit - but don't go overboard.  Remember, one tablespoon has 120 calories (13 grams of fat!)

3.  Like tomatoes and olive oil, grapes, grape juice, and red wine also contain antioxidants.  Drinking a moderate amount of red wine - one or two drinks a day - has been shown to increase longevity.  Be careful, however, because drinking too much can shorten your life instead!

4.  Nuts have fat, but like olive oil it's the "good" fat - monounsaturated.  Eating 5 ounces a week has been linked to reduced risk of heart disease.  They're also a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.

5.  Whole grains, especially sprouted whole grains, contain a lot of fiber, as well as antioxidants.  They help protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and contribute to maintaining a healthy weight.  So skip the Wonder Bread, and cut a slice of a multigrain loaf instead.

6.  There can't be enough said about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acides, and salmon is rich in them.  They help prevent cancer, reduce inflammation, coronary heart disease, and other health problems.  In most cases wild-caught fish are healthier than farm-raised fish.

7.  Blueberries have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants.  They help prevent urinary tract infections, lower cholesterol, and help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.  All the other berries are great too, plus they taste practically like candy!

8.  Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, used for everything from treating the common cold to serving as an antiseptic.  It can help regulate blood sugar and has anti-cancer properties.

9.  Loads of antioxidants make spinach a strong weapon against aging.  It also has high levels of folic acid, which helps fight cancer, heart disease, and mental disorders.

10.  Used medicinally for thousands of years, tea contains a large amount of antioxidants.  It may boost your metabolish, help prevent diabetes, life your immune system and mental alertness, and lower stress hormone levels.  Drink up!