alkalize or die!

And that is literally the title of one of the books I picked up in nutrition school.  I don't believe in using fear tactics to get people be more mindful of their diet, but they do have somewhat of a good point.

This weekend I began a 3-week cleanse to give my liver and intestines some lovin'.  Included in this cleanse is making sure I check my pH level daily to make sure my body isn't too acidic.  It's like checking the pH of a pool and cleaning out the bacteria or fungi so that you can swim in cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing water.  Like the pool, your body can host thousands of little critters if you give them the environment they thrive in: acidity!

When foods are digested in your body, they either have an acidic or alkaline effect. Fruits and vegetables tend to fall along the more alkaline side, while meats, dairy, and grains are more acidic.  So try to eat more whole natural foods, and check your pH daily with a special tape you can buy at health food stores.

One trick to immediately balance yourself is to drink half a lemon squeezed into a glass of warm water upon waking.  This will also boost your liver and get your metabolism revved up into gear for the day.

I'll keep you posted about the cleanse!

Inside Awareness

Yesterday I watched the movie What The Bleep!  I can't believe I hadn't watched it sooner.  Think The Secret (a cutesy Law of Attraction movie) but much more complex.  It delves deeper into quantum physics and the science behind the mind-body connection.

The most astounding part of the movie, for me at least, was when the lead actress comes upon an exhibit in a subway station about the effects of thinking on water.  Displayed were pictures of water molecules that negative sayings like "I hate you!" had been thrown upon, in contrast to water molecules that had been blessed or given positive sayings like "I love you."  The difference was incredible.

The negative thinking molecules were ugly and blotched, while the positive thinking molecules looked like beautiful snowflakes, intricate crystals.  

AND THEN, they told the actress to think about this:  The body is primarily made up of water, so imagine what our thoughts are doing to the molecules of water in our bodies.  Are you molecules destroyed or beautiful?  What are you mentally feeding your cells?

Any time you beat yourself up, curse your body, or despair about the future, you are destroying your cells and literally making them ugly.  Why do you think people feel amazing after a yoga class or in the presence of spiritual teachers?  Because you have been surrounded by love, and you need it so badly.  

Or how about when you sit down and eat a meal when you're angry or sad?  You're stuffing your body with negative emotions.  Food always tastes delicious and satisfying when you're eating with family and friends you love on a special occasion, and everyone's laughing and having fun. Thus your body and cells are nourished on the physical and emotional levels.

As always, just food for thought...

The Invitation

My yoga teacher likes to read from The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.  It is such an inspirational piece, I thought I'd share an excerpt from it.  Check it out at your local library or amazon.com.

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
copyright © 1999 by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.

Embrace change.

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."- Helen Keller

Almost two years ago I packed two suitcases and flew to California to start a new life.  I remember being a bit apprehensive yet smugly confident the few weeks before departing. 

It would have been safe and comfortable for me to live near my parents' house in Connecticut, go home for Sunday dinners, hang out with all my college friends in New York or Boston, used my connections to build a solid client base near home...But I knew it was time to go, and California was calling me in the strongest and strangest way.  

There was definitely an adjustment period, but otherwise I was unruffled by the move across the country.  People couldn't believe I'd made such a "bold" move.  But I shrugged my shoulders.  I'd never seen it as a risk nor questioned myself for I knew this change was vital to my happiness and development.

Three months after I moved here, I met someone and lost myself in a breathtaking, incredible relationship.  I began to change, let go of my boundaries, and it was scary at first, letting myself be completely open and vulnerable in so many ways.   Yet soon I slowly forgot my own visions and dreams.  I took jobs that weren't in alignment with my life purpose because I was scared I wasn't good enough on my own.  Then I hurt my hip, broke my leg and sprained my knee all within a year, and lost the ability to run and practice yoga.  It seemed the only good thing I had left was my relationship.

It was wrong and unfair of me to rely on someone else who was trying to piece his own life together, but I thought his love for me and the security of our relationship would make everything better, would be enough to fill me up.  Looking back, even in the deepest moments of our love, I was unhappy because I wasn't taking care of ME (which meant neither my life nor my body.)  It was easier to focus on someone else than do the hard work on myself. 

Initially I was devastated by the breakup and so frightened to be without him.  Lately it's turned to a glorious feeling of exhilaration.  My future is so bright and certain now that I am tuning in to my own needs and dreams.   And I'm starting to recognize myself again, the girl who embraced all of life's adventures.  I am able to run, do yoga, partake in all kinds of new fitness classes, and am taking on my health and career with renewed vigor.  

So whatever change comes about, don't fight it.  What you resist persists.  Rather, embrace it, and look for how this moment is shaping your life in the most perfect way, the way it's meant to be.    Take it from me:  it will totally be fine.

Essential sleep

Everyone needs sleep, and more of it, these days.  Our days are so jam-packed with activity, our bodies need to recover, rebuild the immune system, and detoxify.  If you're having trouble sleeping, check out these tips from Stanford University.

CAN'T SLEEP?

Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to sleep. Tossing and turning. Your mind is racing, going over everything that happened today. Night noises keep you awake. What can you do? There ARE things you can do! Read on and learn some new tricks to sleep well. These tips are also known as "Sleep Hygiene."

• Sleep only when sleepy

This reduces the time you are awake in bed.

• If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy

Sit quietly in the dark or read the warranty on your refrigerator. Don't expose yourself to bright light while you are up. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.

• Don't take naps

This will ensure you are tired at bedtime. If you just can't make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than one hour, before 3 pm.

• Get up and go to bed the same time every day

Even on weekends! When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm, you will feel better.

• Refrain from exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime

Regular exercise is recommended to help you sleep well, but the timing of the workout is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere with sleep.

• Develop sleep rituals

It is important to give your body cues that it is time to slow down and sleep. Listen to relaxing music, read something soothing for 15 minutes, have a cup of caffeine free tea, do relaxation exercises.

• Only use your bed for sleeping

Refrain from using your bed to watch TV, pay bills, do work or reading. So when you go to bed your body knows it is time to sleep. Sex is the only exception.

• Stay away from caffeine, nicotine and alcohol at least 4-6 hours before bed

Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Coffee, tea, cola, cocoa, chocolate and some prescription and non-prescription drugs contain caffeine. Cigarettes and some drugs contain nicotine. Alcohol may seem to help you sleep in the beginning as it slows brain activity, but you will end end up having fragmented sleep.

• Have a light snack before bed

If your stomach is too empty, that can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat a heavy meal before bedtime, that can interfere as well. Dairy products and turkey contain tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer. Tryptophan is probably why a warm glass of milk is sometimes recommended.

• Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime

A hot bath will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature that may leave you feeling sleepy. Read about the study done on body temperature below.

Trouble Sleeping? Chill Out! - A press release from the journal Sleep about the significance in body temperature before sleep

• Make sure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable

A hot room can be uncomfortable. A cooler room along with enough blankets to stay warm is recommended. If light in the early morning bothers you, get a blackout shade or wear a slumber mask. If noise bothers you, wear earplugs or get a "white noise" machine.

• Use sunlight to set your biological clock

As soon as you get up in the morning, go outside and turn your face to the sun for 15 minutes.

She's a brainiac!

Check out my brain!

I participated in a study that was examining normal vs. autistic brains.  They also took a DNA sample, and will compare the DNA and brain structures to see if there are marked differences between normal and autistic.  Pretty sweet!

I've done a lot of research on how we can help autistic people through nutrition, but this study reminded me that it is such a complex situation, and there are also scientific factors behind it.

Oh soy...

One morning when I was thirteen, my mother slapped down a plate of river bass for breakfast, and I screamed, "Gross!  I'm not eating this, I'm a vegetarian!"  Thus began years of confusion in the food department.

Vegetarians always get the bad rap for not getting enough protein in their diets, and many of them turn to soy products.  Heck there's a soy version of every meat out there.  I was dining on soy hot dogs, soy nuggets, soy burgers, soy cold cuts!  And drinking soy milk.  And eating soy nuts.

Soybeans actually have phytoestrogens in them, which means I was getting a TON of extra estrogen in my body.  When you're a teenager, extra hormones is never a good thing.  My poor parents.

Luckily I've gotten off the soy craze.  Those products make me bloated and more emotional than I already am, and they really aren't all they cracked up to be.  Soy is cheap and used as a filler in everything!  Plus it's been known to screw up your thyroid and fuel cancer growth.

If you must have soy, make sure it's organic to avoid pesticides and genetically modified soybeans.  And check out this article about different soy milk companies' ratings.  http://www.NaturalNews.com/026294.html