Have you ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed? Of course you have! We all have. You know the drill. Your alarm sounds extra annoying that morning, you drrrrag yourself out of bed and everything and everybody is rubbing you the wrong way. You don’t know why, but you’re just in a foul mood that day. Well, there is a reason why. Something is bothering you, it’s just a matter of taking the time to figure out what exactly. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where a journal comes in!
When I wake up feeling that familiar orneriness or it creeps up on me throughout my day I stop whatever I am doing and grab my journal and a pen. I start to write. Usually it begins a little something like this; ahem, “life suuucks”… or, “can somebody please shoot me in the face right now?” or “really, God? I thought we were cool.” You get the idea.
In the beginning I find myself complaining and whining about one thing or another. I indulge myself in the cloud of anger or despair that is floating above my head at the moment. I’m talking real pity party here, guys. But then, something happens. I’m not quite sure how, but suddenly a word or a phrase catches my eye and then, it all starts making sense. I understand why I am feeling so angry, so frustrated, so sad. The fog clears and I get it.
Sometimes this is followed by intense emotions surrounding the issue, that I didn’t even know I had. I don’t fight the feelings. I let them fill me and I feel them. I have definitely written many a journal entry through tears. But it’s all worth it, because inevitably, as I write and gain clarity and awareness, the dark cloud hanging over me lifts. I feel light again; like myself again. The anger and frustration has subsided. The thoughts of murdering people seem so unappealing now. I’m back baby!
Another great benefit of journaling is having a record of things in your life. The reality is most of us have a horrible memory. As a result, we tend to exaggerate things from our past and make them seem so much bigger than they really were; or we diminish our accomplishments and tell ourselves that our success isn’t really that big of a deal. When you can go back and relive the mind frame you were in at the time, you can really appreciate your successes and accomplishments and use that as inspiration for creating even more success; or you can more easily let go of old hurts and wounds that were not as serious as your faulty memory led you to believe.
My journal has helped me get rid of so much baggage that I didn’t even know was there, let alone affecting my life. There has been not one time that I have gone to my journal to make sense of things and did not finish with a clear mind and new awareness. Without fail, I always get peace, clarity and a solution. There will be times when that angry voice in your head tells you that journal writing is a waste or that you don’t have time for this. DON’T LISTEN! You’re peace of mind is never a waste. You’re peace of mind is worth taking some time out of your day to achieve. Trust me. You’ll feel so much better if you make the effort, than if you just push the feeling down and try to ignore it. It might seem to go away, but it’s just hiding until it decides to rear it’s ugly head again some time in the future.
Also, you may be surprised to find out that writing about traumas and the like boosts your immune system! Talk about another great benefit. Check out this article for more info about this.
Clear your mind. Get a journal and write! You’re mind, heart and immune system will thank you.
I have spent the last few years of my life undoing all of the toxic beliefs that I inherited during my childhood or created as coping mechanisms over the years. One of those beliefs that has really held me back is a belief in limitation. I have been blessed to have awakened when it comes to the idea of limits and now understand that the only limits that exist are the ones we place on ourselves.
I came across this video this morning as I was checking my email and it was sooo inspiring to me that I had to post it. Becoming a model at 49? I’m sure that’s on your can’t list. Not for this woman…
The next time you say “I can’t”, ask yourself why not? Most times the answer will be dumbfounded silence because, well, there is no reason. If on the odd chance you do have a “reason” why you can’t, I guarantee the “reason” will reflect a limitation you have placed upon yourself. If this woman can become a model at 49 and an entrepreneur at 60, what can you do?
In the words of my fellow Columbia High School alumnus Lauryn Hill, “It’s freedom time.”
Hey guys! We just created this awesome combo with a Stonehouse 27 sauce and Lundberg Heat and Eat Rice Bowl. We enjoyed our dish, but we would love to hear what you would add to make your killer combo. So use your imagination and let us know, and you could win a free rice bowl and 12 oz sauce!
Our combo? We used the Stonehouse 27 dates & tamarind sauce and Lundberg Heat and Eat Organic Long Grain Brown Rice Bowl. We added grilled eggplant, yellow squash and baby bella mushrooms, which came out awesome!
The dates & tamarind is a sweet and spicy sauce that has a bold flavor with a unique lightness to it. It’s important to keep that in mind when imagining your combo. We found that the Lundberg Brown Rice Bowl was a great balance with the sauce.
Okay so, I only know five words in Chinese, but those five words have been integral in my quest to shrink my fibroid. I found out I had a large (size of an orange!) fibroid tumor in my uterus about a year ago. When I asked what was to be done, I was told nothing. Nothing?! Nothing. According to current medical wisdom, it is impossible to get rid of a fibroid tumor without surgery or waiting until menopause, which lowers your estrogen levels and consequently shrinks your fibroid tumors. All I could do was get an ultrasound every six months and keep an eye on it. And the point of that was?
Anyhoo, being a proactive person, I knew there had to be something I could do to deal with this pesky fibroid. Enter in my Chinese skills. I came across an article online about a Chinese herbal remedy called kuei-chih-fu-ling-wan. It discusses the effects of the herbs on uterine myomas a.k.a fibroid tumors and states that there was a shrinking of fibroids in 60% of cases. That was enough for me to go on the hunt for some of this Chinese magic!
However, I couldn’t find it anywhere. That was until I realized there are several spellings for the herb. I am assuming this is because Chinese translated phonetically can have many variations. I was able to find it online in a variety of places, when I spelled it gui zhi fu ling wan.
So, I purchased a three month supply, as this was how long until my next ultrasound. I completely cut alcohol out of my life, which was no easy task at the time, and I took the recommended dosage, everyday. I finished my last bottle and a few days later headed to the doctor’s. Drum roll please…my fibroid indeed shrunk. It reduced by one centimeter length-wise and three centimeters width-wise! I still had a ways to go for it to shrink completely, but I was more than impressed with my results.
Although I was very encouraged, this was really just an experiment for me at the time to see if anything could shrink my tumor at all. So, after my supply was done, I never reordered. I know, I know. But don’t you worry your pretty little heads, I’m back in the healing game and going hard! As I mentioned in a previous blog, Is it erbs or hhherbs?, I am now using a variety of herbs, including Fibroid Buster from Dherbs.com, to heal my uterus.
I anticipate only the best and will keep you posted on my progress!
But you can eat Chia seeds. Chia seeds are of a desert plan that originated in Mexico. They are full of fiber, omega-3s, and protein. They can make you feel full longer, for those of you who want to discipline your eating habits.
There is a new bottled smoothie out called Chia\Vie. It tastes very good and its filled with Chia seeds.
Here’s where the problem comes in, I’m not sure if the drink is the reason I’ve been dealing with a bloating issue for the past few days. Go ahead and laugh or frown but I’m being honest. As I mentioned previously, eating Chia seeds can make you feel full, so it would make sense I would be bloated; but I doubt it would last for more than a day after consumption.
If anyone has any thoughts I would love to hear them. Also, if you want to try the drink, I got it at Whole Foods. It tastes really good but I, nor any of this sites affiliates endorse or promotes it. But who knows maybe we will one day. I’ll follow up if I realize my on and off weekend bloating has nothing to do with Chia Seeds.
In the mean time enjoy your Chia Seeds at your own risk! Yea!
Oh and again, DON’T EAT YOUR CHIA PET! Same seeds but they are no longer edible.
Okay so, I only know five words in Chinese, but those five words have been integral in my quest to shrink my fibroid. I found out I had a large (size of an orange!) fibroid tumor in my uterus about a year ago. When I asked what was to be done, I was told nothing. Nothing?! Nothing. According to current medical wisdom, it is impossible to get rid of a fibroid tumor without surgery or waiting until menopause, which lowers your estrogen levels and consequently shrinks your fibroid tumors. All I could do was get an ultrasound every six months and keep an eye on it. And the point of that was?
Anyhoo, being a proactive person, I knew there had to be something I could do to deal with this pesky fibroid. Enter in my Chinese skills. I came across an article online about a Chinese herbal remedy called kuei-chih-fu-ling-wan. It discusses the effects of the herbs on uterine myomas a.k.a fibroid tumors and states that there was a shrinking of fibroids in 60% of cases. That was enough for me to go on the hunt for some of this Chinese magic!
However, I couldn’t find it anywhere. That was until I realized there are several spellings for the herb. I am assuming this is because Chinese translated phonetically can have many variations. I was able to find it online in a variety of places, when I spelled it gui zhi fu ling wan.
So, I purchased a three month supply, as this was how long until my next ultrasound. I completely cut alcohol out of my life, which was no easy task at the time, and I took the recommended dosage, everyday. I finished my last bottle and a few days later headed to the doctor’s. Drum roll please…my fibroid indeed shrunk. It reduced by one centimeter length-wise and three centimeters width-wise! I still had a ways to go for it to shrink completely, but I was more than impressed with my results.
Although I was very encouraged, this was really just an experiment for me at the time to see if anything could shrink my tumor at all. So, after my supply was done, I never reordered. I know, I know. But don’t you worry your pretty little heads, I’m back in the healing game and going hard! As I mentioned in a previous blog, Is it erbs or hhherbs?, I am now using a variety of herbs, including Fibroid Buster from Dherbs.com, to heal my uterus.
I anticipate only the best and will keep you posted on my progress!
When I was a little girl, I was friends with two sisters who were vegetarians. At the time, I couldn’t comprehend the thought of not eating meat. That meant no hot dogs, no pepperoni pizza, no Bologna! What would life be like, I wondered. Why would anyone want to do that?
I remember one day my friends came over to play and they had their lunch with them, which was peanut butter and Alfalfa Sprouts. I was very confused. “What the heck is an Alfalfa Sprout?” I said to myself. My friend let me taste a piece and I actually liked it. I really liked it! I had a new love, Alfalfa sprouts! I asked my mom to buy some, but she frowned saying she wasn’t going to waste money on that. So there went the end of my new love.
But eventually I became an adult as well as a vegetarian and saw them at a salad bar. Alfalfa Sprouts! I cheered out loud. Yes I know, child like behavior. But It was Alfalfa and we go way back. So I was able to enjoy them again until they raised the price of the salad bar. At the time having money to party was more important to me. So out went that old flame again.
But don’t fret people. I found them again today! I also decided to jazz them up a bit. So I put a special sauce on them and made a sandwich. Fabulous!
Alfalfa is officially back in my life!
Oh yeah, Alfalfa contains vitamins A, B, C, E and K. If it is harvested right it can even produce chlorophyll. Don’t even get me started about the benefits of chlorophyll.
I know. I’m probably losing friends as I write this, but it’s true. I don’t wear deodorant. I said it.
So what do I do? Stink? Not so much, my friends. I actually smell like maple syrup. Yeah, waffles anyone? How am I pulling that off you ask? One word: Fenugreek. Heyohhh!!
Never heard of it? Well neither did I until recently. A friend of a friend mentioned that she didn’t wear deodorant and as I was backing away casually, she brought up Fenugreek. Fenugreek “is an annual Mediterranean and Asiatic herb with aromatic seeds. It is used around the world as a culinary spice and food that is soothing to the stomach.”**
Originally, I had no interest in taking an herb to handle my B.O., but then during a full body cleanse I noticed that I kept smelling maple syrup everywhere. It drove me crazy until I re-read the ingredients of one of the teas I was detoxing with and found that yes indeed, Fenugreek was among the list. I knew then, that my love affair with deodorant was ovah!
I had already been experimenting with Crystal® Body Deodorant, an unscented natural deodorant, however alone, it just wasn’t quite doing it; but when I added Fenugreek to the mix, I found what I was looking for!
Crystal® can be found in any pharmacy and Fenugreek can be found at any health food store. You can get fresh sprouts, where they are available, Fenugreek Seed capsules or Fenugreek tea. I use the capsules and get them at Whole Foods Market®.
Depending on how sensitive you are to Fenugreek and how much you consume, you may barely smell it, or smell it all the time. I smell it all the time as does my friend’s husband, however my friend (and another friend of mine) rarely smells it. Even if you don’t smell maple syrup intensely, you will notice that you don’t smell your natural funk (that’s the scientific term). I take one capsule a day, two if I feel like I need extra odor control on that particular day. If you do the fresh sprouts, grab a pinch and chew them up once a day. Tea? One cup should do it.
I know, the idea of giving up your deodorant addiction is scary, I was there; but now I am FREE!
Disclaimer: You may find yourself craving pancakes more than usual.
No matter how you pronounce it, herbs are this girl’s new best friend! My co-author and I became apart of the herb game back in 2009/2010, when we both discovered that we had uterine fibroid tumors. Being avid, natural healists (is that a word?), we were determined to do just that; heal our fibroids naturally. That and we weren’t really given a choice as conventional medical wisdom states there is really nothing a woman can do to shrink fibroid tumors, short of surgery and menopause. Oh, conventional medical wisdom…
My partner, being first to be diagnosed, became aware of herbs through her acupuncturist and shared her burgeoning knowledge with me. Thus, when I was diagnosed the following year, I knew herbs were the way I wanted to go. I did my own research and found out about Chinese herbs with proven results in shrinking fibroids. Gui-Chi-Fu-Ling-Wan. Yeah, I speak a little Chinese. I went on a strict, no alcohol diet (which at the time was a strict diet) and tested out the herbs for three months. I had an ultrasound at the end of my experiment and yup, my fibroid shrunk! It didn’t go away, but with conventional medical wisdom saying any shrinkage was impossible, I knew I was on to something.
This year, my co-author and I decided to really get disciplined with our fibroid shrinking routine, which began with obsessive research of the various herbs out there. And that’s when we really discovered the fantastical world of herbs! We’re addicted.
If you have an ailment, there’s an herb out there to heal it, but why wouldn’t there be? I mean, nature provides us with everything we need. Before science got into the healing game, people went to healers, shamans and herbalists, not doctors. Now, don’t get me wrong. Doctors absolutely have their place, but we were given natural tools, like our immune system and herbs, neither of which came from a test tube. And let’s be real for a minute. All science does, from the medicinal standpoint, is try to mimic nature. A scientist finds a plant that has certain chemical properties, then she tries to synthesize it in a laboratory and because it’s synthetic, there are all kinds of harsh side effects. So, how about we cut out the middle man? Rather than try to synthesize nature, let’s use nature in her glorious untainted form.
My co-author and I are currently learning about the herbs available to us and their healing properties. One of our new favorite websites is Dherbs.com. Oh Dherbs, Dherbs, how we love thee! Not only does this website have herbal supplements for practically every affliction out there, but it also has tons of articles on natural healing and other interesting mind conscious topics, as well. Honestly, the articles are my favorite part of the website. I have been known to curl up with a good Dherbs article before I head to sleep. Check them out and check out other websites and books devoted to natural healing. There are so many out there. Learn about herbs and what they can do (or undo) for you. See what medicines in your medicine cabinet you can replace with herbs. Liberate yourself!
As for our fibroids, we have been using several herbs to heal, including Dherbs Fibroid Buster. We’ll keep you posted on our progress…
journal and a pen. I start to write. Usually it begins a little something like this; ahem, “life suuucks”… or, “can somebody please shoot me in the face right now?” or “really, God? I thought we were cool.” You get the idea.
Another great benefit of journaling is having a record of things in your life. The reality is most of us have a horrible memory. As a result, we tend to exaggerate things from our past and make them seem so much bigger than they really were; or we diminish our accomplishments and tell ourselves that our success isn’t really that big of a deal. When you can go back and relive the mind frame you were in at the time, you can really appreciate your successes and accomplishments and use that as inspiration for creating even more success; or you can more easily let go of old hurts and wounds that were not as serious as your faulty memory led you to believe.
calivegans 