That’s a question many of us wonder about ourselves as the clock ticks. Will we still look youthful and vibrant, or will our skin sag and our energy wain? Will we age gracefully, or will we be popping heart meds and high blood pressure meds like candy?
Annette Larkins has found the fountain of youth. While I’m sure you’re thinking creams and elixirs, you may be surprised to find out what she attributes her age-defying looks to. Wondering just how old she is and how she does it? Click on the video link below to find out…
Can you imagine looking and feeling the way Annette does at her age?! One of the greatest indicators of where our bodies will be, as the years progress, is our diet. We’ve all heard it before. You are what you eat. Calivegans takes that message to heart and so does this inspiring woman.
While calivegans haven’t made it all the way to the raw foods path, we think we’re doing pretty good!
Why is it some women have no menstrual cramps and some have cramps from hell?
There are a few reasons for this, but one thing to know is that they shouldn’t be unbearable. If they are, it’s usually a sign that something abnormal is going on in your reproductive area. One of the culprits could be Uterine fibroids. Uterine Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that originates from the smooth muscle layer of the Uterus. Depending on the size, they can usually be detected through a normal Pap smear. Then usually followed by an ultrasound.
Once you find out the culprit of your horrible cramps, you should be researching the best way to heal yourself. In the meantime what do you do to relieve the pain? Well if you’re like me then you probably don’t want to continuously fill your body with stomach or liver damaging products such as Ibuprofen (Advil) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol).
So what works?
Acupuncture! No kidding. Well at least for me anyway. I first tried it in 2009. I couldn’t believe it. It worked. I got it a week before my next period and I had no abdominal cramps. A little in my back, which is where they didn’t put the needles. But none in my abdomen. Now don’t get me wrong, acupuncture didn’t make my menstrual cycle a walk on the beach. I still felt sensitive to anything cold touching my body. Still tired. Still felt slight cramps in my back and my stomach felt like the pain was waiting to come back at any moment. But I went from rocking back and fourth in the fetal position on my bed, to just needing to take it easy while still handling my business.
What about the needles? Do they hurt?
Honestly it depends on the acupuncturist. They say Chinese style is more intense because of the style of needles. Japanese is said to be a more gentle style. I think I’ve had them all, including Korean. But only once did it hurt, and in all fairness the guy did warn me that his style was more aggressive. With everyone else I went to, I felt fine. It’s not like sticking a sewing needle in you. And they don’t stick them all the way in. I’ve been amazed with the outcome.
Acupuncture can get expensive. Especially when treating something like fibroids. I was advised to go at least 3 times a month. That can be anywhere from $65-$180 a session.
So what else relieves menstrual cramps? I discovered something called Moon Cycle Tea from Nuwati Herbals. Nuwati Herbals are natural Native American influenced products. I stumbled across their product one day while visiting a Native American store on Venice Beach.
I tried the Moon Cycle tea and was amazed. First off, it always feels good to sip on some tea while on your period. But Moon Cycle has herbs like Black Cohosh and Dong Quai in it which are know to treat women menstrual issues.
My writing partner says it helps her but she has to keep drinking quite a bit of it. I usually need 2-3 cups on a bad day. Either way you can usually find some Moon Cycle Tea in the pantry of either one of our houses.
So to sum it all up:
There real cure for your horrible cramps would be to treat issue causing them in the first place. But to relieve yourself of some of the pain, I give 2 thumbs up to Acupuncture and Moon Cycle Tea.
I know, I know what you’re saying… prayers aren’t always answered? Yuh huh!!! Yes they are! Okay then, you’re right. They are always answered. So why is it then that we’ve all had moments in our lives when we’ve prayed and prayed and prayed for something and got nothing? We’ve meditated on and visualized our desires and still… crickets. The Bible says, “…ask and you shall receive.” Simple, right? Sure, as long as you’re asking for what you actually want. And therein lies the issue. Many times in life we are asking for things we don’t actually want. We think we know what we want, but do we really?
One thing most people pray for in life is money! If I were to offer you $10M right now, I bet you would take it, right? Of course! Now, what if as I were sliding the briefcase over to you I informed you that you couldn’t spend any of it… EVER. What now? Would you still want the $10M? I’m sure the answer would be no. What’s the point of having all that money if you can’t spend it? So then, it’s really not the money you want is it? Then what do you want?
You want what the money can get you. And what can money get you? Well there’s cars and big houses and trips and clothes and shoes and ummmm… oh! Now you can quit the job you hate and finally pursue your passion for gardening. Basically, now you can be free! That’s why little pieces of green paper with men’s faces on them are so valuable… they can buy you freedom. Freedom to do what you want, have what you want, go where you want, etc. So really, it’s freedom that you want, but you’ve been praying for green pieces of paper!
The reality is your prayers are always answered. The Universe, God, The Source, Consciousness whatever you call it always gives us exactly what we want. The problem is, many times we are asking for things we don’t actually want.
Underneath every desire is a core desire; the real desire. For money, the core desire is usually freedom. For other desires in your life, there are other core desires. The key is to dig beneath the surface of your superficial wish and discover what you really want when you’re asking The Universe for something. A great way to do so is just what we did with the money example. Ask yourself if whatever you’re desiring was all you could have, no perks, no bonuses, just the desire, would you still want it? Would you be satisfied? If the answer is no, then you can be sure there is a core desire underneath that must be discovered. Usually the core desires fall into general, universal categories like: I want to be happy. I want to be free. I want to have peace of mind, etc. The Universe doesn’t work well with mixed messages. When you are clear about what you really want it will manifest much more quickly than when your desires are clouded by confusion.
The next time you decide you want something; make sure you do a little digging first and find out what your core desire is; what is it you really want? Then ask for that. If you want freedom in your life, ask for freedom; not money to get you freedom. Cut out the middle man. Let go of the picture of how you think it should be and just ask for your core desire. It will absolutely manifest. God will absolutely give you what you ask for. It may not look the way you imagined it would, but trust it will be exactly what you want!
Did you know that it’s best to eat fruit on an empty stomach? You can eat something else about 20-30 minutes after eating fruit since that’s about how long it takes for fruit to exit the stomach completely. But you should wait about 3 hours after eating a meal before eating fresh fruit. That’s why having a smoothie for breakfast may be your best choice. Then 30 minutes later, you can eat something else.
Eating things in the right order can keep your digestive track clear and running smoothly. Some foods when combined with each other can ferment in the stomach and create a breading ground for bacteria.
Eating foods in the right combination can protect against problems such as IBS, constipation, gas and acid reflux.
There is a lot of information out on this matter which can be quite overwhelming. So for now lets start with fruit.
Just remember eat after fruit, not before.
Stay tune when we talk about mixing starches and nuts….
In beautiful sunny California, it is quite common to hear people freaking out or complaining when it rains. Okay, you get a pass to freak out if you live somewhere in the hills, considering the risk of mudslides. Everyone else should just relax.
Rain should be celebrated. It is nourishment to our planet. We want everything to be beautiful and plush without allowing the process in which it takes to get there.
I think we need cloudy and rainy days to relax our spirit a little bit. It creates a change of pace. Sometimes I feel so tired or lazy on a rainy day. Instead of fighting it, I have been practicing to just flow with it. Even if I have to work, I allow my energy to be relaxed and mellow.
It may be good to meditate while it’s raining and allow yourself to be on a different vibration than ususal. If rain brings fourth growth and vegetation to the land. Imagine what it may bring fourth inside of you.
In places of desert such as California, people use to do rain dances to welcome rain to come. Now I feel so many people are almost doing a go away dance every time they stump their feet and say “Aw man it’s raining.”
I mostly work outside, so no It wouldn’t be good for business if it rained everyday. But I can appreciate it every now and then. I need an excuse sometimes to relax and sit still. These moments help me to check in with Self and see what I need.
So thank you rain. Thank you for falling upon our land and making it so beautiful. Thank you for relaxing me. And when the sun comes back, I can appreciate it more than last time I saw it.
calivegans 