Emily Van Horn

Somatic Trauma Resolution (STR) therapy is a client centered approach that facilitates healing of both shock-trauma and developmental-trauma.  STR is relatively short term yet highly effective. STR therapists define trauma as anything that has been overwhelming to your nervous system.  Symptoms may result from a wide range of experiences including accidents, injuries, emotional or physical shock, abuse, violence, sexual assault, invasive surgical procedures, loss/grief, or even birth. Somatic Trauma Resolution therapy can be used as an effective way to prevent chronic problems from developing as well as a way to release chronic issues once dysfunction has set in. A few STR sessions after an accident for example, can save years of psychotherapy, chiropractic, and drugs. You don’t have to wait until Post-Traumatic Stress has set in. Basic STR skills, are helpful to everyone wishing to heal an over loaded nervous system.

Peter looking surprised by Emily while shooting her episode.

Keys to this therapeutic process involve developing resources, tracking sensations, and establishing healthy boundaries.  The client learns how to self regulate his/her nervous system through the careful guidance of the STR therapist, thus increasing physical and emotional resiliency.

As you are guided to become curious about sensations in the body, neural pathways begin to open; held shock/trauma energies can begin to discharge from the nervous system one manageable step at a time.  These energy discharges are often experienced physically through such sensations as temperatures fluctuations, tingling, shaking, etc.  Titration, allows plenty of time and space for the nervous system to heal and reorganize in a way that feels safe and empowering.

You may schedule appointments in Emily’s Santa Monica office or for out of area clients, I offer sessions by phone or SKYPE

Emily Van Horn

www.EmilyVanHorn.com

emyvee@yahoo.com

(310) 904.-3698

Astrology

Stephanie Jones

Earliest astrology was used by the ancients to bring a sense of order out of apparent chaos.

Your birth chart is a picture of the position of the planets around the earth, in the zodiac, at the moment you were born.  The planets are symbolic representatives of the energy of life. This is the road map of your soul. You wouldn’t have chosen to incarnate at that moment, on that day if your soul’s energies didn’t match the energy in the sky at that time. From this map an infinite mandala of information, guidance and evolutionary instruction is available. Revealing your particular blue print, your strengths and weaknesses your chart opens the opportunity to apply more conscious imagination to your life choices.

Astrology is the golden key to conscious self-awareness, bringing help from the language of the stars to successfully meet the challenges of life.  My principal purpose is to serve you in understanding your unique personal journey.

STEPHANIE JONES  -  CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL ASTROLOGER

(323) 369-8221

www.stephanie-jones.com

• 

  Astrologer Stephaine Jones with our host Peter Bedard

• Thank you so very much for your amazing reading!  Your choice of words and explanation of energies are poetic!  They gave me goose bumps!  Thank you for sharing your gift with me.  You are fabulous! – Barb
• Thank you so much for your wise, uplifting and kind words – your message resonated so deeply with this soul’s journey. – Heidi
• Thank you for helping me understand my life path.  I know it may be difficult for me but you helped me see more clearly and that there is light at the end of the road.  People like you who are special help people like me feel special. – Kim

Vacation Yoga Perfect

I am on vacation in the North East part of the US. I have flown across the country from the “left coast” and then worked my way down from Vermont and Massachusetts to Philadelphia. This evening I will have the privilege of attending the wedding of a young woman I have known since she was 4 years old. Quite amazing. I have reconnected with old friends, taken my first Iyengar

Wedding celebration in Gilbertsville, PA

yoga class at Down Under Yoga in Newton, MA, downunderyoga.com .and visited my old neighborhood in Philadelphia.

I have experienced wonderful weather in Massachusetts and Vermont, and a  torrential downpour in Philadelphia that knocked down trees and put the MTA out of service for a while. So it has been an eventful time. I have been continuing my mindfulness meditation practice along with some Kundalini yoga, almost every day.  Good to continue a regular practice, daily.  I think there is a tendency when  one is on vacation to expect everything to go perfectly: Perfect weather, perfect time with friends, easy travel connections – no frustrations, boredom, sadness, loneliness..perfect, perfect, perfect. That seems a bit exhausting and leaves no room for what comes our way in terms of experiences, feelings, connections. Everyday, no matter what our “schedule” or aggenda life is unfolding for us, moment by moment. Vacation provides the luxury of not having to deal with a daily work schedule, so it is a great time, no matter what you are doing,  to practice being mindful, aware and grateful.  Try adopting that mindset when you go on vacation….perhaps even the challenges will provide you with a wonderful gift. Then take what you have learned back to your daily life to enrich it.

Send me your thoughts and feedback…

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Cultivating  an  Attitude of Gratitude

Recently, I have been having difficulty with gratitude in my life.  Sometimes, even in the midst of a beautiful Southern California day, when painful, sad feelings arise, maybe triggered by old memories it can be difficult to feel grateful for life and all it has to offer. Sometimes I can lose perspective when I get caught in the process of comparing my life to that of others. So, being a student of mindfulness meditation, I did some reading this weekend on gratitude and it’s cultivation. According to Philip Moffitt, a member of Spirit Rock Teacher’s Council in Woodacre, CA and founder of Life Balance Institute, www.lifebalance.org, the mindful cultivation of gratitude is a very powerful and easily cultivated practice. It is particularly  good for students “… who have depressive or self-defeating feelings, those who have access to wonder as an ecstatic state, and those with a reactive personality who habitually notice everything that’s wrong in a situation.”  Any of that sound familiar?

So, how does one get started?  Moffitt often instructs students to respond to difficult situations by acknowledging them and then saying “Yes, this is terrible AND I am grateful for…” It is so easy to only notice the terrible aspects of life and people, rather than what is positive. Ask yourself is gratitude dependent on your feeling good, right now? That is a rather small-minded, “What have you done for me lately? attitude. He suggests being consciously grateful to your family, friends, teachers and all those who have come before you who have made it possible for your life to be comfortable. If you were asked to make a list of things for which you are grateful, how long would it be?  20 items? 100, 500? Such a list is intended to clarify your understanding of how life really is…to shift your perspective beyond the superficial to a deeper experience of your life unfolding moment by moment. Perhaps all of this is a tall order for a day in June, and yet you can do something simple, today,  by actively noticing things you are grateful for throughout your regular day. Try it, I’ll be doing it myself as I work my way through a busy day and week before vacation. Oh and don’t forget to breathe!

Send me your thoughts and feedback…will write more on gratitude while on vacation.

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Meditation in the grass

On Saturday,  I attended an amazing teaching with Jack Kornfield through InightLA.
I am relatively new to mindfulness meditation and a friend suggested going to get a better
sense of the scope of the teachings and this man who has been teaching mindfulness
meditation for over 40 years.www.jackkornfield.org. He sees teaching meditation “as a support

Fear of What’s Inside…Run or Release?

Lee living in joy

This past week I listened to how people tell their stories, including  myself, At the beginning of the week

I had a lot of fear and anxiety about a family member’s actions in taking on a new adventure. My perspective came from a place of control and fear based upon research and projection.  Talking to friends helps me process my fear, sometimes. However, as the week progressed and my fears were not realized, I began to see that I really was afraid of my fears and they were running away with me. I became so identified with the fears that I could not test their validity. It was like a faulty oil gauge on one’s car. If the light flashes and you add oil without checking the dip stick, you keep pouring  the oil and can flood the system.  My system was flooded and I was exhausted. So I regrouped. I returned to my meditation practice and focused on what lay behind the fears for another.  I discovered that I had many other feelings – envy, desire for adventures of my own, sadness about missed adventures and opportunities, a sense of life passing me by, emptiness, desire for more mystery in my life. With this awareness I began to release the overlying fear and return to a place of calm, greater stillness and wholeness.  And suddenly on Sunday, when I was out at a farmer’s market, I felt a huge release. I met some new people, began some new conversations which stimulated some new thoughts and ideas. My fears for a loved one’s safety had become my story, they had also inhibited my own creativity and ability to connect. Being  fully human includes fear, includes all feelings. The key, I think is to sit with all the feelings that arise around our fears and release them..hold them up to the mirror and let them see the light of day….

Lee will be teaching a Family Yoga class @ The LA Arboretum,

Sun May 23, 2010 2- 3:15 pm. www.Arboretum.org

Please share your thoughts and comments below: How have you dealt with your fears? What has worked for you?

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Cat

I’ve been working pretty hard over the last month and in previous blogs have

Yoga with Lee

This week for my Alchemy of fear class we are meditating on the fear to love, a weighty topic for a beautiful week in early May…and yet so important….If we follow the pavement our way is predictable, methodical, controlled. If we follow the river our path is more fluid, open and unknown, much like a spiritual journey.  In his talk www.dharma.org Rodney Smith is inviting us to step off the predictable path in our search for true connection and love. He presents this as the path to greater connection in all relationships – friendships, parent/child and romantic ones. So, for those of us who are single, that doesn’t translate into joining more on-line dating services or attending more singles events…It actually means going within…cultivating a practice of mindfulness of quiet, of stillness..of self acceptance. It calls for having great compassion for ourselves, in all our imperfections for only then can we be open and totally present to making connection with another. Otherwise it is easy, with the mind to try to control another, to project our prejudices,  to make demands. He talks about the power of dominance, which initially startled me. However, upon reflection, I understand through my own experience – if I approach relationships from a place of distrust my mind will express love by attempting to control. Challenging – yes, impossible to change, no. Yogi Bhajan www.3HO.org in his lectures and teachings would counsel women to find a partner by first forming a relationship with themselves and a Divine Spirit through the practice of Kundalini yoga…another way on the spiritual path. So in this season of blooming and new beginnings I will commit to a deeper spiritual practice of Kundalini yoga and vipassana meditation and follow the river….

Seder-in-the- Desert - liberation and renewal…..

Passover is a celebration of  liberation and renewal. How liberated do you feel??

Every year around Passover I remind myself that this is a celebration of freedom -a retelling of the tale of an oppressed group of people who with divine intervention threw off the shackles of slavery to travel to a “promised land.” Then I start planning and cooking and attending seders with family and friends..wonderful, a lot of work and somehow my personal sense of liberation gets lost.  I feel like I am enslaved by the rituals.  This year, I joined my temple at a Seder-in-the Desert at Yucaipa Regional Park.

Lee Rothman's Blog

This annual tradition was begun 31 years ago by Rabbi Jim Kaufman.  The idea was to literally honor the admonition in the Haggadah: “All Jews must regard themselves as if they personally went out of Egypt”  Personally I have a hard time getting out of town. I always have things I want to accomplish. I guess I am a bit of a slave to my own expectations and demands. I can delude myself that my yoga practice gives me all the renewal and relaxation I need. It was a bit of a struggle for me to pack all the things I needed for this trip and point my car E, destination- Yucaipa Regional Park..Yet, as I got closer  the view of the snow capped San Bernardino Mountains gave an unexpected lift to my spirts and a sense of freedom. Seder-in-the Desert is a joyous, raucous, imperfect and wonderful way to re-create and re-tell the Exodus story. Sat. evening,  surrounded by some 300+ members of my temple we sat at tables arranged in a gigantic horseshoe with a panoramic view of the San Bernardino Mountains. The meal was casual, communal and everyone had brought something to contribute. It was the climax of a weekend of prayer, play and friendship. I think my Rabbi was on to something essential  when he began this tradition 31 years ago – The importance of getting away from our daily routines and conveniences.  - The impact of celebrating a holiday communally in nature. – The importance of time for reflection, thoughtfulness and fun. I fit some private time in for yoga, meditation and a long hike.. Maybe next year I’ll get some of the group to do yoga with me. Rituals that are personally meaningful are important at all stages of life. I think I have found one that works well for me…and that’s the most important thing of all.

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On Friday of last week I had the privilege of attending a talk by Dr. Ira Byock, the director of palliative care at Dartmouth Medical Center in New Hampshire. He is a pioneer in caring for people at the end of life. He has written two important books in this area, Dying Well and The Four Things that Matter Most. He was addressing fourth year medical students at USC, so I wasn’t sure how clinical his approach would be. He did not disappoint me, in fact I was quite pleased with his emphasis on the need for spiritual and emotional support for people at the end of life so they may “die from the reluctant arms of community”. In the past the medical community and indeed mainstream society have viewed death as a form of defeat – something to be avoided, denied, all feelings about it suppressed until it is impossible to do so.  In contrast Dr. Byock talked from personal and professional experience of spending time with his dying patients and listening to their stories. He related tales full of deep meaning, questions, philosophical musings and often great humor in the face of severe pain and loss. He presented a model to create a greater sense of community in caring for people at the end of life  which could revolutionize health care-  a covenant with those who are dying based upon trust vs the current system which creates a contract to protect based upon an underlying sense of distrust.  He spoke of Response-ability to bear witness and provide an opportunity for life review. As I listened to him speak I saw a man whose life has become so rich from doing this work. I think the message for all of us is that there is much to learn from the dying, which can enrich and inform how we live our lives.  And then he shared the four things that matter most from the stories he has collected: Tell the people in your life: Forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you…..good simple guidelines for any day of the week.

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March 1st, 2010

Sat Nam and Blessings!  I am thrilled that Peter has invited me to blog for his website.
As a practitoner and teacher of Kundalini yoga I find that I use all my skills and training as part of my daily work at Skirball Hospice. The true test of the strength and depth of one’s practice can be seen in how one applies yogic philosophy and fundamentals off the mat. When I accepted the position to direct the volunteer program in 2008, I knew I would be of service (seva) which is a big part of practicing Kundalini yoga. I did not realize how much I would incorporate breathing and meditation practices into my daily life in the workplace.  I think anyone who works in healthcare – either more traditional allopathic practices or alternative ones- is under pressure to serve, heal, produce.  That is the nature of our society.  My Kundalini practice permits me to take a breath, and detach for a moment, before I answer the phone, present at a meeting, interview a terminally ill patient and their family, supervise a volunteer. Many times I have to consciously remind myself to take a breath, before I respond..even to emergencies. I have a greater appreciation for how much health care professionals, trained primarily in Western medicine, need a personal practice of meditation, yoga and stress reduction techniques to help them in their daily work. And so, my work is leading me to create workshops and classes especially for health care professionals in hospice. I hope to write more about this next week.  Thank you.

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Lee Rothman, M.Ed., M.A.

Lee Rothman

Lee is a Kundalini yoga and meditation teacher who also directs the volunteer program at Skirball Hospice in Encino. She has extensive background in clinical cancer research, health education, and psychodynamic and family system theories. She has taught yoga and meditation at Senior Centers, and in medical settings and yoga studios for individuals with health challenges. Lee is now focusing her energy and experience on the challenges for individuals and families and their caregivers at the end of life. She is an IKYTA-certified Kundalini Yoga teacher through The Awareness Center in Pasadena, CA. She is certified in Compassionate Touch by The Heart Touch Project, Santa Monica, CA

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Legal stuff we have to say…

Much of the information on CreateYourHealth.com is based on the Natural Healing Model rather than the Medical Health model. Use of this protocol is at your own risk and responsibility. The information is not intended as medical advice. Government regulations state you must consult a medical doctor for any disease. Government regulators consider testimonials to be misleading and deceptive. Please understand that results are not typical and results will vary.

Ask Terri a question and she will channel an answer from her guides just for you! (See Terri’s Bio Below and ask your question by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page)

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Sharing… Some Divine Wisdom

Mother’s Day…  We are about the celebrate Mother’s Day, a day in which MOTHER is celebrated.  One usually thinks of the woman who brought you into the world, however we would like to celebrate all that represents MOTHER.  Mother Earth and Mother Nature are magnificent, because without them we would not exist.  They provide us with our daily nourishment and the very foundation that supports us.  There has been much discussion over time as to how the children of Mother Earth and Mother Nature have cared for them.  If every child on the earth would take just a moment to do something wonderful for them to show their appreciation, respect and love then they would know that all their children really do care.

Whether you are a MOM to your child, your pet, a loved one or a friend we wish for you a day filled with love, happiness, many blessings and a BIG THANK YOU for being nurturing, loving, caring and supportive to all those that you have mothered.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

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Sharing… Some Divine Wisdom

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Q.  Hi Terri!
Congrats on your blog – this is great

Question…why is the world suffering from SO MANY disasters. Specifically, earthquakes. There seems to be a 7-pointer every month now. I’m very concerned…the devastation and loss are unbearable and I haven’t even been directly affected. It’s heartbreaking watching the news.

A. Annette,

Thank you so much I am so glad that you are enjoying it. I am sorry for the late response to your question.

How wonderful that your heart reaches out to the world and to those that you have no direct connection to. The earth moves as do the other planets and just as our consciousness is changing and evolving so is the earth. There is both a physical component and an energetic one. We are in a time where TRUTH is being exposed on ALL levels. The disaster in Haiti exposed the truth of a corrupt government that did not choose to build a solid foundation for its people and therefore when the earth moved the physical structures where unable to withhold the pressure as the foundation that they were built on was unstable. This is a perfect analogy of life itself. If one does not build a solid foundation in their lives then they will have a difficult time sustaining all the movement that occurs around them.

Yes it is heartbreaking to see anyone suffer, however it also provides people the opportunity to step up and put themselves aside for even just a moment to provide for another. Make sure that you are prepared, practice being in faith and not fear!

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Sharing…. Some Divine Wisdom

As we begin this week we do so with a New Moon which means New Beginnings.  Every month we are provided the opportunity to bring forth our intentions for what we desire and what we need to help us in facilitating this.  Take a moment and really ponder what it is that brings you JOY, PEACE, FULFILLMENT and a sense of ACCOMPLISHMENT.  Sometimes we forget to ask for the help that we need or for that matter to even have a sense of our own knowingness that we can.  We are in a time of great change and being shaken to the very core of who we are, looking at what our purpose is and how we achieve what that is once we discover it.

Take a moment and write down 3 intentions.  As an example:  I have financial freedom  – Now take a moment and think about what this means to you and see what that looks like, touch what that feels like, listen to the sound of it and enjoy the sweet smell of it.

Life brings us opportunity to learn, grow and evolve, so take one step every day to do just that…

We wish you love, light and a wonderful week.

Divine Wisdom

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Sharing some… Divine Wisdom

I would like to wish all of you a very happy Passover and Easter!

Isn’t it interesting that two such important holidays come together to celebrate such historic and meaningful experiences for Christians as well as Jews.  At holidays like this it is important to take a moment and reflect on who you are and what you HAVE accomplished and to be grateful.

Life for many over this past year has been quite a challenge and we applaud all of you for holding tight to the ranes and making it through the storm.  You are being shaken to your core so that you can be better prepared for a higher consciousness and a greater awareness.  We wish for all of you that the reflection that these holidays bring and even for those of you who don’t celebrate either of these holidays that:   When your DESIRE becomes GREATER than your RESISTANCE…  then the doors will open wide and all that you DESIRE will come forth.

We send you many blessings, love and light

Divine Wisdom

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Q.  Hi Terri,

I’m wondering if my girlfriend Carina will get into UCLA Law school or NYU Law school this year?

thanks,
max

A. Max,

I must tell you that when I focus on each of these schools I believe that she may be accepted into both of them. They are both excellent choices, but truly it is a completely different dynamic and like two completely different worlds between them. I sense that your fear is that if she chooses NYU than this will change the dynamic of your relationship. The first year of law school will test the best of any relationship whether you are living together or living cross country. The real question to ask is what is her intention??? If she had clear choice would she pick NYU??? Or stay in Los Angeles so that she can keep the relationship in tack and still go to law school?? The answer lies not so much in the flip of the coin, but in her intention and what she really wants to manifest for herself!

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Q.  Hi Terri,

I just resigned from my job and my last day is tomorrow. I’m extremely excited about the future. Just curious as to what you sense is my next move.

Wilda

A. Dear Wilda,

Transition when embraced is a wonderful experience. To be proactive in ones journey will bring great rewards, because you are already in the mind set of taking action. I have a sense of profound freedom for you. You have had an idea in your mind for a long time, but too often dismissed it. It is time now for you to bring that idea to the forefront and be very clear of your intention and what this looks like and how you see this evolving. You should be excited as you have worked hard to let go of certain beliefs that have in the past held you back. Your next move… well, take ten steps forward and none back… Soar like an eagle, spread your wings and follow your dreams and your heart.

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Q. Hi Terri,
I’ve lost some major clients to the economy and as a result my savings is slowly dwindling away in support of keeping in my passion. I love what I do and have been successfully and stably doing it for close to a decade. But now I am fighting hard to stay in my industry, following my gut and intuition, but there are no open doors yet.
I’m also trying to remain patient and positive, but the worry is starting to keep me up at nights and it’s stripping away at the good energy I feel I have left. I have the support of friends and loved ones but my energy is tapped out. I’m working now from dawn to dusk for peanuts to keep a float and there simply isn’t any energy for me to keep recycling back into myself or continued pursuit in my field. I’m exhausted~Mary

A.  Marynewro,

Fear blocks our faith which stops the flow of that which we desire. Yes these have been very stressful times and fear unfortunately can become very paralyzing. Transition and adjustment are often times necessary at different times in our lives. Think about a cake that you have made the same way for several years, the cake is delicious and people love it, but it is time to add a new twist to your great recipe and get people excited all over again because you added a new ingredient to bring it up to date…
Your intuition will never lead you in the wrong direction. It is only when you don’t really listen to it that you will find yourself taking the wrong turn.
Your exhaustion is more about the stress and fear which will drain you of your energy which results in your inability to really get a clear picture of what you need to do…
Think through what you are doing, what you have done, and how you can add that new ingredient to your business plan so as to attract new clients. Just maybe it is time for some change…

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Q.  Hi Terri,

I am writing to ask you if you think I truly have a good chance of finally healing my tailbone/sacrum problem soon? I have been working on it for 2 1/2 years now and get very frustrated that I am still not able to sit comfortably, without pain nor truly sit well without a u-shaped pillow. Even not sitting, I feel an incredible tightness and I get shooting pains as well. I feel like someone shoved a plunger up my behind and that there is always something in there-like a rock! My tailbone is literally tucked underneath and forked over to the right. I have read many healing books, done many forms of therapy-what I have been able to pay for out of pocket. Anyway, there are moments, since this length of time (though time is elusive) for it to get better seems like a long time-due to the physical pain-when I lie awake at night, wondering if I will ever be able to sit without pain and not feel like there is something stuck up my butt! I am wondering if my tailbone will get untucked and stay untucked!!

Any thoughts you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A.  Karen,

Often times when we experience physical pain it is as a result of emotional distress. You know the term “pain in the ass”, well it seems as though you have manifested this in your body. Getting physical relief is only one aspect of your healing. It would be suggested that you really look deep into your emotional state and childhood traumas to take a look at what lead you to this most painful position.

I have provided for you some information about the first Chakra and a website to visit, both of which may provide you with some further insight and information. Unfortunately there is no easy answer as the condition you are in has many layers. Focus green light around your lower back and imagine yourself stepping into a bathtub with the most magnificent large green emerald. As the water fills the tub the emerald will melt into the water creating and surrounding you with the most magnificent green healing energy. Soak in this imaginary bath for as long as you can and know that when you step out of the tub you will feel the exhilaration of the healing energy.

One must find the cause or the source of ones problem so that one is not in denial of the very experience that created the energy that blocks you.

http://www.findyourfate.com/astrology/yoga/sciatica-pain.htm

Chakra One: Muladhara
Earth, Physical identity, oriented to self-preservation
Located at the base of the spine, this chakra forms our foundation. It represents the element earth, and is therefore related to our survival instincts, and to our sense of grounding and connection to our bodies and the physical plane. Ideally this chakra brings us health, prosperity, security, and dynamic presence.

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Q. I would love some feedback on the who, what, when, how regarding finding my compatable soul mate…many thanks!

Lori

A.  Lori,

How glorious it is when one finds one’s soul mate, but even grander yet when one can find one’s twin flame. One must first be so clear about who they are and what they want for themselves before venturing out to find the other half of one’s self. It is important that we really look at all the aspects of ourselves first and to clean house so to speak… Often times when one is looking for a mate, they end up re-creating aspects that are familiar which may not always be the best qualities or really what we want.
In your minds eye put a blank canvas on an easel and pull out your paint brush and paints. As you look at the blank canvas imagine the picture of who you want, what they look like and all the attributes that bring forth the best parts of yourself and supports who you want to be.
When you are totally clear about who you are and what you want, cleaned out your closets so to speak then you can go about putting forth your intention to bring to you the person that can then be someone that both of you can mutually support in mind, body and spirit.
Happiness does not need to allude you… You just need to be aware of what that means and then put forth your intention to create it.

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Q. Hey Terri – I’m buying a new house and it’s an absolute dump. It has incredible potential but I’m a bit panicked as it’s going to cost a lot to fix up – new kitchen, new bathroom, new roof, new floors, etc. I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to make it work but it feels like the right thing to do. What do your guides have to say?
Thanks,
PB

A. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION… We presume that this purchase was made as an investment property that you wish to flip. We would like to suggest that you might get creative in how you consider doing the repairs and fixing up the property. With all of the “Reality Shows” that exist you might want to look into someone or something that would be excited about having an opportunity to put their mark on something that is in desperate need of love, care and a facelift.
We feel that this house project is something that will provide work and benefit to others in a way that you had not anticipated. An Art Director could have some fun with this too. We get a sense that this house came to you for a reason, some of which are not clear for you at this time.
Yes we do feel that this will turn out to be as you say “the right thing to do”. Put forth your intention, see the picture of what you want and then hold tight to your desire to manifest it.

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Q. Hello, Terri!

Would like to know if you have any insight into my romantic life. I’ve been intensely exploring/revisiting my approach to intimacy and relationships and would appreciate any input you might have. Thank you so much!

Anne

A. Anne,

You must be willing to face your fear of intimacy head on. When one experiences pain, disappointment, or hurt then one has a tendency to close off or in some cases shut down. One must first be in relationship with ones self, otherwise how is someone else to know what we want or need if we ourselves cannot identify what that is. So often one looks outside themselves for validation, and somehow it never seems to be enough or there is a lack of trust that they are being sincere. When one can become secure within themselves, and to be able to look in the mirror and send love back to the image they are seeing then one will be ready to bring an outside relationship to themselves.

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Q. Hi Terry, I just moved back to my country(Italy) after I lived for 9 years in London. The main reason of my transfer is because my parents are getting older and will retire in a couple of months. As they need my help to move out I have to be here for at least 3 months, but I also have a stress to get a job and a possible accomodation after they will move out. I dont really know if I want to stay here as I feel I dont belong here anymore. Things are completely different from where I used to live and finding very difficult to adapt. My real desire is to move to LA where my best friend lives but it seems almost impossible to get a permanent visa unless I win the lottery. I am so confused and was wondering if you could give some advice on what to do. Thank you so much for your help,all the best,
R.xxx

A. There is always a reason why things happen and for you coming back to Italy is providing you with an opportunity to put closure to some aspect or aspects of your life that need to be addressed and then from that point you will be able to more clearly make a choice about what to do once you have accomplished your initial purpose in returning. What is your desire, passion and CLEAR intention in wanting to move to Los Angeles? Your stress in finding work in Italy is there because your intention to be there is only temporary. We feel that you struggle with the issue of your parents as they indeed are getting older and you feel torn to be there with and for them, however you also have a need to make a clear break which is why you left in the first place. If your intent is to come to Los Angeles then you must make a plan, write it down and really focus on the picture of what this looks like and then ask your guides and angels for the help you need to clear your path so that you can achieve this goal. Be willing to really look at your past and face it head on so that you can move forward carrying only that which you need in your suitcase.

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Q. Hello Terri,
I would love to know any thing you see that might help me better navigate my relationship with my boyfriend. It’s been 8 months and I’m experiencing some frustration. I’d be grateful for any words of wisdom. Thanks!

A. Emily,
Relationships are usually wonderful at the beginning. The true test of a relationship is when you have had the experience and maturity to weather all kinds of storms and still find yourselves holding on to one another in the middle of the boat…
This is a wonderful opportunity to really take a look at what is frustrating you. Then take a look at yourself and ask yourself, what part of ME is HE representing as a mirror reflection of some part of myself? You see we often times bring people into our lives so that we can really take a look at some aspect of ourselves that we most need to look at. We can either make a CHOICE to reject or resist that which we see or we can CHOOSE to be proactive and desire to make a change.

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Q. Would love to hear from you. At a real turning point in my life,and wondering which path to take.

A. Michael,

Which path is the one that will give you the greatest sense of self? It is time to please yourself and to be willing to take some risk in order to find what truly resinates with your soul. It is not for us to tell you to take the right fork or the left as this is only a choice you can make. What we do suggest is that you be true to your passion regardless of what others may think or say. Put forth your intention and vision of what you desire and then trust that you CAN manifest the outcome that you desire.

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Q. I am waiting to hear about a project which could bring me creative opportunity and financial remuneration. In the past eight months, almost every opportunity to work with clients (as a writer and story editor) has not come through and a job prospect that seemed promising fell through. I am praying to bring more money into my life and am asking what you see in this area. Thank you.

A. Sara,
Your resistance seems greater than your desire… you may be scratching your head saying what does this possibly mean. The question is what is blocking your desired outcome? The money will come once you are really able to grab hold of believing enough in your talent and ability and that you are worthy of being paid for your creative talents. Believe in yourself without question and all others will have no other choice but to believe in you too.

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Q. Hi Terri,

Would be interested in getting any insight you might have on one aspect of my life at the moment. I recently made a major home purchase and moved into a new neighborhood. It all feels wrong. I’m tempted to turn around, sell, and move to another area that would fit my lifestyle, but a voice (mine, and those of others) all say that this is just the pain of transition. I’m having a tough time figuring out what’s right. Would love a read on this. Thank you so much.

A. Cheryl,

We ask of you this question… What led you to this particular home and location in the first place? What is scary for you is change and stepping out from what is familiar to you. It is important to really take a look at your REACTION to this situation and examine how you came to make this choice and why you now feel so unsettled with the choice you made. What stands out most to us is not so much the new house you bought, but that transition is painful… Take a walk through your new neighborhood and look to find something that feels right and then take a really deep breath and know that you have taken a huge step forward to create for yourself something new and different. Transition is change, but does not need to be painful.

Spiritual Psychology deals with human experiences at the soul level.  Terri will help you find your purpose in life and how to achieve it. You will learn how to make life-altering decisions, which will enable you to reach your potential by listening to your inner guidance.

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Intuitive since childhood her mother always said, “You are practicing without a license.”  Terri is a natural therapist and profound intuitive healer.  She also holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Theater Arts in Secondary Education from the University of Arizona.  In addition to teaching high school her passion was working with elementary age children and after moving to Los Angeles in 1978 created children’s theater programs.  She was a successful music manager for over 20 years working with some of the top names in entertainment.  She has been included in 3 editions of Who’s Who as well as other awards.  Being involved in various non-for-profit organizations is also a passion as both a volunteer and a member of boards of directors.

Throughout her life she has studied with many different people in many different disciplines relating to spiritual awareness.  She is certified as a 2^nd degree Reiki and Yuen practitioner.  Terri incorporates her unique capabilities of combining spiritual counseling together with hands on healing and channeling.  She is also a medium.

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Are YOU still using a microwave?

May want to think twice before you zap those leftovers…

Remember this commercial back in the day? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9XY8Nrs0A) Well, here’s my 21st century version…

Back in January, I had a New Year’s Resolution to completely stop using the microwave. If you observe your blood on a microscopic level, eating certain foods will improve the appearance of your blood, while other foods negatively affect your blood. Eating microwaved foods puts some serious stress on our blood–just look at the cellular membranes in the photo. You can see the jagged edges of the cells. Seeing this evidence of how eating microwaved foods completely alters our red blood cells was enough to push me over the edge and just say no to the microwave. After 3 1/2 months of being microwave-free, I’ve learned that it’s really not more difficult to live without it. I honestly don’t miss the convenience and don’t feel like I’m spending any more time in the kitchen.

I’ve already inspired a handful of people this year to drop their microwaves too. And I hope that YOU will consider throwing out your own microwave. Just say no! Need more inspiration to stay far away from these pretty, shiny boxes? Skim thru this: http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm

Good luck in creating your own microwave-free zones in your kitchens…and let me know how you do!

BE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE!

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Got Clairvoyance?

Do you remember watching the movie Unbreakable? It’s one of my favorite movies–takes on a lot of meaning for me.

Well, I had another “Unbreakable” moment tonight. Remember when Bruce Willis realizes (and actually acknowledges) that he has “heroic” powers–at that very moment he calls the villain (Samuel L Jackson), and asks what he should do next. What he should do now to utilize his superhero skill set?

Tonight, I had an impromptu wanding session with Emily Van Horn (http://www.emilyvanhorn.com) and her zero point energy wand. Using the wand can be really helpful in releasing pain from specific areas of the body, and since I don’t have any pain in my body, she spent the time focusing on my chakras.

She quickly noticed my energy was much different than the average person–I think she described it as being more grounded or centered. I know with the many hours of mantra japa and meditation I’ve practiced, I have tapped into a realm that not many people experience. When she got to my 3rd eye, she asked me if I was clairvoyant. She basically told me I have a lot of latent psychic abilities.

She’s not the first person to tell me this. I’ve had a few psychics and energy healers tell me that I’m connected with a lot of energy, but don’t necessarily know how to handle/manipulate it yet. And tonight, I kind of had one of those “Unbreakable” moments, where you start to come to terms with your natural abilities, and start to ask the question: “OK, what next?” So what I’m wondering at this moment: what’s my first step? If I’m ready to start developing my innate psychic abilities, where do I go from here??

We’ll see how my journey unfolds, as I see how I can start to tap into my psychic energies. (We all have our own superhero skill set, it’s just a matter of acknowledging it, and learning how to tap into it.) I’ll keep you posted as I have any breakthroughs as I step further into the unknown! Thanks Emily for my little “Unbreakable” moment tonight

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR JASON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE…

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Can your breathing help fight off cancer?

While recently skimming through the book Anticancer by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber (which I recommend checking out btw!), I was really intrigued by one of the chapters where he discusses how the mind plays a role in your overall health. Within this chapter, about 10 pages are dedicated to outlining scientific evidence that mantras, meditation, and specific breathing patterns

Chaos - Coherence

can profoundly affect our biological rhythms. One study, by Dr. Luciano Bernardi (Pavia, Italy), tracked autonomous body rhythms: variations in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, etc. Inadvertently, he started seeing an unusual pattern develop in a control group he had reciting an Ave Maria (Hail Mary in Latin) chant. The biological markers that he was tracking all started lining up and started “resonating,” mutually amplifying one another to create a smooth harmonious pattern. In essence, by chanting this phrase continuously, the subjects’ biomarkers all improved and came into sync. So what’s the big secret?

Breathing.

He found that the chant caused the subjects to start following a breathing pattern of 6 breaths per minute, which in turn causes all the biomarkers to link up with each other. So he turned to the most popular mantra in the world–Om Mani Padme Hum–and found the same result. The subjects’ breathing automatically adopted a pace of six breaths per minute (four repetitions per breath provide the proper pace), and they too experienced a coherence of rhythms of autonomous physiological functions.

Julian Thayer and Esther Sternberg, while reviewing all studies concerning amplitude and variations of biological rhythms, concluded that everything that amplifies variations (the phenomenon mentioned above) is associated with the following health benefits:

• better functioning of the immune system

• reduction of inflammation, and

• better regulation of blood sugar levels

Dr. Servan-Schreiber notes that “these are, precisely, three of the principal factors that act against the development of cancer.”

So what can we conclude from all this? Following a breathing pattern of about 6 breaths per minute will cause our biological functions to fall into a state of coherence. And practices such as chanting Om Mani Padme Hum naturally lead us to breathing six times per minute. Following a breathing practice that leads to this biological coherence will raise your vibration to a much higher state of health and well-being. So start breathing six breaths per minute and notice how good you start to feel!

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What do the Oscars have to do with Pain Relief?

Did you happen to watch the Oscars a couple weeks ago? Well, I was fortunate enough to spend the day at the Beverly Hilton, where I and Vivian Eisenstadt, MAPT, OCS participated in the gifting suite at the hotel’s Oscar event. Vivian is a physical therapist and energy healer, and we were there “zapping!” actors and celebrities all evening with radiant energy. We were there demonstrating an

Jason Adams, Samm Levine, Vivian Eisenstadt

energy therapy using a LifeStream Radiant Energy Generator, and promoting Vivian’s healing center. If you’ve never heard of a LifeStream Generator, this would certainly fit into most people’s definition of an “alternative therapy.” I really enjoy using this machine, and find a LifeStream session to be very invigorating and enlivening. It’s definitely a therapy that many Create Your Health readers will find intriguing, so I wanted to share more info with you about this treatment. I recently sat down with Vivian and asked her a few questions about this “alternative therapy”…

J.A.: At the Oscar gifting suite we were using something called the LifeStream Generator. What is a LifeStream Generator?

V.E.: It’s called a “300″ and known as the Intention. The LifeStream Generator is based on Nikola Tesla’s work, and it is the delivery of a high frequency current of energy–the same current that our cells use to function. It’s the same energy that our brain uses to function. We direct it into a client’s body with verbal intention of what they should be thinking and feeling while they are experiencing the electric current.

J.A.: Some people might think that using electricity might be like throwing a hairdryer in the bathtub and it might be harmful. Is it safe?

V.E.: Actually, if it was a different kind of current–if it was an AC current–then yes, you would definitely harm yourself. Being that the LifeStream Generator uses a DC current, it is a current that our body actually works in alignment with, and it’s literally a “battery booster” for the body.

J.A.: Why is it called the Intention?

V.E.: What you’re thinking while you’re on it gets amplified, which is why this machine is known as the Intention. Whatever your intention, that is what’s magnified while you’re on it. For example, at the Oscar event, while I was working with a NY Giant football player, I asked him to visualize and feel what it would feel like to be wearing his next Super Bowl ring.

J.A.: I know at your healing center that the LifeStream seems to stir up a lot of emotions with many of your patients while using the LifeStream. Why do you think this happens?

V.E.: I believe that energy gets blocked within us. I believe the fact that we’re sitting in front of our computers for so long, we’re

Vivian Eisenstadt, Randy & Marlon Jackson

not moving in our bodies, our circulation declines, our lymph drainage declines, and our process of releasing toxins, energy, and emotions gets “stuck.” I also feel that we live in a society where we are told to hold in our emotions and not fully express ourselves. Personally, coming from a Jewish Orthodox background, it became very clear to me that there were rules as to how to express yourself. As a result, when you emotionally and energetically hold thoughts and feelings, on a physical plane these manifest as pain. When we increase the voltage of an area of the body, thereby increasing the rate at which our cells are able to process so quickly—so going from sitting to processing at a high rate—it shocks the body (LITERALLY, ha ha!) on an emotional level, and allows our cells to release something that ordinarily they might not have been able to on their own. I would say that over 50% of my patients that come to me with chronic pain end up crying on their first visit when they’re presented with this experience.

J.A.: How is this helping you with your physical therapy practice?

V.E.: Since I started using this machine, patients tend to heal at a much quicker rate, and end up fully healing versus say an 80% recovery, because they are able to release whatever emotions that are contributing to their pain. Right now I am reading The Mind-Body Experience, which is a very clear conversation about the word psychosomatic, where a psychological experience—whether it’s fear, anxiety, or depression—specifically leads to a conscious, physical manifestation. By addressing the mind and the body at the same time, we not only release their physical issues through stretching, exercise and deep tissue work, but also emotionally allow them to release the associated emotions within a safe, loving environment while giving life coaching advice on how to possibly handle issues that brought them to my clinic. As a result, not only do they feel better physically, but their entire lives may change. Maybe they realize they’re not meant to be in L.A. and they move back home…or they go home and have a wonderful conversation with a family member that needed to be resolved five years ago…or they stop abuse that was occurring…or they forgive the man who hit them on the road and they become grateful over the new car that they’re getting from they’re motor vehicle accident, and they don’t get caught up into the lawsuits they might be having…and live more towards fully healing and living a life that is pain-free.

J.A.: This process of working with the LifeStream sounds really interesting. If someone wants to check it out and experience it for themselves, how can we find you? Where is your clinic?

V.E.: You can find more information on the LifeStream Generator at www.PreventThePain.com and our website also explains many of the other modalities and treatments that we have here at Prevent The Pain Therapy.

Prevent The Pain Therapy is located at 8818 Saturn St, L.A CA, just off the Pico/Robertson intersection. Stop by and check out the LifeStream and recharge your cells’ batteries! And stop back here at Create Your Health and let us know what you think!

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AUM

March 11th, 2010

As this is my first blog posting for Create Your Health, I thought we’d journey back to the beginning of time. Let’s take a little deeper look into a Sanskrit sound that many consider to be the primordial sound (or first sound of creation): OM.

Om Sign

OM is not simply thought to be the very first sound–OM is actually a sound that encompasses the entire universe. It is thought to be THE sound that created the heavens & the earth. So let’s dive right in and learn how to work with this powerful energy!…

The letter O in sanskrit is a combination of two sounds, A + U. So in actuality, OM is spelled AUM, and has four distinct parts. A is the first letter in the Sanskrit alphabet. This sound is produced at the very back of the throat. (think the sound “HA”, without the “H.”) Because this sound A is produced at the back of the throat, it is therefore said to include, and to be included in, every other sound produced by the human voice.

I love Sanskrit expert Vyass Houston’s explanation of the sound A:

“The first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet is the first sound that can be pronounced. The ONLY unmodified sound. Unmodified by any shaping of the mouth or the lips. Simply by taking a breath and opening the mouth, the sound comes: ah.”

“Feel each letter of the alphabet as an energy–a power–a vibration–that strikes along a particular point on the roof of the mouth. It’s important to give up the old concepts of sounds as letters. But rather to feel them as energies and powers. So as we go through the alphabet, feel as though we’re going on a tour of the inside of the mouth. Another way to help discover the power and energy of each individual sound is to let each one vibrate continuously.”

To create the sound AUM, we begin with the first letter–A, which is created at the back of the throat. The letter U is vocalized at the lips, and this sound is therefore produced at the opposite end of the mouth from the sound of A.

Say the sound “ahhh” for a few seconds.

Then say the vowel “eee” for a few seconds.

Lastly, vocalize the sound “ooo” (as in the word zoo) a few seconds.

Say these three vowels once more, this time letting the sound flow from one to the next. So say “ahhh,” moving into the sound “eee,” moving into the sound “ooo.”

Do you notice the movement of the tongue is what creates the vowel sound?

The third sound to be vocalized is M. From the sound “ooo,” simply close the lips, and allow the vocal cords to continue vibrating. The fourth (and final) part of the sound AUM is the absence of sound, or silence.

Thus, you can recreate this sound by adding the four parts: ahhh … ooo … mmm … [silence]. Try chanting this sound now a few times, focusing on feeling all four individual parts of the sound.

AUM also carries significance with each individual part: A symbolizes the waking state (using our senses); U denotes the state of deep sleep (dreamless) or unconscious state; M represents the dreaming state. These three states represent the entire physical world that we experience. The fourth state–turiya–is acknowledged by the silence that follows. Turiya is the Absolute state of being.

So there you have it! I bet many of you had no idea how complex OM really is. It actually encompasses our entire universe in one simple sound.

As you step into your next yoga class or meditation that begins or ends with this sound OM, I invite you to feel this sound begin to resonate at the back of the throat, feel the sound resonate & move to the lips, and taper off into infinity as you close the lips. Connect deeply to this simple sound, and you’ll feel the universe resonate along with you.

Shanti & Prem (peace & love) – Jason

In the Chandogya Upanishad it is said: The essence of all beings is the earth. The essence of the earth is water. The essence of water is the plant. The essence of the plant is man. The essence of man is speech. The essence of speech is the Rigveda. The essence of Rigveda is the Samveda. The essence of Samveda is OM.

Want to join our meditation circle? Email me for more details: jason@ganaaamlaki.com

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Jason Adams

To Jason, life seems to be a perpetual journey of exploration & discovery. This journey has led him to completing degrees and

certifications in music performance, yoga instruction, massage therapy, as well as individual study into multiple fields, including mantra japa, meditation, sanskrit study, vastu shastra (think feng shui), ayurveda, nutrition, postural awareness techniques, and other holistic healing modalities. Through this current life cycle, he has found himself working with individuals to help them create the life of their dreams. Drawing upon his varied backgrounds, Jason offers private yoga instruction, massage therapy, and individual consultations with mantra manifestation, vastu, and nutritional & lifestyle coaching.

One of his main goals is to help his clients reconnect: body, mind, and soul. He is excited to contribute to Create Your Health by providing a unique look into various ways to optimize your own health. We’ll explore mantras, yoga lifestyle/philosophy, ayurveda, vastu shastra, massage/bodywork, and maybe even throw in a few interviews with other great health practitioners we think you’ll enjoy meeting.

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Legal stuff we have to say…

Much of the information on CreateYourHealth.com is based on the Natural Healing Model rather than the Medical Health model. Use of this protocol is at your own risk and responsibility. The information is not intended as medical advice. Government regulations state you must consult a medical doctor for any disease. Government regulators consider testimonials to be misleading and deceptive. Please understand that results are not typical and results will vary.

Local Eatery Makes Good

Eggplant Restaurant

Because I know people come from all over the world to check out the resources on this site, I don’t think sharing about Los Angeles restaurants is really part of the mission.   But once in a while, you come across a place that sparks the imagination.

A friend introduced me to Eggplant, a Japanese restaurant in the Valley.  They bill themselves as a “Naturally Japanese Restaurant”.  What really got my attention was the first page of their menu which read: We embrace all the gifts from Mother Nature, whether they are from the earth or the ocean.  We believe in sea salt, purified water and additive-free food.  It is our goal to keep you happy and healthy by being natural.

Those of you who have read my blog before might well imagine my excitement over the promise of additive-free food at a restaurant.  Did they deliver?  Absolutely.  Yes, there are the fried bits of this and that.  Handrolls with soy paper.  A variety of prepared vegetables.  We had spicy tuna on crispy rice.  And a yellow tail roll that melted in my mouth.  But the highlight for me was the salmon sashimi with fresh wasabi.  Turns out fresh wasabi is warming and gentle in your mouth.  I’m a big fan of wasabi in the paste form that most sushi restaurants serve, but this experience was really special.

I think it’s good to share the news about a good place that supports healthful eating.  Too much of what we’re served has components that are processed and full of junk.  If you know of other all-natural restaurants that deserve our attention, please share them in the comments below no matter where you are.  Readers are travelers and it would be nice to know where the safe havens are in the world.

If you come to Los Angeles or reside here, you might want to check out Eggplant.  Relax.  Have some sake and enjoy listening to the Beatles as you order that sashimi.  You’ll be glad you did.

Eggplant – 11266 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604

(818) 508-1800

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The Anatomy of a Healthy Snack

Ants on a log

I was really inspired by Luke who said in his comments below that sometimes he gets stumped when it comes to thinking up snack ideas.  Maybe finding the answer is a simple as asking yourself what it is you want to get out of your snack.  For me, I don’t want to overeat.  I don’t want to have a snack and find myself hungry 30 minutes later.  I don’t want to eat something that will make me sleepy or thirsty or bloated.  My focus?  How I  feel.

I know that for a snack to be effective for my body, I need a little healthy fat and protein.  Chocolate covered pretzels, even in a 100 calorie pack, are ultimately going to let me down.  However, if I have pretzels and a spoon of peanut butter or a piece of cheese, I’m going to be just fine.  I keep a snack size pack of trail mix in my purse just in case I don’t have the luxury of getting to a kitchen when hunger strikes.  I like to have something of my own on hand so I’m not tempted to visit a vending machine which is pretty short on healthy options.

Watch the clock.  Does your stomach rumble at predictable times throughout the day?  I need a snack at 4pm every day.  I’ve come to call this tea time and frequently have a cup of tea with my snack since staying hydrated can also stem hunger pangs.

Sometimes it’s just boring to be confronted with the same list of options day in and day out.  So you might want to take a squint at this and perhaps it will jump start your own imagination.  If you have interesting ideas of your own, I hope you’ll share them below and help Luke out!

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Spoiling Your Appetite

Juicy Corn

For the last 7 months, my roommates and I embarked on an experiment – the Sunday Salon.  As the summer started warming up, it occurred to us that it would be torture to continue this tradition through the sweltering months.   Of course, we could serve gazpacho and barbecue outdoors, but we still have to live and breathe in the heat.  The pre-hiatus menu includes ribs, potato salad, corn, green salad, water melon and nectarine pie.  My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Add to the mix that I had a weight loss set back this spring, regaining 13 pounds.  It’s been a real struggle to get things back on track and this morning, for the first time in weeks the scale registered that something had changed.  I lost one of those pounds.  I am over joyed.

In anticipation of tonight’s feast, I intend to spoil my appetite.  It takes 20 minutes for the body to register that it is full.  I don’t know about you, but I can put away a lot of food in 20 minutes.  This strategy will allow me to enjoy small bites of stuff like the ribs and keep my mind sharp enough to focus on the green salad as the main course of my meal.  This is a pre-emptive strike that I’ve used in the past to help manage my eating at a dinner party.  I don’t feel restricted and I don’t have to struggle with crazy-eyed food-craving mania which can sorely test my will power.

It may seem a little nuts to go out of your way to ruin your appetite before a dinner party, but if the point is to mix and mingle with old friends and new then the food can become more of a distraction than an enjoyment.  It’s okay to take measures that empower you to make healthy choices when you’re in an challenging environment.  It just takes a little planning.  So give yourself permission to try tricks like spoiling your appetite.  It’ll be okay.  I promise.

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Meal Planning

In the wild, wonderful world of weight loss there are many harrowing adventures that can pull you off of your path.  Sometimes it’s like hacking through the jungle with a plastic knife to serve as your machete.  Everyone has their hiccups but when you find yourself good and truly lost, it’s always wise to consult a map.  In the world of dieting, that map is called a food plan.

When you belong to a clan of one, it’s tempting to just wing it and solve the puzzle “what should I eat” when you’re already hungry.  Here’s the thing – if you’ve waited that long to make a plan, it’s already too late.  Temptation will likely win in a moment of hunger induced weakness.

Meal planning is an effective tool that lets you manage not just your waistline but your budget as well.  By time to create a map of what you’re going to eat is a healthy way to keep your plan intact.  Some people seem to be quite obsessive about it, making it a day long project.  I don’t have that kind of time.  But once per week, spending an hour to take stock of what’s in the cupboard and the fridge helps me use things before they go bad, make a shopping list and create menus all help me stay on track.

One of the biggest challenges for meal planning is coming up with fresh ideas.  I can’t tell you how many mornings I have cereal, Canadian bacon and tea for breakfast.  It does the trick but it’s all too easy to get bored and boredom is a wild-eyed instigator of all sorts of bad behavior.  Perhaps I’ll shake things up and have a breakfast parfait now that berries are in season.  A little yogurt, some raspberries, sliced almonds for a bit of crunch… Sounds good already!  And that quickly, I have a plan.

When you have time, cruise on over to The Meal Outlaw to create your own meal calendar.  It’s free and you can get a lot of really exceptional ideas from other users.  Drag and drop meals into your calendar and create your own menu.  Plug in your own favorite menus for other users to share.  I liked that this is just a foodie site, not necessarily geared toward dieters.  It’s just a place to make a plan with some nifty software that makes it simple and easy to do.

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Making Red Sauce

clemenza makes sauce

If you’re Italian, you gotta know how to make a good red sauce, or as they call it on the East Coast, gravy.  I’m not Italian, but I have friends who are willing to induct me into the art of making a good sauce.  Last night, as I was being instructed by a master, I learned something totally hilarious.  The recipe Clemenza gives Mike in The Godfather is a short hand version of the real deal.

I don’t have quantities of each ingredient for you since what was prepared was a vat of sauce, but as I perfect my skills, I’ll take notes.  For now, here’s what I learned:

Brown the onions then remove them from the pan. When you put the short ribs in, the olive oil should reach about ½ way up on the meat, so you might find yourself adding more.  Certainly, you can also use sausages and meat balls but what this step does is keeps the meat from disintegrating while the sauce cooks.  Sear the meat on both sides, but don’t let it stick to the bottom.  Remove the meat.  Onions go back in, this time with the garlic.  Don’t burn the garlic or you’ll have to start over.  Garlic cooks in just about a minute, so keep your eye on things.  As that bubbles away, add a large amount of sweet basil (maybe 1/2 c.) and a pinch of oregano (a Tbsp).  Add the cinnamon (1/3 c.) and an equal amount of all spice.  One Tbsp of salt and ground anise (a piece of black licorice might do the trick as well).  Let this all simmer as you open about a zillion cans (a.k.a. 8 -10 lbs) of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes in puree (which you will need to mash with a potato masher as the sauce simmers).  Then 3 small cans of tomato paste.  Tomato paste doesn’t add more to the flavor but keeps the sauce from separating as it cooks, incorporating everything into lush, rich gravy.  When all these ingredients have had time to get to know one another, you’re finally ready to put the meat back into the sauce.  Let all that stew for a bit and add molasses as it all cooks for about 10 hours.  During this time, you are required to dunk bread into the sauce and adjust the flavors as everything matures.

So if you ever gotta go to the mattresses, you’ll be prepared.  All you need now is some chianti, a loaf of bread… and don’t forget the cannoli.

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Flo’s Potatoes

PotatoBefore

Just when I thought I had exhausted ways to chef up the humble potato, I’m proven wrong – in the best possible way.  I’d rather be wrong and happy than right and miserable.  So when I ran into a brick wall, my roommate pulled this simple and delicious potato recipe out of her memory file.  It’s something her mother would do for parties and it’s perfect for backyard barbeques.

There are many varieties of potatoes but they really come down to two different types – starchy or waxy.  A starchy potato (like a Russet) is perfect for baking.  Waxy potatoes hold up better in stews and soups (like Red potatoes).  My favorite potato is the Yukon Gold which is a newer variety that falls somewhere in between.  For this recipe, we used a waxy white potato that came out with a creamy consistency that was similar to the richness of scalloped potatoes without all the cream.

Ingredients:

1 potato for each guest

1 large onion sliced

Butter

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Potato After

You’ll need two pieces of foil for each potato.  Slice each potato, but don’t go all the way through.  Let the skin hold your potato together.  Between each slice, slip some onion.  Place the potato on top of the first piece of foil, season and put a pat of butter.  Wrap the foil shut and then wrap the potato in a second piece of foil.  This prevents the juices from escaping so you won’t have flare ups on the grill as the butter leaks out.  You can use a season salt instead of or in addition to the spices listed here.  We ditched Flo’s use of Lawry’s Season salt in favor of simpler flavors.  Adding minced garlic or shallot would be nice, too.  Play around with it and have fun.  You’ll find that the final presentation is lovely.  Leftovers keep well and warm nicely whether re-imagined as hash browns or just used as is.

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Strawberry, Not a Berry

Strawberry Salad

Visiting the local Farmers’ Market this weekend, it was impossible not to be swept away by the amazing aroma of fresh strawberries wafting on the breeze that softly cut through the mid-morning warmth.  Everywhere I turned there were cartons of them calling out to be taken home and eaten.

Turns out, strawberries aren’t really berries.  Lumped in with the expected blueberries you’ll find tomatoes and grapes on a botanist’s list of berries, but not our fragrant friend, the strawberry.  They actually aren’t really fruit either.  They’re what are known as accessory fruits.  Not sure I have a complete handle on what that means, but I don’t really care if they taste so sweet.

So the strawberry is a delicious little guy who doesn’t really fit in to our notion of what classifies something as a fruit or a berry.  Does everything have to fit neatly into chart of classifications to be marvelous?  I say no!  Vive la difference!  But now the strawberry faces a new attack.  According to the good folks at Credo Action –

“On April 30, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed that the state approve use of methyl iodide for agricultural purposes, despite ongoing outcry from prominent scientists and the general public.”

Strawberries are particularly susceptible to picking up toxins especially when conventionally grown, finding its way onto the annual Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen list again this year.  It’s recommended that you go organic when you can with strawberries to protect yourself against the chemicals that are used when growing them.

The health benefits of strawberries are numerous.  With 3 grams of fiber per serving, you’re getting the same amount as from an average piece of bread for about 1/3 the calories.  Plus, you’re getting almost 150% of your daily recommended dose of Vitamin C.  Not too shabby for a non-berry, almost fruit whatchamacallit.

Perhaps you like yours with champagne.  Or whipped cream.  Try something surprising like a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or add them to a green salad.  Anyway you serve them, if you go organic, you’re doing something good for yourself.  And that’s good for all of us.

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Angels and Devils

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Every family has their own legends and lore.  My family boasts an aunt who allegedly cooked for Al Capone who allegedly loved her cooking.  While I’m not able to tell you what she made for him, I can get you ready for the summer barbeque season with a quick dessert recipe that will please the saints and the sinners in your life with equal delight and ease.

There’s a whole subdivision of cakes called “dump cakes.”  Horrible name, I know.  But essentially you dump some sort of fruit with liquid into a bowl of store bought cake mix which is quickly mixed together and poured into a pan.  Not all cake flavors are created equal.   The confection I offer you today is Pineapple Angel Food Dump Cake.  How can I advocate cake on a healthy regimen?  A one ounce piece of Angel Food cake is roughly 70 calories.  The pineapple doesn’t do much to add to that total.  We’re still safely under 120 calories.  A reasonable treat for those summer gatherings that will taste way naughtier than it actually is.

This only takes two ingredients: 1 box cake mix, 1 can pineapple (in juice, not syrup).  If you plan to top with whipped cream, make that three ingredients and grab a container of heavy whipping cream.  Pour a 15 ounce can of crushed pineapple with juice into a bowl of Angel Food cake mix.  Stir and pour into an ungreased 9×13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool and serve.  If you plan to top it with whipped cream, you want to reserve a couple tablespoons of pineapple at the outset.  Pour heavy whipping cream into a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip the cream.  Fold in the reserved pineapple and you’re all set with a fresh and easy summer dessert.

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Sunday Supper

Cheers!

It’s easy to focus on the tangible ingredients that go into a meal.  Weighing and measuring the right proportion of this or that to get the right balance of nutrition.  But what about the emotional impact of eating.  Who are you eating with?  Do you find yourself bowing out of an uncomfortable lunch date with a co-worker by working through lunch or eating at your desk?  When you have your dinner, do you eat it while watching TV instead of conversing with the people around you?

Each Sunday, the roommate and I host a dinner.  We’re never completely sure of who is going to join us or how many people will be there.  Some dinners have been riotous and some have been a bit tense, but each has been a profound experience that gives us something to reflect on throughout the week.

As this week dawns, I ask you to take a minute and think about how you feed the senses other than taste and smell when you dine.  I recommend that you break out the china and the good wine glasses for no particular reason.  Make Wednesday a day of celebration.  Let go of the junk that’s already built up over the work week and listen to some jazz while you dine.  Invite a friend over for pizza and catch up on things.

It’s important to remember that there’s more to a meal than food.  We need to find ways to feed our souls as well.  Do something just once this week to make yourself feels special, even if it’s just finding time to pack lunch and put a smiley face on the paper bag.  Remember how special you are and know that the act of fueling up is a chance to celebrate how marvelous you really are.

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The Pleasure of Polenta

Have you had polenta lately?  Thick, creamy and surprisingly simple, polenta is cornmeal cooked up with hot water.  Those of you from the South might better recognize this dish as grits.  Versatile, inexpensive and straightforward, I even found a recipe

Yummy Polenta

that let me do something other than stand over a double boiler mixing for an hour and a half.  It called for a lot more time but much less elbow grease.  Can you guess what the secret was?  Yep.  A crockpot.  I threw in some cornmeal and water and turned back to my latest screenplay.  I returned infrequently to stir things up and after 6 hours, I had the perfect side dish for my roommate’s French pot roast.  Surprisingly rich, this requires just two ingredients: cornmeal and water.

So here’s how it works –

2 cups of cornmeal

8 cups of water

1-2 teaspoons of salt (according to taste)

Set crockpot on high for 1 hour.  Turn down to low for the next 4-6 hours and that’s it.

You can add parmesan or cream if you’d like, but this slow cooked masterpiece is creamy enough on its own.  This dish comes in at 183 calories with only 4 grams of fat for a third of a cup.  Unless you’re feeding an army, you’re likely to have leftovers.  Polenta, once set up in the fridge, can be sliced into cakes that can be grilled, stacked or layered with flavors sweet or savory.  Make a low calorie lasagna alternating slices of polenta with ratatouille and a little goat cheese.  Warm in a frying pan and serve with a bit of honey or jam for breakfast.  Let your imagination run wild.  This is a basic that can stand up to just about any variation you throw at it, so have fun!

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Hard Boiled Eggs Made Easy

by Laura Richter

Whether or not you celebrate Easter, hard boiled eggs are a great way to add protein to a green salad or they make a quick snack when you’re on the go.  I peel mine ahead of time and pop them into a baggie with a pinch of salt.  Voila!  One of my favorite things about eggs is that they pack a lot of nutritional punch for very few calories.  I love fried eggs, but not only are

BlogHardboiledEggs

they less portable, the cooking method can add fat and calories that are easily avoided if you opt for hard boiling them instead.

Older eggs are better to use.  They will peel more easily than really fresh eggs.  Of course, you don’t want rotten eggs either.  A quick test is to put the eggs in water.  The ones that sort of stand up are perfect.  The ones that lay on the bottom are really fresh and the floaters… toss those suckers out – they’re bad!

It doesn’t matter what color the shell is.  The color of the shell tells you more about the hen than the egg itself.  So don’t let that be a big deciding factor.  It really doesn’t make much difference.  It’s not that difficult to hard boil and egg, but there are a few tricks that improve the final product.

So grab your box of eggs and place them in a pan of cold water with a load of salt.  The salt helps make the eggs easier to peel.  Turn on the heat and bring it all to a boil.  When the water is finally boiling, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.  When time is up, transfer the eggs to an ice water bath.

When you slice your egg open, that weird gray/green ring will not be present.  Instead, your egg will have a sunny yellow yolk and it’s a beautiful sight.

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Avocado Salsa

by Laura Richter

For a few weeks now, my roommate and I have been making Sunday dinner. We’ve had some really amazing guests and menus. However, every Monday morning we both seem to have gained a little weight. After a record weight loss this week, I was hoping to avoid the post dinner bloat. I was in charge of appetizers this week and I kept it

Avocado Salsa by Laura Richter

simple. I turned to avocados to give me a fresh and healthy pre-dinner snack and it was a hit. This is a go-to recipe for me and I’ve used it at parties often. It’s been requested when I am going to friends’ BBQs. It’s so simple and with avocados on sale at the market, it’s also fairly easy on the pocket book.

Avocado Salsa – It really feels far more decadent than it is. It takes just a few moments to put together and I’m happy to report that there are no leftovers despite having made a quart of the stuff. You’ll need only 2 ingredients – salsa and avocados. You want 1-2 ripe avocados for each pint of salsa you use. Dice the avocado, throw it in a bowl, add salsa and gently mix. Voila! A fast, easy and healthy dip that will be a hit any time you break it out.

There are many reasons to find ways to incorporate avocados into your diet if you don’t already enjoy this wonderful fruit. One fifth of an avocado has about 50 calories and makes a perfect spread on your sandwich, replacing mayonnaise (or fake mayonnaise) at a fraction of the calorie cost while providing a load of other nutrients that can’t be beat. Its mild flavor lends itself well to unexpected uses such as a base for vegan chocolate mousse. While I haven’t personally tried this yet, I’ve got a friend who has tattooed Facebook with her reports of enjoying this dish.

I hope, as BBQ season begins, you get a chance to try out Avocado Salsa for yourself. I’m sure your guests will love it.
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Making a Lunch Master Plan

by Laura Richter (March 22nd, 2010)

When was the last time you gave school lunch a second thought?  Unless you’re a parent, you probably haven’t thought about it since you graduated.  School lunch was disgusting.  Guess what?  It pretty much still is.

BrownBag - Laura's Blog

I was intrigued by an article in the LA Times about Jamie Oliver’s crusade to address school lunches in America.  A mission that seems woefully overdue for those of us who remember that ketchup was once counted as a vegetable back in the 80s.  I was inspired to research what the current menu offerings are at school.  Interestingly enough, most menus are protected and can’t be viewed unless you create a profile, but I found what is offered this month by one company and thought I was going to faint.  Fried chicken of some sort every Monday and pizza every Friday, the rest of the week is littered with starchy options with few fresh fruit or vegetable options.  Yuck!

Most of us get sleepy after a carb load like what these kids are eating.  Not really the ideal meal to create alert students ready to spend the afternoon working on math or science.  So what’s our take away from this?  Sound nutritional choices at lunch can prepare us for whatever we might face in the afternoon no matter what age we might be.

I can’t solve the school lunch issues, but I can give you a few tips that I hope will help you reframe how you plan your menus whether you’re dealing with your own lunch or lunch for a whole mess of folks.

Eat the Rainbow: When planning a week of lunches, try to remember that in order to get a full spectrum of nutrients, you should aim to get a full spectrum of colors.  Take another look at that school lunch menu.  There are days where kids get turkey on bread with a side of pears.  That’s a beige lunch.  Ever have grilled cheese with tomato soup and a glass of orange juice?  That’s a mighty orange lunch, my friend.  Keep the tomato soup but add a green salad with a warm bread stick and a sparkling water instead.  You’ll improve your nutritional content and keep the calorie count down.

Remember the Basics: One fruit, one veg and one dairy – a serving of each will keep your diet balanced throughout the day, helping you maintain healthy blood sugar levels and ensuring that you’re getting good basic nutrition and that you can pay attention during that two o’clock meeting your boss is going to rope you into.  Stable blood sugar means you can pay attention.  How you make that happen doesn’t have to be fancy.  Applesauce comes in portable containers.  Cheese can be in the form of slices on your sandwich or spreadable in some celery.

Plan Ahead: One key to my diet success is planning meals in advance.  I’ll cook up a pot of soup then package it into single serving portions.  This works for just about any cooked meal.  So go ahead, double that dinner recipe and make your individual portions out of the remainder.  Pop into the freezer and you’ve got your own frozen entry ready to go when you need it.  Bonus – you know exactly what went into making that entrée so you’re not caught by surprise additives that can dehydrate or cause subtle but disruptive allergic reactions.

Treat Yourself: Don’t skip out on small indulgences.  Taste is one of the five senses and it’s important to honor the sensual experience eating provides.  Rome wasn’t built in a day; your butt won’t get thinner in one day either.  The ascetic route won’t serve you.  Go ahead and have the pudding pack or the dark chocolate.  If you’ve planned ahead (see above step), you can treat yourself to something special that makes your lunch a gift.  Find ways to say “I love you.”  It’s as important to say to ourselves as it is to say to those around us.
Thanks,

Laura
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Salty & Sweet

by Laura Richter

Through a process of experimentation, I’ve made a discovery all on my own only to find that there is evidence to support the bold claim I’m about to make.  If I reduce my salt intake, my desire for sweets goes away.

Lemon & Salt - Laura Richter

Yep, you read that right.  Through this sideways approach, I can actually set my body up to crave or not crave certain foods.  Imagine the freedom from white knuckled will power as the only means to overcome a sweet tooth.  It’s been a huge relief.  And there is more help on the way.  A New York state assemblyman has proposed that salt be banned from food prep in restaurants.  Perhaps a little extreme, but when a friend went to culinary school, she also had to go back on her blood pressure meds.  Surely there’s a happy medium to be found somewhere in all of this.

Clearly, one does not have a whole lot of control on what happens in the kitchen when we go out with our friends.  You can ask your waiter to go easy on the salt or ask that no salt be added to your dish so you can season it tableside.  Even In-N-Out will refrain from adding salt if you make that request when ordering your burger.  Of course fast food cheeseburgers are probably not the best dietary choice you can make, but I did say In-N-Out.  You gotta have one of those every once in a while.  Am I right?  This once in a blue moon treat is plenty salty if you’ve sufficiently reduced your sodium intake.  Until you get out of the habit of eating salt, you won’t really be able to taste when your food has been over salted.

I believe that salt should enhance the flavors of the foods we eat but all too often we drown out the nuances of fresh ingredients with too much sodium.  Sodium is something we’re unbelievably heavy handed with and making a few simple adjustments can have a huge impact.  You can cultivate a cleaner palate by using simple cooking tricks at home.  Of course you can turn to garlic, but its potent flavors can also overpower quite easily and you still might not be able to discern when your food is too salty.

One technique that I’ve stumbled on to is the use of lemon in cooking.  Fry up some hamburger with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of dill.  You might be surprised at the flavors.  It’s bright and tasty.  You can add a quarter cup of this to a salad for some protein and if you feel your salad needs some salt, you can safely do so.  Lemon is great on steaks and chicken.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  Where you might sprinkle some salt, you might want to opt for a little fresh lemon juice instead.

Still not convinced that you have to worry about the sodium levels in your food?  You might want to think about this; the maximum recommended amount of sodium is 2400 milligrams.  A ¼ teaspoon gives you 500 milligrams.  So the maximum recommended dose of salt each day is roughly 1 ¼ teaspoons.  I can assure you that much, and more, is used in the preparation of food you eat each and every day.

Processed foods have high levels of sodium, frequently one serving will have more than a third of your daily recommended amount.  What portion of the food you eat comes in a wrapper or a box?  When was the last time you checked out the nutrition label?  You might want to take a second look at what you’re eating already.  It could change what you crave as your day unfolds.

If you’ve got other sodium reduction tips, please share them with us.  We’re on this journey together and I’d love to hear your ideas.

Thanks,

Laura Richter

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Colcannon

by Laura Richter

St. Patrick’s Day can be a great day to get together with friends for a feast and some beer.  As with all celebrations, there’s the risk of gaining weight due to overindulging.  There’s certainly a spate of advice on how to manage your diet while at a party.  Eat an apple before you go out.  Have an extra workout.  Drink sparkling water with a piece of fruit in it.  Puh-leez!  We’re

BlogColcannon

talking about a Guinness guzzling, corned beef and cabbage eating, bar crawl with a gang of your best friends.  I’m not about to tell you to skip out on anything (except driving yourself home afterwards).

I give you Colcannon.  Colcannon is a combo of mashed potatoes and greens, usually cabbage or kale. Cruciferous vegetables are believed to be strong cancer fighting vegetables (1) and the nutrients in these vegetables actually stimulate your body to flush out toxins (2).  Of course, to take full advantage of the health benefits, you might want to go easy on the quantity of beer that accompanies your Colcannon.

Personally, I try to avoid overly processed ingredients.  The nice thing about this dish is that you can use real butter and even heavy cream without adversely affecting the health benefits (within reason, of course).

Colcannon:

1 head Cabbage, coarsely shredded

1 Leek, sliced

1 Onion, sliced

1 Tbsp. Caraway Seeds

1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

4 large Potatoes

1-2 Tbsp Butter

¼ cup Milk (or Cream)

Get the potatoes peeled and boiling first.  I know many people quarter their potatoes for boiling but I cut them into eighths, for quicker cooking time.  It should take about 25 minutes for the pieces to be soft enough to mash. You will want to mash your potatoes so they’re slightly runny (add more milk and butter as needed).

In a deep skillet or pot, throw in the cabbage, leek and onion.  Put a lid on the pan and over medium heat allow the vegetables to sweat.  Occasionally check on them and give them a stir.  They should appear to be shiny after about 10 minutes and soft in about 20 minutes.  Stir in Caraway Seeds and Vinegar.  Vegetables should be hot, a bit limp but cabbage will still have a bit of crunch.  Remove from heat.  (Overcooking cabbage contributes to bitterness some people complain about.)

Add potatoes to vegetables a little bit at a time until the vegetables bind together.  I eyeball it as when making coleslaw.  The green vegetables should be the dominating element but who doesn’t like mashed potatoes?  So have fun and come up with the proportion that works for you.  For fun, you might want to add a bit of ham or bacon but only if you plan to forego the corned beef altogether.

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/cruciferous/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=19
Thanks,

Laura
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How to Dress Your Salad for Success

by Laura Richter

Are you reading the labels of the foods you eat?  Of course, I shop the perimeter of the store where the freshest foods are found, but there are some pantry items that require deeper exploration of the store.  There, lost in the corridors of processed foods, I examine the list of ingredients before I buy.  I always worry when I see the frequent appearance of the letter X.

An X word I’m always on the look out for is Xanthan Gum.  Ever heard of it?  If you are a salad eater and a label reader, you’ve certainly encountered this processed food gem.  Xanthan gum frequently appears in bottled salad dressings.  It thickens the liquid so that the heavier particles don’t sink.  Without it, salad dressings normally separate, spices floating on the bottom and oils floating to the top.  Basically, it’s added for appearance.  The bra of the dressing world, Xanthan gum lifts your ingredients and suspends them.

Not all uses are cosmetic.  People on a gluten-free diet may find this in the foods they eat to replace the stickiness of the missing gluten.  So for people with wheat allergies, this isn’t such a frivolous additive.

“Xanthan Gum is made from the outer layer of a tiny, inactive bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris. It is an excellent all purpose thickener for dressings, gravies and sauces. Its unique ability to hold small particles of food together makes it the ideal substitute for gluten in gluten-free baking. Most recipes call for only 1 or 2 teaspoons, so it goes a long way.”

– Vitacost.com (http://www.vitacost.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Premium-Quality-Xanthan-Gum?csrc=GPF-039978025555)

So what’s the big deal?  Why am I sharing this info with you?  Xanthan gum is itself an allergen for some folks.    The symptoms are rarely apparent yet they are very dangerous.  Xanthan gum can cause a short term elevation in blood pressure.  For people who are fighting to lose weight and take better care of their hearts, this salad dressing favorite can be counter-productive.  Most people are unaware of changes in their blood pressure because it’s rare to have any outwardly detectable physical symptoms.  It would be so much easier if there was a rash or swelling to let us know about this shift but all too often this is not the case.

You might find that despite reducing carbs, you’re still tired an hour after your meal.  A spike in blood pressure can leave you feeling tired and worn out afterwards, not unlike a blood sugar spike (which is why you probably cut the carbs from your lunch in the first place.)  Experiment with cutting out foods that have Xanthan gum and see if there’s a change in your energy levels.  This means many salad dressings, virtually all cream cheeses, and plenty of gluten free products will need to be avoided.

On the up side, fresh salad dressings cost less money, taste marvelous and really let the flavors of your salad shine through.  Bottled dressings don’t really save time, so you’re not losing anything on that score.  Items I like to keep on hand for quick, fresh and delicious salad dressings are:

Olive oil

Something acidic – Lemons and Various vinegars

For a creamy dressing – Cottage cheese and Sour cream

Various spices and Fresh herbs

A big favorite of mine lately is 2 Tbsp Sour Cream, 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar, dill, cayenne and fresh cracked pepper.  I throw this into the salad directly and mix by tossing it all together.  It’s enough to dress a salad for 2 people, so when you do the caloric breakdown, it’s about 150 calories for the entire recipe.  That’s 75 calories per serving.  Not too shabby.
Thanks,

Laura Jean Richter

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Diet Season

by Laura Jean Richter

Researching a product I recently discovered I came across a perplexing phrase: Just in time for Diet Season!

Diet season?  Really?  After having a good laugh about this I began to think about what might define Diet Season.  It’s the post-holiday, pre-bikini portion of the year where we take stock of the damage done over the holidays.  The shame.  The panic.  The frenzy.  The temptation to buy magic candy bars that will melt away the pounds… all hallmarks of Diet Season and all of it likely to induce the kind of stress that triggers emotional overeating.  The implication of “Diet Season” is ludicrous – as if we only need to watch what we eat for three months out of every twelve.

Spring has sprung but instead of subjecting yourself to the psychological damage of Diet Season, perhaps you can take a moment to really assess your situation.  There is a difference between being fat and being unhealthy.  Shifting your focus from a body image that may be doing more harm than good to engaging in more healthful practices designed to improve the quality of your life might be just the thing to help you make permanent change that can free you from the yo-yo dieting that many of us have fallen prey to over the years.

I’m a big fan of eating seasonally and by visiting Farmers Markets in my neighborhood in the last year I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds.  There’s a lot more to what I’m doing than just eating salads, but starting with fresh ingredients that were grown nearby is a substantial step in the right direction.  I’ve also found that eating this way is good for the pocketbook as well.  Instead of purchasing expensive processed foods and throwing them together, I’ve saved money by whipping up such things as Stewed Eggplant and Mushrooms over Couscous or making the mostly vegetarian 5 Ingredients Soup.  It should be no surprise that it’s a simple soup made with 5 ingredients from the market – something tomato-y, something vegetable-y, any variety of beans, herbs and water or stock.  Focusing on vegetables first and cooking seasonally has been a huge benefit to changing how I eat.  Latching on to a practice of eating according to the seasons rather than under the influence of advertising gimmicks has set me free from the torture and depression of Diet Season.

To get you started on a new cycle of healthy eating in synch with the planet and your local environment, I’m including a few helpful websites below.  Get out to the Farmers’ Market, get some Vitamin D, pick up some delicious fresh food and get off the Diet Season train!  You’ll be glad you did.

The Sustainable Table
“Sustainable Table celebrates local sustainable food, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food.”

Local Harvest
“Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.”

Eat Well Guide
“The Eat Well Guide® is a free online directory for anyone in search of fresh, locally grown and sustainably produced food in the United States and Canada.”

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Laura Richter

Laura is a feature film writer and a true foodie. She has a passion for all things tasty and is on a personal journey of becoming more healthy. She has lost over 40 pounds on her own and she will be sharing her journey through the recipes, emotions, and experiences of creating a healthy life!

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SYNCHRONICITY

I personally believe anything is possible in the world, with health and otherwise. I love hearing the stories of healing from those who have been diagnosed by  medical doctors with “incurable” diseases. Because what we see becomes real for us, and becomes our reality .The more that these people share their stories, the more visible and real it will become to the people. Still, drug advertisements and pharmacies on every corner are hard to compete with as far as visibility.

So many times I have witnessed the right people coming along at the right time.  The universe has the power to line you up with that person that you need just at the right moment.

My recent synchronicity. My website has been in existence for a while, but I’ve never had the time or money to put full time effort into it. Right now I have time, but would also need some help to get it rolling along.  I like to stay updated on the latest and greatest on internet marketing, but I’m also out of touch with that.

Just last night I went to an event and a guy sat down next to me to eat. He was fresh out of T. Harv Eker’s 5-day internet marketing seminar in Long Beach, didn’t have a website of his own, and was fresh with knowledge and excited to use it. I couldn’t have asked for anything better as I love T. Harv’s seminars. I know he thinks BIG and only gets some of the best to teach at his seminars. We will now start working together as he will have the opportunity to use what he’s learned and set things up to drive traffic so we both make money. I’m so very excited about that.

Another boast of synchronicity – I was at one of T. Harv’s Business seminars a few years ago. There’s about 500 people in the room. We had to come up with our Unique Selling Proposition (USP), in other words, what makes our business unique from all the others. Dominos Pizza USP was “30 minutes or it’s free”.

So they had us pair up with a partner to share and help each other. I was thinking in terms of holistic health – getting people off their medications – or finding better solutions to health. My partner, who I never met before, actually owned a drug laboratory and worked with pharmaceutical companies to test their drugs and get them on the market. His USP: “Getting drugs on the market faster”. ??!!

So here I am trying to find ways to help people get off their meds, and he’s here trying to appeal to drug companies by getting their drugs selling in pharmacies as soon as possible.

Okay, I think that was anti-synchronicity or something, as we were in direct opposition. Or as Abraham Hicks would say, he was great for contrast.

Again, I believe anything is possible in the world. The universe can line up the right people at the right time, as long as you’re open and receiving to it.

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TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

If you tell someone that they create their health and almost everything is curable, you would think their eyes would light up with images of possibilities. But that’s not always the case.

I recently read Louise Hay’s book “You Can Heal Your Life”, which links an emotional or mental cause behind each disease, and developed thought patterns for reversing illness and creating health. Her own journey is one of abuse and poverty.  She believes that forgiveness and letting go are keys to good health.  For example, circulation represents the ability to feel and express the emotions in positive ways. Throat problems represent the inability to speak up for one’s self. Swallowed anger. Stifled creativity.

Louise Hay’s book is a classic in the alternative health world. Written originally in the 1980s, Hay was way before her time. Still many are not ready for the information. She not only healed herself, she’s guided many others to healing.

However, if you look up her book review on about.com, you’ll see bad reviews such as “Perpetuates myths that head pain is psychological” and “Lacks reasonable medical foundation”, and “could actually be dangerous if people believed it and didn’t seek appropriate medical care.” Yet on the top of the page there is an advertisement for Advil. Hmmm . . .

There are some that will never accept that there are emotional causes behind every , or most, diseases or conditions. I was talking to a neighbor, telling her about the book. “Oh, don’t give me that crap.” she said. “Some things are genetic . . . then why do the doctors always ask you if certain conditions run in your family?  . . . Are you trying to piss me off?” It’s one thing to disagree, and not believe it, but why so angry? I wondered.

The thing is, telling someone who is very sick that emotions caused their condition is hard to grasp. For one thing, it’s against what the doctors, our medical experts  believe.  Also, they would have to deal with uncomfortable things such emotions and forgiveness.  For many, saying that you have control of your disease is too much to handle. It takes people out of a passive, victim’s role to having to step up and take responsibility. Many do not want to deal with that.

Also, of course the pharmaceutical folks don’t want ideas like this to known. They love and appreciate their customers as victims and dependent upon them. They would lose so much money.

Abraham Hicks, who does workshops all around the world on the Law of Attraction, believes that all diseases can be cured by changing your thoughts.

Excerpted from the workshop in Ashland, OR on Saturday, July 20th, 2002

But it does take the determination that you’re going to put your thoughts upon
something that does feel good. And so, here we’re going to make a very bold
statement: Any disease could be healed in a matter of days, any disease, if
distraction from it could occur, and a different vibration dominate — and the
healing time is about how much mix-up there is in all of that.

Any disease could be healed in a matter of days – now how many people would be open to believing that?

In the beginning of all Abraham Hicks CDs Jerry mentions that they want to get this information to “those who are attracting this information”. They understand that much of the world isn’t ready for their message, and trying to teach them would be a struggle, or like “paddling upstream”, as they say, and they would soon be discredited. As they are now, they have a great following and have done great work for those who are attracted to their information.

So my lesson is, don’t talk to anyone about holistic or alternative health. They have to be open to it and in a place to receive it. Otherwise, you’re wasting their time and earning yourself some bad vibes.

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“Me Too Drugs”

“Me Too Drugs” refer to the drugs that come on the market and are very similar to an already existing drug.  They are in the same class of medication, and often don’t have much, if any, benefit over the drug it is copying.

Examples of “Me Too Drugs”

1 – Prilosec and Nexium,

2 – Claritin and Clarinex

3 – There are several that work for cholesterol the same way: lovastatin (Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol), and atorvastatin (Lipitor)

According to medterms.com, a company sponsored by webmd.com,

Me-too drug: A drug that is structurally very similar to already known drugs, with only minor differences. The term “me-too” carries a negative connotation. However, me-too products may create competition and drive prices down.

On the contrary, often the drug companies market and advertise a new product like crazy. When the patent expires then competitors can make generics and they will lose much of their profits.  So they will seek new ways to make that money. This is the perfect time to introduce a “Me Too Drug”.

Some facts about “Me Too Drugs”

• “75 percent of all new drugs coming to market are “Me Too Drugs”, merely imitations of existing medications

• The “Me Too Drugs” don’t have to be proven to be better than the drug that is already out. They only have to be better than the placebo.

• So the fact is that the older drug may not only be better, but there will be a generic available so it will be cheaper.

• In the past, the “Me Too Drugs” may have been improvements over the first generation of a drug, working more specifically or creating less side effects. However, now often the main motivation of “Me Too Drugs is profit.

• The ideal “Me Too Drug” will be only a slight modification of an existing drug, is approved by FDA just in time for the first drug’s patent to expire, will have studies that show an added benefit of this drug over the last, and will have a colorful marketing campaign.

• There is often a demand for the new drugs because they carry with them the idea that “new” is better and more desirable, not to mention the effects of the advertising campaigns.

When Prilosec’s patent expired in 2001, the drug maker was ready with Nexium, which has earned over $4 billion for its maker Astra Zeneca.

Claritin is a common antihistamine that most have heard about.

Antihistamines are supposed to help with symptoms of allergies, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc. The problem is that most antihistmines cause some degree of drowsiness. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is a common over-the-counter antihistamine, is effective, but causes the most drowsiness. In fact, diphenhydramine is the same ingredient that is in most over-the-counter sleep medications, including Sominex, Tylenol PM. Chlropheniramine, found in Chlor-Trimeton and some other combination products also works well and causes less drowsiness than diphenhydramine.

And then there’s Claritin, with all the pretty blue boxes and tons of advertisements. It was advertised as the first “non-sedating” antihistamine. It is given at lower doses to keep it non-sedating. At higher doses it causes drowsiness as the other antihistamines. However, the tests are conducted only to prove that it works better than a sugar pill.  It was never compared to other antihistamines. In fact, a recent continuing education that I read claimed that Claritin is “not effective”; It doesn’t work. Yet that is no reason to not advertise the heck out of it and make lots of money.

Now Claritin is available over-the-counter, and then the me-too drug “Clarinex” came out but is only available by prescription. Clarinex shows no advantage over Claritin. Clarinex costs $120 for 30 tablets, whereas Claritin costs $30 for 30 tablets.

Similarly, Prilosec is now also available over-the-counter for approximately $30 per month. And Nexium and Aciphex, all similar in class and efficacy, are both still available only by prescription and cost over $150 per month.

Why the difference in price? Mostly if something is prescription then there’s a chance that the insurance companies will pay for it and they will get the price they ask for. If it’s over-the-counter, patients generally don’t want to spend that kind of cash.

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Over-The-Counter Pharmacy 101

There are some products that manufacturers have spent time and advertising dollars to become established household names. Branding takes time and costs a bunch of money. But what’s happening now is that in some cases the brand name doesn’t always mean what it used to mean, or what you think means. Instead, the manufacturers have chosen to use their brand names to maximize profits. Now you must look at the active ingredients and compare costs.

Here’s what I’m talking about:

The ingredient of Dulcolax has always been bisacodyl, which is a stimulant laxative. Good for occasional use when someone is constipated. Before you could just grab Dulcolax off the shelf. But now there is a Dulcolax stool softener, which has the ingredient docusate sodium, which is the same ingredient as found in Colace.

Most people have used or at least heard of Neosporin in the first aid aisle of the pharmacy. Neosporin is a well-known topical antibiotic ointment used for preventing infection due to minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. It consists of a combination of three antibiotics. But again look carefully because now there is a Neosporin AF, for athletes foot, as well as Neosporin AF for jock itch.??!! Both contain miconazole, the same ingredient already found in other brands, such as Micatin, Desenex prescription strength, and Zeasorb AF. Also should mention that it doesn’t have any advantage, or work any better than the products already available on the shelf.  There’s also a Neosporin Lip Treatment to relieve pain for chapped lips or cold sores.

Robitussin is also expanded into several products and combos of ingredients. Originally robitussin was associated with the expectorant Guiafenisin for those phlegm-y coughs. Most products still contain this, but there are a few, such as Robitussin cough, which contains only cough suppressant dextromethorphan, and Robitussin Night Time, which contains only diphenhydramine and phenylephrine.  Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, and the the same ingredient found in Benadryl and phenylephrine is a decongestant.

When choosing an over the counter medication, some may be overwhelmed by the variety and colors of all the choices. What’s the difference? Which is the best? Most over-the-counter cough and cold products, whether its tylenol cold, sudafed, triaminic, robitussin, most contain some combination of a only a handful of common ingredients. These ingredients are:

acetaminophen – Tylenol for aches and fever

guiafenesin – an expectorant for productive cough

dextromethorphan - a cough suppressant for dry hacking cough

chlorpheniramine – an antihistamine for runny nose or allergies

diphenhydramine – an antihistamine for runny nose or allergies, also added in nighttime products to promote sleep.

phenylephrine – a decongestant for stuffy nose or congestion

pseudoephedrine – a decongestant for stuffy nose or congestion. Because Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient for those who create methamphetamine, it is now only available behind the pharmacy counter and can only be purchased in limited quantities with a proper identification.

These are generally what you’ll find in many of the over-the-counter cough and cold prodcuts. Moral of the story: forget about the fancy boxes and advertisements. And forget about those brand names that have become trusted household products. Need to look at the active ingredients in each product.

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The Cult of Pharmacy

As a little girl I remember watching on television with my family the news story of the Jamestown mass suicide led by Jim Jones.  At first I was saddened, but then I was in awe that so many people decided to end their life based on words and promises from a single man.

It was then that I decided that I too needed to change the world. I told my parents that that someday I would have a cult of my very own. I would dazzle my followers with my words, mesmerize them with stories of enlightenment in better worlds, all they would have to do is listen to my words, put their hearts and souls in my hands, and then I would give them the potions to lift them to higher plains.

But my parents didn’t take me seriously. And as life would have it, instead of becoming a charismatic speaker and leader, I became more withdrawn and somewhat nerdish. So my career decision to become a pharmacist seemed appropriate.

But it was a few years into my pharmacy career, in April during a busy Monday night rush,  I was working at my retail pharmacy when my life changed.  A woman was screaming at me about something that wasn’t my fault regarding a pill she really didn’t  need. It was during that night that I realized that you can “ask and it is given”, as dreams really do come true. I struggled to hold back the tears.

Here I was, right in the midst of a modern day cult, yet I had hardly realized! The customers were dazzled by new drugs and what possibilities they brought, and they were mesmerized into thinking they needed their medication, or whatever the doctor told them, without question. Not only did they think they needed it, but they demanded it and became hysterical if they thought they wouldn’t be able to get their hands on it. And here I was with my prestige and fancy title with the power to make their life easier or more difficult.

And then I realized that the modern day cult actually kept people alive to make a profit! How clever was that?

The patients put their faith in and put their health and wellbeing in the hands of the doctors and drugs. People such as myself gave years of study, my heart and soul, and dedicated my life to it.

But I didn’t like being a spoke in wheel for a higher cause that I did not have control of or power in. I wanted to be in charge. I remembered when watching “The Secret” they explained that you have to be really specific when you visualize, otherwise you can watch as your neighbor gets the car you’ve been dreaming about. So I realized that I probably hadn’t visualized clearly or specifically enough.

That’s when a sudden enlightenment came for me. The purpose of the fascination with the cult thinking was so I could be aware of how it works; not so I could create a cult of my own. And to use that understanding to make others aware. So I can help people have new perspectives on health, so I can help them start their holistic journey.

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Vaccines

At my work, they just recently decided that all pharmacists should be able to vaccinate as one of their regular duties. Not only will it help the community . . . is also a very good profit center.

So the employer paid for all the pharmacists in the area to learn how to vaccinate.

How do vaccines work?

The body is exposed to a virus or bacteria that causes an illness or disease.  If you don’t die during that time, the immune system will respond by building a defense. In fact, it takes two weeks to build a specific defense against invaders.

Then if the body is exposed to the same invader a second time, the immune system has already prepared it’s army, which will defend right away and the invader will not have an opportunity to cause disease.

The idea behind immunizations is actually quite clever. They take the part of the invader that causes the immune response, and separate it from the part that causes the disease. Thus it is able to create an immune response to the flu or a particular disease without threat of causing the disease. So if someone is then exposed to the invader, the immune system has already taken it’s two weeks to prepare and the invader then won’t have an opportunity to cause disease.

In the alternative healthcare world, there is lots of bad press about vaccines. What is the problem?

According to some sources, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine has been linked to causing autism. Although all “officials” studies claim that is false.

However, from the holistic world, autism in American children is up from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 166 today, an increase that coincides with the increase in number of childhood vaccinations since 1978. There is focused attention on vaccines with the parents claiming that they watched their children regress after they got the shots.

In the immunization class, they mentioned that Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who first  persuaded parents that the MMR vaccine leads to autism, has lost his medical license for being  “dishonest,” “misleading” and “irresponsible” in his research.

In a room with other pharmacists, the reaction feels something like “That shows that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about in the first place”. He has basically been discredited in the mainstream world and his words have less value.

In the alternative healthcare world, it’s clear to the people that the pharmaceutical companies have the big bucks and are friends with those who make the laws and decide the court cases. In this world, people realize that it’s not hard to make someone lose their license if they really want to.

Imagine if the police chef wanted your driver’s license revoked. So the police were watching you drive all the time. How long before they could find enough traffic violations to revoke your license. If it was me they were watching, it wouldn’t take that long.

Official research and statistics show that there is no connection between vaccinations and autism. But there are several individuals that claim that their child’s autism happened after a certain vaccine. Actress Jenny McCarthy shared on Oprah how her son’s speech slowed and how after the MMR vaccine “the soul’s gone from his eyes”. Soon after others from around the country spoke up to share similar stories. Too often doctors would disregard any connection.  A close friend said that her son’s speech and learning slowed down after the same vaccine.

The idea behind vaccinations is clever, and according to history books, they have helped eradicate diseases such as small pox and . But have they gone toxic and corrupt like so much of the healthcare and  pharmaceuticals?

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May Mixer

The theme was Cleansing and Detoxification, sort of like a spring cleaning.

As a pharmacist, it’s always hard for me to think of things to say about cleansing, because in reality we don’t learn about or promote any type of cleansing. The only cleansing is the golytely that people take to clean out their bowels before a procedure, like an endoscopy, where they put a scope up the backside to take a look around. Other than that, there’s no other need to cleanse.

Doctors will actually tell you that your body has everything it needs to clean itself out. But our food and diet has changed much quicker than our body can evolve. Our diets from 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago was so much more natural than all the processed junk we eat today.

What about emotions? For most of us, there is no one teaching us about how to handle emotions. They get suppressed. “Don’t cry, you’re acting like a baby!”, or hanging on to anger and pain for months, or even years.  If our emotions become overwhelming than  there’s a pill for that too. There’s lorazepam (Ativan) for anxiety and fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression. According to Abraham Hicks, mishandled emotions are one of the major causes of health conditions.

At the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego,  there is a class called mental detoxification. Here are the six steps to take next time you are triggered emotionally:

1 –  Identify the emotion you are feeling: jealousy, sadness, anger.

2 -  Observe where the feelings are in your body. Allow emotion to come into body completely. Will only last a few seconds.

3 – Express it privately. Talk out loud, write, journal, or draw a picture.

4 – Release the emotion through some physical activity. Will find a sense of relief. Release without causing harm to the environment.

5 – Share your feelings with someone who will listen to you and not judge or fix it.

6 – Celebrate!

At the event we had Jeanette Burson, a colon hydrotherapist, Cindy Dupuie, a certified nutritionist and my Bikram Yoga teacher for the past several years, and  MarilynRose Utovac, a registered nurse and wellness coach who does emotional detoxification through guided imagery.  How to clean yourself out from all the angles . . .

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Brand versus Generics

There is an annoying thing that happens in pharmacies everyday.  If people knew about it, most would be upset. This is about brand name drugs and insurance companies.

For a little background, a brand name drug is created by the drug company. Drug companies can take up to 10 years and millions of dollars to get a drug approved by the FDA. Then the company has a patent on the drug for so many years, during which time they have an opportunity to earn some of their research money back. After the patent expires then the generic version of the drug can be produced by the competitors.

Most people know that Brand name drugs are the more expensive version of a drug.  In some cases it can be considerably more expensive.

Here a few examples. These prices are from a retail drug store in Los Angeles.

Augmentin 500mg #20. which is an antibiotic commonly used for infections

Brand: $165.99

Generic: $78.99

Zithromax 200mg/5ml suspension 15ml, which is a commonly prescribed antibiotic in liquid form

Brand: $73.99

Generic: $34.99

Ortho Tri Cylen Lo, a birth control pill

Brand: $49.99

Generic: $32.99

Ortho Micronor, another birth control pill

Brand: $59.99

Generic: $38.99

Flonase Nasal Spray, a steroidal anti-inflammatory nasal spray for allergies

Brand: $123.99

Generic: $71.99
You can see that the price difference is significant, up to $87 per month on some.

All insurance companies are different. However some patterns we see at pharmacies are:

If you have insurance and if there is a generic available, then chances are that your insurance plan will only pay for the generic

If the generic is not yet available, your insurance will most likely pay for brand.  The copay for a brand name drug is often higher than that for a generic drug.

Now here’s the annoying part:

Those who qualify on welfare will have Medi-Cal for insurance, in which their prescriptions are paid for by the California taxpayers, “the state”. However, there are a handful of drugs in which only brand name drugs are paid for, even when there is a generic available.  In other words, if a Medi-cal patient comes in the pharmacy with a prescription for Augmentin, or any of the five drugs listed above, the patient will be required to get the brand name drug at no charge. Medi-Cal will not pay for the generic even if there is a cheaper alternative available.

What could possibly be the logic behind this? Hmmm. The patient does not benefit as there is generally no significant difference between brand and generic. The California taxpayer does not benefit and they are paying a much higher price when there is a generic available.

The only ones that benefit are the drug companies – and possibly the decision maker working for the state who allows this to happen.

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Optimum Health Institute

Just came back from another week at Optimum Health Institute (OHI) in Lemon Grove, near San Diego, Ca. A peaceful place to relax, cleanse and detox, and learn about body, mind and spirit, to meet and make friends with those who think the same way, to reflect, to breath. And also wheatgrass. Wheatgrass drink, wheat grass in the eye, up the nose, on the skin, in an enema, almost every possible place . . . oh dear.

Goals after Optimum Health Institute

1 – Use planner that we learned about in Focus Class to make my most important things a priority.  To create a schedule where important things are planned.

2 – Write a detailed list of my ideal life in all areas, including spiritually, for health, mentally / emotionally, socially / relationships / financially. I am happy and grateful now that . . .

3 – Include one healthy juice or shake per day which will include proteins and raw vegetables and fruit and sprouts and flaxseed and whatever else the super healthy folks drink.

4 – Put out to the universe that I need to crave and enjoy all the healthy stuff. Not quite there yet . . .

5 – Use the Alpha meditative state for 5 minutes twice a day as much as possible.

6 – Lose 15 pounds in 60 days. By July 9^th. Was down 8 pounds after week at OHI. Cardio cardio cardio

7 – Keep in contact with those who are on the right paths. New BFF: Kelly from Oceanside, Alyssa from Sherman Oaks and MarilynRose from San Pedro.

8 – Keep focused on my goals of creating a starting point for those who want to start their holistic journey but don’t know where to begin. The fact that in California there are so many pharmacies, but only one Optimum Health Institute reminds me that there is a huge need for an awakening.

9 – Focus, create, love, let go, moving forward . . .

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15 Minutes or Less  . . .

At the last pharmacy manager’s meeting, I learned that Rite Aid is doing a trial program where they are committing to getting your prescription to you in 15 minutes or you receive a gift card to spend at Rite Aid.

As a consumer, you may be thinking “Great, no more long waits for my prescriptions, and if I go at a busy time, I’ll have a better chance to receive a gift card.” You may be thinking “what a great program, and why does it take so long to put some pills in a bottle in the first place?”

As a pharmacist, my first thought I remembered how Dominos was a huge success due to its unique selling proposition “30 minutes or it’s free”.

But then I started to think of the deterioration of the pharmacy profession.

How much more stress will this create for the pharmacy staff?

How many more errors will occur due to this? There are already reports that medication errors injure 1.5 million people and cost billions of dollars annually;

In an even more demanding time crunch, will retail pharmacists miss drug interactions?

Most pharmacists now carry the title “Dr.”. What other types of doctors work under these circumstances?

Aren’t pharmacies becoming more and more similar to fast food restaurants?

Wouldn’t it be better to just offer french fries with your prescriptions?

Pharmacy no longer portrays healthcare. Instead, it portrays the fast food industry, quick, convenient, and not necessarily healthy. I’m crossing my fingers that that program doesn’t come anywhere near the west coast.

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Oxycontin or your life – March 2010

I turned and looked. My two coworkers who usually stand next to me must have gone up front. The only one there was a nice looking young black guy who was standing in the corner. I glanced at him and then went back to dialing the phone. It didn’t set off any alarm or panic in my mind. Even though I was in a pharmacy, it wasn’t my pharmacy and I only worked there once a week. So sometimes there would be people in there that I didn’t know who they were at first. Also it wasn’t unusual for Monique (Moshuga) to have a variety of friends. She was definitely a social butterfly.

Then I heard the voice. “You’re Protected”. The voice that comes from nowhere, that voice, that is clear as day, and pops in when I really need to know something, the voice of my higher self.

“I’m protected?” I thought. “From what?”

I looked around again. Where did everyone go? I looked at our young visitor and saw he had a gun in his hand. I put the phone down. He was on the other side, speaking quietly, almost mumbling. I had to listen carefully to hear him.

“Where’s your oxycontin? I’m not playing. I’m not playing. Where’s your oxycontin?”

He wasn’t looking at me but he was talking to me since nobody else was there. He was nervous, yet quiet, shy, maybe in his early twenties, good-looking, obviously new at this armed robbery thing, and maybe even polite. In fact, he’s probably a really nice guy when he’s not holding up pharmacies.

It’s over here. I waved him over to the safe. He dropped a cheap black duffel bag on the floor. I pulled the oxycontin out of the safe and placed it in his bag. Then he asked for the vicodin. So I gave him the one bottle we had. Then he asked for syrup. Syrup? I was sure he meant phenergan with codeine since that’s an exciting one for the partiers. I gave him a half bottle.

The entire experience was eerily calm, uneventful, not a shred of fear, almost in a very strange way. Probably because my higher self was guiding me. There no yelling or holding the gun in my face like you’d see on television. He then left.

I started dialing 911. Then another employee Michelle came from up front in a mad panic.

“Oh My GOD! OH MY GOD!!” she screamed. Her face was flushed and sweating and she was fanning herself with her hand.

I put the phone down.

“Oh my gosh, what happened? Are you okay?” I asked.

“WE JUST GOT ROBBED!” How many times have you heard or felt you’re higher self sending you a message, whether it was through words or a feeling?

Once I was working at a pharmacy with an intern. The intern was talking to a couple guys dropping off a prescription. They were all joking and laughing and having a good time, which in itself is a warning sign that something is off.

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Conscious Life Expo – February 2010

I just spent three days at the conscious life expo. Tons of products and services available to purchase. Indian food was definitely a hit. Felt refreshed afterwards. Felt reconnected to my purpose.
Not easy to tell which products or services are good and which are all hype. How do you tell the good stuff from the junk? It seems that most people believe in their product or service. Although I would imagine that it would be exhausting being a psychic or energy healer or something that the mainstream part of the world thinks is phony and they’re always needing to prove themselves to the skeptic. As a pharmacist, I’ve never had to deal with those issues. There are signs and advertisements all over the place “Pharmacist – #1 trusted profession” and “Ask your doctor or pharmacist if this is right for you.”

Which keeps society coming back over and over again for their drugs. But how do you tell if a product or service is real or a figment of your imagination? How can you tell the good from the bad? There is an overwhelming amount of information available on the internet and on television. Just because drugs have a great marketing system doesn’t prove that they are worthy.
So at the expo there are tons of products and practitioners, and you have to decide if its good for you. There is no guarantee of anything. To get a booth or be a speaker, the only requirement is money.

What are people searching for? Healing, new ways of thinking, information you won’t find in the mainstream news. Networking with people that have a similar ideas about the universe.

At any event there are things to learn and take with you. What did I take away from the meeting? I got a new shower filter for my shower. After spending a week at the Optimum Health Institute www.optimumhealth.org  in San Diego, I learned about water filters, and I also got to experience how different my hair and skin felt after taking showers in filtered water for a week as well as eating organic food. I also got some TKO Orange product – which is Orange Oil, with all natural ingredients, can be used for laundry, to clean stains, and to even wash the face.

Most importantly, I spoke to tons of people and I left reenergize to continue on my path of introducing those customers of western medicine to alternative health care options. The world is looking for better solutions for their healthcare.

To speak with Dr. Ali leave a comment below and it will be forwarded to her. You can also check out her alternative health practitioner directory – TheButterflyGuide.com

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Peter at the Whole Foods in West Hollywood

The CYH & Whole Foods Mini Health Fair was awesome! Thank you to everyone that came and everyone that gave their time to make this happen. We really affected people’s lives in a positive way and I feel honored to have witnessed the day!

CYH & Whole Foods West Hollywood Present the -

CYH Health Fair – Oct. 17, 2009, 11am

Featuring FREE mini sessions with several alternative health practitioners from past CYH episodes -

Carol Assa - Feng Shui

Paula Capps – Clairvoyant Intuitive

Dr. Grace – Integrative Chiropractor who does Whole Body Cellular Detox & Cold Laser

Jacquie Jordan – Raw Food

Ida Kendall – Transformational Breathing

Dr. Shiva Lalezar – Vitamin Therapy

Penny Layne – Emotional Freedom Technique

Andrew Leavenworth – Ayurvedic Medicine

Elma Mayer – Yuen Energetics

Wencke Von Mulhenberg – Holistic Nutrition

Saturday, October 17th at the West Hollywood Whole Foods – 11am to 3pm

7871 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046

(323) 848-4200

Whole Foods

CYH & Whole Foods Mini Health Fair

Athena Carillo, MA, MFT

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Peter Bedard & Athena Carillo for CreateYourHealth.com

Brian Mahan

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a short-term, naturalistic approach, developed by Dr. Peter Levine, to renegotiate and heal both shock and developmental trauma.

Stress and trauma occur in the body, not in the event, and they are the body’s reactions to “threatening experiences.” The fight/flight/freeze response, otherwise known as ‘instincts’, is how we are hard-wired for survival.

The word “trauma,” unfortunately, overshadows the intricacies and insidiousness of the long-term affects of threat, whether said threat were real or perceived. The easy way to differentiate stress from trauma is that any event is considered traumatic when the symptoms of arousal (reaction) don’t pass, even after the threat has passed.

Sometimes these unresolved physiological events can remain dormant in the body for years before getting triggered again. SE employs the awareness of body sensation to safely and gradually allow the autonomic nervous system to discharge previously truncated survival energy trapped in the body.

The results of this body / mind therapy include relief from anxiety, habits and addictions, patterns and cycles of self-sabotage, and dissociative behaviors. It brings on a sense of reawakening and access to instincts which illicits feelings of groundedness, centeredness, boundaries, empowerment, being “in the moment”, safety and joyfulness.

Brian Mahan, SEP, LMT

Body Centered Therapist

Stress and Trauma Specialist

(310) 991-3231

www.BrianDMahan.com

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Peter Bedard & Brian Mahan

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