Holistic Weight Loss and Health

suspended animation

2009-11-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

A healthy cell has a negative charge on the outside of it and a positive charge on the inside of it in a chemically balanced body. In this healthy state there is a harmony and rhythm in the pulse of life. There is animation on all levels -- Emotionally, mentally, sensorally, and physically. This is our élan vital! When the pH of the cell dips into an acidic state (below 7), the cells begin to resemble a roll of coins, in that they stack together and the cell lose their structural and spacial integrity. The élan vital fades as the energy slows down and balance and harmony are lost. This cellular slowing down expresses itself as a general lack of animation which is easily seen and felt through the person’s energy field. Within the person it can be felt as physically tiredness or even disease. This is a form of "suspended animation", living with an underlying ambient level of depression.

When the mind, as our functional spirit, is not allowed or encouraged to expand to know itself, then we are closing out the warmth and light of our soul and spirit. We have chosen to live in suspended animation which science defines as “...the slowing of life processes by external means without termination.” This is what we do to our soul’s growth when we are not opening our mind to know who we are, why and how we are and where we are going as a consciousness. The missing link is Spiritual Philosophy!

the beach

2009-09-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

This picture is my screen saver and I have a life time of memories gathered from this beach. This is Waiotahi Beach that leads into my home town of Opotiki, New Zealand. It backed onto our farm with sand hills and a tidal river between them. My friend Merryl Watson captured this photo for me and in doing so, she shares herself and I appreciate it all. Merryl and I rode together a lot on this stretch of sand. It is a simple photo yet it stimulates a lot of memories and accompanying emotions and feelings within me.

How many times did I exercise my horses on this beach? Too many to count! This beach was my playground and my solace and a lot more in between. This beach was our makeshift cricket pitch in the long summer evenings. Mum would be roped into being catcher and the dog was our outfielder whether we wanted him to retrieve or not. In the winter, on a clear night, we would all head to the beach and often meet up with friends to share a fire made from driftwood, food and companionship.

There were the early memories of Dad driving the tractor and trailer along the road to the beach for the sole purpose of getting sand for our sandbox. Mum would bring the rest of us, including friendly pooch, a wicker basket of food and a thermos of tea. What simple pleasures. What wonderful parents we had!
And the gift of their love and commitment to being parents continues on in my heart and mind as I remember and feel the love that was present…both then and now.

This beach has a lot of memories for me.

I remember walking along the shoreline and looking back at my footprints etched in the damp sand. The sun was just going down. There was not another soul to be seen. I had the beach all to myself. I watched as my foot prints were gently washed away by the incoming tide and thinking then that life was really so temporary. I realize that I was looking at the physical self as being temporary and that all I learned, all my memories and lessons learned remain within. I am the sum of my memories as an energy field. Energy must move and change. Energy can never die. I am energy therefore I have eternal life. It is my responsibility to know myself as the energy of spirit consciousness. This is healing.

spiritual philosophy on-line school...a preview

2009-09-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

I hope you will visit the school, listen to these previews, let the words settle within your heart and mind and then join us.

http://kathyoddenino.com/school/

losing weight of body and mind...a testimonial

2009-08-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

I place this here because it shows the courage this person used to effect her change.She has been willing to dig deep and look at herself and to change...and change she has! Not just the obvious physical changes but her energy has lightened up tremendously and i salute her. I feel honoured to be a part of her change. What a gift!
R.

I first met Raewyn on my birthday, a year and a half ago. A friend of hers was having a small book-reading, and I was magnetically drawn to sit next to her. In the course of introducing ourselves to each other, I learned that Raewyn had a specialty in holistic weight loss. At this, my ears pricked up and I intuited that a golden opportunity was being presented to me.

It’s funny how accustomed we can become to being unhealthy. I would have told you that I was in pretty good health at that time, although I weighed 250 lbs., was eating 1-2 pints of ice cream each day, and had just taken a month off from work because of pneumonia. I remember being self-conscious of my noisy cough during the book-reading and having to leave a couple of times so I wouldn’t disrupt the group. At the end of the gathering, I asked Raewyn if she had a business card and, with that, a wonderful relationship began.

It “just so happened” that Rae was going to be starting a class in a few weeks and I “knew” the time was right. The material she presented, and her sense of wonderment, came as a breath of fresh air to me. What made the biggest impression on me during that class was Rae’s conviction that health is rooted in spirituality, our connection to the earth, sky and all of nature in between; and her call to the choice and responsibility that we can and must embrace in order to grow towards our better selves. Taking responsibility for myself has long been an “issue” for me. Thankfully, I was raised to eat well and exercise, but both have been a perverse struggle for me in adulthood. There was something in the way Rae talked about choice and responsibility that gave me a sense of hope and possibility for the future.

Since then, a lot has changed in my life. Through working closely with Rae on the book she’s writing, and after receiving several NDP sessions with her, I feel I’ve been able to let go of some very old feelings of guilt and remorse that have weighed me down for thirty years. I’ve been able to see more clearly how deeply painful experiences have made other wonderful things possible. Although I’d been in therapy for 10 or more years, and was intellectually familiar with these issues, addressing their underlying energy (through NDP), seems to have been key in releasing them more fully. I have come to truly believe that our emotions reside in our cells and that neuronal pathways can become ruts for negative energy.

The best way I’ve been able to describe NDP is that it’s like being unzipped. It feels as if my outer shell is being removed so that I can reconnect with my energy and the world around me. During the first session I had with Rae, the image came to me of a string being pulled on a pea pod, to reveal the beautiful, juicy peas within. After another session, I felt a familiar tone of openness that I’ve been wanting to re-find for thirty years. Now – at times when I’m doing something I’ve done hundreds of times before, it will feel brand new to me. Rather than feeling that I’m encased in my body, I can feel my energy expanding into the Universe.

A testimonial like this would be incomplete without expressing my appreciation for Rae’s down-to-earth spirit. Although she is finely attuned to subtle vibrations, her feet are firmly planted on the ground. This has enabled me to be receptive to concepts that might otherwise seem fantastical.

Of course, my growth – like yours – is an ongoing process. But I have lost 30 lbs. of physical weight and tons of emotional baggage in the last six months. There is a light-ness in my mood and in my movements. One of the greatest joys that has come with this weight loss is feeling my hips loosen so that my gait is forward-moving rather than just being one foot placed in front of the other. I can now cross my legs without having to pull the upper leg over by hand. I’ve lost my double chin and my cheek bones have re-emerged on my face. People no longer recognize me from a distance because my shape has changed so dramatically. I would still like to lose another 80 lbs., but I now feel that it’s do-able.

A year and a half ago, I had reached the point where I was willing to die prematurely rather than change. I now know I can become the person I want to be, through making positive choices that nurture my indwelling spirit as well as my physical body. I really enjoy fruits and vegetables and Rae has helped me to understand why eating organically is so essential to good health. I realize that scientific reports refute this, but I’m no longer willing to ingest toxic chemicals. Whereas I used to feel that I couldn’t afford organic food, I now feel that I can’t afford to eat otherwise.

Before I close, I want to say something about exercise. It’s still an effort for me to establish a regular routine of exercise in my life, but a few things have changed since Rae and I met. Although I’ve heard all the preventative reasons to exercise and lose weight for years (heart attack, stroke, diabetes, etc.), Rae has taught me an extremely simple concept that has really made a difference in my thinking. Exercise is good for us because it brings large amounts of oxygen into our bodies! Our brain and each of our billions of cells need oxygen to function properly. This is such a basic tenet of health that I wonder why it isn’t part of our collective consciousness. As I exercise now, I try to be mindful of bringing this oxygen into my body ….. and to remember that every step I take is helping me return to a more balanced weight. It also helps to remember that my body and everything in the world is energy, that solidity and separateness are illusory – that, in fact, everything is in motion! No, I’m not conscious of this all the time. But I find it’s a great tonic for pulling me out of old, habitual ways of thinking and being.

Raewyn has been and continues to be a wonderful gift in my life. She is supportive, encouraging, super enthusiastic about life ….. and funny! I look forward to her book being published so I can refer to it often. She is a gifted person who has much to offer. Whether for help with losing physical weight, for other health problems or for healing subtler forms of negative energy, I would encourage you to give Raewyn a call and see what flows from taking that first, courageous step.

a way to use energy

2009-08-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

The mind has to be disciplined. Communication is always a discipline of the mind. It is the way we learn and the way we use energy. I hear these thoughts and think of the way i utilized my energy to train this half ton animal to do my bidding and i get a beautiful picture of the ethical values...at least the physical level of them... and i can see now where i have been building on the emotional energy of them. I had not thought of this before now but as i think over the training required to take a novice horse who was learning to be a balanced animal and to compete on a National level... there are no steps missed. Nothing happens without loving communication. Each training session is build on the previous one and there are lots of baby steps needed to provide a solid balanced animal. We are no different.

Horses respond to energy and i learned early on that if i was upset in anyway this was immediately transferred to the horse and my emotional state was mirrored back to me. My emotional energy is determined by how i am thinking. There is no bluffing when working with horses...any animal really. The result of years of training is the intense sense of sympatico between horse and rider--the trust and faith of shared energy.

patterns of love

2009-08-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of my great aunt and grandmother showing off their skills as seamstresses. They even made their hats! They were advertising their talents. I look at this old photo and memories rise with the love i have for them and their role in my young life. These same two women bought me my first school supplies...pencils and notebooks and a few things in between.

My great aunt Liz read a lot of the classics to my brothers and me. Oh what joy! She was wonderful at accents and each character was brought to life in my mind with them. From windswept moors and Jane Arye, Heathcliff, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield to name a few; my young mind was fed with these characters. I reflect back and I have had a rich patterning in love and sharing and these two women played a tremendous role. I feel i have given myself a huge gift by going back through these old photos and allowing these memories to surface and remind me that i have been richly loved.

These two women were unlimited reservoirs of love for me and i continue to be grateful for their presence in my life. Along with the love and support that was constant, they shared their pleasure of learning and reading. What a gift! I have associated the feeling of love with the feeling of learning...and the older i get i recognize that they are indeed inseparable. To learn, to change and grow is the pattern of our soul and spirit consciousness.

Cafe Tempest....

2009-08-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

Cafe Tempest, Adventures on a Small Greek Island

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eWDnTQxxgI#watch-main-area

I am enchanted by this, so much so that i just have to share. I hope you to find your way to buy this book.

butter vs margarine

2009-08-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is not new information, although i did not know the original purpose of margarine was to fatten turkeys. This piece was sent to me by a friend. I do not know the author to give acknowledgment. Someone "out there" took the time to piece together information and make it coherent. Thank you who ever you are.
The "lack of bug appeal" of margarine reminds me of problems had in storing processed foods...the mice ate the cardboard boxes and left the contents! All i can say is....Bright mice!

Pass The Butter ... Please.

This is interesting . ....Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they
Put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with
No food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings....

DO YOU KNOW... the difference between margarine and butter?
Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.
Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by< /U> 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.
Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few
only because they are added!
Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.
Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years ..

And now, for Margarine..

Very high in Trans fatty acids.
Triple risk of coronary heart disease ..
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)
Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold..
Lowers quality of breast milk.
Decreases immune response.
Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact..... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but one molecule away from being PLASTIC..

This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)
* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weenie microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Why? Because it is nearly plastic .. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to 'butter them up')!

Chinese Proverb:
'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.
Pass the BUTTER PLEASE...

Nations health care....some random thoughts

2009-08-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

National Health Care is an emotional issue for most people and I am no exception. There are the “talking heads” whose utterances are geared to controversy rather than unity of common goal, and of course in the blog-a-sphere there are a lot of opinions on the subject that show the diversity of thoughts around this topic. I am no different as I to have an opinion.

My concern is if it (NHC) becomes mandated that I have to buy insurance. I do not have “health insurance” and have not had it by choice, because I see what is offered is “disease insurance” that is opposite to my views and definition on what constitutes health. It is my personal responsibility to educate myself in how to nourish my physical, emotional and mental self just as surely it is my personal responsibility to be a productive member of my community. This is my body and my responsibility to nurture it in the best way I know how.

Everything boils down to money. What if half of this money was allotted to prevention of disease? Now there is something to ponder! What about simple steps such as encouraging organic gardens for schools and communities and educating people on the value of good foods from Nature, and being hydrated with clean water and getting plenty of movement for the body? How can people think well if they have not dined well? (apologies to Virginia Wolfe) What if families went just one month without processed foods? What would it mean really…probably a drop in excess weight, clearer skin, better energy reserves, more together time with family, feeling better, thinking clearer, saving money… and so the list goes on….what this really comes down to is about change (of thinking /lifestyle) and taking personal responsibility for our health and well being. I can hear the gasps of horror now! I have found that most people tend to want others to do for them than they are willing to want to do for themselves when it comes to nurturing and nourishing self.

These are just some snippets of my thoughts on the subject….

There are a couple of blogs that cover varying views on health care www.maat45.blogdumps.net and http://gjimsonandfriends.blogspot.com
…that are worthy of reading.

a wonderful video

2009-07-18T06:09:00.001-07:00

http://www.home-2009.com/us/index.html

a "must see" video

2009-07-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/homeproject

When we destroy Earth as our home, we destroy our body as our home.When we separate ourselves from Nature and Earth, we separate ourselves from our health.

Solanum tuberosum

2009-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Solanum tuberosum, a fancy name for the humble potato. How many times have I reached for the humble tuber to bake and place on my plate to enjoy, and in the enjoyment, to feel comfort? They are too many to count. Solanum is derived from a Latin word meaning "soothing" which is possibly why potatoes have been placed in the long list of “comfort” foods (The Solanaceae family also include tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers).

I have been given a lot of freshly dug potatoes by a dear friend who has spent years enriching the soil of his organic garden. These potatoes that I have been gifted with are rich in minerals, particularly chromium. The potato has been given a “bad” reputation as a major source contributing to excess weight. This is, to my mind, totally backwards. Potatoes that are grown in mineral rich and balanced soil offer same to our bodies.

Let’s take one thing potatoes are rich in: chromium (if we eat the skin). When we are lacking in chromium the following symptoms can possibly be attributed to this mineral deficiency:
Over weight
Increased cholesterol
Increased triglycerides
Heart disease
Psoriasis
Glaucoma
Hypoglycemia
Type 2 diabetes

Just think what eating some new potatoes could do for us!

Chromium is also found in raw white onion, romaine lettuce and tomatoes. We know that vitamin C increases the absorption of chromium and potatoes have good vitamin C in them. I am reminded of a summer dish that was a constant in our household: sliced raw onion, tomatoes, and possibly cucumber soaking in malt vinegar. This was a side dish to new potatoes and a green salad. Just thinking about it now has gastric juices stimulated! This is a very detoxifying dish, very alkalizing and just delicious. It is also a perfect example of eating in season and how Nature compliments. But I digress somewhat here.

Basically, eat potatoes and allow the mind and the body to be fed. It is a simple food that offers much. I feel that we ignore the benefit and simplicity of the Solanum tuberosum by submerging it under heavy creams and cheeses where it cannot do its “job” effectively in our body. Eat in balance and harmony with Nature and Earth and we will be in balance and harmony.
Bon appetite! I toast the Solanum tuberosum!

a little explanation ....

2009-07-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

I was asked why i put other subjects other than those directly pertaining to weight loss and health. It is simply because nothing can be separated...how can we separate energy?

I have been a little slack in posting of late as my focus has been in getting my manuscript pulled together for others to read. It is a workbook to help get one beyond the veil of fat. Weight is of the mind first and foremost. To keep this upper most will assist in the dropping of excess weight. One can view more at www.healthischoice.com. This is why i have posted a variety of blogs...they all relate to energy of the mind.

and another source
http://spiritualphilosophymymusings.blogspot.com/

a continuation of old photos, memories and learning

2009-07-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

I hear the words “… soul is open ended” and I feel the truth of these words. I think the same of the Universe and then I realize that this is a description of energy. I connect the thought (so very clearly heard as words spoken in my mind!) “The Universe is in the mind” and a few more connections are made within me. Slowly a bigger picture is coming into shape and form and structure. The Universe has no boundaries and no center because it is energy….just as we are. The only way that limitations or boundaries occur in our mind is when we impose them on our selves through out negative belief structure. I feel very close to another “break through” in a way like I am putting together awareness’s and one day soon, these snippets are all going to cascade together into greater understanding…this is the way of learning.

We are energy first and wrapped up in a neat parcel of physicality. A principle of energy is that it must move and change. This applies to All. From the Universe down to us as the energy of how we think, the emotions we use and our feeling senses. This energy field is what defines us. In looking back through photos of me (of this lifetime) and seeing my energy soften as I gain more knowledge and life-learning through the years. It is in this softening and expansion of knowledge, I get to see what I can project into my next physical life. The physical package will change but the energy of me will be recognizable. This is why we “recognize” fellow travelers…and some feel more comfortable than others.

I feel that this is what holding onto old photos of loved ones does for us…they are wonderful reminders of love and to keep the memories active. These memories are part of who we are and when we know that we live more than one lifetime, then we know that these memories will return with us. The power of love is intense. It is real. It is our core. It is Universal energy. The more loving experiences we have the greater our memories of love, the more loving and caring we are. This is the energy field that we live in and expand upon.

Thank you Maat for the prompt! It is appreciated.

old photos, memories and learning

2009-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering why I bother to collect and to keep these photos and those of others in my family. Is it as a form of “witnessing” my life? Or is it more to trigger my emotions and memories? Or is it a combination of these? I feel it is a combination. I look through these photos and remind myself of all the things I have done, places I have been to, people I have met, and all trigger the senses and emotions as my memories stir within my heart and mind.

I have been observing myself aging as I examine photos in various activities and geographical placements. A small black and white snap capturing me on my first day of school. It is a moment in time that is captured and yet in looking at that photo…that moment of time…I feel the energy of me and the promise and excitement of learning… of life yet to be experienced.

I allow my mind to travel to that moment and I can vividly recall the excitement of being “grown up” enough to go to school. I have my leather satchel over my shoulder. It is holding the array of coloured pencils, a new notebook with clean pages, the pencil sharpener, the new eraser, and the new HB2 yellow pencils with my name on them. I remember the excitement as Dad took his pocket knife and carefully cut away just enough of the yellow paint to expose a wood surface suitable to place my name. These pencils were my tools for learning. Getting ready for school was a family affair. Even my grandmother and great aunt were included in this excitement. These two women were with me when I was allowed to select my tin of coloured pencils and instead of getting the required set of 10, I was gifted with the big tin of 30 different coloured pencils. This was bounty indeed! I can feel the excitement now as I vividly recall this memory.

The Monday morning arrived. I was going to school! I was awake early and dressed and sitting at the breakfast table complete with my satchel over my shoulder. After breakfast, Mum took me outside to stand on the grass tennis court, near the tulip tree to take my photo. It was a brilliant day. The freshness of the morning, the scent of the salted Pacific Ocean, the distant cry of seagulls, the sound of farm animals, even the sun felt fresh and bright to me. Everything felt brighter and better and more brilliant than ever. I was off to school!

The excitement of learning has not lessened over the years. I read the following from the flyer for the upcoming conference on Spiritual Philosophy and my excitement rises. It is several weeks away and already I check that I have my notebook with plenty of pages ready to receive ink, that I have ink cartridges for my pens, and that I have back-up pens. I am prepared with my tools and my mind (our greatest tool) is primed to learn… Accepting Our Spirit Consciousness Energy … … Know Thyself! Understand the Invisible Properties of Energy. We never hide the truth of ourselves. ..the subject is exciting to me. I will be awake and ready to learn on the morning of the 24th of July, and on the 25th and 26th. For more info on this event….go to www.kathyoddenino.com …

We have not been taught that we are Spirit Consciousness Energy, therefore
we have created an internal mental “block” against accepting that we are Spirit Consciousness
Energy that continues to come back into new physical lives for countless
lifetimes. Religion teaches us that we live only one physical life. This is the simplicity
of ignorance—as human beings we are far past the concept of ignorance even
when we act ignorant in our physical belief of living only one physical life. Our
archaic belief that we live only one physical life keeps us from understanding ourselves
as eternal energy beings. When we look carefully at the multiple ways in
which we use our internal energies, we begin to think differently about who we are.
The first step that we must take towards understanding ourselves is to acknowledge
to ourselves that we are eternally energy beings that live multiple finite lives in
physical matter as a means of learning about and understanding ourselves and our
journey of growth. Our life is about being energy, which we live in the physical
matter of our infinite human bodies. If we were not energy beings, we would not
live a physical life of activity and growth.
Each physical life that we live supports our thinking mind, loving emotions,
and Spirit Senses in their eternal growth, which reflects the internal pattern of our
human growth potential. Our cellular memory is eternal, so it behooves each of us
to learn the nuances of living our love as human beings. Because we consistently
reflect the level of internal growth that we have reached, we can never hide the truth
of who we are from other people and most of all we can never hide the truth of who
we are from ourselves.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my morning of memories and the feeling tones they have provoked. Life is really (as in really, really) good!

spiritual books and health

2009-06-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a wonderful website to browse through, to comment and/or to share.

http://www.vibrantnation.com/conversations/5678-kathy-oddeninos-spiritual-philosophy/

A toast to health and nurses

2009-05-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

“Week is May 6-12. ....to honor Florence Nightingale's birthday and nurses everywhere….an acknowledgement of nurses everywhere, Florence, a toast to health…” This sentence was sent to me from a friend asking for comment. I initially thought I would drop a line about the wonders of nurses and perhaps touch on healing. I read it and let my mind go with the information.

I was first introduced to Florence Nightingale at a very young age by my mother, who had a great respect for “The lady with the lamp” that bordered on reverence. In the hallway of my parents home hung two prints -- Florence Nightingale portrait that was titled “The First Nurse” and a small print of Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy.” I do not recall much about the Gainsborough print other than it was a companion for Florence. I readily recall Mum’s voice as she told the story of Florence—bringer of comfort to the dying and health to the sick as she walked the straw strewn hallways in make shift hospitals, her lamp offering light to all. I heard about the Crimean War and spent hours looking at maps in the Atlas for more information. I thought that if I knew where in the world Florence was then I would understand her better. It all felt so familiar to me.

I have not strayed too far from the memories of my mother’s stories of Florence and her commitment to healing, caring and reforming. I have a deep gratitude for this reminder to health and healing. In my quest for knowledge and the basics of healing, I met up with Kathy Oddenino. In meeting up with Kathy almost 2 decades ago, I feel she embodies all that Florence began all those years ago. She seems to continue where Florence left off in a way, and has expanded on the passion for health and the basics of healing www.kathyoddenino.com that go far beyond anything I could jot down here.

In honouring Florence Nightingale as the lady with the lamp, the first nurse, health advocate extraordinaire…I also honour Kathy Oddenino as a friend, a nurse, a spiritual philosopher and teacher; a health reformer who shines the light of knowledge as spirit consciousness. What Florence began, Kathy has expanded a thousand fold. I am grateful to have been introduced to them. This is my toast to health, to compassionate care… to Florence and Kathy and all nurses’ contributions to health and life…I thank you!

happiness expands!

2009-05-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.happiness-project.com/

Please do watch this and pass it on! Happiness is contagious! Thank you Margaret for "the sound of music" http://gjimsonandfriends.blogspot.com

alphabet stew

2009-04-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful dream the other night. My mother was showing me how to make a stew to share with friends. The feeling of being in the familiar large kitchen and sight and smell of the food cooking was intoxicating to me. In the pot were a variety of multi-colored vegetables and I am thinking there was meat as well. My mother was telling me the dish was called “alphabet stew” because the base stock, and all the vegetables and meat were made of different chemicals from Nature, and each chemical has a letter assigned to it. The next thing I recall, she put in the Periodic Table. I watched as the entire compliments of elements slide off the page into the stew. She stirred all in together and I saw the various vegetable shaping into the letters of the chemicals and I felt joyous. The letters were forming words and all the meat and vegetables were communicating in harmony.

I awoke feeling the joy and laughter still with me. This was a wonderful reminder that our lifeline to health and happiness in intimately and intricately related to Nature, Earth and the Universe and the joy of sharing and caring with loved ones. When we add meaningful, positive communication, we have enriched our lives.

If we can stretch our mind to think of our food, air and water as being like our language alphabet; where the chemical make-up of the letters joins together to form words, mix in how we think (positive thoughts) to activate more combination's to create sentences, and we have communication! Our cells have the same pattern. This to me emphasis to value of eating organic foods, clean mineral rich water, breathing clean air and having positive thoughts—conversely, if we are malnourished, dehydrated and shallow breathers, we are essentially restricting our chemical communication on all levels. This is like trying to communicate using only vowels! We are living in a brain fog with less communication and decreased animation. This is mirrored in our cells as they become more acidic – and our energy level diminishes.

omega-3 fatty acids

2009-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have been doing a lot of research on EFA's (essential fatty acids) and their relationship to cellular inflammation. Mike Adams (Naturalnews.com) has put together a wonderful list here and i just wanted to share his findings. They correlate with my findings. Thank you Mike for making this list available. Here is the article in total.

The Powerful Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Preventing Diseases of Inflammation: The Experts Speak

by Mike Adams, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) What do the top authors, doctors and health experts have to say about the realtionship between omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation? I asked my Private Research Library that question recently and was overwhelmed with the remarkable wisdom it revealed.

Below, I share the top quotes from noted authors about omega-3 fatty acids and their relationship to inflammation (and the diseases of inflammation). It's an astonishing tour through the highlights of how omega-3s affect the body's response to inflammation, and you'll learn important information about the role of inflammation in diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, eczema, asthma and many others. You'll also see why inflammation can easily aggravate autoimmune disorders like Lupus and type-1 diabetes, and you'll find out which low-cost trace mineral boosts the assimilation of omega-3 fatty acids.

With all the interest in marine omega-3s today, you'll find this article fascinating. Keep in mind that most of the text here was written before green-lipped mussels or krill oil became known as available sources of omega-3 fatty acids, so most authors quoted below recommend cold water fish. Fish are a great source of omega-3s, but the mercury content they may contain makes them potentially more dangerous to your health than the benefits their omega-3 oils provide. So check your sources carefully and only buy from trusted companies that can demonstrate low mercury levels through laboratory analysis.

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Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation: What the experts say

The ability of omega-3 fatty acids to significantly reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death -- by 45 percent -- was demonstrated in the GISSI Prevention study, in which more than eleven thousand patients participated. A recent review of the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of hypertension found that omega-3s protect against stroke and reaffirmed that the cardioprotective benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are related to their ability to improve blood pressure, vascular function, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and cardiac function.
- What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Diabetes: An Innovative Program to Prevent, Treat, and Beat This Controllable Disease by Steven V. Joyal
- Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 fatty acid-rich oils have been shown in hundreds of studies to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, including many studies in diabetics. The omega-3 fatty acids are being recommended to treat or prevent not only high cholesterol levels, but also high blood pressure, other cardiovascular diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and inflammation, eczema, psoriasis, and many others.
- Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2 by Michael T. Murray, ND
- Available on Amazon.com

More than two thousand studies on omega-3 fatty acids have been published in medical journals, adding up to a wealth of persuasive data, and many studies have found that supplements and omega-3 rich foods can significantly reduce levels of several inflammation-promoting compounds in people: thromboxane B2, prostaglandin E2, interleukin-1, and C-reactive protein. In a very real sense, fish oils snuff out many of the matches of inflammation.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com

Clinical studies have found that increasing the omega-3s in one's diet may reduce the chances of heart attack by a third. What biological mechanism could explain these findings? A couple of theories have emerged. Omega-3s are present in high concentrations in heart tissue where they seem to play a role in regulating heart rhythm and preventing fatal arrhythmias. Omega-3s also dampen the inflammation response, which omega-6s tend to excite.
- In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
- Available on Amazon.com

Since we're eating more grains and foods with omega-6 fatty acids, you likely need more sources of omega-3 in your diet to strike the best nutritional ratio-not only to boost your immunity but for all other health benefits associated with omega-3s. Plus, the right ratio reduces the inflammatory stimulus in the liver, so the appropriate inflammation caused when our immune system defends us against an invader does not age us as much.
- You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty by Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

The most healthy fatty acids are found in fish oil, flaxseed oil (both have lots of omega-3 fatty acids), and borage oil (which has a type of omega-6 fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid or GLA, that has many health benefits). These omega-3 and omega-6 fats stimulate the immune system and fight inflammation, a known cause of heart disease and many other chronic diseases. They also support optimal brain function. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel contain the highest concentration of omega-3s.
- Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutrition by Hyla Cass, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Alpha-linolenic is the precursor omega-3 to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in flax and perilla seed oils. DHA and EPA modulate systemic inflammation by increasing the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines (Venkatraman et al. 1999). DHA extracted from fish oil may be as effective as some prescription medications in reducing inflammation. EPA effectively limits the release of arachidonic acid found largely in meat products and known to increase inflammation (Brock et al. 1999).
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff
- Available on Amazon.com

Leukotrienes are the most powerful sources of inflammation yet discovered in the body, and their production can be inhibited by ingestion of omega-3 and GLA fatty acids, recommended as part of the regeneration diets. In clinical trails, a majority of rheumatoid arthritics either stopped or reduced by half their anti-inflammatory medication after using combinations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
- Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford
- Available on Amazon.com

Basically, the omega-3s encourage the body's production of inflammation-suppressing compounds. They help remind the body to turn inflammatory reactions off when they are no longer needed. GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) is technically an omega-6 fatty acid, but it behaves more like an anti-inflammatory omega-3. It enhances the inflammation-suppressing effect of omega-3s.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com

Diets rich in omega-3 fats are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Once we began to refine oils from plants, we switched to a high omega-6 diet, which accounts for the more than 20:1 ratio previously mentioned. As a result of our use of refined vegetable oils, we've changed the way our bodies work. This shift is making our bodies malfunction, causing inflammation, dry skin, and increased oxidation -- some of the side effects of fat deficiency. Today some well-informed doctors have started giving omega-3 fats to heart attack patients to reduce the risk of a second attack.
- Ultraprevention : The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life by Mark Hyman, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

A study reported in the journal Nutrition in 1990 described the significant immune-enhancing effects of omega-3 fatty acids. Subsequent studies have proposed a mechanism for this effect, including suppression of special enzymes (COX-II) known to produce substances (the eicosanoid PGE2) that suppress immunity and promote inflammation. We now know that omega-6 oils profoundly suppress immunity and promote inflammation by stimulating the production of these inflammatory chemicals.
- Health and Nutrition Secrets by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Fight the triple threat of heart disease with omega-3 fatty acids. They clear clogged arteries, lubricate clumping blood cells, and ease high blood pressure. And that's not all. These polyunsaturated fats also help regulate your heartbeat and combat inflammation. In a recent Danish study, people with low levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, also had high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a specific type of omega-3 fatty acid.
- Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A
- Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 s are helpful for heart health and brain health as well as for inflammation, circulation, memory, thought, and blood sugar control.
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 fatty acids in flax are converted into "good" (series 1 and 3) prostaglandins that may help reduce inflammation, pain, and allergic response in a number of conditions. In a study of patients with eczema (chronic, itchy inflamed skin), researchers fotmd deficient levels of omega-3 EFAs, EPA, and DHA in body tissues, combined with excessive levels of omega-6 EFAs. This study demonstrates the importance of higher omega-3 intake, as well as the need to achieve the correct balance between omega-3 and omega-6.
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs by Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
- Available on Amazon.com

When our intake of omega-6 fats greatly exceeds our omega-3 fats, guess what happens? COX-2 enzymes increase. High intakes of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (coupled with low intakes of omega-3s) equal higher levels of inflammation. If you don't think that's anything to worry about, consider that inflammation was recently the subject of a cover story in Time magazine that called it "The Secret Killer." The subtitle: "The surprising link between inflammation and heart attacks, cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases."
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com

A recent German study highlighted the antiinflammatory benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. These oils quickly reduced inflammation in twenty patients suffering from psoriasis. Omega-3 fatty acids offer yet another benefit to psoriasis sufferers. Ten percent of psoriasis patients also develop a form of arthritis known as psoriatic arthritis. Studies show that 1 to 3 grams daily of omega-3 fish oils can help both conditions.
- Earl Mindell's Secret Remedies by Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

THE BENEFITS OF FISH OILS: The omega-3 fish oils, which contain EPA and DHA, have also been shown to reduce risk of heart disease. So too has eating fish. If you've had a heart attack and start eating omega-3-rich fish three times a week, you could halve your risk of a further heart attack. Other trials giving people omega-3 fish oils have found that they do indeed confer protection from heart disease. Exactly how they work is still under investigation. omega-3 fats are antiinflammatory, and artery damage involves inflammation.
- The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford
- Available on Amazon.com

The amount of omega-3 in a pregnant woman's diet helps to determine her child's intelligence, fine-motor skills (such as the ability to manipulate small objects and hand-eye coordination), and also propensity to antisocial behavior.
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
- Available on Amazon.com

To restore a more normal balance between the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, you must make a concerted effort to emphasize the omega-3 family. You can do this by eating more cold-water fish (such as salmon and herring), as well as leafy green salads (which are high in linolenic acid, the parent omega-3 fat).
- Feed Your Genes Right: Eat to Turn Off Disease-Causing Genes and Slow Down Aging by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 fatty acids are also very important in producing biochemical substances that reduce inflammation and excessive immune system responses throughout the body. omega-3 fatty acids are the body's most important anti-inflammatory biochemicals.
- Beat Diabetes Naturally: The Best Foods, Herbs, Supplements, and Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Your Diabetes Care by Michael T. Murray
- Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 family of fatty acids supplies the building blocks of a variety of powerful anti-inflammatory substances. The parent fat of the omega-3s, alpha-linolenic acid, is found in dark green leafy vegetables and flaxseed. More potent omega-3 s, especially EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), are found in coldwater fish such as salmon and herring.
- The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com

High levels of omega-6 are almost always associated with inflammation; omega-3 applies the brakes. Guided by the biochemistry, researchers have found omega-3 fatty acids helpful in the treatment of inflammation-related immune disease across the board. Some areas of focus include... rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory joint disease. In a series of studies over the past decade the omega-3 fatty acids have been observed consistently to reduce swelling, irritation, and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
- The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program by Andrew L. Stoll
- Available on Amazon.com

In numerous studies of animals with lupus-like illness or humans with actual lupus, omega-3 fatty acids have reduced inflammation, kidney problems, and mortality. A New Zealand study of mice found the disease slowed remarkably when omega-3 oils were added to the diet. In a recent U.S. study, patients with active lupus showed significant improvement on supplements of omega-3 oils. In a study in India, investigators found that omega-3 fatty acids could cause an actual remission from lupus.
- The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program by Andrew L. Stoll
- Available on Amazon.com

A portion of the fat in fish is in the omega-3 form. omega-3 fats are reputed to reduce inflammation and block the formation of blood clots that could lead to heart attacks.
- Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs by Neal D. Barnard and Bryanna Clark Grogan
- Available on Amazon.com

The consumption of too much omega-6 fat leads to high levels of arachidonic acid (AA). Higher levels of arachidonic acid can promote inflammation. When we have insufficient omega-3 fat, we do not produce enough DHA, a long-chain omega-3 fat with anti-inflammatory effects. High levels of arachidonic acid and low levels of omega-3 fats can be a contributory cause of heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases, skin diseases, depression, and possibly increased cancer incidence.
- Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
- Available on Amazon.com

Some people eat as much as 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3. But with that 25-to-l ratio, you are just asking for pain. That's because omega-6 promotes inflammation and pain, while omega-3 does just the opposite. "For people suffering from inflammation, the amount of essential fatty acids in the diet may not be as important as the ratio of the two," says Germano. In general, Germano suggests a ratio of between 4-to-l and 10-to-l. But if you are fighting inflammation, he thinks a 2-to-l to 4-to-l ratio may be better.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com

There are two types: omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids are most important, as they bring balance to our hormones, reduce inflammation, regulate our blood sugar, prevent blood clotting, keep our cholesterol and triglycerides in balance, relax our blood vessels, and make our cells healthy and resilient.
- The Natural Hormone Makeover: 10 Steps to Rejuvenate Your Health and Rediscover Your Inner Glow by Phuli Cohan
- Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 fatty acids from salmon, sardines, mackerel, menhaden, and tuna fight breast cancer by reducing inflammation (blocking eico-sanoid biosynthesis), blocking the growth-enhancing effects of sex hormones, inhibiting metastasis, blocking blood vessel growth in cancer cells, and helping premalignant cells revert to the normal state. omega-3 helps sensitize cancer cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapeutic drugs. One serving of salmon (4 ounces) or three servings of tuna fish each week contains a clinically effective dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Permanent Remissions by Robert Hass, M.S.
- Available on Amazon.com

You can thank the omega-3, or linolenic, fatty acids. Omega-3 appears to relieve the symptoms of [rheumatoid arthritis] so well that some people can cut back on NSAIDs. Stick with cold-water, fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, and herring, for the biggest boost. Between seafood suppers, try cooking with canola oil and making salad dressings with flaxseed oil. Cut back on omega-6, or linoleic, fatty acids, too. While omega-3 reduces the number of enzymes in your body that promote inflammation, omega-6 encourages your body to make more. This is a tug-of-war you want omega-3 to win.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com

There is not much fat in green, leafy vegetables and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), and the fat that they have is strongly balanced toward anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, rather than other fats. Omega-3s encourage the production of helpful prostaglandins that inhibit inflammation, rather than those that fan the flames. If your diet is rich in these foods and eliminates meats, dairy products, and added oils, you will get the omega-3s you need. Indeed, women whose diets are balanced in favor of omega-3s rather than other fats tend to have milder menstrual symptoms.
- Foods That Fight Pain: Revolutionary New Strategies for Maximum Pain Relief by Neal Barnard, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and flaxseed oil decrease inflammation, says David Edwards, M.D., a nutritionally oriented physician in Fresno, California. On the other hand, he says, the fatty acids in most polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as corn and safflower, and in hydrogenated oils, found in margarine and many baked goods, increase inflammation. "A person who gets omega-3 fatty acids in adequate amounts will not get bursitis or tendinitis as readily" he says.
- Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com

There are numerous published reports demonstrating the benefits of supplementation with individual or combination omega-3 EFAs for many of these mental disorders as well as borderline personality disorder, conduct disorder in children, and bipolar disorder. Although it is unclear as to what are the exact mechanisms that explain the benefits of omega-3 EFAs, it is known that they do play an integral role in the functioning of the brain and neurons. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the predominant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is involved in reducing inflammation.
- Naturopathic Nutrition: A Guide to Nutrient-rich Food & Nutritional Supplements for Optimum Health by Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
- Available on Amazon.com

There are two families of essential fatty acids, or EFAs: omega-3 and omega-6. High consumption of omega-6 can increase inflammation; in contrast, omega-3 fatty acids have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3 is most readily available through the consumption of fish and shellfish. Wild salmon, North Atlantic mackerel, sardines, flounder, sole, scallops, shrimp, pollack, red snapper, and tilapia are best because they all have a low mercury content.
- The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
- Available on Amazon.com

In addition, many subjects were diagnosed with an underlying zinc deficiency, a common problem in rheumatoid arthritis that is known to prevent conversion of omega-3 to the good prostaglandins that fight inflammation.
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs by Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
- Available on Amazon.com

To reduce inflammation naturally, turn to the omega-3's found in fish and flaxseed oil. "Asthma involves both an acute inflammatory response and a secondary, late-phase inflammatory reaction that can occur up to 24 hours later and lasts for weeks," explains Dr. Firshein. "The late-phase response is now believed to be the cause of chronic asthma and tissue damage, and it can be halted by omega-3 fatty acids." He recommends eating cold-water fish that are rich in omega-3 oils, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, three or four times a week.
- Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems by Bill Gottlieb
- Available on Amazon.com

Protein from organically raised, free-range (grass-fed) animals is relatively low in saturated fats and high in healthy omega-3 fats, which help suppress inflammation-promoting genes. Wild game, which is also grass-fed, has levels of omega-3 fats that sometimes rival those of cold-water fish.
Corn-fed beef is often promoted as being healthy and tasty. But when farm animals are raised on corn and other grains, their levels of saturated fat increase while omega-3 concentrations virtually vanish.
- Feed Your Genes Right: Eat to Turn Off Disease-Causing Genes and Slow Down Aging by Jack Challem
- Available on Amazon.com

We have also seen that increasing omega-3 intake can improve blood flow, reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, improve brain function, reduce inflammation, improve the immune system, and inhibit the formation of cancer.
- Health and Nutrition Secrets by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

A more balanced ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 will help lessen inflammation, which contributes not only to heart disease but also arthritis, headaches, and asthma. Try to cut down on deep-fried foods and other sources of omega-6 while boosting your intake of omega-3. Fish, especially fatty fish, is the best source of this amazing nutrient. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends eating two fatty fish meals a week. You'll get the most omega-3 from mackerel, salmon, tuna, and herring, but all fish have some.
- Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods by The Editors of FC&A
- Available on Amazon.com

Fish are the greatest source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fat molecules protect against heart disease and inflammation and may lead the attack against Alzheimer's as well. One of [Alzheimer's] possible causes is beta-amyloid plaque, clumps of protein that build up in the victim's brain. Experts believe beta amyloid might be connected with inflammation of the brain's blood vessels. So it makes sense that anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids could help.
It's a good idea to eat as much fish as you can net.
- Eat and Heal (Foods That Can Prevent or Cure Many Common Ailments) by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
- Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 fatty acids appear to reduce PGE2-induced inflammation, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, and enhance immune system function, as demonstrated in a study in which omega-3 fatty acids slowed or delayed the development of metastases in breast cancer patients. Specifically, women who had high fatty tissue content of alpha-linolenic acid (the main omega-3 EFA) were five times less likely to develop metastases than women with a low content.
- Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.
- Available on Amazon.com

Cells regulate inflammation on their surfaces based on the fatty acids that comprise cell membranes; the higher the omega-3 oils in cell membranes the greater the ability to manage inflammation.
- The Leptin Diet: How Fit Is Your Fat? by Byron J. Richards
- Available on Amazon.com

A low dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to or worsen asthma symptoms, most likely due to increased inflammation. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids has been shown to be low in asthma sufferers. ...Recent research suggests that omega-3 fatty acid deficiency may also be linked to depression and aggression.
- The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley
- Available on Amazon.com

The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA make prostaglandins, which are essential for proper brain function, which affects vision, learning ability, coordination, and mood. Like series 1 prostaglandins, they reduce the stickiness of the blood, as well as control blood cholesterol and fat levels, improve immune function and metabolism, reduce inflammation, and maintain water balance.
- The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford
- Available on Amazon.com

Cod liver oil, the richest source of omega-3 fats, has also been shown to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis. A recent study giving osteoarthritis patients scheduled for knee replacement surgery cod liver oil is a case in point. Half the thirty-one patients were given two daily capsules of 1,000 mg extra-high-strength cod liver oil, rich in omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA), and the other half were given placebo oil capsules containing no omega-3 fats for ten to twelve weeks.
- The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford
- Available on Amazon.com

Omega-3 fatty acids are lacking in many diets and are vital to the health of cell membranes. They are helpful in preventing the inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and preventing abnormal blood clots that may lead to stroke. Food sources that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fish oil, perilla oil, borage oil, and evening primrose oil. Super GLA/DHA softgels provide a balanced formula of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff
- Available on Amazon.com

Some people who have taken omega-3 supplements have been able to eliminate traditional drugs altogether. For example, in a 1995 study, arthritis patients who were taking standard anti-inflammatory drugs were given omega-3 supplements. After several months, the anti-inflammatory drugs were replaced with look-alike placebos. A significant number of the patients were able to stay off their prescription drugs without experiencing a flare-up of the disease. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be used as a topical treatment for inflammation.
- The Omega Diet: The Lifesaving Nutritional Program Based on the Diet of the Island of Crete by Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., and Jo Robinson
- Available on Amazon.com

In yin-yang fashion, the balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids strongly influences the immune system. They exert this power through their central role in the physiological process of inflammation, essential for healing injured or infected tissue by engulfing and destroying invading organisms before they can overrun our bodies and cause illness or death.
- The Omega-3 Connection: The Groundbreaking Anti-depression Diet and Brain Program by Andrew L. Stoll
- Available on Amazon.com

Many published studies suggest that marine fish-oil supplements, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, may reduce the inflammation associated with ulcerative colitis. Fish oils may exert their antiinflammatory effects by modulating tissue levels of certain immune factors that promote inflammation. In prospective, randomized, and controlled studies, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be therapeutically useful (Hillier et al. 1991; Asian et al. 1992). These studies also show that fish oil reduces the doses needed of toxic steroid drugs (Hawthorne et al. 1992; Grimminger et al.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff
- Available on Amazon.com

Fish-oil supplements are particularly rich in an omega-3 fatty acid called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which discourages inflammation, says Priscilla Evans, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Community Wholistic Health Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. EPA is also available from flaxseed oil. Like throwing a track switch to reroute a train, EPA reroutes the chemicals in your body early in the inflammation process. With the flick of that switch, the chemicals start to fight inflammation.
- Nature's Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol -- The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures by Gale Maleskey
- Available on Amazon.com

One group of unsaturated fats, the omega-3 fatty acids, found in certain nuts and seeds, including walnuts and flaxseed, prevent the development of erratic heart rhythms. Omega-3 fatty acids (which are also found in most fish) may also prevent blood clots, partly by decreasing inflammation, much like aspirin.
- The Okinawa Diet Plan : Get Leaner, Live Longer, and Never Feel Hungry by Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D., Makoto Suzuki, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

One of the newest pharmaceutical weapons against asthma is a class of drugs called leukotriene inhibitors. They work by halting the actions of compounds produced in the body that cause bronchial constriction and other allergic reactions. In an emergency situation, drugs like these are probably the quickest route to relief, but supplements of omega-3 fatty acids work by a similar anti-inflammatory mechanism. Moreover, they can be nearly as effective for long-term asthma control, says Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., N.D.
- Nature's Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol -- The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures by Gale Maleskey
- Available on Amazon.com

In addition to their effects on cancer, omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cardiovascular disease by inhibiting platelet aggregation and altering cholesterol levels. They may also lessen the severity of autoimmune diseases by suppressing the immune system and by inhibiting eicosanoid-induced inflammation (Fernandes and Venkatraman, 1992). Three grams daily each of EPA and DHA increased the proportion of omega-3 fatty acids and decreased the proportion of arachidonic acid in platelets from healthy subjects (Sanders and Roshanai, 1983).
- Cancer & Natural Medicine: A Textbook of Basic Science and Clinical Research by John Boik
- Available on Amazon.com

I rarely find a person whose test results indicate normal omega-3 fatty acid components. Most are severely deficient in EPA and DHA, the main components of omega-3 fatty acids. The DHA is primarily responsible for protecting the immune system and inhibiting cancer growth. Many people's tests are also very high in the omega-6 product arachidonic acid, which promotes inflammation and cell degeneration. To benefit from DHA supplementation, it is necessary to decrease omega-6 fatty-acid intake.
- Health and Nutrition Secrets by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

EFAs and especially the omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA and EPA) regulate the fluidity or softness of the cell membranes. A deficiency is noticeable as a hardening of the skin, as with dry, scaling, and flaking skin, patchy eczema, acne, and skin sensitive to the sun. Most common is phrynoderma, with rough, hard skin on the buttocks, thighs, and arms. The colder the climate, the more omega-3 fatty acids are needed for membrane fluidity.
- The Natural Way to Heal: 65 Ways to Create Superior Health by Walter Last
- Available on Amazon.com

Deep-water fish, such as salmon, sea bass, tuna, trout, and mackerel, are rich sources of the polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids and have anti-inflammatory properties. Eliminate the top food allergens from your diet such as wheat, dairy, corn, and soy, as they increase inflammation in the joints. Vegetables from the nightshade family, including tomatoes, aubergine, potatoes, and peppers, also increase inflammation and should be avoided.
- 1000 Cures for 200 Ailments: Integrated Alternative and Conventional Treatments for the Most Common Illnesses by Marshall Editions
- Available on Amazon.com

Numerous studies show that when people increase their intake of dark meat/cold-water fish, they have fewer heart attacks and strokes and fewer deaths from these causes. The omega-3 fats in these fish have always gotten credit for this improved health outcome, but these same dietary sources are also high in vitamin D.
- The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford
- Available on Amazon.com

There are two EFAs -- linoleic acid (LA), more commonly called omega-6 fatty acids, and alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), or omega-3 fatty acids. EFAs are precursors to prostaglandins, hormonelike substances with powerful and pervasive effects in the body. Prostaglandins are involved in keeping platelets from clumping together, in the relaxing and contracting of blood vessels, and in controlling inflammation, fever, and pain. Omega-3 fatty acids have been demonstrated to suppress tumor growth. They protect against most of the degenerative diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Whole Foods Companion: A Guide For Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and lovers of natural foods by Dianne Onstad
- Available on Amazon.com

The omega-6 series predominantly form prostaglandins that increase inflammation and with this the pain experienced in many diseases. The omega-3 series form anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Thus, omega-6 fatty acids aggravate allergic reactions, including asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, while omega-3 fatty acids reduce these.
- The Natural Way to Heal: 65 Ways to Create Superior Health by Walter Last
- Available on Amazon.com

DHA, another omega-3 fatty acid from fish oil is important for the normal functioning of the nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems, and helps regulate inflammation during infection. It is used to treat a wide range of diseases including arthritis and psoriasis, and can help reduce blood pressure. ...Omega-6 fatty acids, found in both olive and corn oil, when consumed in excess amounts, can produce inflammation.
- Viral Immunity by J. E. Williams, O.M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are the two fatty acids in this group that have been found to have potentially remarkable preventive and curative properties. BENEFITS OF omega-3 FATTY ACIDS:
- Can reduce harmful cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower the risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Can help to prevent fatal heart rhythm disturbances.
- Can reduce the "stickiness" of blood platelet cells and the amount of fibrin in the blood, reducing the risk of clot formation.
-Help reduce pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Dr. Earl Mindell's Unsafe at Any Meal: How to Avoid Hidden Toxins in Your Food by Earl Mindell and Hester Mundis
- Available on Amazon.com

It's now believed that unique fatty acids called omega-3's, concentrated in cold-water fish, help block the overproduction of hormonelike substances called prostaglandins and leukotrienes that in excess become overzealous and issue instructions to cells to begin harmful disease processes such as blood clots, inflammation, and immune reactions. Omega-3's have unique chemical structures that seem to throw a monkey wrench into these disease processes at a cellular level, blocking the dangerous metabolic overreactions that prompt prostaglandins to go on their destructive sprees.
- The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine by Jean Carper
- Available on Amazon.com

Blood clots can cause heart attacks and stroke; the omega-3 fatty acids in fish help to prevent dangerous blood clotting by reducing the tendency of blood platelets to clump. Omega-3 EFAs help to keep blood clots from forming in the arteries and can lower cholesterol levels, reducing the chance of heart problems. They are also known to reduce joint inflammation in people with arthritis, and are good for female disorders and breast disease.
- Prescription for Dietary Wellness: Using Foods to Heal by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
- Available on Amazon.com

Essential fats: omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. These essential fats are just that -- essential. They fall into the category of polyunsaturated fats and are very good fats when they are not highly processed or heated. Our bodies cannot make them, so we need to get them from our diet. We get plenty of omega-6 fatty acids in the Western diet; however, almost all of us are deficient in the omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids produce hormones (prostaglandins) that promote inflammation, cell growth, and blood clotting.
- Death By Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation by Ray Strand, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Evidence suggests that one of the eicosanoids, PGE2, promotes the development of various cancers by paralyzing certain key parts of the immune system (specifically, the natural killer cells), stimulating inflammatory processes, and promoting the proliferation of tumor cells. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to reduce PGE2-induced inflammation, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, and enhance immune system function, as demonstrated in a study in which omega-3 fatty acids slowed or delayed the development of metastases in breast cancer patients.
- Alternative Medicine the Definitive Guide, Second Edition by Larry Trivieri, Jr.
- Available on Amazon.com

Fish oils, especially those from fatty fish (herring, salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines) are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids interfere with the formation of prostaglandins that can lead to inflammation. A daily serving of fresh fish (or fish oil capsules if you don't like fish) should produce positive results.
- Natural Health Secrets From Around the World by Glenn W. Geelhoed, M.D. and Jean Barilla, M.S.
- Available on Amazon.com

I not only encourage my patients to supplement the omega-3 fatty acids but also to decrease their intake of saturated fat. When you combine these two efforts, the inflammation in the body readily comes back under control and your cholesterol levels improve. Several studies have shown significant clinical improvements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and almost any disease that involves inflammation when they consume these important essential fats in supplementation.
- What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You by Ray D. Strand
- Available on Amazon.com

Additional research suggests that when people increase their intake of omega-3 and monounsaturated fats and reduce their consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, inflammation is decreased and there is a better clinical outcome.
- Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy by Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Although it is unclear as to what are the exact mechanisms that explain the benefits of omega-3 EFAs, it is known that they do play an integral role in the functioning of the brain and neurons. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the predominant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is involved in reducing inflammation. Both DHA and EPA are involved in numerous neuronal functions that include proper neurotransmitter function for dopamine and serotonin, normal membrane fluidity, ion channel and enzyme regulation, and gene expression.
- Naturopathic Nutrition: A Guide to Nutrient-rich Food & Nutritional Supplements for Optimum Health by Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
- Available on Amazon.com

High consumption of omega-6 can increase inflammation; in contrast, omega-3 fatty acids have strong anti-inflammatory properties. omega-3 is most readily available through the consumption of fish and shellfish. Wild salmon, North Atlantic mackerel, sardines, flounder, sole, scallops, shrimp, pollack, red snapper, and tilapia are best because they all have a low mercury content. Avoid farmed salmon, which has a high PCB content, and high-mercury fish such as king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish, and tuna.
- The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
- Available on Amazon.com

Diets rich in fish that contain the omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), for example, can reduce inflammation. The omega-3 fatty acids themselves, taken in supplementary form, can also be beneficial in the treatment of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- The Doctor's Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia by Sheldon Saul Hendler
- Available on Amazon.com

Found in flaxseed oil and fish oils, omega-3 fatty acids can't be made in the body but must come from our food. The omega-3 fatty acids are necessary in the manufacture of our hormones, important for our heart, and necessary for the development of our brain. They also play a role in preventing cancer.
- Gary Null's Power Aging by Gary Null
- Available on Amazon.com

As you now know, "green" oils are higher in the essential omega-3 fats, while "beige" oils contain a preponderance of omega-6 fats. Both fats are essential, meaning that although our bodies can't manufacture them, they're necessary for normal cellular function. In general, omega-3 fats reduce inflammation, blood pressure, water and sodium retention, and pain and also relax blood vessels. Omega-6s do just the opposite.
- Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution: Turn Off the Genes That Are Killing You - And Your Waistline - And Drop the Weight for Good by Dr. Steven R. Gundry
- Available on Amazon.com

Experts say that the overall ratio of omega-6s to omega-3 s in today's Western diet ranges from 20 or 30 to 1 instead of an evolutionary ratio of 1 or 2 to 1. This dietary shift has created an alarming imbalance that researchers believe may contribute to inflammation, blood clot formation, and blood vessel constriction. A balanced ratio in the diet is essential for normal growth and development. Because the typical American diet contains such an overkill of omega-6 and its major component of linoleic acid, supplementation of omega-6 is not usually needed. But omega-3 is a different story.
- Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before It's Too Late by Stephen Sinatra, M.D., and James C., Roberts, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Natural therapies like antioxidants, the omega-3 and omega-6 oils, and the others I've mentioned don't provide instantaneous pain relief, but they do gradually alter the underlying physiology of inflammation and are safer in the long run. Again, this highlights the fundamental divergence between the conventional medical approach and the holistic approach. Since alternative therapies don't ameliorate pain so quickly, you have to tough it out for a while, but the results are ultimately more gratifying.
- Intelligent Medicine: A Guide to Optimizing Health and Preventing Illness for the Baby-Boomer Generation by Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

Peter Mayser at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, treated psoriasis with intravenous omega-3 fatty acids and found that two types of psoriasis responded much better to those infusions than they did to omega-6 fat infusions. A nutritious diet and vitamin D tend to "quiet" your immune system so it doesn't overreact to foreign proteins that come in contact with the skin.
- The Vitamin D Cure by James Dowd and Diane Stafford
- Available on Amazon.com

"...it appears that the active therapeutic agent in green-lipped mussel extract is eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA), a member of the omega-3 family of essential fatty acids (EFAs), found primarily in fish. Although this is a relatively new extract, it seems to have more potent biological activity than either eicosopentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
- Healing Pets With Nature's Miracle Cures by Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
- Available on Amazon.com

A diet high in omega-3 fish oil also reduces inflammation in the colon and in animal studies has been shown to inhibit colon cancer. Researchers have shown that adding a dietary regimen of fish oil, to those taking COX-2 inhibitor anti-inflammatory drugs, synergistically reduces colon cancer in animals. [Cancer Research 65: 8022-27, 2005]. A patient is often prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug after having a non-cancerous polyp removed, meaning the drug will pose a greater threat to life than will the polyp.
- You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore by Bill Sardi
- Available on Amazon.com

love softens all

2008-11-23T07:14:00.000-08:00

I have just re-read my last blog and the words “love softens all” leapt out at me. This led me to begin thinking about "hardness" of thoughts/perception and this led to “forgiveness” and thniking about memories (past lives and present) and relationships and how all relates to change. To “forgive” anyone for anything is to really “forgive” self for judging self and reflecting out to perceived “transgressions” from others in the first place. Nothing is ever “done to us” but rather we invite the energy (event/drama/trauma) into our life to learn, and our soul is all about learning.

This brings me back to love (it makes the world go round). To intellectually “forgive” another/others is to suppress the lesson and ignore it. There is no healing in this action. I think of my early years and Mum insisting that anyone of us kids say we were sorry for “hurting” the other, usually through being inconsiderate in some way, and always reminding us that we love each other and that we were family and all in the boat together. This always made saying “sorry” easier. Love always triumphed.

When we have an understanding of why we invited the event/drama/trauma into our life, then the love that rushes through our mind and body is the softening agent. Therefore we can view all events and relationships from the internal perspective of love of learning and growing in understanding of who we are. This very same emotion flood lights our mind and cells to soften and dissolve all perceived “hurts” because ultimately our life is about us and learning and changing; other people are personally invited to play a part on our stage of life.

Other people do not dictate how we are to feel, what emotions we will use or what thoughts we choose to think, because our life is not about other people. To make it so, is to deny our own internal power; to deny who we are, and this then becomes a perfect method to thwart any internal emotional change to love. We are all in the same boat of life and it is much easier to row together …we are all connected through the energy of love.

the head takes the body for a walk

2008-09-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

On my walk today I was very conscious of the beauty of the day; how the hues, shapes, textures of nature all blended so seamlessly with my emotions, my senses and my physical body. In a moment of heart-felt appreciation for life my mind opened to hear my mother’s voice saying “we must keep an open mind” and immediately strings of memory nodes activated and I enjoyed a kaleidoscope of sensory joy rush through me and I savoured the moment, the memories.

It has been almost 6 years since my mother transitioned and I still feel her presence keenly. This sensing of her energy, of seeing, hearing, smelling her, and feeling her hand on my shoulder on occasions, to name a few, all comes down to communication which has helped to heal my sense of loss of her physical presence. This is internal communication. The pattern is in place for us all.

So what does having an open mind mean to me?
I think of it as a mind of movement, of freedom from fear beliefs which hinder and flavour perceptions and dictate emotions, attitude, actions and my life. To engage in negative emotions is to show ourselves that we have no love for self and have no value. And our mind slams shut. This is pretty bad but then we insist on sharing this negative energy with everyone and everything else. What a prime example of self absorption this is. To open our mind is to be willing to communicate on all levels. There is much more to write on this subject but this is just a snippet for the moment, and perhaps something to mull over.

As my head continued to take my body for a walk and i crunched over stones going up and over hill, I wondered “what is my life about?” And immediately I heard:
Learning
Changing
Healing
Teaching

I look at these words and see how they link together in a very intimate manner and it allows me to see yet again the inseparability of everything or the unity of everything. I have to change the way I am thinking in order to learn and in order to learn I have to open my mind to change. In learning and changing I expand my mind, the energy of me because my perception of who I am continues to change.

My mind continues to expand as the energy of love softens all experiences through understanding of the lessons.What a wonderful moment in movement I have just had. I feel a huge shift in my energy as I recognize the positive emotions are my emotional safety net. Life is indeed good when the mind is encouraged to open and love and communication are the name of the game.

the world according to monsanto

2008-08-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

I came across this video clip and it validates all that i have felt/learned/known about Monsanto's tentacles strangling our health and the health of Earth. I hope you take a minute to view it.

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/the-real-news-network-the-world-according-to-monsanto/

spiritual teaching vs physical teaching

2008-08-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

I attended a Kathy Odenino seminar last weekend on disease and eternal health and it was such a mind changing event that i wish everyone could have attended. I am on my second reading of the handout and getting more and more from the semiar with each reading. Long ago i heard that it is easy to teach from the physical and a real challenge to teach from the spiritual. Kathy is one of the very few people who do teach from the energy of spirit and it is felt by all who attend. A lot of people attempt to teach spiritual philosophy but do not understand self let alone spirit,

I also think that people who want to learn are attracted to the information/energy and make the effort to attend these series of semianrs on memories. perhaps the more "advanced" minds know that change is important and spiritual philosophy offers answers in truth.

The seminar has prompted my thinking (which i thoroughly enjoy!) about stress and what it does to our systems of physical body, thinking mind, emotions and sensory responses to life. I have enjoyed the exploration and some of the writing will go into my book. But i dirgress somewhat. What prompted this morning's writing was watching Larry King last night with his panel of Candice Pert, JZ Knight and some chap i did not know of. They all spoke of the mind and neuronal pathways and reality and it struck me hard that Kathy Oddenino was teaching this very stuff years (and years) ago and it has reinforced my appreciation for what i have been exposed to and the expansion of spiritual teaching that very few others in the world offer.

I do wo der if people do not want to actually change and understand themselves and chose to live out the familar negative fear tracks in their brain of being a victim, of being poor or any other "excuse" for not learning and changing and accepting that we are all creators and our core energy is love. It all comes down to choice. We have to do the inner work to open our mind and shift our consciousness.
On this happy note i am now returning to my reading and writing.

a pattern is in place

2008-08-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

"When our soul mind chooses health over disease, healing will happen within our soul and we will crack our cosmic shell." This is a quote from page 51 of kathy Oddenino's book Healing Ourself. Growing Beyond the true cause of Disease. I have thought about this and so with this quote in my head i went for a walk. I had not gone far when i "saw" the pattern of growth and change so clearly.

Kathy has used the analogy in many of her seminars of us being like a chicken hatching itself out of its shell and likened the shell to our ego shell or cosmic egg or cosmic shell. What ever phrase one chooses, it all comes back to the same thing. We have to peck our way out of our ego shell that is made up of eons of accumulate fear beliefs. We support our growth and change through feeding our mind with thoughtful "foods" such as spiritual philosophy to help us look at ourself and learn who we truly are (and this very process makes the ego very nervous!). We support this process through clean air, food and water.

Look at the pattern of the chicken. It is sustained by the fluids of the egg for its growth and change and then when the chicken is old enough and stronge enough, it can peck its way out of its own shell and hatch itself. The tadpole also consumes its own tail to support its growth and change to become a frog. The pattern is in place.

As humans we have to accept personal responsibility to choose to change and grow and support this by choosing quality and quantity of variety of foods, (and mineral rich water and clean air) in our desire (conscious choice) for health of mind, emotions and physical body.

It is such fun to make these connections and see these patterns emerging. The walk was all the more enjoyable to feel not only the movement of my physical body but the movement of my mental and emotional body. This is truly the value of studying spiritual philosophy.

memories as evolution

2008-06-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

I woke up thinking about memories and how they define life. I “saw” colours as the energy of my life, and not just from this lifetime but all lifetimes. It was not unlike a kaleidoscope where the colours are already set and each small turn changes the pattern and colour combination and presents an entirely new picture of the energy of me. This is what each lifetime does. A fractal of each lifetime is to take each experience in this present lifetime as a miniscule turn of the kaleidoscope’s tube as symbolic of a lesson learned. With each lesson learned I move myself forward and the pattern of colours change as my energy expands with learning. This was so clear to me this morning and when I sit here to put physical words to translate energy, the words feel clumsy and confining in a way. But it is in the writing down that keeps me grounded by making my thoughts physical so really I am taking the energy of memory and making it physical by writing. It is my perception that makes the point of reference for my energy and my perception is infused with experiences of lessons learned….therefore it is my relationship to my memories that I come to my understanding of life ….meaning that my understanding is through my senses and then I can have a relationship with my memories.

What I am saying here is that my memories define me….(define all of us… and therein lies our individuality). I am the sum of my memories as energy. It is all the experiences I have had throughout “lifetimes” that offer me a tremendous depth of knowledge (memory) and I think of this as having all the wisdom of the universe available to me.

All I have to do is know who I am (as energy and matter) and to do this I have to live personal responsibility to examine self, my creations (experiences) and clear out/away all negative thinking so I can “know thyself” and open my mind to all memories to live the behaviour of all the ethical values. This is the value of studying Spiritual Philosophy (http://www.kathyoddenino.com/) in learning that I am eternal as energy and as I open my mind I feel the balancing effect of the loving emotions coming into play and memories begin to come in and relationships are made. It is the most comforting learning I have ever experienced. When I say “all I have to do is know who I am…” it sounds a bit glib but it is the most exciting mind traveling I have ever done and it is evolution because the change occurs in how I am thinking. This changes everything!

I create memories by physical experiences and I stimulate them through my senses. I have gone back through this life and looked at various experiences I created and have asked myself why. In asking “why” my mind opens and in my growing understanding of who I am my perceptions have changed. What was once a drama is now valued for what I learned from it. This is how the analogy of the kaleidoscope works for me. I have learned and therefore changed my perception through understanding. This shift in thinking changes my internal and external energy field. It is the movement of my mind that changes my energy. This is the changing colours of the kaleidoscope of the energy of my mind.

Healing Kidney Stones with Neural Depolarization: My Story

2008-06-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Neural depolarization helped to heal my nerves

2008-06-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

Earlier this morning Ii was sharing a quiet moment and cup of coffee with a friend and she made a comment about toes wiggling looked amusing or funny. This simple comment stirred me to remember when I could not open my toes or wiggle them without manual manipulation. I recall looking down at my feet years ago and seeing the muscle wastage and the limpness of digits and thinking they looked like they had been bound for years.

I found this speech i had given years ago now and thought i would air it again. I have written this story many times over the years. I continue to have NDP and am always amazed at the sensations i feel within my energy (nervous system). My gratitude is deep for the power of this therapy and what it has offered me and for what it has offered others.

My story:

Background: (briefly)
I want to tell a little story…a story of healing.
I was 24 years old and traveling through Europe. I had arranged a teaching job in Africa and as such, had to have a cholera injection. The cholera serum was contaminated and a virus began to wreck havoc in my right kidney and nervous system…particularly the peripheral nerves. My first indication that something was amiss was coming through the gym and jumping to touch the rings that were hanging down. My head sent the signal and I felt my body went through the motions but my feet did not leave the floor. I got such a shock, that I tried again and it was obvious the message was not being received by my legs. This began a round of doctors and tests. I had manipulation under anesthetic to no avail, other than to feel sore. I had 8 myliograms in 2 months, which showed no obvious obstruction in the spine. All the time my limbs are getting weaker and I am beginning to lose a lot of weight. It was not long before the numbness began and then the tremors began to become noticeable. Feeding myself was a challenge, as I could not hold a cup in one hand. It became obvious that I could not continue to work.

It was about this time that my mother sensed something amiss with me and said she was flying over from new Zealand to Johannesburg…in south Africa. There was a flurry of writing as I tried to prepare her for my skinny self…and a brief update on what was going on with me. I collected my mother from Jan Smutts airport and from there I went straight into hospital.
It was a teaching hospital in Jo’burg (RSA) where I underwent more tests. There were a lot of suggestions as to what was wrong with me….a lot of labels were bandied about and I was not enthralled with any of them. It was obvious that the myelin sheath was disintegrating. This is what surrounds the nerve. so I ‘settled’ for a label of peripheral neuritis….rather than other more ominous diagnoses. I was told that I might have a couple of years before I would require a wheelchair. I was given a high dose of cortisone.

That was my life 26 years ago.

Over the intervening years I have tried a lot of ‘therapies’ from western medicine, I have been pumped full of cortisone, done physical therapy. I have experienced eastern medicine and I have swallowed potions made eye or nwut and chicken lips looks appetizing. I have tried acupuncture. I have gone through a lot of body work and energy therapies and massage. It was suggested that I sit under and orange blanket and say om.

I have always been conscious of the value of nutrition so that required minor tweaking. I have done visualization and meditation. There is not much I have not tried from mainstream western medical to eastern medical to alternative therapies over the past twenty years.

Enter Kathy Oddenino and the neural depolarization therapy. Let me explain how this has changed my life step by step if I can.

These past four years are the first time in 25 years that I have been able to feel my legs while shaving them. It is the first time I have tried on shoes and been able to feel the fit correctly. It is the first time I have been able to run with confidence that my legs would not give out from under me. It is the first time in a quarter of a century that I have been able to walk bare-footed on a beach and actually feel the texture of the sand move under my feet. It is the first time I have been able to open my toes and wiggle them. This is the power of neural depolarization.

Kathy began to work on my nerves and I could feel the heat and the vibration and the movement of energy going through me. I could hear the snap, and often times feel like a slippery movement occurred as a nerve depolarized and then the surging warmth going through what felt like, frozen nerves. As Kathy began to work on my sciatic nerve I felt nothing initially. Then it began; the pain. A spinning pain. It felt like I was having a root canal done in my leg. My nerve was unwinding.I was in much discomfort over then next few weeks. But…The pain delighted me as I then had confirmation that the nerve was alive…and I was able to feel. It took a month of consistent work to fully depolarize the nervous system and to be able to shave and feel exactly where the razor was on my leg. This was excitement indeed! I have no tremors. I have feeling in my legs and sense the myelin sheath has regenerated. This makes sense as Kathy is using her electromagnetic energy as jumper cables to my nervous system to stimulate growth.

I have used nutrition and knowledge as part of my health régime and the neural depolarization has been the most incredible gift I could have been given….exposed to. The power of this technique is beyond my ability to articulate more than I have done. I am living the healing.
There is not much I have not tried from mainstream western medical to eastern medical to alternative therapies over the past twenty years. The gentle power of neural depolarization work has done more for me than anything else I have been able to find anywhere in the world.

love = sharing

2008-05-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Love = sharing. I have been thinking about this in relationship to the series of classes I have just done. I love the material, love people; love learning and so to teach becomes an easy and natural “next step” to share my knowledge and love.

A lot of my blogs are written for clients and have been inspired by their questions and this is one of them .

I have been thinking more on this sharing of love and love and sharing. I spent a delightful impromptu evening with my friends on Sunday and could feel the energy of all mingling and expanding and supporting as we interacted and shared our thoughts and “aha’s” with each other. The comfort and ease within us and with sharing same energy with others …from close friend to strangers…was evident throughout the evening. This recognition of our respective comfort in our own skin is really only possible when we know ourself and live from the energy of love and freely communicate. When we are living from the mindset of loving emotions we want – and are open – to sharing this energy freely and without filters. It translates to a love of life. I feel so privileged to know these people and have them as my friends. My life is all the richer because of them.

The antithesis of this open living of the spiritual ethical values is to refuse to share thoughts, dreams, ideas, concepts, the up and downs of life and learning. All of which is really about refusing to open our mind. To not use our thinking mind is to deny our spirit. We have to use our thinking mind to get to the loving emotions and the spirit senses to become a spirit consciousness. This is the pattern of the mind. There are no short cuts.

We can be socially active and still be living in isolation by not sharing ourselves openly though communication with the energy of love and truth. Instead we hold back our thoughts and emotions because of our judgement – of self - reflected externally and this negative energy is then thrust upon others. This energy is abusive on all levels. Oftentimes those we consider nearest and dearest to us will get the brunt of this controlling energy field. This truly is a person isolated from spirit. I look back to my early years and see this “protective” pattern of living because I did not want to be hurt which is so amusing because only the ego fears being hurt. This is how sneaky the ego fear beliefs are. This external reflection is really just the ego doing its best to preserve itself in all its negative delusional “glory” by not opening the mind to change and to grow. So we control and judge to maintain the ego shell around us. This is how we isolate and separate from the internal energy of the love of spirit and from others, which leaves us very uncomfortable in our skin an unable to truly know ourself.

a walk through my garden and my mind

2008-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have been out and about walking and puttering around in my garden. My mind has wandered and has been a wonderful companion. Here is a stream of consciousness that I will share with you.

We practice self-alienation through our negative thinking based on our fear belief structure. We then reflect this distorted energy externally and interpret it as judgment, rejection and abandonment by whatever or whomever our fertile ego mind can drum up to blame. When our lack of thinking is the norm and we are really just living from a reactive energy. This energy field is familiar, and what is familiar and known to us is fear. Fear = separation/self alienation and this fosters a very negative and chaotic mind and energy field. This very same energy feeds in on itself and the alienation from our truth and love intensifies; the more “lost” we feel and the more controlling of self and others we become. This is living in chaos and separated from divine energy. It is practicing self destruction and abuse.

While in my garden I was examining the flowers and I recognized myself in them. I mean that all of life follows a pattern…the same pattern of birth-life-death-birth-life etc. To judge myself for something done or said is to deny who I am as a soul and spirit. It is this judgement that is the self-alienating process and it becomes stultifying to growth and change. I see my plants coming up and I am excited at each new change that happens – that I get to observe. The formation of a bud is beautiful yet it “loses” it beauty to change and growth as it becomes a full bloom. The full flower that offers my senses such delight only lives because the bud continued to change and grow and the change continues its full and perennial cycle.

My garden continues to teach me and like the fluid organic nature of the plants, no part is separate. Life is about growth and change. The plant grows flowers by letting go of the bud. The flower becomes its own expression and expansion of the young bud. For me to focus only upon the bud of a rose, for example, I totally miss the entire beauty of the life cycle. This could be analogous to trying to hold onto youth and judging age as something abhorrent and to be avoided at all cost. Perhaps this is the fear of death? It is the fear of change. It does not really matter because it is still fear, control, negative energy and denial of spirit. This is refusing to change and grow and experience life in full. The more I am willing to live the spiritual patterns of the ethical values, the more comfort I find within me and the more exciting life becomes. This is our perennial movement as our cycle of Being.

acid/alkaline ...some morning thoughts

2008-05-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

While in the shower I was thinking about acid/alkaline of the water from my well and how I note a difference after heavy rain has fallen. From this point my mind went on to think about Earth and how it is stressed from all the chemicals we have dumped into it and this makes it more acid…I see how the wild fire help to alkalize the soil through the ash and the cracking open of rock to release/break down and mineralize the soil...there is a theory that the ice age was a way of alkalizing the Earth by pulverizing the rocks and leaving huge mineral deposits. Volcanic activity has a similar effect. Excess rain helps to cleanse the soil by diluting the man-made added chemicals. Earth tries to rebalance/alkalize itself every which way it can. Our body is the same pattern as Earth. It tries to keep an alkaline balance internally by drawing minerals from organs, tissues and bones. I think back to when my mother died and the emotional shock I experienced was stressing my entire system/s thereby making me very acidic. The innate intelligence of the body to maintain its internal integrity drew from bone for calcium to help buffer the acidic state of my cells. As a result, I broke a tooth without major physical trauma being exerted. This is just a snippet of the fractal pattern that we live from. When we separate ourselves from clean air, clean water, clean food we separate ourselves from our health and our home within our physical matter (body) and from our home on Earth.

Look at the air we are breathing. It has decreased in volume of oxygen over the past 60 years. Why? Acidity! We have expelled a lot of toxic gases into the air and produced acid rain as a side effect. This acidity of the rain has impacted vegetation. I have hiked a lot of the trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and had noticed some of the trees looked like they were dying, particularly the dogwoods. I have since found out that they are being slowly poisoned by acid rain. This very same rain is soaking into the water table from which we draw our drinking water. Our food is grown in the same conditions we are living under. It is no wonder our state of health is rapidity declining! We have acidity every which way from breathing, eating and drinking from chemically unbalanced sources. This can only produce an acidic (read inflamed) , unbalanced body.

It is our personal responsibility to be conscious of our chemical design and our interdependency on the Universe, Earth and Nature. We begin to heal by alkalizing our cellular body through clean air/deep breathing (use plants to help cleanse surrounding air), clean mineral water from glass bottles, and bio-organically grown foods that have not been genetically engineered. The fourth part to all this is to feed our mind with thought provoking material. Our thinking mind is our functional spirit so to not use it is to deny our indwelling spirit. To not use our thinking mind becomes yet another pattern of separation.

What does pH mean in the body?

2008-04-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

What does pH mean?

The power of Hydrogen. Hydrogen is a main element of our atomic signature of our physical body. This pH is basically a simple measure of the alkalinity and acidity of our cells. The normal scale is 0-14 with 7 being considered neutral. We are striving to keep ourselves around the 7 mark.

Some symptoms of acidity:

blood sugar challenges
lack of energy
skin issues
acid reflux
indigestion
fungal problems
inflammation (cells, joints)
constipation
headaches
stiffness
stress
fat accumulation
diseases

What causes acidity?

1) Poor food choices and ingestion of same (processed sugars, simple carbs, pesticides etc)

2) This leads to poor assimilation and creates more acid/alkaline imbalance

3) This leads to poor elimination which creates re-absorption of toxins

4) This creates biological terrain suitable for yeast, Candida, fungi proliferation and they in turn continue to create more acidity (toxins)

5) More acid we become, the more yeast, fungi are created that rob us of nutrients and create more toxins

6) The higher the toxic load, the more our cells become compromised and the less efficient the body becomes, the more ailments we have…

7) The less oxygen we have in our cells and the more carbon dioxide we have. Even Earth has the same issue!

8) The less oxygen we have, the greater our brain fog

9) The greater the brain fog, the less we are able to use our thinking mind in a positive manner and our thoughts become toxic

10) Toxic thoughts lead to acid puddles in the nerves!

Cellular acidity and alkalinity, when in balance, offer us vitality and health. Each cell in our body has both a positive and a negative charge to it. On the inside of our cell the biological terrain is acid and holds a positive charge. The outside of the cell is alkaline and holds a negative charge. Our body tries to maintain its balance and excretes excess through the kidneys (urine) and sweat is another avenue used.
If the acid levels are too high the body will not be able to excrete the excess and must either store it in fat or buffer it with minerals from organs and bones to neutralize it. This acid state of the cells causes inflamation and when the cells are inflamed, the body is challenged to drop fat and to heal.

The first urine sample in the morning will more than likely be a little more acidic than later in the day because the kidneys have been working with the rest of the body to expel the excess acid and it has been accumulating in the bladder. Having said that please note that in a balanced body the strip should not read less than 6.5 and is preferable to have the strip read 6.75 in the morning. This is a metabolic reading and is indicative of the health of the cells and the body’s ability to metabolize and neutralize acids. The second urine sample on arising should have a neutral reading of 7. A composite reading over time will allow a better indication of the health of the body as no single reading is a very good indication of overall acid/alkaline state. Maintaining a 6.5 to 7.5 ratio is the optimum range where the body can absorb nutrients (from air, food, water) to restores itself.

It is a very simple formula really. If we do not know who we are as energy first and as a physical body (matter), then we will not see/accept the relationship and relevance of clean air, organically grown foods (bio-organic is the best) and clean mineral rich water to our health of our thinking mind, loving emotions, Spirit senses and of our physical body. Until we are willing to know who we are, we are challenged to change. all change begins in the mind and I feel is translated into the pH balance of our cells. This is a reflection of the internal balance of our dual Soul mind and emotions.

toxicity ...

2008-04-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about toxicity a lot of late and what it all means. My next class is on toxicity and symptoms of same and a cleansing program using the foods of nature as one focus of the program. So because of this my awareness is heightened as to what others are saying/offering. I have noticed a lot of people offering “detox diets” and supplements to assist in detoxifying the body of accumulated “toxins” that run the chemical gamut of “foreign to our chemical physical design.” What this shows me is that people have awareness that we are polluting ourselves and coming up with all sorts of combinations of chemicals to assists our detoxifying process. I feel that a lot of these supplements are actually adding to our toxic overload and fleshing out some pockets at the same time. They also have not, to my mind, connected our thoughts, emotions and senses to the quality and quantity of the air, food and water and our health. They have externalized, and therefore separated, their thinking and their proposed “solutions.”

As a society, we are “hemorrhaging” and we are all focusing externally on developing the best and most elaborate band aide money can buy. Very few are recognizing that we are the problem and we have to ask ourselves why and what is causing the problem in the first place. Very few recognize that when we separate ourselves from quality and quantity of Nature, Earth and Universe that we separate ourselves from our health and love of life…of living. We are living in a cesspool that we have created. We have trashed Earth and poisoned the soil and then we wonder why we are having health issues. Once again I just have to say “Duh!”

Toxicity of our cells, of our mind, of Nature, Earth and even the Universe are not separate. We share a chemical pattern. Let me begin with the Universe and our unconscious dumping into space all unwanted hardware...not to mention the energy of negative thoughts! Think of all the space debris we have “left” there from our various forays into space….not to mention the tearing of the fabric of space in the process, but that is another story. We have countless aged, dead, dying satellites orbiting around in the magnetic field of Earth. What does all this “foreign” metal do to the electro-magnetic energy field of Earth? I have to wonder if this debris that we have so cavalierly abandoned to space is not also impacting the energy field of space. How? I do not know exactly. I know that we are a fractal pattern of the Universe so I think of being a chemical consciousness (or unconsciousness) and knowing that we ALL are electro-magnetic (chemical) energy, each with its own energy field. I reflect on how my energy field can be distorted dramatically from how I am thinking and the emotions I am using and externally from the electro-pollution that abounds in “normal” living and it can be a challenge to maintain my balance on all levels. With this stream of thinking I find it an easy move to extrapolate my energy field (from my thoughts and emotions and senses) out to interact with Nature, Earth and the Universe and to see that nothing is separate. ALL IS.

We are a combination of the chemicals of space (and our DNA pattern differs by .1% from a banana and rocks from Mars showing yet again how we are a part of the Whole) so continuing on with this train of thought, it stands to reason that as we are affected from external pollution, then so to must the Universe and Earth also be impacted, maybe not to the same degree, but impacted nevertheless. So that is one level to look at. There is Earth’s wobble that is noted by scientists, and I am surprised someone doesn’t just look at it all and say “Duh!” and then set about cleaning up the mess and begin to clear up the orbiting debris. The same goes for Earth and Nature. We have polluted Earth so horribly inside and out (from space debris, to burying toxic waste in the Earth and dumping into our oceans. Nothing has escaped our ignorance) that Nature is challenged to grow well and we eat from Nature so it should be no surprise as to why we have so much disease and basic unhappiness going on! How can we be healthy and happy when our chemical supply (from Earth and Nature) is so polluted? We are only as healthy and happy (shows in dynamic, expansive electro-magnetic energy field) as the food, air and water we take in. Food, air and water are from Nature, Earth and the Universe. So once again we see the inseparability of everything.

So how does all this apply to toxicity of our cells? I am getting to that. I felt I had to go around the Universe to get here. I am trying to allow my mind to go and I am learning to trust (as apposed to judge and control) my thoughts. We can see our interdependence on the Universe, Earth and Nature to the quality and quantity of the air we breath, the water we drink and the foods we eat, and these all have a direct influence to the state of our health; mental, emotional and physical. In a simple test of the pH of our urine we can see where our cellular health is. When our body become too acidic…read toxic!, then we are compromising all systems. When our cells become too acidic, all systems become stressed, our energy drops, and fat begins to accumulate in an effort to “protect” vital organs and acts as storage for toxins in the body. This toxic load stresses everything and just like the wobble in Earth’s rotation, our point of balance is very wobbly at this point. A toxic body/mind is ripe for dis-ease, disease, excess fat, stressed cardio-vascular systems, fungus, bacteria, virus become opportunistic and blood sugar challenges abound. This is just a glimpse of what can happen to us. Of course you could come to class and learn more of the symptoms, cravings and what to do about it all J.
Until next time…go well into this very good day.

new class series begins in April

2008-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have been invited to run another series of classes on Holistic weight loss and i am thrilled to be able to do this. I have pasted the flyer here with all relevant info.
I learned so much from doing the other class that i am excited to impliment this new learning.
Raewyn

HOLISTIC WEIGHT LOSS…self discovery series

WE CAN’T HAVE SWEET THOUGHTS ON A SOUR STOMACH!

Discover your mental, emotional, sensory triggers and release your blocks to begin your healing journey. With 20 years experience working with clients, I have found a holistic approach to be the most effective in attaining weight loss and lifestyle changes for health.

· WE ARE MORE THAN JUST A PHYSICAL BODY

· HOW THOUGHTS, NUTRITION, LIFESTYLE CAN INFLUENCE STATE OF INFLAMATION AND pH OF OUR CELLS-

· THE MIND AND BODY ARE CHALLENGED TO HEAL WHEN IN A STATE OF INFLAMATION

· HOW WE ARE INNOCENTLY SABOTAGING OURSELVES

Raewyn Cooper M.S, CNDP www.HEALTHISCHOICE.COM

WHERE? Unity books & Stuff, PITTSBORO 545-0619
WHEN? April 6, 15, 22, 29, May 6 2008 7pm – 9pm.
COST? $25 for first class, $20 after that.

BRING NOTE PAPER AND PEN

Electro-pollution and our health

2008-03-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Electro-pollution

Our body is about 80% water and has (hopefully!) a high mineral content. It is this high mineral content within the fluid that allows for high electrical conduction through the cells and the nervous system. This internal electrical communication system is initially generated from our thinking mind and these impulses are sent out via the nervous system to our cells. For the body to restore itself while we are sleeping, it has to be in a more alkaline state so that it can adequately detoxify itself. When there are high electro-magnetic energy fields around us, this contributes to acidity in the body, which means the body is challenged to release fat and to heal and restore itself.

When the thinking mind’s electrical charge meets the magnetic loving emotions, we have light and we have our electro-magnetic energy field. We are chemical beings and as such we vibrate as energy. Vibration is movement and movement = sound. We are essentially a tuning fork of energy. Like all tuning forks, we tune ourselves to the stronger vibration around us, be it positive or negative. For example, being in the presence of someone who has a higher vibration allows us to feel uplifted when we leave because we have raised our energy field. Conversely, sleeping on an electrical blanket is a large negative energy disrupter and interferes with our electro-magnetic energy field dramatically. I know for me, this was disruptive to my energy field to such a degree that I had trouble focusing to know where the door was and was irritable and did not feel rested. I felt totally discombobulated. I was a teenager at this point, so it took a while to figure out that the electric blanket was the problem.

Think about what electrical elements are in your bedroom, a place where we spend about a 1/3rd of our time. Is there a TV?, electric blanket used?, computer running?, cell phones?, clocks?, heat pump through the wall behind the bed? Is there other electric sources? All of these can disrupt our energy field. I had to move my electric clock away from beside my bed because of the units of electric energy it was discharging. It was enough to disrupt my internal cellular communication and electro-magnetic energy field. I am in this room about 8 hours a day and over time I have to wonder what this electro-pollution could do to the health of my cells?

All cells vibrate and divide and their innate intelligence knows when to do this. This applies to every cell from our brain to our little toe and everything in between. What happens, over time, when we are over-exposed to electrical influences while sleeping? This is where the energy tuning fork analogy comes into play because we adjust to the higher live electrical field. Our personal frequency is interfered with and can change and this is confusing to our cells. This interference can accumulate over time to the point of eventually breaking-down the integrity of our cells and disrupting cell division.

Now the question arises of how to know when or if we are experiencing electro-pollution. Here are some symptoms to look out for:
Nightmares
Headaches
Muscle cramps
Depression
Fatigue

How can we neutralize the electro-pollution? First we can eliminate the external sources as best we can. We internally support ourselves through eating the most vibrant freshly picked foods as possible, and make sure that at least 50% is raw. The other components are to breathe deeply (exercise helps this), to drink at least a quart of mineral water per day from a glass bottle, and to feed our mind with thought provoking material. Soaking in a bath is a great way to help neutralize the effect of electro-pollution (whether it is from an electrical appliance, from our own internal negative thoughts or from a negative thinking person). We have our own internal electro-pollution. Our thoughts create electric firing of the nervous system and when our thoughts are negative the chemical response is to have the fight/flight hormones dumping into our nervous system. When thoughts are negative, they do not have the high electrical charge arcing to reach the loving emotions to create an entirely different energy field. Until we can shift our thinking mind out of its ego shell of fear beliefs, we are living in a state of internal electro-pollution. This makes for a very acidic body.

If you want to learn more about the external influences of electro-pollution then I offer these authors and books:
Becker, Robert O. Cross Currents. 1990
Oschman, James. Energy Medicine. 2000
Kathy Oddenino offers the internal path to neutralizing electro-pollution (from a negative ego-bound mind) and expanding the positive energy fields of our minds through her 8 books on Spiritual Philosophy and her seminars.

Without Nature we do not have our health.

2008-02-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

I had always been told that Blackberries and Raspberries “boosted blood” and gave us energy. I absorbed the family lore and have built upon it. I now know that these two berries are power-packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and are nature’s antibiotics. These facts actually back up the “blood boosting” capabilities accepted and known by the older family members.

I look back at the older generation and recognize their innate knowing and understanding of Nature and its relationship to our health. Without Nature we did not have health. They may not have known about antioxidants and minerals and vitamins and how they all relate to cellular function but they did know that iron (among other elements) is found in these two berries and that it offered us energy and health. I have been thinking about this and know that iron is necessary to attract oxygen from the air, food and water to stimulate the body’s metabolism and boost energy levels. When this happens, the tissues can slough off the accumulated toxins much easier. This is the perfection of Nature and the timing of the growth of various fruits and vegetables. Everything works together in harmony. To step away from Nature is to be out of harmony and this produces a toxic load for our body to deal with. This means the body becomes to acidic and ripe for imbalance and disease to take root.

The older generation may not have known the chemical components and what each element did but they did know that nature has wisdom and to eat in rhythm with Nature offered health. They were wise enough to know that the foods that came available according to season and weather were what the body required. An example of this was to have cucumbers and tomatoes ready to eat in early summer. They were placed in a bowl of malt vinegar and were used as raw foods. This was said to stimulate the liver and clean up the body. I have learned that this dish acts as a “detoxer” and is a perfect salad dish after the heavier warming foods of winter. This is yet another example of living their wisdom. My aunt is 86 years old and is living on her own in New Zealand. She still maintains a large garden and I feel has a strong constitution because of it. She would say it is common sense to have your own garden…and I agree with her!

Another memory of axioms heard in regard to healing was, “you often get worse before you get better.” I have been thinking about this and what it means to me. I know we do not develop serious illness or toxic tissue over night and therefore we are not going to heal over night. Just as we do not become 50 pounds heavier over night, we will not wake up the next morning to be wearing a svelte figure again. If we get sick and are carrying a large toxic load we have to be patient with ourselves and work in harmony with Mother Nature and allow natural law to reverse the damage to our body.

I feel the body returns to health by back-tracking through the illness or weight gain until it can finds its pattern of health. I think of getting lost while driving and attempt to reverse my course until I find familiar roads again. This pattern makes “sense” to me and allows my mind to expand on the memories of expressions passed down through the family.

oxygen as part of our chemical design

2008-02-27T14:58:00.000-08:00

My thoughts this morning….I have been thinking about our chemical design of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and a small percentage of essential minerals and how the body feels as energy when balanced… not only within me but how it feels when doing NDP™ on another…..what about the cellular energy when it is in a more acid state? What happens to it? What does the energy feel like? Can I identify it as chaotic? It would have to be because it is not balanced.

Just take oxygen as a part of our chemical design. Oxygen helps to neutralizes acidosis in the cells and this allows the cells to replicate themselves accurately and contribute to the health of the person. Exercise brings in added oxygen to the cells. Water brings in 2 molecules of oxygen to feed the cells. Fresh foods (raw) contribute to the alkalinity of the cells through enzyme activity and oxygen. All work together to give life through….selection of:
· Air
· Food
· Water
· Mastication
· Absorption
· Elimination.

If there is a break in this pattern then there is a break down in the cellular function which means a break down of our health. The waste produced by foods is highly acidic and if we are not eliminating then we are reabsorbing the toxins and adding to the acidosis of our body. Urine and sweat is how the acid waste is excreted from the human body when the energy is balanced, and when the body is not balanced, the waste circulates through our systems and eventually accumulates in our capillaries and begins to clog up and disrupt the natural function of the body. This increase in acid immediately short circuits the oxygen from being utilized and we have embarked upon a slippery slope towards disease and an early death.

For example, the body creates lactic acid when physically pushed hard. When excessive physical activity is had and the body is not fully supported with plenty of water and fresh raw foods to help the cells neutralize the accumulated acid waste, then the lactic acid acts as a poison to the cell. With this in mind it is easy to see that keeping the body in a pH balance is our best (and critical) method of defense for health.
And so my thoughts go this morning.

Variety as the spice of life.

2008-02-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

I woke up with this thought of variety as the spice of life. It is something I have heard since I was knee high to the grasshopper. I am not sure I knew what it meant other than it is good to try different things. And so my child mind has grown up.

I have been thinking about variety and how we must have variety in the foods we eat, not only daily but seasonally, and how much of this is habitual. Then I was thinking about exercise and the same thing applies. We know that we become physically unbalanced or hurt if we do the same exercise repeatedly. We have a concept of mixing the exercises up to cover the basic large muscle groups such as something for the legs, which usually doubles as a cardiovascular exercise, them we do something for the chest and triceps and them back and biceps. So by the end of the week we have pushed and pulled and worked our legs and if we are lucky and motivated, we have done some abdominal work. Once we get a “program” we tend to stick to it.

This is the same pattern as our eating. We have foods we like and we generally stick to them. At the end of the week, we have been on an exercise “diet” and we have also been on an eating “diet” and when the thinking is habitual, we have a thinking “diet.”

I use the word “diet” deliberately. The first 3 letters of the word spell “die.” The Concise Oxford Dictionary has defined diet as “…feed (person, oneself) on special food as medical regimen or punishment. Diet originates from the Greek word, diaita, meaning “way of life”.

Our “way of life” has become a form of punishment because there is no variety in our thinking, in our attitude, our choice of words, in our choices of food, and types of exercise we do, or do not do. No variety in life equals no spice! Spice to me is animation and living to the full sensory, thinking, loving emotional experience possible. If we are not doing this, then we are living the opposite and punishment of stasis becomes the norm. Our lives on all levels and facets become conditioned and squeezed into a box of conformity and habit. This comes down to mindless movement and mindless eating and all stem from a mind that is not thinking leaving us with less mind. We seem to stop thinking once we have a routine established and we become robotic sleepwalkers. This is not living.

There are some things that are good to have as routine to make our transitions from sleep to work easier. Routines are good to have in that they allow an easy flow to occur. Then there is the fine line between routine and habit. In my mind, the difference is habit goes with an unthinking mind and routine is about being conscious and when one is conscious then adaptability and flexibility are infused into routine. This offers us organization and structure within and without.

I am not focused on what the numbers on a scale say and have not been at any time in this life but this does not mean I have not been on a diet! I did my first food diary years ago now and was amazed to discover just how habitual my selections had become. I was buying the same thing week in and week out with a modicum of variety. I like vegetables and fruits. I discovered I was buying the same fruits and the vegetables did have a slightly broader range than the fruits. Once this came to my attention I shifted gears immediately and tried to vary the fruits and the vegetables and felt the difference immediately within my cells. It really is about being conscious, being mindful, and changing. This is the spice of life.

some other links worth reading.....

2008-02-17T06:42:00.000-08:00

I offer these two links that offer different perspectives and are interesting...at least they are to me. Do check them out. I do not think you will be disappointed.
Go well into this very grand day....carpe diem!

http://spiritualphilosophymymusings.blogspot.com/

http://michaelslight.blogspot.com/

This blog is posted by a good friend of mine so i hope you enjoy her writing as much as i do....
Raewyn

sugars, fat and inflamation of cells

2008-02-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

A client showed me what he was using to snack on and the first ingredient was fructose and a little further down the list of ingredients was high fructose corn syrup. I was amazed and not surprised that he was struggling to lose a few pounds.

Fructose is as deadly in the body as high fructose corn syrup. It is a bit like putting sugat in the gas tank of our car and expecting good performance! These sugars are what I call “dead food” (as in lethal!) because they have no vibration as a result of having absolutely no nutritional value. I feel the same way about processed cereals. The contents may have started out as living foods but in the process of getting it into a pretty box for supermarket shelves, the “living foods” had the stuffing knocked out of them and any relationship to life and goodness that could be transferred to our cells is totally gone in the end product. The food has no life-force left in them.

The infusion of fructose, and high fructose corn syrup into “food stuffs” really should be held up as an offense against humanity as detrimental to our health and well being. These chemicals hold no enzymes to begin the break down of foods, nor do they contain any vitamins or essential minerals. Because of this lack, these “dead foods” interfere with the natural functions of the body and impede essential organs from using essential minerals. When I see the word “essential” I take it to mean I require them to function well.

If we look at when fructose corn syrup became imbued in the American food chain and looked at the dramatic rise in obesity and related illnesses, I feel we do not have to look too far to see a direct correlation to the synthetic, artificial “foods” we have been ingesting. We have to look at the quality and the quantity of our foods, air and water we are taking in. This is just one small example of how we are killing ourselves and creating a lot of pain and discomfort along the way. These synthetic foods we are eating are setting up a tremendous inflammatory state within our cells because these “foods” do not follow the natural (Nature) pattern of our design. It is well known that the body is challenged to heal and lose excess fat when the cells are inflamed. To eat “foods” containing high fructose corn syrup, for example and man-made synthetic chemicals is a perfect recipe for inflammation of cells, excess fat and all diseases that it brings with it when the body is out of balance.

We are going to be as healthy as the soil and the foods grown in it. Steiner has this part of the equation for health correct. To look around at the general population we can see that we have a major health problem. We have an epidemic of excess fat, and this epidemic is symbolic of our underlying dis-ease. It is in our face and we cannot miss the importance of what we are showing ourselves. We have a choice to be balanced and healthy and to do so we have to accept responsibility to change how we think and act. We have to line up our thinking, with our words and our behaviour with our commitment to change. No one can do this for us, nor can we do this for others. It is all our very “in our face” personal choice and to act on the decision to change is our gift of love to ourself.

We have separated ourselves from mother Earth and Nature and in doing so; we have separated ourselves from our health. Obesity and its related risk factors (heart disease, strokes, diabetes, hypertension to name a few) all have a direct link to the quality and quantity of what we are eating, drinking, breathing and movement of mind and body.

stress and pH of cells and memories etc

2008-01-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

Stress acts to deplete the body of trace minerals and minerals, in the same way that a negative attitude does. When stress is the state of mind, digestion, absorption and more than likely, elimination are all affected. Stressful situations are a part of life and I feel they are personal. What is stressful to one person may not be so for another. Preparing a formal dinner for 10, public speaking, doing tax returns, having a loved one die, moving to a different state, finding a snake in the bathtub are just some examples of a range of stress buttons that people experience and not everyone has the same exact buttons.

How to deal with stressful situations and maintain health? Being conscious is the first thing. I think back to my more stressful moments and what was happening to me chemically. It all makes sense now. When my mother was in her transition process, I felt like I stepped out of my life here and lived a huge chunk of it having an incredible experience to just as suddenly return to my life here again and attempt to pick up where I had left off. Everything was the same and yet everything had changed. It was a peculiar state to be in. In 28 days, I had flown thousands of miles to another country, in opposite season, and 17 hour time zone difference. I had spent a week at the hospital with my mother as she said her goodbyes and prepared for her own transition. In the remaining 2 weeks I had arranged her funeral, auctioned off the household and sold the house. All physical ties to town and country had been removed. I returned to the states and picked up my life. Throughout the whole ordeal I was eating well. I still dropped a lot of weight and experienced waves of grief for many months afterwards. I am sure I was in a more acidic state than normal. The one thing I was not doing was supplementing with minerals and vitamins. The stress I was feeling through my grief, used up a lot of minerals, particularly calcium which showed up dramatically with a broken tooth, and this brought on another lot of stress for me. Sometimes i think stress is just another label for giref.

Spiritual philosophy has offered me tools to cope with such things and I am grateful! Even though my mother’s death was an emotional shock, I still felt an internal buoyancy or support that allowed me to achieve a lot in a short time. I feel that each experience is either accepted as stepping stones for growth and change or as stumbling blocks. It all comes back to choice on how we wish to respond to life.

Since my mother has moved on, I am remembering things she used to say. They surface at odd times when a memory node gets nudged and I hear my mother’s voice in my head. There is one memory that came up the other day for me and I sat and savoured it. It was over a cup of tea that Mum said to me, “When you get a handle on patience, everything falls into place.” I felt the profundity of her words. I watched her live this in the last few years of her life and am conscious of the gift she offered. She gifted me with life and her life has continued to offer me treasures. I am finding that the more I learn about my self, the greater my appreciation I have for my mother and the role she played for me. The more I learn, the easier life becomes, the less stress I take on, the healthier I become. Life is good.

Attitude and the pH of our cells

2008-01-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

What attitude we chose to wear is solely our choice; it can be either positive or negative, depending on where the mind is focused. When the mind is swirling in negative thoughts, the trace mineral and minerals in the body are used up quickly. This chemical change means there is a shift in our vibration, or energy field. Just as plants take up pesticides and synthetic fertilizers ahead of the minerals of nature and alter their vibratory state with the “foreign” chemicals, so to does our body. Our mind focus determines our attitude, combined with organically produced foods, clean air and water, and all determine our vibration because of the chemicals used and this in turn affects the pH of our cells. A negative mind results in a more acid pH.

The openness of our mind, the gratitude and excitement being lived, build up the trace elements and minerals to a more expanded state. This means that the energy field has a higher vibration and more expansive and therefore, the cellular state is more alkaline. Our natural state of being is to be love and live joyfully. This is health!

Weight Loss and Chemical balance

2008-01-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

I was asked what the upcoming class was about and so i offer this as an overview.

I will begin by stating that the body is challenged to drop excess fat when the cells are in a state of inflammation. This is not a new concept. It has been around for a while and has been recognized as the basis of a lot of pain (mental, emotional, physical) and even disease processes. Typically the common course of action is to alleviate the “issue” with more chemicals/drugs that put us further out of balance. We know that pesticides, fungicides, artificial “foods” (man-made and not from/of nature) added sweeteners and dyes are all out of sync with our chemical design. So changing our foods to be of Nature and organically grown is to use food as medicine. It is also the first step towards loving, respecting and valuing self (Nature and Earth) and taking up the reins of personal responsibility to help in change of the health of All.

Do you know the body has pH levels like the soil does? Just as plants grow best with the right pH level, the pH of the body has a large bearing on the health of the cells. When our body becomes too acidic, we become “ripe” for dis-ease, disease and basically a sick body. A sick body means that our mind and emotional state are also affected because we are a total package of energy of mind, emotion and spirit. It is all reflected into the body.

Hippocrates said, “You are what you eat” and this is true. We are intricately and intimately connected through the chemicals of the foods from Nature, the water and minerals of Earth, and the air from the Universe. When we pollute Nature and Earth with pesticides, use chemicals to force growth, genetically engineer crops, dump toxic chemicals into our ground-water supply or empty toxic chemicals into the air, we pollute our chemical balance. We open ourselves up for inflammation and disease. Whatever we eat, we have to ask this question. How was it grown or processed? We are not separate from our “home on Earth” any more than we are separate from our “body as our home.” We are truly what we eat.

When we are chemically out of balance, we can be in a state of inflammation. It is challenging to lose weight when the cells are inflamed.I like to flip this truism of Hippocrates around to “eat what you are” as I think of our atomic signature being carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, mineral and essential fatty acids, minerals and various combinations of all of these. This is our connection to Earth, Nature and the Universe.

Our thoughts create our reality. It is our choice what our thoughts are. It is our choice of what words we use. It is our choice of what actions we take. Everything is Choice. It is our choice to be in a negative energy field. It is our choice to chase or obsess on things/people/actions (acid producing for cells). Or we can focus our mind in a positive way and produce a positive and expansive energy field…no-one else can make this choice for us. To eat an entire packet of cookies in one sitting (or as a “reward”) is our choice. To allow another’s fear and negativity to expand ours is to create dramas and live in chaos. This action is also showing how a negative mind is running the show and dictating all actions.

Everything is related and therefore cannot be separated in any way, shape or form. This means that to address health, nutrition and weight loss, I have to bring in how the mind is thinking, what the feeling sense is being lived and what emotions are being used. This also applies to the physical movement, stage in life and stress and all are dependant upon the quality and quantity of air, food and water being ingested. These then relate to the health of us, the Earth, Nature and Universe. The bottom line is that it does not matter where we begin or end as all areas are interwoven and interpenetrated and there is not one thing that can stand on its own. It is our thinking mind that determines our energy field we chose to live in.

Nothing is separate and “nothing comes from nothing.” Everything begins with the mind and is reflected into the body.

Want to hear more on Holistic Weight Loss and Health? Call 919-545-0619 to reserve a seat for a class on January 23rd at 7 pm at Unity Books & Stuff in downtown Pittsboro....or contact me directly info@healthischoice.com

an upcoming class

2008-01-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

WE CAN’T HAVE SWEET THOUGHTS ON A SOUR STOMACH!

An Introduction to

HOLISTIC WEIGHT LOSS

Discover your emotional, mental, sensory triggers and release your blocks to begin your healing journey. With 20 years experience working with clients, I have found a holistic approach to be the most effective in attaining weight loss and lifestyle changes for health.

· WE ARE MORE THAN JUST A PHYSICAL BODY

· HOW THOUGHTS, NUTRITION, LIFESTYLE CAN INFLUENCE STATE OF CELLULAR INFLAMATION AND pH OF OUR CELLS

· HOW WE ARE INNOCENTLY SABOTAGING OURSELVES

Raewyn Cooper M.S, CNDP www.healthischoice.com

Where? Unity Books & Stuff, PITTSBORO ….919 545-0619
When? January 23rd 2008 @ 7-9 pm
Cost? $25.00 … bring notepaper and pen

fractal patterns...my growing awareness

2007-11-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

We are an integral of Nature, Earth, and Universe and cannot be divorced from them in any way, no more than we can separate our soul and spirit from our physical body. I came across this quote that rang true for me. “You ought not attempt to cure the eyes without the head, or the head without the body, so neither ought you attempt to cure the body without the soul”. Plato. Plato knew that we cannot separate any part of us and maintain our health. To do so, is to invite a chemical imbalance that can cascade into dis-ease (mind/emotions/physical) and then disease, and eventually into the pollution and distortion of our blue-print for life; the DNA. This sets us up for horrible distortions in future lives. What we eat, drink and breathe now has a direct influence on our ability to stretch our mind to open to the loving emotions. This is how we attain our health and integrity of our DNA. This is our soul/sole responsibility, not just for this life but for our future lives. This is the beginning of learning to know who we are as a dual soul and spirit living in a physical body and becoming aware that we are energy and matter.

To speak of the physical body is to relate it directly to Nature, Earth and Universe. The body’s cellular integrity is directly related to how we are thinking and what emotions we are using. All is One. For example, Nature is designed to sustain the physical body. The pure chemicals of Nature, nurture the emotional self and the thinking mind, which also support the physical matter. This is the relationship of Earth to our emotions and the health of All.

We breathe, inspire, in-spirit.. Our breath nourishes the blood; this nourishes the cells and all chemicals taken in (food, water, air) nurture the nervous system. The quality and quantity of the chemicals either allows movement of the mind into the loving emotions, to become reflected into physical body and our energy field, or not. The physical action of the diaphragm when breathing deeply helps to nourish the nerves coming from the spinal column, and the walking action of the body “massages” the spine and helps to re-hydrate and move the fluid from brain stem to coccyx and back to nourish the nerves. The diaphragm is then like a pump for more than just our breath. In this way the spirit supports the soul, which supports the physical, which supports the soul, which supports the spirit and the cycle continues.

This is the same pattern of the Universe supporting the Earth, which supports Nature which supports the Earth which supports the universe. We are a huge eco-system with systems within systems within Universal patterns. This is the fractal pattern of the Universe. And we are a fractal of the Universe by our chemical design. The quality and quantity of the food, air and water is our choice. To activate our power of choice means we have to consciously use our will and intention to live in health and harmony with Earth, Nature and Universe. This is about learning to know who we are as a consciousness. As Socrates says, “Know Thyself.” The more I learn and open my mind and awareness of the relationship to All, the more exquisite life becomes. It is beautiful.

detoxification...some thoughts

2007-11-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

Detoxification

As I was driving around the other day, I was taking in the scenery and appreciating the fall colours and I was thinking about the inseparability of Everything. I had the thought that we can detox Earth and Nature in the same way that we detox our body. Conversely, we can detox our body in the same way Earth and Nature does. I saw the cycle as complete and “presented” to my mind as ONE unit of intertwined and interdependent energy. We cannot treat us, Earth or Nature as separate entities. To detox one, we immediately influence All.

We do not have to have a brilliant open mind to see that we are not healthy beings, Earth is not healthy and Nature is not healthy. All are being poisoned by man-made chemicals that are foreign to the design of us, Earth and Nature.

Earth is struggling to maintain integrity, (health, balance) just as Nature is, and therefore we as humans are struggling to maintain our health and experience longevity. All are reflective of each other. The TV programme, Planet in Peril has shown how sick Earth is, therefore Nature is also ailing. We as humans are supported by both Earth and Nature and we to are ailing. We are interdependet on each other. To separate ourselves from Earth and Nature is to divorce ourselves from our heath. We cannot trash Earth, Nature , Universe and expect to have our health.

The question arises as to how to detoxify and return to health? I will focus on the human body and mind for this piece.

A brief check list of symptoms that are certain signals that the body is on toxic overload:

Is my energy low? Am I feeling tired?
Do I have poor memory or experience brain fog?
Do I find it a challenge to concentrate?
Am I overweight?
Do I have excessive body odour or/and bad breath?
Do I have skin problems?
Do I have food allergies?
Do I feel bloated/gassy/sleepy after meals?

These are a few questions to examine. If you find they apply then you would benefit from a cleansing programme to detoxify our cells and return our body to healthier pH balance.

I will write more on this later, or if interested, you can contact me at www.healthischoice.com

thinking about obesity...part 2

2007-10-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have received a lot of interest from readers from my last post and people wanted to know how to rectify any damage that might have been done to themselves and their children. We can change and beging to undo the damage done to our nervous system and cellular structure. We do this through the clean foods of Nature, the fresh and clean water and minerals from Earth and the air we breath. I would suggest for those who truly wish to do a cleansing programme, that they find 2 books by Kathy Oddenino….The Joy of Health, and Healing Ourself. Growing beyond the true cause of disease, as both show how to change and begin to reverse the chemical cellular damage.There is a good cleansing programme in both of them.

We have innocently poisoned ourselves and Nature and Earth with toxic chemicals. I used the phase ‘toxic chemicals’ with deliberation. The pesticides, artifical sweetners, preservatives and dyes (to name but a few) that are placed in our food source are foreign to our chemical design of our spirit consciousness. We can begin our healing process by detoxing our cells through food, air and water. To cleanse the body is to nurture it. Air, food and water is where our atomic design is based. It is the source of our health. When we stray from these natural chemicals, we stray from our state of health.

These toxic chemicals we have been exposed to also includes all the chemicals that are being washed into our water supply from run offs of roadway. For example, all the salt that is placed on the road to melt the ice is altering the pH of the streams, not to mention the mixture of various liquids that come from vehicles. This all goes into our ground water. This is a problem and it is well recognized. Along with this known problem of the pollution of our ground water, is a known solution. The pollutants can be be drastically reduced by planting suitable grasses, shrubs and trees to help clean the run-off, yet this is , as yet, not common practice.

Inside our homes when we flush the toilets the water takes the chemical mixture to a ‘treatment’ plant where it is supposedly ‘cleansed’ with more toxic chemicals and recycled. And so the cycle continues. Perhaps we are drinking the prozac and antibiotics of neighbours to. What of the fluoride that is added to the drinking water? This is a known poison and also known to inhibit the uptake of lithium in the brain. What are people thinking…or perhaps not thinking? Fluoride was given to prisoners in WW11 Germany to keep them easy to manage! And this is what this country, and others, are offering citizens. Certainly something to think about. For more information on this, do read Charles Walters’ book, Minerals for the Genetic Code.

thinkiing about obesity...part 1.

2007-10-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about obesity and as my mind began to examine it, I discovered that this country is ‘dependant’ upon people being fat. It actually behooves this economy to have people overweight/over fat. Obesity financially feeds the medical systems and the drug systems and the insurance companies and basically feeds fear. This is the opposite of our spiritual design as chemical consciousness. (For more information on “Intelligent Design” check out this blog site and read book “Spirit Consciousness. Our intelligent design” by same author http://spiritualphilosophy.blogspot.com/)

.This chemical disaster all begins before birth of child because the parents are eating the compromised foods to begin with so that the child in uteri is also being fed these toxic chemicals. I do not mean that parent’s-to-be are mindfully and consciously eating toxic food, drinking harmful fluids (diet drinks for example) and breathing in dirty air (air "fresheners" around the place); far from it! No-one would consciously put poisons into their mouths unless determined to end this physical lifetime.

I had read an article froma reputable source a while ago, that addressed the chemical soup that babies were swimming in uteri. The article went on the say the results of analysis showed something in the range of 200 plus toxic chemicals in the placenta. One of the toxins that stood out for me was the one used as fire retardent. This prompted me to do some research on this and to my horror, I found that this fire retardent chemical is a neural toxin (impacts the nervous system/DNA) and is put into the fabric that babies wear, have around them and sleep on. So not only are they absorbing it through their delicate skin but breathing in the fumes that it is off-gassing as well. I might add that adult clothing is now being infused with the same toxic chemicals! Yet another reason to buy organic clothing.

Why am I mentioning this here? These toxins can interfer with the development of the nervous system set up cellular inflamation. When this happens, the body is challenged to settle into a healthy weight and state of health and well being when in a state of inflamation. The body is challenged to heal. This all begins at the beginning of life with chemical influences from the parents and the environment.

free choice of level of consciousness

2007-09-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

I had been going back through my files and came across the following that came out of a book study that I held a year ago and I thought I would share it here. Just reading through some of these habitual thought patterns it is easy to see how limiting and negative they are and the excitment is in knowing that change is choice. If we do not change, we get left behind as a consciousness. To understand what consciousness is I offer a link here. It is an interview with Kathy Oddenino and she defines consciousness in an easy manner. You will feel the truth of her words, I am sure. It shows us where we are going.

http://consciousnessasthetheoryofeverything.blogspot.com/

Here is an example of patterns of negativity we have lived….or still living…..

In reading of the Laws of Seven (Joy of Health by Kathy Oddenino), we hit upon the concept/belief of "unworthiness." I have just been re-reading the chapter to find the sentence that set off this line of discussion, but to no avail. It is funny how that happens.
What came out of it were patterns that this belief was being expressed in past and present behavior. These are a few of the things that came up as participants contributed their thoughts and recognized patterns of behavior and speech:

“Whatever I do, it is never good enough...or never enough” (This is the victim).
“Seeking approval” (Wanting to be saved --- the flipside of savior).
“I can never win for losing” (this is "victim energy").
“The harder I work the poorer I seem to get” (also victim energy).
“I have to protect what I have” (hoarding).
“I can't afford organic food, ......” fill in the blank. (Poverty consciousness).

These are a few examples that came up and were related to thoughts, speech patterns and actions. What this really is about is the feeling of inadequacy, which is living the poverty consciousness --- the concept of "not enough" that is an example of "victim energy." Love and money are both physical expressions of this, or a level of this "lack mentality." These are all beautifully addressed in Kathy's second book, Bridges of Consciousness, for those of you curious enough to learn about your own patterns and how to change the old tapes.

In looking at this, it really is about deprivation --- the feeling of being deprived of internal love and therefore feeling inadequate of creating what we want. This is like leaning hard into a door with one hand and trying to open it with the other. We go nowhere. This is a very small example of what the study of Spiritual Philosophy can do for us to open our minds and to give us tools to change.

It is all choice.

We are reflective beings. Think of yourself as a flashlight reflecting light and only you can do it through the opening of the mind. We cannot look for the light external to self as this is the pattern of the fearful mind living its poverty consciousness. We have a choice in what energy field we want to live in. This is determined by our thoughts and emotions and senses engaged.

divinity of All...a snapshot.

2007-09-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

I have a greater recognition of the divinity in All; Us, Nature, Earth, Universe as consciousness and it brings tears to my eyes.

How can we evolve as a consciousness when we cannot see the wonder and the beauty around us?…to feel Earth as our home, know our bodies as our home with sense-certainty?My heart hurst to see the abuse we are heaping upon All. I feel that when we take care of Nature, Earth, Universe, and allow everything to have its place in balance and harmony, then our health and the health of all, will be reflected as harmony and balance.

The root word of Health is the same as for Wholeness and from this we get Holy. The Taoists recognize health through the integration of heaven and earth as harmony of all. As a society, we are far from this state of being.

We have chemically made our lives artificial. We have basically stripped away our delicate sense-certainty in every area of living. For example; when we are eating from nature in a balanced manner with clean food, air and water then our hormonal output is balanced. This means that we will have our natural scent being produced from the hair follicles on our bodies. This is the natural order…and odour.

Our false self is presented to the world. It is external and synthesized. This is a mind at war with itself. There is not a lot of truth to be had at the moment. Just take one sense such as the sense of smell. First we remove a lot, if not all body hair and then we apply a lot of chemicals to camouflage our natural scent. We use highly scented soaps, shampoos, creams, toothpastes, mouthwash, deodorants, colognes, perfumes before we leave the bathroom in the morning. What we are presenting to the world is a false self that has been manipulated to appear smooth. How can we know the “real” person when our senses are confused? Internally and externally for ourself and others?

I am not saying we have to revert to being unwashed, unkempt by any means. I am asking us to think and become more aware of what we are doing. Why do we have to use all these chemicals to begin with? If we are eating clean food, drinking unpolluted water and breathing clean air as possible, then our natural body odour is not offensive. The moment we put a foreign chemical into our body, we have polluted it and set the stage for inflammation of the cells. This in turn is another stage setting for shorter lifespan, disease and more chemical toxicity. We are absorbing these very chemicals into our bodies not only through our nose, mouth, eyes but also through our skin. These “toiletry” chemicals are foreign to our design and this is before we leave the house in the morning…for some of us.

When in this state, we are challenged to evolve our consciousness and live in health. We have a choice. It would behoove us to be mindful and realize that we are all connected which means what one person does impacts others. How we treat ourself, our family, friends, colleagues, all has an effect on Nature, Earth and Universe and the health of All.

you are what you eat

2007-09-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about the saying of Hippocrates, “You are what you eat” and this is a truism. We are intricately and intimately connected through the chemicals of the foods from Nature, the water and minerals of Earth and the air from the Universe. It is when we pollute Nature and Earth with pesticides, chemicals to force growth (nature on steroids), genetically engineering nature, dump toxic chemicals into our ground-water supply and empty toxic chemicals into the air that we pollute our chemical design and open ourselves up for inflammation and disease. When we eat from nature, we have to question what the soil has been fed. We are not separate from our “home on Earth” any more than we are separate from our “body as our home.” We are truly what we eat. When we are chemically out of balance we can be in a state of inflammation and it is challenging to loose weight when the cells are inflamed.

I flipped this truism of Hippocrates around a bit to “eat what you are” as I think of our atomic signature being carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, mineral and essential fatty acids and various combinations of all of these. This is our connection to Earth, Nature and the Universe for All is chemical. We are a chemical consciousness which is clearly explained in the book, The Journey Home. Our Evolving Consciousness by Kathy Oddenino. In reading the chapter on Our Chemical Consciousness, p 27 this sentence jumped out at me. “The secret to our happiness and health is understanding that we are a chemical consciousness, and understanding that we were created with a very precise pattern that allows us to continually support our mind and emotions as a chemical consciousness and the cellular structure of our physical body as a chemical consciousness.”

weight is about the mind

2007-09-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this blog and trying to find a rhythm in writing and not limiting myself to physical weight loss. It is challenging to show that everything is related. As the book title by P. Costner says “We all live downstream.” This is a physical situation yet it is just a reflection of our thinking. Our thoughts create our reality. It is our choice what our thoughts are. Our choice of what words we use. Our choice of what actions we take. Everything is Choice. It is our choice to be in a negative energy field and chase or obsess on things/people/actions. Or we can focus our mind in a positive way and produce a positive and expansive energy field…no-one else can make this choice for us. To eat an entire packet of cookies in one sitting (or as a “reward”) is our choice. To allow another’s fear and negativity to expand ours is to create dramas and live in chaos. This action is also showing how a negative mind is running the show and dictating actions.

I found when I began writing the draft for my Holistic Approach to Weight Loss and Health booklet that every which way I turned I ran into the Ego beliefs…or Cosmic egg as it is referred to sometimes…and it is from this negative state that we have to hatch ourselves out of our own shell. Our subconscious negative beliefs that we have brought with us lifetime after lifetime are our limiting template that we mindlessly follow in life. To effectively change our life we have to address our beliefs which means using our thinking mind. Typically a lazy mind will sit on top of a lazy body.

I had clients who lost weight through exercise and food changes (minimal) but refused to look internally at themselves. The weight invariably returned and with vengeance. Why? They had not changed their relationship to their beliefs. Their fear of change was greater than their control/war-like attitude of “battling” their waistline. Their thoughts were negative and therefore inflaming to their cellular structure. To live with negative thinking dumps stress hormones into the nervous system on a 24/7 basis and eventually our bodies break down in some area.

I will begin by stating that the body is challenged to drop excess fat when the cells are in a state of inflammation. This is not a new concept. It has been around for a while and has been recognized as the basis of a lot of pain and even disease processes. Typically the common course of action is to alleviate the “issue” with more chemicals that put our nervous system further out of balance. I wonder how many people have asked themselves why they are in an inflamed state? We know that pesticides, fungicides, artificial “foods” (man-made and not from/of nature) added sweeteners and dyes are all out of sync with our chemical design. So changing our foods to be of Nature and organically grown is to use food as medicine. It is also the first step towards loving, respecting and valuing self (Nature and Earth) and taking up the reins of personal responsibility to help in change of the health of All. Also well known is the pH of the body has a large bearing on the health of the cells. When our body becomes too acidic we become “ripe” for dis-ease, disease and basically a sick body. To have a sick body means that our mind and emotional state is also ailing.

Weight is about the mind! Well, everything begins in the mind; we have to become conscious of what we are thinking. Sometimes it is not easy to catch our thoughts but not to worry because our thoughts are going to show up in our language and in our actions. So there is no hiding what is going on inside of us and our level of consciousness.

our nature is universal not personal

2007-09-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

our fundamental nature is not personal—it is universal.....

"What distinguishes faith in ourselves from conceit is the fact that conceit lays claim to specialness, while our fundamental nature is not personal—it's universal, it's shared. When we look at the Buddha or a great teacher, we can see our own potential for happiness, for vibrant wisdom and sustained compassion—a potential that all beings share. However, if we stop at faith in another, admiring him or her and overlooking ourselves, our faith remains incomplete."

I was thinking about the above passage of Sharon Salzberg and recognizing teachings of Kathy Oddenino…to “Know Thyself” as energy and matter. When we know who we are then we live our potential as a human through the patterns of the ethical values. The more we consciously live them the more they become us. This is living our expansive potential. We have to live them to learn them. I see our human potential as dynamic and expansive with no end to be had. This is exciting!

When we know thyself we are “of self.” This is our shift in consciousness and we feel the internal buoyancy of love and know truth of the inseparability of All. When we are living “for self” we are self absorbed, egotistical and living out the external negative patterns of fear, untruth and inequality. When we are in this externalized space we live in a state of hunger for love and attempt to grab it from others any which way we can. We cant give away what we do not have.

While at a 3 day conference (Institute of Metaphysical Studies) we did an exercise of looking into another’s eyes. I was heart touched by this experience. I paired up with a woman closer to 80 than 70 years old and I felt my mind move as I saw the universality of us reflected in her eyes and it was at that moment that I recognized we are all one. It was, as Sharon Salzberg say…”…our fundamental nature is not personal---it’s universal.”

a glimpse of my teacher

2007-09-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhCCFIPfsog

Neural Depolarization. A case history

2007-09-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

I will offer more examples of how this amazing therapy helps with weight loss as well as overall health of our nervous system and nervous system "issues" ...In the meantime...

neural depoarization: a case history

I have been asked to give some explanation/examples of Neural Depolarization, so I have gone back into my notes and found this account written several years ago. I suggest to those who wish to know more of the wonderful healing of NDP, to log onto www.whatisNDP.com and you can get an interview and explanation with the originator of this technique. It is worth the effort!

Rae's account:
Dale came to me with a rigid and painful neck. She had had neck surgery about 17 years ago and the site continued to be painful. I had barely begun to touch the nerve points when I could feel the depolarization beginning. It felt like electrical shocks..a snapping feel to them. It was at this point that Dale (a massage therapist) asked me if I was wearing a watch because she could hear a loud ticking sound. I was not. The sound that she was hearing was the neuroma depolarizing. Because the neuroma was so close to the spine, she was hearing the nerves depolarize internally through the spinal fluid. When I felt the nerves balance, I moved on. I came to the surgical site and began to focus on that area. I immediately had an image of a bunch of live wires tangled up and firing off rapidly; accompanying this visual was a chemical smell, tinged with burning. I was also conscious that Dale was in pain ...way beyond the point of discomfort. At this point my "visual image" changed to "seeing" this bunch of nerves pulling apart and the knot dissipating...along with the pain. I was surprised by the pain that Dale experienced during this session. Kathy explained to me that the trauma had been man-made (surgical). This made perfect sense to me. Physically, the lump on her neck had decreased in size and her range of motion was dramatically improved. I repeated the work for 3 consecutive weeks, each time removing another neuroma and/or continuing to decrease the existing one. There have been 6 sessions over a 3-month period and the work is holding. I have given a brief description of what transpired.

Dale's account:
I had gone to see Rae with my usual stiff neck and back. My injuries were from a pedestrian accident 17 years ago where I had broken several vertebrae. I had a cervical fusion at C3-4-5. Since the surgery I have had a huge knot in the right side of my neck. It is my "weak link," flaring up more than usual when I'm under stress. I was actually hoping for Rae's strong elbow up my back when I arrived for my appointment, but she started doing the Neural Depolarization. I knew, intuitively, that this is what my body needed, so I didn't say anything. Shortly after Rae placed her fingers at my neck I experienced what sounded like loud ticking. Sort of like two metal rods being clicked together, but under water. It was quite loud, and the ticking got faster and faster. I asked Rae about it, thinking she had a watch on. She didn't. It was so loud to me that I thought she must be able to hear it. I had a tremendous amount of heat coming from the area and the sensation that something was burning. Before I could tell her this, Rae commented that she could smell burning. After a while, the ticking started to slow down and eventually stopped. Rae moved down each vertebra from there, and at each site the ticking would begin again. At some sites the ticking was louder and faster than others. When Rae got to the surgical site, I felt such burning and pain that I was not sure I could tolerate it. I knew she was only barely touching me, and yet I felt like I had knives in my neck. The ticking was really firing now, and I had a vision of live wires that were all knotted up, thrashing around, trying to untangle. I spoke to Rae about it, and she had the same vision that I had. The vision of thrashing continued, and I wanted to ride it out, even though the pain was almost unbearable. After quite a while, I sensed that the "wires" had untangled, and the relief was tremendous. Rae continued to do the depolarization down my back. The worst spot of all was at my 7th cervical vertebra, a place where I had never been conscious of pain. I felt much discomfort and burning there, but I don't remember any sounds. Eventually, the pain stopped. When we were finished, we compared notes. We had both had the same visions and senses throughout the treatment. I was amazed. Unbelievably, the knot had diminished in size to almost nothing. This knot had been there for 17 years! I immediately signed up for some more treatments.

When I was backing up my car, I could actually see behind me. I usually have to turn my entire body. I was impressed, to say the least. I have had several more treatments. The ticking sounded like it was under less water each time. The last time I went (last week), I didn't hear any ticking at all. My neck isn't 100%, but I know something huge happened during those treatments. I feel that if I could continue to get treated once a week for a few months it would benefit me tremendously.
posted by Raewyn at 5:37 AM

the big picture by Margaret Martin

2007-09-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I have just been reading Margaret Martin's blog "The Big Picture" ....the link is on this blog...and i really am enthralled at her wordsmithing and with a depth that is not always found. I encourage all to read her words and take them to heart. I to attended this wonderful seminar that Kathy gave last Sunday and i am reading through the handout. This handout is a workbook really with layers after layers of knowledge there for the taking. This is a gift that continues to give!

I was going to write about it ...and i may...but in the meantime, please do treat yourself with reading Margaret's blog and get a bigger picture of who you are.

enjoy!

side bar---Horses read energy

2007-09-07T04:35:00.001-07:00

Horses read energy.

It is very easy to prove this. Just go out to work with a horse or dog, have angry thoughts about something, someone…basically a negative attitude… and see what happens. The animal will mirror us to perfection. I watched a woman trying to catch a pony the other day and the more frustrated the woman got the more the pony evaded her and so the gathering of negative energy expanded. It was a wonderful example of universal law of cause and effect in action.

We are energy and matter. I think about our soul being both our mind and emotions and our spirit being expressed through our senses and nervous system and that we require our physical matter to express all. With that said I think about how I taught riding to students. I quickly realized that the first order was to teach the rider about themselves and what they are thinking and feeling and what emotions they are using before I could teach the mechanics of riding. The horse mirrors the rider. There is no exception to this rule.

When we are truly comfortable within our mind and body this positive energy field is shared with the horse and everything and everyone we come in contact with. We express ourself through our senses and when on horseback and in a positive energy field, this translates as simpatico; communication and cooperation between animal and rider. We become one in movement. There is harmony between horse and rider and it is an incredible sensation. But when we are using a mind of fear, all levels of fear, from panic to mild doubts, the horse will accurately read this energy and react accordingly; our energy field at this moment in time is negative, chaotic and repelling. We have unconsciously shared this toxic energy first with our own cells and then on out to share it with the horse and whatever and whom else is around. Energy knows no geographical boundaries.

I feel that most people who have horses or work with horses have a love and appreciation for these noble creatures. I hope that all horse people take time to learn to know themselves as energy and matter and to know that horses read energy better than most people. This of course is not limited to horses; dogs are also brilliant at reading energy fields.

we are energy

2007-09-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

My thoughts this morning before my coffee

….To know with sense-certainty that we are so much more than just a physical body is key to opening our mind. When we can open our mind to understand this and to discover the relationship between our thinking mind, our words and our actions, we have begun to stretch our mind to change and grow. It is with this focus that we can uncover the subconscious negative beliefs (Ego) that prevent our health and happiness, and open to living our ethical values.

We are energy. What we think, eat, drink, breath (quality and quantity) all influence our energy field and our experiences. We cannot be separated from Earth, Nature, and Universe without separating ourselves from our health.

Spiritual Philosophy (http://www.kathyoddenino.com)
offers answers and the truth resonates deep within me. To approach our weight and our health from the internal perspective makes sense and gets to the core of us. Our physical weight begins in the mind. This is how change and growth of our dual soul happens.This change is then reflected into our physical reality. All is energy. All is choice.
Raewyn
http://www.healthischoice.com/

introducing myself.

2007-09-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I just wanted to introduce myself and offer a brief snapshot of who I am and my interests and maybe what to anticipate from this blog. My name is Raewyn (I am told it means Sun and Wind) and I am originally from New Zealand. I have done a good deal of traveling around the world. The most exciting traveling has been in exploring my mind and uncovering the belief system I had created from myths and superstitions gathered up over many thousands of lifetimes that been subconsciously dictating my life.

I read Kathy Oddenino's first book, “The Joy of Health; A spiritual concept of integration and the practicalities of living” in 1990, and I felt the truth of her message. I practically inhaled the words, and the thought echoed through my mind....this is truth! I am not alone...and so began my studying to 'know thyself'. I found (continue to find!) solace in the Spiritual Philosophy taught by Kathy. I feel the purity of truth in her words as I learned to look for the relationship of All and through knowledge and understanding, I found my self; my healing. Spiritual Philosophy as the Science of Life, has given me the tools with which to understand my life experiences. It is from this base that I offer my thoughts on Holistic Weight Loss and Health. Nothing is separate and “nothing comes from nothing.” Everything begins with the mind; with thought.

Everything is related and therefore cannot be separated in any way, shape or form. This means that to address health, nutrition and weight loss, I have to bring in how the mind is thinking, what the feeling sense is being lived and what emotions are being used. This also applies to the physical movement, stage in life and stress and all are dependant upon the quality and quantity of air, food and water being ingested. These then relate to the health of us, the Earth, Nature and Universe. The bottom line is that it does not matter where I begin or end as all areas are interwoven and interpenetrated and there is not one thing that can stand on its own, although the Ego gives it a good try. It is our thinking mind that determines our energy field we chose to live in.