Welcome Spring!

Spring is one of the most transformational seasons of all. Its arrival is imminent and I welcome it. My daffodils have already sprung and are yielding to other blooms.

The clocks are moved forward, plans for the yard are in place, a few plants and flowers have been gotten, and the excitement of the season of re-birth is in the air.

Love, joy, and peace!

Enjoy Now

My joy, my challenge, my devotion is to live in the now. The brilliance of what is, is in the now.

Consider this - it is always "now."

Joyfully Holistic: Makingyour DayHow do youbegin your day? Do you ho...

Joyfully Holistic: Making your Day  How do you begin your day? Do you ho...: Making your Day How do you begin your day? Do you hop out of bed in a mad rush? Slowly drag out of bed with self talk of how horrible the...

Making   your  Day

How do you begin your day? Do you hop out of bed in a mad rush? Slowly drag out of bed with self talk of how horrible the day will be? Or, do you awake full of hope, expecting the very best?

Do you realize that if the unexpected does happen, you have it in you to handle most situations with grace?

Most of us know that the way we start our day affects the remainder of the day. It drives our attitude and behavior. Our mental attitude at day’s beginning affects our continued thoughts and behaviors   toward everyone we encounter, and each situation presented to us throughout the day.

I say to you – take charge! Make your day! Set the intention for your day. Here are a few tips that some have used that are effective for them. I invite you to consider them. Make the tips your own. It is possible that you will take some of the actions below as is, and others you will change to suit your life style and values.

ü  Prepare. Planning and preparation go a long way to ensure your day will go smoothly and be enjoyable. Check your schedule for the next day. Ensure that everything you need is in place. If not, take action. 

ü  Get enough sleep. Most of us need from seven to nine hours of sleep to regenerate our physical and mental self. 

ü  Perform a bedtime ritual that is relaxing and positive for you. Some people read. Some meditate. Some pray. Some write. Just ensure that your ritual leads you toward peace and restfulness. No TV! TV tends to be too intrusive.

ü  Set your clock to wake you up at least 15 minutes before you need to prepare to begin your day. In this 15 minutes stretch, breathe, affirm the day – make your day. Create constructive, positive, self-talk such as:

“Today is my day – it will be the best one yet –minute, by minute, hour by hour.”

 “Today’s schedule is busy and I will live in each moment to make that moment as vivid as possible. The next meeting, errand, task will be there and I will live in it when it comes.”  

“I have some uncertainties about today’s activities, but I will do my very best and will be OK with the outcome, whatever it is because I know that outcome will be for the greater good.”

 

ü  Exercise. Or, at least warm up your muscles for at least five minutes of stretching. Breathe deeply and begin your day!

Enjoy!

 

 Is your water bio-compatible?

 

 

It's more important for water to be bio-compatible than just purified. Water is probably valued more for what it removes from our bodies than what it adds. Water’s biggest function is that of flushing out toxins and waste.

A French professor by the name of Louis-Claude Vincent, who was also the Chief Hydrologist in his country during early 1900's, developed a measuring instrument called the B.E.V, or the Bio-Electronic Vincent. This device measures what is believed to be the three key components of the bio-compatibility of water for human consumption. The three components and their definitions follow:

·         pH: a measure of acidity or alkalinity, i.e. the hydrogen ion concentration; pH of bio-compatible water can range from 4.0 to 6.9. This range is allowed because in extremely pure water it is very easy to affect the pH value—there are no other dissolved substances to buffer the solution. (Source: http://www.purewatersystems.com/bev.php)

Pure Water Systems' site explains perfectly why the "alkaline water" fad might be a dangerous one to hang your health on: "Many visitors to our site wonder why BEV values call for slight acidity in drinking water, while many websites promote alkaline drinking water. We find it fascinating that the very idea of the internal environment (terrain) being too acid was developed long before the Japanese and Korean alkalizing machines came to market.

We have carefully reviewed every publication available describing the supposed benefits of alkaline water, and in every case we've found there are significant gaps in the research. Describing pH is only one of the critical parameters for measuring the bio-compatibility of drinking water, and is the value most easily influenced. For example, none of the literature accompanying alkaline water machines explains why you would need an alkalizing machine if your tap water is already alkaline (as it is for much of the western USA.)

Further, none of the literature discusses the concentration of the alkaline solution. Alkaline water from an ionizing machine will be significantly different if the source water comes from Seattle vs. Tulsa. These water supplies have vastly different levels of dissolved minerals, yet the literature never mentions how these differences will influence the strength of the alkaline solution. Omissions like these reflect poorly on the credibility of the promoters of alkaline water machines." (Source: http://www.purewatersystems.com/bev.php)

·         rH2: a value derived via the Nernst Equation and a linear function of pH provides an indication of oxidation/reduction potential (the amount of available electrons) that tells you the vitality or energy potential of the water. rH2 also has a scale similar to pH that measures from 0 to 42, with 28 representing the mid-point. Values above 28 are considered oxidizing, below 28 reducing. The best water for human consumption has an rH2 slightly on the reducing side of the scale originally 25 - 29, now more commonly accepted at 20 - 24 (Source: http://www.purewatersystems.com/bev.php)

 

·         Resistivity: the opposite of conductance is used to measure the amount of dissolved inorganic solids, or TDS. The resistivity value should be as high as possible, indicating an exceptionally low concentration of dissolved contaminates. The higher the resistivity value, the cleaner your water and the better it is for you. (Source: http://www.purewatersystems.com/bev.php)

Here is a link to a Comparison Chart for the most accepted water purification methods and how they rank amongst one another relative to the contaminants they remove: http://www.purewatersystems.com/comparison_chart.php

So as you can see, it's just as important, if not more so, that water filtration and purification systems provide water that is as humanly bio-compatible as it is clean, soft, and decontaminated.

(Source for ALL facts/quotes/etc.: http://www.purewatersystems.com/bev.php)

Guest author of this blog article is Indigo Liggins, who is an avid health, beauty, and fitness research consultant. She is my daughter!



 

Choosing a Water Filtration System

A high-quality water filtration system will filter out chlorine, which is the most abundant toxin in urban water supplies to date, and DBPs, which stands for: disinfection by-products (organic matter found in water). Filtration can be done by many methods: a charcoal filter, KDF - a copper-zinc oxidation medium, and even Vitamin C!

A high-quality water filtration system is also set apart by its certification process. Whatever brand of filtration system you use, make sure it is NSF Certified. Their website is: www.NSF.org. The NSF is an independent, third-party agency that tests and helps establish standards of health-related products.

The following are four water filtration systems that you may wish to consider. They are decently priced and are of high value:

•Mercola Pure&Clear Premium Whole House System for City Water: ($999.00); (Best for house use); (www.Mercola.com)

 

•Mercola Pure & Clear Shower Filter: ($84-$162 depending on quantity and type--with/without wand); Pure&Clear Counter Top ($149); and Under Counter Filters ($249) (Best for apartment use.); (www.Mercola.com)

 

•Aquasana Whole House: (starting at $736); Point of Use Filters: (starting at $68) (www.AquaSanaforLife.com)

 

•Culligan Hand Held Shower Filters: ($49.99) (www.Culligan.com)

 

Please remember that you will incur a cost for replacement cartridges, PEG-free water bottles, and even replacement or repair for units. However, these systems are well worth it as they pay back the money spent to purchase them MANY times over. They are also less expensive than paying for replacement cartridges and new or replacement units for classic water pitcher filtration. Moreover, the number one way these systems prove their worth is by protecting your health.

Remember, if you don't filter your water, YOUR body, hair, and skin become the filter.

 Stay tuned for more on water in the next article.

 Enjoy!

 Guest author of this blog article is Indigo Liggins, who is an avid health, beauty, and fitness research consultant. She is my daughter!

The Wonders of Coconut Oil

I absolutely love coconut oil. My daughter, who is a master researcher, discovered the many uses for us. My family and I use it in our hair, on our skin, to cook with, and for oil pulling.

We use virgin organic coconut oil. Amazingly affordable!

I would urge you to take a look at using coconut oil as your main cooking oil as opposed to vegetable oils.  Many find coconut oil to be highly superior to vegetable oils. Coconut oil sustains heat well, which makes it good for cooking.

Also, there are many other natural oils that are good to use, such as: red palm, avocado, almond, olive, and grape seed. Some of these are better used cold as in salads because they cannot sustain high heat well.

Take a look at the information available via your favorite search engine on the benefits of coconut oil. I have found so much information on this versatile oil – coconut oil. There is significant research around memory health. Also, it is high in antioxidant properties – a big plus.

A good article to start with is: Cutting Cholesterol with Coconut Oil on www.peoplespharmacy.com, which is The People’s Pharmacy website.

Enjoy!