How to Make Scented Stones

I’m sure most of us have heard of if not seen the newest rage, Scented Stones.
They liven up a room, car or even a gym bag with their aroma and yet don’t require anything to make them ‘work’ (unlike candles, that you have to burn).

It’s a simple process and you can get as unique as you’d like!

You’ll need:
• Plaster of Paris mix (this is the easiest way, there ARE other ways but they require making your own dough using powdered aluminum and other ingredients, so the plaster of paris is the most readily accessible option)
• Leaves or herbs, flower buds –IF you want to add these for decorative purposes
• Fragrance oil or Essential Oils—whichever your prefer—can be bought at most arts/crafts stores or online ** you can buy essential oils at http://www.mynsp.com/betotallyhealthy/index.aspx **
• Food coloring
• And if you desire to form them into certain shapes you’ll need either soap/candy molds or any other object you may have that you want to form them into that shape


These are so easy, even kids can do it!
• First you’ll want to mix your plaster of paris mix with water according to the directions on the plaster of paris package.
• After you add the water, add a couple drops of food color into the mix and continue mixing until you get the color you desire.
• Then add the fragrance oil or essential oil and any herbs, botanicals, flower buds if you’re adding those too, until you reach the strength of aroma you desire- you may want to make it a bit stronger so it’ll take a while to wear off.
• Simply pour the mixture into your molds and let harden according to the directions on the plaster of paris package.
• Pop out of the molds when dry and place in dresser drawers, gym bags, your car, in a decorative bowl for in the house or wherever you’d like to add a touch of aroma!


These should last approx 3-4 weeks without having to be touched up for aroma.
When the aroma does wear off, simply place the stones in a baggie or container and add a few drops of fragrance oil or essential oils and keep closed for at least 24 hours and then they’ll be ‘re-energized’ and ready to go again!

For a variation which kids love, use acrylic paints and get animal, flower, stone shaped candy/soap molds and make the stones in the kids favorite shapes then have the kids paint them for a great smelling stone for their own room!

Or for the holidays do them in candy cane shapes, Christmas tree shapes, Star of David, whatever you’d like!

This article was written by Tara Burner.
Vegan, Eco-friendly Single Mom to Nick & Christa

Visit her sites at:
http://www.EverythingEcoFriendly.com
http://www.BeTotallyHealthy.com

"Create Happiness Right Now"

"It is our basic right to be a happy person, happy family, and eventually a happy world. That should be our goal."
-- Dalai Lama

Little adjustments to our attitude and approach each day can create a major difference in our appreciation of life. On the surface, nothing changes. At the same time, absolutely everything does.

Use your awareness or your imagination to bring happiness to this moment. Find something to appreciate. Do this as often as you remember to do so, and your world will transform.

" ... we can no longer afford to throw away even one ‘unimportant’ day by not noticing the wonder of it all. We have to be willing to discover and then appreciate the authentic moments of happiness available to all of us every day."
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

These quotes are supplied courtesy of Higher Awareness. They offer inspiring, thought-provoking self development programs to help you clearly understand how life and natural laws work, whilst enhancing intuition and creating the future you desire.
Click Here For More Information

WHO IS GOING TO BE THE MASTER OF YOUR LIFE?

Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better,
you have to take things into your own hands.
Once you decide to be at the level of choice,
you take responsibility for your life and gain control of it.

You're in control of your life to the degree that you make the decisions.
If you let others make decisions for you, you have no control.
When you control the decisions, you control the actions.

Take charge of your life.
You don't have to ask permission of other people.
Don't give someone veto power over your life.

If you don't run your own life, someone else will.
If not you, then who?
If not now, then when?

************************
©2006 by Max Steingart

************************

If you need help taking charge of your life,
visit NaturalHealthCounseling.com for counseling in all aspects of your life

Natural Mold & Mildew Fighters w/recipes

Ordinary household molds are one of the most common causes of
allergic reactions in the home, especially in humid climates and
seasons. Even if you don't have an allergy, mold can irritate your
respiratory system.
Break out the tea tree oil and vinegar. Mold is easily dispatched.

Natural mold fighters

Tea Tree Oil Spray
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on
problem areas. Let dry, then wipe down the area. For carpets, add
tea tree oil to the water in a steam cleaner (2 teaspoons per half
gallon of water) or spot clean with the tea tree oil spray.

Grapefruit Seed Extract Spray
(Not as powerful as the tea tree oil spray, but it has the advantage
of being odorless).
20 drops grapefruit seed extract
2 cups water

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on
problem areas. Let dry, then wipe down the area.

Peroxide Tile Whitener and Spray
1/2 cup 3 percent peroxide solution
1 cup of water

combine ingredients in a spray bottle, and spray on problem areas.
Let dry, then wipe down. Discard after use. Hydrogen peroxide
loses its potentcy when exposed to air.

from: Body & Soul, June 2005

Buy tea tree oil and other essential oils here:
http://www.mynsp.com/betotallyhealthy/index.aspx

YOU MUST DREAM BIG AND THINK BIG TO BE BIG

High expectation always precedes high achievement.
You're as small as your controlling desires,
or as great as your dominant aspirations.

Once your mind stretches to a new idea
it never goes back to its original dimensions.
Think little goals and you can expect little achievement.
Think big goals and you'll win big success.

The first ingredient of your success is to dream a great dream.

***********************
©2006 by Max Steingart
************************

If you need help dreaming, let us know by visiting
NaturalHealthCounseling.com

WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY

You are never given a wish
without also being given the power to make it come true.

The achievement of your goal is assured
the moment you commit yourself to it.
If you have the desire, you have the power to attain it.

You can have anything you want in life
if you will sacrifice everything else for it.
Your dreams can come true if you pursue them.
********************
©2006 by Max Steingart


and if you need help achieving your goals,
visit WholeBodyAndSpirit.com

TEN ADVANTAGES OF EATING RAW

by Susan Jorg, Estacada, OR
http://rawfoods.com/articles/tenadvantages.html

The human race learned long ago that cooking meat before eating it
would protect them from certain diseases. Since then this practice of
cooking has grown to include all types of foods and is now considered
an art. Very few meals are eaten which include raw elements, except
for the leafy green salad.

One advantage of eating raw is that it brings Nature’s intentions
into focus. When I speak of eating raw I am referring to fruit, nuts,
and vegetables, which taste good to the majority of humankind in
their basic simplicity direct from tree, bush or vine.

I realize it isn’t easy to simply abandon thousands of years of
tradition and revert back to 100% raw food. Margaret Mead once said,
“It is easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet.” So
to the point, there are 10 advantages to a diet of fresh, whole raw
fruits, vegetables, and nuts, which may lead you to find a greater
place for them in your diet.

1. Raw foods are better quality, therefore you eat less to satisfy
your nutritional needs. The heat of cooking depletes vitamins,
damages proteins and fats, and destroys enzymes which benefit
digestion. As your percentage of raw foods increases you feel
satisfied and have more energy on smaller meals because raw food has
the best balance of water, nutrients, and fiber to meet your body’s
needs.

2. Raw foods have more flavor than cooked foods so there is no need
to add salt, sugar, spices, or other condiments that can irritate
your digestion system or over stimulate other organs.

3. Raw foods take very little preparation so you spend less time in
the kitchen. Even a child of 5 or 6 can prepare most items for
breakfast, lunch or dinner. This gives children a sense of
self-esteem and independence, not to mention the break it gives Mom
or Dad.

4. When you are eating raw there’s little chance of burns, unless
you’re in the middle of a forest fire or out in the sun too long.
Just think! No burns to tongues, the roof of your mouth, or fingers,
and many fewer house fires.

5. Cleaning up after a raw meal is a snap. No baked-on oils or crusty
messes. And any inedible parts go directly to the compost pile.

6. Eating a diet of raw foods can reverse or stop the advance of many
chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Remember,
cooking creates free radicals, which are the major cause of cancer.
When you lower the number of free radicals your cells are bombarded
with, you lower your risk of cancer.

7. A raw food diet can protect you from acute diseases such as colds,
flu, measles, etc. Raw foods maintain a healthy body and a healthy
body will not become diseased.

8. As long as you combine raw food properly according to the rules of
Natural Hygiene, you will soon reach a level where you no longer
suffer from heartburn, gas, indigestion or constipation.

9. It is environmentally sound. With humanity on a diet of raw foods,
the food industry would close up shop and take up organic gardening.
This would save us enormous amounts of natural resources used to
produce power for these industries. Nuclear power would be clearly
unnecessary. And think of how many trees and oil reserves could be
saved without the need for the paper and plastics used in packaging
our processed foods. There would also be less carbon dioxide released
in to the atmosphere when all the cooking stopped and more oxygen
produced from all the new orchards and gardens, thus helping to
reverse the Greenhouse Effect.

10. Eating raw saves you money on food, vitamins, pots and pans,
appliances, doctor bills, drugs, and health insurance.

So don’t waste your food, yourself, and our planet by cooking what
you eat. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables which are whole, fresh and raw
are brimming with life and have the ability to transmit their life
force directly to you.
BUY RAW NOW!

Pollution in Your Community

Get an in-depth pollution report for your county, covering air, water, chemicals, and more.
http://scorecard.org/index.tcl

THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER CHOICE

You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.

You alone steer the course you choose, in the direction
of where you want to be today, tomorrow or in any distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.

You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.

********************
©2006 by Max Steingart

Mad Cow--again--gee imagine that

ahhhhhhhhhhh now just more confirmation on why I'm vegan!

How pure is the U.S. beef supply, really?
How safe is our food supply from mad cow disease and what is the U.S.
government doing to protect consumers? Phil Lempert shares the latest
By Phil Lempert
"Today" Food Editor
Jan. 24, 2006

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11011128/

It has long been argued in this space that the approach taken by the
U.S. government in dealing with bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) — better known as mad cow disease — has been lackadaisical
and insufficient to guarantee the integrity of the meat supply and
the safety of American consumers. We have long pointed to the
Japanese model — test every cow, now matter what — as the only
legitimate approach that can be employed to deal with the mad cow
threat.

Government officials, however, have disputed this assertion, claiming
that everything was fine, the safety net was pulled tight enough, and
that there is nothing to worry about.

Last week, just a month after the Japanese government decided to
allow the import of U.S. beef into that country, it has once again
halted shipments of American beef into Japan because animal spines
were found in three boxes of frozen beef being brought into the
country.

When the two-year-old ban was lifted late last year, it was with the
expressed condition that imported U.S. beef come from cattle no older
than 20 months and that spinal cords, brains and other parts blamed
for spreading the human variant of mad-cow disease be removed.

Before the ban, Japan was the most lucrative market in the world for
American beef, importing more than $1.7 billion worth in 2003.

The halting of shipments is described as "temporary" at the moment,
but it remains possible that a broader and long-lasting ban could be
reinstated.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns said that he was sending
inspectors to Japan to examine shipments, and was increasing the
number of unannounced inspections in American plants. Still, he
conceded that mistakes had been made. "Our agreement with Japan is to
export beef with no vertebral column and we have failed to meet the
terms of that agreement," Johanns said in a statement.

But the failure is broader than that. The failure is in not being
vigilant enough in making policy decisions, and not being transparent
enough in communicating with industry and the public about what
priorities should be. The failure is in being reactive, not
proactive, in dealing with what potentially is a major public health
issue. The failure is in the government putting commerce before
safety, industry before the public interest.

The big question is if spinal matter is making it into exported beef,
what is making it into beef we are eating right here at home?

It isn't too late to start doing things right. It is, however, way
too late for the U.S. government to be in a perpetual state of mad
cow denial.

On Monday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced that a
six-year-old cow in Alberta tested positive for BSE; it is the fourth
case of mad cow found in Canadian cattle since 2003.

This case, of course, is unwelcome, but it's not unexpected, said
Brian Evans, the inspection agency's chief veterinary officer. We
have always maintained that we could find a small number of
additional cases through our active surveillance program. Evans also
said that the cow had not entered the food supply and that there was
no threat to human health.

It was just six months ago that the U.S. reopened its borders to
Canadian cattle, saying that it was satisfied that sufficient systems
were in place to prevent further spread of the disease. Mike
Johanns, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, said that nothing has
happened to change his mind.

I anticipate no change in the status of beef or live cattle imports
to the U.S. from Canada under our established agreement, he said in a
prepared statement. As I've said many times, our beef trade decisions
follow internationally accepted guidelines that are based in science.

Of course, this also occurs just days after Japan halted shipments of
American beef. The discovery reignited concerns in Japan about the
possibility that beef tainted with BSE could be coming from U.S.
suppliers.

There have been two confirmed cases of mad cow disease in the U.S.

Here’s the question that U.S. officials have to answer... the
question that we as consumers have to demand be answered: What will
it take to get the U.S. government to decide to test every cow?

What concerns us is not the cows they find infected with BSE. It is
the cows that are not being detected, that are getting into the food
supply.

It could be one or two. It could be hundreds. We simply don’t know,
and that is unacceptable.

Phil Lempert is food editor of the “Today” show. He welcomes
questions and comments, which can be sent to phil.lempert@nbc.com or
by using the mail box below. For more about the latest trends on the
supermarket shelves, visit Phil’s Web site at SuperMarketGuru.com.

Pesticide anyone? Testing on People again!

Democrats Denounce Bush's Human Pesticide Testing Plan
t r u t h o u t | Press Release
Monday 23 January 2006

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012306Q.shtml

Washington, DC - Today, Senator Barbara Boxer, Rep. Henry A.
Waxman, and Rep. Hilda L. Solis criticized a Bush Administration plan
to promote pesticide experimentation upon humans. The plan, contained
in a final draft rule, was leaked to the legislators by a concerned
Administration official who requested that the original copy of the
plan not be duplicated in its entirety and widely distributed out of
concern for anonymity. According to the EPA's communications plan,
the Administration will officially announce the pesticide
experimentation plan later this week as a final regulation.

In August 2005, Congress enacted a moratorium upon EPA using
human pesticide experiments until strict ethical standards were
established. Senator Boxer championed the moratorium in the US
Senate. Representative Solis pushed the moratorium through the US
House of Representatives.

"The Administration plan is inconsistent with the law passed by
Congress with bipartisan support. The loopholes which allow continued
testing on pregnant women, infants and children are contrary to law
and widely accepted ethical guidelines, including the Nuremberg code.
The fact that EPA allows pesticide testing of any kind on the most
vulnerable, including abused and neglected children, is simply
astonishing," said Senator Boxer.

"The regulation is an open invitation to test pesticides on
humans, which is the exact opposite of what Congress intended," said
Rep. Waxman. "The Administration predicts that over 30 pesticide
experiments will be submitted to EPA each year under the new rule.
That's an enormous step in the wrong direction."

"This is yet another example of the Bush Administration choosing
to ignore the letter of the law and going its own way. Congress
passed legislation to curb the practice of unethical pesticide
testing on humans, but with this rule the Bush Administration is
authorizing systematic testing of pesticides on humans which not only
fails to meet its congressional mandate but which will increase the
number of unethical studies," said Congresswoman Solis. "Americans
should be concerned about just how far the Bush Administration will
go to allow pesticide testing on pregnant women and children and, the
ease at which it chooses to ignore the law. The Bush Administration
must revise this rule to meet its Congressional mandate and give
Americans a policy which is moral, ethical, and safe."

"This rule has not been signed by EPA Administrator Stephen
Johnson yet. It's within his power to fix this regulation, and we are
calling on him to do so," said Senator Boxer.

If the rule is finalized as currently drafted, it would apply to
studies in which humans are intentionally dosed with pesticides, as
well as "observational" studies. Some of the serious flaws of the
plan include the following:

* The Administration plan is inconsistent with federal law.

Congress required that EPA ensure that pesticides are never
tested upon pregnant women and children. But the final rule would
allow manufacturers to conduct testing of pesticides upon both
pregnant women and children so long as there is no "intent" at the
outset of the study to submit the results to EPA. Additionally, the
plan would allow pesticides to be tested upon pregnant women and
children in studies intended for submission at exposure levels up to
the current legal limits - even though the National Academy of
Sciences found that in some cases this level of exposure could
present acute risks to children.

* The Administration plan is inconsistent with the
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences.

Congress required that EPA establish a Human Subjects Review
Board (HSRB) as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. The
Academy urged that this Board review research protocols prior to
consideration by an Independent Review Board (IRB). The Academy
expected that the HSRB would have ethical and pesticide expertise
that IRBs typically lack. This approach would allow an IRB to block
unethical research or require modifications suggested by the Human
Subjects Review Board prior to the initiation of a study. However,
the Administration plan would establish a powerless Human Subjects
Review Board that would consider research protocols after an IRB and
EPA staff had already approved a study. Under the Administration
plan, the HSRB would not have any authority to block or require
modifications to unethical research.

* The Administration plan would establish loopholes that could
legally allow unethical experiments.

The Administration plan introduces new loopholes that will
allow for ethical abuse. While the plan would require researchers to
document their ethical compliance in the United States when the plan
applies to them, it waives overseas researchers from having to prove
a study was ethically conducted - even when the researcher intends to
submit the study to EPA. Also, the plan would commendably subject EPA
observational studies to the Common Rule. However, observational
studies conducted by the pesticide industry would be bound by no
specific ethical requirements. These loopholes were never suggested
or even contemplated by Congress.

Food Enzymes ~ Do you have enough?

Improper diet, stress and aging can affect a person’s capacity to digest food properly.
Without complete digestion, nutrients from food are not fully absorbed.
Enzymes found in raw foods and present in our bodies help to digest the food we eat and to extract essential nutrients.
Enzymes have the power to change food compounds into more simple forms at an amazingly rapid rate.
Unfortunately, enzymes have lots of “enemies.” The cooking process kills natural enzymes needed to properly digest food, forcing the body to make replacement
enzymes—if it can! Enzyme levels may also decrease as food sits in storage.
NSP Food Enzymes combines major enzymes, bile salts, panceatin and betaine hydrochloride to help increase the body’s capacity to digest any meal.


BENEFITS
• Supplements the body’s production of important enzymes.
• Provides a blend of enzymes to digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
• Provides hydrochloric acid and bile salts to help digest proteins and fats.
• Helps prevent or relieve occasional indigestion.

HOW IT WORKS
This combination of enzymes offers more complete digestive support when taken with meals. This formula includes pepsin, which is used for pre-digesting proteins
in the stomach. Betaine HC1 helps create an acidic environment to facilitate the activity of pepsin. After food reaches the small intestine, the enzyme pancreatin
further digests protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Pancreatin also helps to support the pancreas in those with poor pancreatic function. Mycozyme digests starches; papain and bromelain digest protein; and bile salt makes fats soluble, preparing them for further digestion by lipase.
The enzymes bromelain and papain aid in the digestion of proteins. Bromelain also offers other health related benefits, including relaxing smooth muscles and
supporting joint health. Taken between meals, Food Enzymes works systemically to break down proteins associated with joint health, arterial health and
immune activation.

NSP ADVANTAGE
Nature’s Sunshine has isolated the enzymes that are most needed by the digestive system. These enzymes break down large quantities of carbohydrates, proteins
and fats, augmenting those enzymes already found in fresh food. NSP Food Enzymes also includes a source of hydrochloric acid and bile salts that work synergistically
with these enzymes.

BENEFITS
• Supplements the body’s production of important enzymes.
• Provides a blend of enzymes to digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
• Provides hydrochloric acid and bile salts to help digest proteins and fats.
• Helps prevent or relieve occasional indigestion.

HOW IT WORKS
This combination of enzymes offers more complete digestive support when taken with meals. This formula includes pepsin, which is used for pre-digesting proteins
in the stomach. Betaine HC1 helps create an acidic environment to facilitate the activity of pepsin. After food reaches the small intestine, the enzyme pancreatin
further digests protein, carbohydrates and fats. Pancreatin also helps to support the pancreas in those with poor pancreatic function. Mycozyme digests starches; papain and bromelain digest.

INGREDIENTS
Each capsule of Food Enzymes supplies: 162 mg
betaine HCl, 40 mg bile salt, 50 mg bromelain, 15 mg
lipase, 90 mg mycozyme, 22 mg pancreatin, 45 mg
papain and 45 mg pepsin.
RECOMMENDED USE
Take 1 or 2 capsules with a meal three times daily.
May also be used between meals.
Caution: Do not chew or dissolve capsules before swallowing because of their
potential reaction with the teeth and tissues of the mouth.
Each capsule helps you digest a minimum of 30 g
protein, 30 g carbohydrates and 20 g fats.
COMPLEMENTARY PRODUCTS
• Nutritional: Intestinal Soothe and Build, Bifidophilus®
Flora Force®, PDA, Stomach Comfort.
• Essential Oils: Lemon BIO, Peppermint.

ORDER NOW!

St. Augustine, FL

This was one of many pics that my daughter and I took on our recent vacation to St. Augustine, FL

This is a rainbow over Castillos De San Marcos

The Castillo de San Marcos, built 1672-1695, served primarily as an outpost of the Spanish Empire, guarding St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States, and also protecting the sea route for treasure ships returning to Spain. Although the Castillo has served a number of nations throughout its history, it has never been taken by military force. During the 18th century, the Castillo went from Spanish control to British and back to the Spanish, all by treaty. The Spanish remained in power in Florida until the area was purchased by the United States in 1821. Called Fort Marion at this time, the Castillo was used by the US army until 1899. The Castillo was made a National Monument in 1924 and became part of the National Park system in 1933. In 1942, Congress restored the original name. The park consists of the original historic Castillo fortress itself with its attendant grounds, some 25 total acres



and then we have the oldest school house here



The oldest wooden school house is located across from the fort along with so many other great sites to visit.


and for shopping, you MUST go to Dream Street Too

The owner is awesome and there are soooooooooo many great items in the store.

We spent over an hour there and even longer talking to the owner...a MUST stop shop!!!

Enjoy!

How to Make Handmade Paper

Want a project that is FUN for both you and your children as well as an awesome way to recycle and turn it into a beautiful item?!!!

It probably sounds harder than it is but making paper at home is EASY and FUN!
Be creative!!!

First you’ll need to make a ‘mold’. You can be elaborate but for our starters we’ll make this plain and simple! Get some wire or fiberglass screening (like for windows) and stretch it over a wood frame. The wood frame can simply be 1x1 or 1x2 wood strips nailed or even stapled together to form a square or rectangle however big you want your paper to be, but you should probably stick to ‘smaller’ size frames til you get the hang of this and also to ensure the mold will fit in your sink or in tub as that’ll be part of the process. Simply stretch the screen over the mold and up onto the sides of it and staple…making the screening as tight as possible and not have any slack. There you’re done with the mold making!

Now the items you’ll want to use in your paper can be varied and consist of any or all of the below and remember the colors of the ingredients below will determine the color of your finished project.

• Grass
• Flowers
• Shredded unprinted paper
• Leaves
• Newspaper shreddings
• Construction Paper
• Tissue Paper
• Napkins
• Foil
• Tinsel
• Old Greeting Cards
• Paper bags
• Magazines (though it’s better to NOT use ‘glossy’ pages)
• Egg Cartons

After you’ve rounded up all of your paper making ingredients you can mix them all together by ripping into small bits and pieces and then place in a blender. You’ll fill it about ½ way full with your ‘ingredients’ then fill the blender with WARM water.
“Pulse” the blender off and on for 30 sec intervals to start then increase the speed til it’s well blended and there are no big chunks left in it.
AFTER you’ve done that, THEN you can add whole flowers, petals, yarn, tinsel to accent your paper! Experiment!
Then fill either your sink about half way full with water. Add at least three blender loads of paper pulp. Stir the pulp mixture into the water.
Now put your mold into the pulp mixture in the sink, wiggle it from side to side until the pulp lays level on the screening part of the mold, you’ll have to do this while it’s under water.
Then lift the mold up out of the water and wait until most of the water has drained from the mold. If the ‘paper’ looks too thick, insert back under water and remove part of the pulp. If it’s too thin, add more pulp and repeat!
Once you’re done with that and the mold stops dripping, gently lay the mold down flat, with the paper directly on the fabric. Now take a sponge and press against the ‘paper’ to remove as much water as you can.
Then, pick up the mold and gently invert the mold on the side of a sheepskin, wool, felt or flannel. The wet sheet of paper should remain on the fabric. If it gets stuck to the mold, don’t worry, just trying soaking up some more of the water using the sponge like you did above.
Then simply dry your paper either by laying on sheets of fabric or hanging them from a clothesline!
When they’re dry, you’ve got yourself your own handmade paper! Drying times will vary depending on thickness of paper as well as your environment.
Have fun!!
You may use this article as long as used in it's entirity with author bio

This article was written by Tara Burner.
Vegan, Eco-friendly Single Mom to Nick & Christa
http://www.EverythingEcoFriendly.com

Feng Shui for ABUNDANT Living

"Feng Shui for Abundant Living"
by Kathy Browning

A step-by-step guide to achieving balance
and harmony through the use
of Black Hat Feng Shui

Are you faced with Health, Wealth and Happiness challenges?
If so, Feng Shui might be exactly what you need to achieve balance, harmony and prosperity!


Get your copy NOW!

The Power of Super Foods

These 10 top nutritional performers can transform your diet -- and
possibly your life
- Carol Ness, Chronicle Staff Writer


It's come to this again: A New Year and a wincingly honest appraisal in
front of the mirror. And even if the scale doesn't show it, January can make
the excesses of the last few weeks -- OK, months -- feel like armies of fat
globules occupying your body.

What's the get-healthy, get-thin new you to do, especially now that
low-carb is over?

Don't despair. This year's version of New Year's salvation lies in the
concept of "superfoods" -- the current darlings of healthy-eating
bestsellerdom. It's eating lots of blueberries and avocado, spinach and,
yes, dark chocolate, although not necessarily on the same plate.

The premise is that certain foods are nutritional powerhouses, and should
be piled into grocery carts and lunch boxes. Blueberries bubble with
cancer-fighting, heart-healthy antioxidants, avocados ooze with the same
good fats that olive oil has, and spinach, well, spinach has it all, as
Popeye always knew.

Current superstars are tea and dark chocolate, both brimming with
antioxidants. (As soon as coffee makes the list, it will be nirvana.)

The claims about these foods made by food marketing professionals and in
popular books like "SuperFoods Rx," by San Diego opthamologist Steven Pratt
(William Morrow 2004, 336 pages, $24.95) tend to create the impression that
"superfoods" are the nutritional equivalent of the fountain of youth and
will save you from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and every other scourge
of good health.

That's probably not true.

But that doesn't mean superfoods should be dismissed.

The fact is, there's every reason to eat them.

Good nutrition

The antioxidants in blueberries are good for you. Avocado's
monounsaturated fats are healthier than, say, the saturated fats in butter.
A little bit of dark chocolate does contain micronutrients that help lower
blood pressure and do other good things for the heart.

It's called nutrition, a concept dietitians have been trying to sell for
years. Now, suddenly, it's trendy.

Food companies find the superfoods concept irresistible for advertising.
But that doesn't mean that Dole, the fruit and vegetable giant, was wrong
when it called Brussels sprouts a superfood in a holiday publicity pitch to
food writers. The sulfurous brassicas do contain lots of vitamin C and some
other useful phytonutrients, and they're very good for you.

Pratt, and co-writer Kathy Matthews, have probably done the most to
popularize the concept. Pratt noticed the connection between good nutrition
and health when patients suffering age-related macular degeneration improved
when they started eating more nutritious foods.

Their "SuperFoods Rx," with 300,000 copies in print, spotlighted "14 foods
that will change your life," and made the case for each as an ingredient
that "can help you extend your lifespan." The book summarizes research
studies on the beneficial effects of various foods, pulling together the
good news from the torrent of conflicting reports about nutrition that flood
the media.

For example, tomatoes, especially processed or cooked ones, have tons of
cancer-fighting lycopene. Turkey breast is an exceptionally lean source of
protein; it has much less saturated fat than chicken. And drinking tea --
green or black -- delivers a potent dose of antioxidants.

This month, the authors are coming out with a follow-up called "SuperFoods
HealthStyle," which updates research on the first 14, and adds another dozen
or so.

New to the list are apples (for fiber), kiwis (for vitamin C), and the
avocado and dark chocolate previously mentioned.

A lot of this is common sense, or at least not exactly news. But here's
the thing: Even though people know what's good for them, they don't always
know how to work these foods into three meals a day.

Pumpkin, for instance, shows up around the holidays, usually as pie, but
then disappears for the rest of the year -- depriving you of its fiber,
potassium and most of all its carotenoids, the antioxidants prevalent in
orange and dark-green foods.

To offer some fun and delicious approaches to using 10 "superfoods," The
Chronicle's Roving Feast columnist Marlena Spieler has devised the
accompanying recipes.

Think 'whole'

The thing to remember, as both Pratt and nutritionists like the Bay Area's
Jo Ann Hattner emphasize, is that superfoods are really just a way to think
about adding whole foods to your diet. Most of them are fruits and
vegetables; oats, a whole grain, are also on the list.

All of the superfoods would fit neatly into the federal government's
prescription for healthy eating -- if they're eaten in appropriate amounts.

One ounce of dark chocolate may be good for you, but more is not
merrier -- at least nutritionally. Chocolate -- and likewise olive oil --
has so many calories, you really should eat only a little at a time.

The other thing is, the superfoods list means people are likely to be
eating lots of blueberries while ignoring all their berry friends, like
raspberries and boysenberries, as well as other red fruits like cherries.
But that would be a mistake.

The other berries may not have quite as many anthocyanins (antioxidants)
as blueberries, but they have some and are likely to contain other
micronutrients whose value simply hasn't yet been studied as much yet.

More to come

"When you look at the list of superfoods, it's the ones that have had the
most research," says Hattner, a San Francisco registered dietitian who
teaches nutrition at the Stanford School of Medicine.

"There are so many foods that there are benefits for but we haven't
studied it."

Many food-specific studies are paid for by a crop board or commodity
group, she points out, adding, "the poor celery stalk hasn't had it yet.

"You don't want to eat just blueberries because you may miss out on other
nutrients in other fruits that you need as well," Hattner says. And Pratt
covers the point in his books, listing "sidekicks" to each superfood that
should be consumed to round out the diet.

Whole foods will always be better than trying to get the same nutrients
through supplements, Hattner says. Foods deliver many nutrients, not just
the ones science has pinpointed.

And the nutrients are delivered in combinations that may give them more
power than any one alone -- a concept known as synergy.

For example, Hattner says, current research shows that consuming vitamin E
and lycopene together -- avocados with tomatoes, say -- enhances their
antioxidant effects. The oligosaccharides in onions also boost tomatoes'
lycopene.

That's likely to be the next nutrition frontier, according to Hattner, who
says, "I think the future of food would be combinations of foods."



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary of terms
The language of superfoods can be confusing, because many of the terms for
nutrients overlap. Here is a basic glossary:

Antioxidants. An umbrella name for many substances that retard the body's
normal process of oxidation, meaning a reaction to oxygen that releases
"free radicals" that damage cells and break the body down. Digestion
releases free radicals from food. Antioxidants help prevent this and also
are thought to destroy free radicals and slow oxidation, reducing allergies,
heart disease, cancer and aging effects. Dozens of antioxidant nutrients
have been identified so far, and there are likely many more. Many vitamins
have antioxidant effects, including A (which is a carotene), C and E.

Flavonoids.These are the best-known antioxidants -- think tea and dark
chocolate -- among a group called polyphenols. You also see the word
flavonol, which is a subgroup of flavonoids. Relatives are anthocyanins
(which give blueberries their fame).

Carotenoids. These are the pigments that protect dark green, yellow,
orange and red fruits and vegetables from sun damage -- and they work as
antioxidants in humans, too. Beta-carotene is the best known -- it's also
called vitamin A. Other famous carotenoids -- there are dozens -- are
lycopene and lutein.

Vitamins. Nutrients considered essential to health; a shortage of vitamins
can create health problems.

Phytonutrients. Plant-derived compounds that are believed to improve your
health, but aren't essential to your health. This includes many
antioxidants.

-- Carol Ness



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's so super about ... ?
Apples. According to "SuperFoods Lifestyle" author Dr. Steven Pratt,
different varieties of apples have different phytonutrients, but they all
have tons of antioxidants, including flavonoids and other polyphenols, and
fiber.

Avocados. Avocados have the same thing going for them that olive oil does:
healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. These are the "good fats," and they
appear to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and raise HDL (good)
cholesterol levels. Fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate and antioxidants up
the ante. And Pratt cites research showing that avocado helps the body
absorb more nutrients from other foods -- the tomato in the same salad, for
instance.

Beans. They haven't gotten the same media buzz as blueberries, but some
beans have even more health-promoting antioxidants. They also have as much
cholesterol-lowering fiber as oats, and lots of lean protein. All of that is
good for your heart. They also are rich in B vitamins and potassium. This
category includes both dried and green beans.

Blueberries. Frozen do the trick as well as fresh, and they're easier to
find in winter. For such tiny fruits, they deliver a huge wallop of
antioxidants of many kinds, including anthocyanins and other polyphenols,
and carotenoids. They also have fiber, folic acid and vitamins C and E. And
they taste good with very few calories.

Dark chocolate. The magic word here is flavonoids, the same kinds of
antioxidants that make tea so potent a health brew. Research shows
flavonoids have a role in helping lower blood pressure and in keeping your
arteries from clogging -- both good news for your heart. Only dark chocolate
does the trick, not milk or white. And the more cocoa solids the better --
look for the percentage on the label.

Kiwis. Vitamin C, vitamin C, vitamin C -- kiwis are loaded in this
antioxidant, which also makes oranges a superfood. Kiwis rival bananas in
potassium, pound for pound. And flavonoid antioxidants abound in the skin,
which is edible but best if you rub the fuzzy stuff off first.

Oats. Kings o' fiber, oats also deliver protein, potassium, magnesium and
other minerals, and phytonutrients, including antioxidants. Their
cholesterol-lowering powers are well known, and all that fiber is also
believed to help stabilize blood sugar. Oats' combination of nutrients
appears to have more healthy effects than if each nutrient were consumed
separately -- which seems to be true of all whole grains. And, they're
inexpensive.

Spinach. What doesn't spinach have? It's loaded with lutein (great for
eyes) and many other carotenoids, which are healthful antioxidants; plus
other antioxidants like coenzyme Q, in serious doses; plus several B
vitamins plus C and E; plus iron and other minerals; plus betaine, a
vitamin-like nutrient research suggests is good for your heart. And with
almost no calories, you can eat as much as you want. Also good for similar
reasons: kale, chard and other dark leafy greens.

Walnuts. All nuts have been rehabbed as good-for-you foods, for their
healthy fats and micronutrients. A few go a long way, though, as they are
calorie bombs. Walnuts' main claim to stardom are their omega-3 fatty acids,
which fight heart disease. Other goodies: plant sterols, which lower
cholesterol, and lots of antioxidants.

Yogurt. Nutritionist Jo Ann Hattner says if she could pick only two
superfoods, they would be yogurt and tea, because their health-giving
attributes have been known for centuries. Yogurt's claim to fame is live
cultures, also called probiotics or beneficial bacteria. They are what turns
milk into yogurt (but some commercial yogurts are heated to kill the
cultures after they do their work, so be sure to read the label). In your
gut, they fight bad bacteria, aid digestion, help metabolize food and
generally tune your system up. Yogurt also is a good source of calcium and
protein.

-- C.N.

E-mail Carol Ness at cness@sfchronicle.com.

Page F - 1
URL:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/04/FDGQBGG57F1.DTL

Work Smart, Not Hard

"The whole secret of freedom from anxiety over not having enough time lies not in working more hours, but in the proper planning of the hours."
-- Frank Bettger

We need to commit time to doing the right things for ourselves, and only we can judge what’s right for us. We need to clearly know what we want, and we need to believe we can have it. Having goals in mind, we can avoid the trap of busyness and get right down to business. Efficiency is not nearly as important as effectiveness.

For fulfillment, we need to take our lives off autopilot. We need to consciously decide what we will and will not do, moment by moment. We need to give ourselves the space, support and freedom to be proactive in choosing how we live each day.

"Learn to use ten minutes intelligently. It will pay you huge dividends."
-- William A. Irwin

These quotes are supplied courtesy of Higher Awareness. They offer inspiring, thought-provoking self development programs to help you clearly understand how life and natural laws work, whilst enhancing intuition and creating the future you desire.
Click Here For More Information

3 Levels of Prosperity

"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."
-- Woody Allen

To become more prosperous, we need to change on at least two levels. First, we must ensure our financial affairs are in order. We need an income that at least covers our expenses. And we need a foundation of habits, tools and skills so we achieve some financial stability in our day-to-day experience.

Second, we must become aware of the beliefs we hold around money and prosperity. If we unconsciously believe we are lacking in some way, then no matter what we do, we will unconsciously sabotage our own efforts to improve our finances.

And third, it's helpful to understand the spiritual principles that govern our level of abundance. Once we know those principles, we can work effectively within them to attract abundance to us.

"If you're prosperous in soul, you'll be prosperous in whole."
-- Mark Victor Hansen

These quotes are supplied courtesy of Higher Awareness. They offer inspiring, thought-provoking self development programs to help you clearly understand how life and natural laws work, whilst enhancing intuition and creating the future you desire.
Click Here For More Information

Healing with Juices

by Pat Valle

Juicing fresh vegetables and fruits are the richest, most valuable
sources of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Because you need extra
nutrients to help rid your body of everyday environmental toxins,
juicing offers an important alternative that will nourish your body
properly.

Juicing helps your body assimilate many valuable nutrients found
in food. When food is cooked, the enzymes are destroyed by the heat.
Most of the nutritional value is lost. Half your daily intake of
food should be consumed raw.

The late Bircher-Benner, who founded the Bircher-Benner clinic in
England, said that "nothing more therapeutic exists on earth than
green juices." Nothing is more powerful for healing as fresh raw
juices. Carrots, celery, spinach, cabbage, beets and apples are some
of the most powerful juices for healing. Carrots have been used in
the treatment of all forms of cancer. It is rich in beta carotene,
which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Carrots have tremendous
antioxidants, are good for diarrhea, arthritis, constipation and
colitis. Celery is an excellent source of magnesium and other
important vitamins. It is a natural diuretic, good for high blood
pressure, arthritis, weight loss, dizziness and headaches. Celery
also exhibits a natural relaxing effect. Spinach is loaded with
minerals and is good as a cleansing tonic. It has the ability to heal
the intestinal tract, anemia, hemorrhoids and vitamin deficiencies.
Those who have arthritis, kidney stones or liver disease should
limit their intake of spinach. Cabbage is used in the treatment of
colon cancer. Juicing heals inflammation of the colon, ulcers,
stomach and heartburn. It is high in calcium, vitamin C, sulfur and
vitamin A. The leaves from the cabbage plant make a great poultice
for drawing out infections and for healing skin ulcers. Beets are one
of the most valuable juices for the liver and gallbladder. It is very
useful for anemia and cancer. It also stimulates the lymph glands and
cleanses the blood. Beet juice should be diluted with distilled water
as the cleansing effect may be too rapid. Apples help lower
cholesterol, aid in liver function and rid the body of toxic
build-up. Apples are rich in pectin which helps bind toxins and
removes them from the body, and also lessens the effects of exposure
to X-rays.

It's best to use organic fruits and vegetables. If you must use
fruits and vegetables which are not organic, make sure to clean
them thoroughly with a produce cleanser or rinse in raw organic
apple cider vinegar with water and soak for 10 to 20 minutes to
remove residue. Many fruits and vegetables are sprayed with toxic
chemicals to prevent insect infestation and to kill fungus and
germs.

Green drinks are quite powerful and may cause nausea and headaches at
first. This is due to rapid detoxification. It's better to dilute the
juice and take only small amounts to start. Green drinks help
detoxify the organs and reduce tumors. You may drink as many "live"
juices as you wish, and you can even combine other vegetables
together. Apples are one fruit that can be combined with vegetables
without causing gas and bloating.

The skins of some fruits such as oranges and grapefruit contain
a toxic substance, it's best to peel them before use. All pits
and some seeds of fruits should be discarded. Apple seeds contain
small amounts of cyanide and should never be used.

When preparing fruits or vegetables for juicing, it's best to
consume them immediately. If you choose to store it for later
use, it should be consumed within 24 hours.


Enjoy!
Tara
http://www.NaturalHealthCounseling.com

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52 good reasons to abandon milk and dairy!

_________________________________
A is for ALLERGIES
___________________________________

"In reality, cow's milk, especially processed cow's
milk, has been linked to a variety of health problems,
including: mucous production, hemoglobin loss,
childhood diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis,
arthritis, kidney stones, mood swings, depression,
irritability, allergies..."

Townsend Medical Letter, May, 1995
___________________________________

"Most formula fed infants developed symptoms of
allergic rejection to cow milk proteins before one
month of age. About 50-70% experienced rashes or
other skin symptoms, 50-60 percent gastrointestinal
symptoms, and 20-30 percent respiratory symptoms.
The recommended therapy is to avoid cow's milk."

Pediatric-Allergy-Immunology, August, 1994, 5(5 Suppl.)
___________________________________
B is for BREAST CANCER
___________________________________

"Human Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and
bovine IGF-I are identical. Both contain 70 amino
acids in the identical sequence."

SCIENCE, vol. 249. August 24, 1990.
___________________________________

"IGF-I produces a 10-fold increase in RNA
levels of cancer cells. IGF-I appears to be a
critical component in cellular proliferation."

X.S. Li, Exp-Cell-Res., March, 1994, 211(1)
___________________________________
C is for CROHN'S DISEASE
___________________________________

"Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is capable of
surviving commercial pasteurization."

Applied and Environmental Microbiology: 64(3), Mar 1998.
___________________________________

"Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (bacteria
not killed by pasteurization) RNA was
found in 100% of Crohn's disease patients,
compared with 0% of controls."

D. Mishina, Proceedings National Academy of
Sciences USA :93: September, 1996
___________________________________
D is for DIABETES
___________________________________

"The National Dairy Board's Slogan, 'Milk. It does
a body good,' sounds a little hollow these days."

Scientific American, October, 1992
___________________________________

"These new studies, and more than 20
well-documented previous ones, have prompted
one researcher to say the link between milk and
juvenile diabetes is 'very solid'."

Diabetes Care 1994;17 (12)
___________________________________
E is for EAR INFECTIONS
___________________________________

"Milk allergies are very common in children... They
are the leading cause of the chronic ear infections
that plague up to 40% of all children under the
age of six."

Julian Whitaker, M.D., "Health & Healing,"
October, 1998, Volume 8, No. 10
___________________________________

"Cow’s milk has become a point of controversy
among doctors and nutritionists. There was a time
when it was considered very desirable, but research
has forced us to rethink this recommendation...dairy
products contribute to a surprising number of health
problems (including) chronic ear problems..."

Benjamin Spock, M.D., "Child Care," 7th Edition
___________________________________
F is for FAT
___________________________________

"Milk fat has been identified as a cholesterol-
elevating fat because it contains cholesterol
and is primarily saturated."

Journal of Dairy Science 1991;74 (11)
___________________________________

"Preference for a diet high in animal fat could be
a pathogenic factor, and milk and high fat dairy
products contribute considerably to dietary fat
intake."

J. Am Coll Nutr, 2000 Apr, 19:2 Suppl
___________________________________
G is for GROWTH FACTOR
___________________________________

"Levels of IGF increase in milk after cows are
treated with rbGH."

National Institutes of Health Assessment of
Bovine Somatotropin, December, 1990
___________________________________

"The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is
widely involved in human carcinogenesis. A
significant association between high circulating
IGF-I concentrations and an increased risk of
lung, colon, prostate and pre-menopausal breast
cancer has recently been reported."

International J Cancer, 2000 Aug, 87:4
___________________________________
H is for HEART DISEASE
___________________________________

"Milk and milk products gave the highest correlation
coefficient to heart disease, while sugar, animal
proteins and animal fats came in second, third,
and fourth, respectively."

A Survey of Mortality Rates and Food Consumption
Statistics of 24 Countries, Medical Hypothesis
7:907-918, 1981
___________________________________

"For ischemic heart disease, milk carbohydrates were
found to have the highest statistical association for males
aged 35+ and females aged 65+. In the case of coronary
heart disease, non-fat milk was found to have the
highest association for males aged 45+ and females
aged 75+, while for females 65-74, milk carbohydrates
and sugar had the highest associations."

Altern Med Rev, Aug, 3, 1998
___________________________________
I is for IRON DEFICIENCY
___________________________________

"Cow's milk can cause blood loss from the
intestinal tract, which over time, reduces the
body's iron stores. Blood loss may be a reaction
to cow's milk proteins."

Journal of Pediatrics, 1990, 116
___________________________________

"Cow's milk-induced intestinal bleeding is a
well-recognized cause of rectal bleeding in infancy.
In all cases, bleeding resolved completely after
instituting a cow's milk-free diet."

J Pediatr Surg, 1999 Oct, 34:10
___________________________________
J is for JUVENILE ILLNESSES
___________________________________

"Chronic diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal
symptom of intolerance of cow's milk among children...
cow's milk can also cause severe perianal lesions with
pain on defecation and consequent constipation in
young children. In young children, chronic
constipation can be a manifestation of intolerance to
cow's milk."

New England J Med, 1998 Oct, 339:16
___________________________________

"At least 50% of all children in the United States
are allergic to milk, many undiagnosed. Dairy
products are the leading cause of food allergy,
often revealed by constipation, diarrhea, and
fatigue. Many cases of asthma and sinus infections
are reported to be relieved and even eliminated by
cutting out dairy."

Natural Health, July, 1994, Frank Oski, M.D.,
Chief of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Medical School
___________________________________
K is for KILLER BACTERIA
___________________________________

"Milk from cows inoculated with listeria was
pooled for 2 to 4 days and then heated at 162
degrees Fahrenheit for 16 seconds in a
high-temperature, short-time pasteurization unit.
Live listeria bacteria was then successfully
isolated from the milk after heat treatment in
11 of 12 pasteurization trials."

Journal of Environmental Microbiology. July 1987, (53)
___________________________________

"... curing alone may not be a sufficient pathogen
control step to eliminate Salmonella, Listeria, and
E. coli O157:H7 from cheese."

J Food Prot, 1998 Oct, 61:10
___________________________________
L is for LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
___________________________________

"Overall, about 75 percent of the world's population,
including 25 percent of those in the U.S., lose their
lactase enzymes after weaning."

J. of the American Dietetic Assoc. 1996; 96
___________________________________

"Lactose malabsorption and lactase deficiency are
chronic organic pathologic conditions characterized
by abdominal pain and distention, flatulence, and
the passage of loose, watery stools. Once correct
diagnosis is established, introduction of a lactose-free
dietary regime relieves symptoms in most patients
who remain largely unaware of the relationship
between food intake and symptoms."

J Clin Gastroenterol, 1999 Apr, 28:3
___________________________________
M is for MAD COW DISEASE
___________________________________

"The destruction of milk from suspected cows was
recommended in England to insure the public's safety...
Experiments also indicate that temperatures reached
during pasteurization of milk and household cooking
does not kill the agent. In the United Kingtom on
December 1, 1988, the government announced a
ban on the sale of milk from infected cattle..."

Mad Cows and Milkgate, Virgil Hulse, M.D.
___________________________________

"A 24-year-old vegetarian has been diagnosed with
Cruetzfeld-Jacob disease. Scientists fear that milk
and cheese may be the source of infection."

London Times, August 23, 1997 Michael Hornsby
___________________________________
N is for NASAL CONGESTION
___________________________________

"Allergy to cow's milk proteins has been defined
as any adverse reaction mediated by immunological
mechanisms to one or several of these proteins.
Reactions to cow's milk have been classified
according on their onset as immediate (< 45 min)
or delayed-type (from 2 hours to days). In the
challenge test, 10 hours after milk intake the patient
presented serous rhinorrea, sneezing and nasal
blockade."

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol, 1998 Jul, 8:4
____________________________________

"Symptoms of milk-protein allergy include cough,
choking, gasping, nose colds, asthma, sneezing
attacks..."

Annals of Allergy, 1951; 9
___________________________________
O is for OSTEOPOROSIS
___________________________________

"Osteoporosis is caused by a number of things,
one of the most important being too much
dietary protein."

SCIENCE 1986; 233
___________________________________

"Consumption of dairy products, particularly at
age 20 years, were associated with an increased
risk of hip fractures...metabolism of dietary protein
causes increased urinary excretion of calcium."

American Journal of Epidemiology 1994;139
___________________________________
P is for PESTICIDES AND POLLUTION
___________________________________

"A 1988 FDA survey of milk samples from grocery
stores in 10 cities found that 73% of the samples
contained pesticide residues."

Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 1991; 47
___________________________________

"The level of dioxin in a single serving of the Ben
& Jerry's World's Best Vanilla Ice Cream tested
was almost 200 times greater than the 'virtually
safe [daily] dose' determined by the
Environmental Protection Agency."

Steve Milloy, author of junkscience.com (Milloy
tested samples of ice cream for dioxins. The only
major newspaper to report the story was the
Detroit Free Press). 11/8/99
___________________________________
Q is for QUIXOTE SYNDROME
___________________________________

"I have two Lasting impressions. One is that
underestimating Robert Cohen's ability to damage
the dairy industry is a big mistake. The other is a
profound wish that the man was on our side."

American Dairy Farmer Magazine
Oct., 1998, Editorial by Teresa VanWagner

(Robert Cohen is the author of the A-Z list.
More information: www.notmilk.com).
___________________________________

"The colorful NotMilk site delights in describing
milk as a glass of 'pus with hormones and glue.'
Its creator, Robert Cohen, who calls himself the
Not Milk Man, keeps a list of diseases on the
site that he believes are caused by milk."

New York Times Magazine Section,
Sunday, December 24, 2000
___________________________________
R is for RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
___________________________________

"Rheumatoid arthritis is more severe than
osteoarthritis, is most common in the hands
and feet, and is characterized by swelling
of joints. Since this type of joint pain can be
a symptom of a food allergy, dietary change
sometimes has a profound effect. Dairy
products, the most common food allergen,
are one likely candidate as a contributing
causative factor."

Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition by George
Eisman, M.A., M.Sc., R.D.
___________________________________

"In the case of the eight year old female subject,
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was a milk allergy.
After avoiding dairy products, all pain was
gone in three weeks."

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine,
1985, 78
___________________________________
S is for SUDDEN INFANT DEATH
___________________________________

"Hypersensitivity to milk is implicated as a
cause of sudden death in infancy."

The Lancet, vol. 2, 7160, November 19, 1960
___________________________________

"Those who consumed cows milk were fourteen
times more likely to die from diarrhea-related
complications and four times more likely to die
of pneumonia than were breast-fed babies.
Intolerance and allergy to cow's milk products
is a factor in sudden infant death syndrome."

The Lancet, vol. 344, November 5, 1994
___________________________________
T is for TUBERCULOSIS
___________________________________

"A Mycobacterium bovis-infected dairy herd
of 369 Holstein cows with lactation duration
between 200 and 360 days was tested...
170 cows had positive tuberculin test results,
and 199 had negative results. Cows with
positive test results produced less milk than
did cows with negative test results...In this
herd, tuberculosis was associated with a 4%
decrease in milk production."

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1998 Sep, 213:6
___________________________________

"Many diseases such as tuberculosis are
transmissible by milk products."

Journal of Dairy Science 1988; 71
___________________________________
U is for UTERINE & OVARIAN CANCER
___________________________________

"The uterus and ovary, like the breast, are
hormone-sensitive organs. Not surprisingly,
uterine and ovarian cancers are both linked
to fatty diets in epidemiologic studies."

Cancer 1966;19
___________________________________

"IGFs may be important in carcinogenesis,
possibly by increasing the risk of cellular
transformation by enhancing cell turnover.
These emerging epidemiologic data indicate
that high levels of IGF-I are associated with
an increased risk of at least several types of
carcinoma that are common in economically
developed countries."

Horm Res, 1999, 51 Suppl 3
___________________________________
V is for VITAMIN D-EFICIENCY
___________________________________

"Exposure to sunlight provides most humans
with their vitamin D requirement."

Journal of Nutrition 1996;126(4 Suppl)
___________________________________

"Testing of 42 milk samples found only 12%
within the expected range of Vitamin D
content. Testing of 10 samples of infant
formula revealed seven with more that twice
the Vitamin D content reported on the label,
one of which had more than four times the
label amount. Vitamin D is toxic in overdose."

New England Journal of Medicine, 1992, 326
___________________________________
W is for WISCOWSINITIS
___________________________________

"I have run into patients who undergo marked
alterations in behavior patterns when ingesting
dairy products, and whose behavior is totally
changed by withholding them."

Letter, Pediatrics 1979;64(5) John J. Murray, M.D.
___________________________________

"These dairymen are organized, they're adamant,
they're militant, and they - they're massing an
enormous amount of money that they're going to
put into political activities, very frankly."

Secretary of the Treasury, John Connally to
President Richard Nixon, from the Watergate
Tapes, March 23, 1971 (after President
Nixon had received a $3 million cash gift
from dairy-industry representatives in the
oval office).
___________________________________
X is for XANTHENE OXIDASE
___________________________________

"Bovine milk is presently under investigation
by this laboratory since it has been shown
that milk antibodies are significantly
elevated in the blood of male patients with
heart disease."

Proceedings of the Society for Experimental
Biology and Medicine, 163: 1981
___________________________________

"Bovine milk xanthene oxidase (BMXO)
may be absorbed and may enter the
cardiovascular system. People with clinical
signs of atherosclerosis have greater
quantities of BMXO antibodies. BMXO
antibodies are found in greater quantities
in those patients who consume the largest
volumes of homogenized milk and milk
products."

The X-O Factor, by Kurt Oster, M.D.,
and Donald Ross, Ph.D.
___________________________________
Y is for YIN/YANG
___________________________________

"Significant atherosclerosis is rare in peoples whose
diet over the life span is predominantly vegetarian
and low in calories, total lipids, saturated lipids and
cholesterol."

Nutrition and Athersclerosis, by Louis Katz
___________________________________

"Scientific data suggest positive relationships
between a vegetarian diet and reduced risk
for several chronic degenerative diseases and
conditions, including obesity, coronary artery
disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and
some types of cancer."

Journal of the American Dietetic Association,
November 1997, 97(1)
___________________________________
Z is for ZITS
___________________________________

"Acne is an end-organ hyper-response to
androgens...These data show that sebaceous
glands are stimulated by androgens to varying
degrees and support the theory of an
end-organ response in acne."

British Journal of Dermatology, 1998 Jul, 139:1
___________________________________

"We studied the effects of growth hormone (GH)
and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), alone and
with androgen, on sebaceous epithelial cell
growth...IGF-I was the most potent stimulus
of DNA synthesis. These data are consistent
with the concept that increases in GH and IGF
production contribute in complementary ways to
the increase in sebum production during puberty."

Endocrinology, 1999 Sep, 140:9, 4089-94
___________________________________


Robert Cohen author of: MILK - The Deadly Poison
Executive Director (notmilkman@notmilk.com)
Dairy Education Board
http://www.notmilk.com
This file: http://www.notmilk.com/52reasons.txt

Do you know of a friend or family member with one or more of these milk-
related problems? Do them a huge favor and forward the URL or this entire
file to them.

Do you know of someone who should read these newsletters? If so, have them
send a empty Email to notmilk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and they will
receive it (automatically)!

"Valuing The Moment"

"... the only time you ever have in which to learn anything or see anything or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal, is this moment, because this is the only moment any of us ever gets. You’re only here now; you’re only alive in this moment."
-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Many people regularly squander their time. They live under the assumption that they'll live forever. As a result, they don't value the present as a precious opportunity that will never come again.

Others continually race against time, trying to cram too many activities into each hour, and suffering stress in the process.

In our view, we are more effective and most happy when we balance being and doing. We continually ask ourselves what’s most important to get done. And we’re learning to BE -- fully present -- when we do. We also regularly give ourselves permission to relax.

Make today really matter. It's all you'll ever have.

"Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it properly, wisely, and economically. Let us economize our time -- lifetimes ebb away before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize the value of the immortal time God has given us."
-- Paramahansa Yogananda

~*~*~*~*~
These quotes are supplied courtesy of Higher Awareness. They offer inspiring, thought-provoking self development programs to help you clearly understand how life and natural laws work, whilst enhancing intuition and creating the future you desire.
Click Here For More Information

An A-to-Z guide to vegetarian meal planning

An A-to-Z guide to vegetarian meal planning
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/1/06
BY ANGELA STEPHENS
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE


* Caveat: Not all Vegan *

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060101/LIFE10/601010328/1006/LIFE

The new year is a good time to review some ABCs of cooking, eating and enjoying vegetarian cuisine.

By taking stock, alphabetically, of all the things we love in a vegetarian diet, it's amazing to discover the diversity and scope of those foods. Take a few minutes and compile your own alphabetical list of favorite vegetarian foods. You'll be amazed at how much variety you're enjoying.

A: Aside from the avocados, artichokes, acorn squash and asparagus, and all types of Asian foods that fit the bill, there are some surprisingly good meat analogs or alternatives (veggie hot dogs, burgers, sausages and bacon).

B: Stock up on barley, a huge variety of beans, bok choy, basil, broccoli and broccoli rabe.

C: Capers, chilies, curry and cilantro add bold flavors, but don't leave out the cashews, cauliflower, couscous, cheese and chickpeas.

D: Dates, dals (lentils), dipping sauces and dill are delicious.

E: Eggplant and eggs are two good staples, and both are versatile, too.

F: Lots of fruit and a little bit of feta go a long way.

G: We couldn't live without garlic and gratins. And, a bit of garam masala (from India) adds spice to life.

H: One word: Herbs. Lots of them.

I: I love Italian food. Its rich flavors and textures won't leave you wanting more, that's for sure. But for a change of pace, Indian cuisine is nice, too.

J: Jalapenos rule.

K: Keep trying new recipes and ingredients.

L: Lentils cook up quick and are very nutritious.

M: There's nothing better than the bold flavors in Mexican and Middle Eastern foods, but let's not overlook our mangoes and miso, either.

N: Oodles of noodles and a few handfuls of nuts.

O: Oils are essential. Some add subtle flavors while others are nearly tasteless. My favorite is olive oil, which reminds me to include olives.

P: Some of the best foods start with P: pasta, Parmesan cheese, parsley, peppers, polenta, pilaf, pita bread and pizza.

Q: It's got to be quesadillas — so easy and tasty. Perhaps you should try some quinoa, too.

R: Another topnotch list that includes rice, risotto, ricotta cheese and rosemary.

S: What variety — there are seeds, stir-fries, soups, saffron, salads, spinach, squash and sesame oil (and seeds) — but don't forget soy, which is used in a seemingly endless array of vegetarian foods.

T: There are tons of Ts that are just too tasty: start with tomatoes and work your way along to thyme, tortillas, tahini (can't make hummus without it) and then on to tofu, which is really quite good. Feeling adventuresome? TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) can be used to add texture to chili, spaghetti sauce and sloppy joes.

U: Aside from udon, a Japanese noodle, U will just have to stand for all those undiscovered vegetarian delights just waiting to be tasted.

V: Encompasses the entire vegetable world for its variety and versatility, but, let's not leave out vinegars of all types that lend a helping hand in so many different cuisines and recipes.

W: Two of life's long-time consumables: wheat and wine.

X: For all the (e)xcellent choices we make each day when we choose to create and enjoy a vegetarian meal.

Y: Yummy yogurt — flavored or plain, it's a simple food with a large following.

Z: Last but not least, the lovely zucchini that finds its way into so many wonderful dishes.

http://www.BeTotallyHealthy.com

Lose Weight, Save Money..

Lose weight, save money
By Amy C. Fleitas

The saying goes: You can never be too rich, too thin or have too many
books (Carter Burden, 1941-1996). We can't help you with your book
collecting, but we can show you how to save a few bucks and knock off
a few pounds -- at the same time. The key is to pick things you've
let others do -- or worse, paid others to do -- that you could do
yourself.

For example, cooking your own dinner may be less convenient than
picking something up on the way home. But if you cook for yourself,
you can control how many calories you're eating. With a little bit of
practice at the grocery store, you can pay a lot less for less
fattening dinners than it costs to pick up fast (and fattening) food
-- and certainly for less than it costs to go out for a meal.

Don't know any good recipes? Try Recipezaar. It offers lots of quick
and easy recipes with a nutritional guide for each (and it's free).

What the experts say
You'll lose weight faster if you're burning more calories in addition
to eating better.

"Doing housework burns calories that otherwise you wouldn't burn if
you were sitting in a chair doing nothing," says Lois Sheldahl,
Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at the Medical College of
Wisconsin and director of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation unit at
the Milwaukee VA Medical Center.

"You also feel good about keeping things clean," she says.

Sheldahl says a good goal is to burn 140 to 400 calories a day. Start
at the low end and work your way up.

Do your own yard work
Using a self-propelled lawn mower, you can burn 100 calories in about
25 minutes. An old-fashioned manual mower will get you burning
calories twice as fast. While you're pushing, keep in mind that you
could be saving quite a bit of cash too -- depending on the size of
your lawn and the going rate for yardwork in your area. In San
Antonio, that's about $150 a month for mowing and upkeep of about
acre's worth of land.

If you're feeling inspired by that hefty savings, you might want to
stop giving the neighbor's kid $10 to rake up your leaves. With 20
minutes of raking, you'll burn 100 calories. You can put that extra
$10 bill in the pocket of your future skinny jeans.

Wash and wax your car
Now that we've got you outside, turn your attention to the driveway.
Notice anything? Your car needs a good wash and wax. In 20 to 25
minutes you can burn 100 calories washing and waxing your car. And
though you'll have to buy a few products like soap, wax and a
chamois, these costs will eventually pay for themselves and be a lot
cheaper than paying the local suds-shop, which can run from a few
dollars for an automated wash, to more than $30 for a personal job.

Running errands on foot
That newly clean, shiny car looks tempting, doesn't it? But here's a
secret Manhattanites have known for years: Running your own errands
on foot leads to skinny waists and svelte calves. Not to mention the
money you'll save on gas -- or taxi and delivery charges -- if you
are one of the Manhattanites less prone to picking up your groceries
yourself.

A brisk walk will burn 100 calories in about 15 to 25 minutes. That
could save you about $28 per month in taxi fees, depending on how
many trips you have to make. Don't forget to add a few dollars for
delivery tips. If you'd be driving your car for these trips instead,
a quick glance at gas prices (about $2.27 a gallon for unleaded in
West Palm Beach, Fla.) should convince you to lace up your sneakers.

Washing the windows
Hope you picked up some window cleaner on your trip to the store
because your windows are filthy. Now, chances are, you probably don't
have someone to wash your windows -- so your actual savings here are
negligible. But sparkling windows will add beauty, and therefore
value, to your home. OK, that's stretching it a bit, but you will
burn 100 calories with about 20 to 30 minutes of window washing.

And the biggest savings will be ...
Getting in better shape will obviously make you a healthier person,
and we've shown you some tips that will save you a bit of cash. But
you'll find even bigger savings down the road if you get in shape.
You'll be healthier, so you'll spend less on medical costs.

If you come home from work tired, you may feel like flopping down in
front of the TV. Big mistake, says Sheldahl. While occasional
TV-watching is OK, letting your entire life slip into a blur of work,
sleep, errands and a vegetative TV state is not.

"We sit in front of the TV and computer, not burning calories," says
Sheldahl. "And there's so much food available. Those two combined --
that's why we have a problem with obesity (in this country)," she
says.

If you turn off the TV and pick up some housework, you'll find you
not only have a cleaner house, but you've got more energy. You'll
also have more time to ponder thoughts of your own -- rather than
what the boss wants to have done or whether you need that new Philly
cheese steak pizza on that commercial between "Seinfeld" reruns.

Who knows, you may even have a real conversation with a family member
-- if you can convince him to come into the kitchen and help you whip
up the new recipe you found online.

"Every calorie counts," says Sheldahl. "Walking, cycling, doing
housework: There are lots of opportunities."

The table below offers a breakdown of several activities -- and how
long it takes to burn approximately 100 calories (estimated for a
120- to 150-pound healthy person):

How to Burn Approximately 100 Calories
Activity Time in minutes
clean/vacuum/mop floor 25-35
wash dishes/iron clothes 45-50
mow lawn (self-propelled mower) 25-30
mow lawn (manual mower) 12-15
garden (spade/roto-till) 10-20
rake leaves 20-25
wash/wax car 20-25
wash windows 20-30
paint (brush) 35-40
shovel snow 10-15
blow snow 15-20
stack firewood 15-20
walk (brisk) 15-25
tennis 20-25
golf (walk course) 20-25
cycle (5.5 mph rate) 20-30
cycle (9.4 mph rate) 15-20
aerobics (medium) 20-30

Courtesy Medical College of Wisconsin

Calorie counts are approximate and based on a healthy person weighing
between 120 and 150 pounds. Calories burned are according to research
published by the Medical College of Wisconsin. Consult with your
doctor before starting any new exercise program.

BeTotallyHealthy.com

Super Disease Fighters: Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains

Super Disease Fighters: Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains
January 5, 2005
http://supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/12352

It’s tempting to just pop a few vitamin pills and consider yourself protected from disease, but the truth is that real foods, carefully prepared, and eaten with variety, offer the soundest protection against the most dramatic climb in disease in the last thirty years: Type 2 diabetes, plus the scourges of heart disease and hypertension. Estimates are that 75% of all deaths in the U.S. are attributed to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease, plus type 2 diabetes and cancer.

FIGHTING CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCERS

Evidence is growing that certain cancers can be reduced with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. The cancers noted are rectum and colon; stomach, esophagus and larynx, oral, pharynx, lung, and stomach.

The WHO (World Health Organization’s international agency for cancer research has estimated that low fruit an vegetable intake contributes from 5 to 12% of ALL cancers and up to 20 to 30% of upper gastrointestinal cancers. These are otherwise preventable, the agency asserts.

The reason fruits and vegetables help us fight cancers is because of their fiber. Fiber’s function is to help move food through the intestines easier and quicker, reduce the amount of time in the body where they could damage cells, thus contributing to cancer, and fiber also moves related carcinogens through the tract out of our bodies faster. Carcinogens are known to cause cancer.

TYPE 2 DIABETES AT EPIDEMIC LEVELS

A variety of hypotheses exist for why type 2 diabetes among both children and adults has reached epidemic proportions. One is the tremendous quantities of high fructose corn syrups found in packaged foods from veggie burgers to hot dogs; it is estimated that the average American consumes 47 pounds of corn sweeteners per year.

Switching from packaged foods to fresh or frozen vegetables, fresh or frozen fruits, and at least one salad a day will make a huge difference.

The other big change, as recommended by these new suggestions, is to switch from simple carbohydrates like white flour, white sugar, white breads or flour tortillas, and opt for whole wheat, rice, or multi-grained products plus adding brown rice instead of white.

A third suggestion is to increase those fruits and vegetables, particularly those with high amounts of fiber which slows down the absorption of food so your blood sugar is better controlled, a key to avoiding type 2 diabetes.

WHO and the American Dieabetes Association recommend whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk as part of a healthful diet that can prevent type 2 diabetes.

LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE IS KEY TO HEALTH

Doctors have been warning their patients for years about the danger of excess sodium and its relation to hypertension (high blood pressure) the absolute precursor to heart disease and stroke. In fact, reducing high blood pressure rates could reduce the incidence of stroke in this country by 27%, and coronary heart disease by 15%.

Alas, easier said than done with all the temptations of fast food, packaged foods, and convenience foods from the grocer which can sabotage even the most conscientious among us. In fact, a fast food hamburger, a cup of microwave soup, even a low-fat frozen dinner can easily contain half to four times the daily RDA for sodium. RDA records indicate that one in three Americans already have high blood pressure, and that blood pressure is directely related to the balance of sodium and potassium in the blood. Processed foods account for 75% of the amount of sodium in the diet over most Americans compared to 5 to 10% from the salt shaker!

Healthy blood pressure levels benefit from diets rich in potassium, even if your sodium intake is high, so increase those potassium-rich foods like spinach, cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, and potatoes.

What can you do? Adopting the RDA suggestion of making your diet 54% fruits and vegetables. But, how to do it, you ask? The first thing to do is eat one less prepared product a day and substitute that with a fresh salad, some home-cooked beans or legumes, or cooked vegetables. Keep on trading convenience foods for fresh ones and you’ll discover several changes: your blood pressure will reduce, you’ll feel “fuller” more often, and you will re-discover how great fresh food tastes over “fast”. You may even find you’re losing weight easier and more comfortably than you would ever imagine. Can you give up that daily burger? Skip that soft drink? Forget about the fast-food taco? You can probably give up one thing once a day. Try it; one day at a time.

EXERCISE AND HYPERTENSION

Although most Americans can expect to experience high blood pressure during their mid-years, and as they age, the RDA recommendation for daily exercise is the one proven element outside of diet that helps delay or reduce this condition. Whether all you can do is a stretch routine from a wheelchair or a brisk twenty-minute walk a day, do it! If you can move up to tennis, swimming or bicycling, great. And, if you can alternate with weight bearing exercises or some form of aerobics or calisthenics, go for it! You’ll live better, with more vigor, and burn up your calories much more effectively.

EXERICSE AND WEIGHT CONTROL

Exercise is also beneficial in reducing weight. Because two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, fruits and vegetables have the wonderful advantage of helping you feel fuller on fewer calories because they are high in fiber, high in water content, yet lower in calories when compared to their volume. Low fat diets with unlimited fruits and vegetables also help to reduce weight by giving us the feeling of real satisfaction that foods with empty calories cannot. No matter what you eat today, or how much, eat fruits or vegetables with each meal and eat them before anything else on the plate. It’s an easy, simple way to get that RDA of 54%!

Simplify

Become a Beginner--Simplify

© John W Travis M.D., M.P.H. Founder of first Wellness Center in the United States (1975); author Wellness Workbook and Wellness for Health Professionals; presently developing Infant Wellness=Planet Wellness.

---

Becoming well in body and mind and spirit is our focus in this book. Ageless wisdom teaches that only when you are experiencing life simply, and celebrating its ordinariness, are you living in harmony. In contemporary times, the Zen master and scholar Suzuki Roshi has termed this approach to life the "beginner's mind."

Wellness is not a matter of accumulating something-like more data or more special programs. Rather, wellness is realized by being present and unburdening yourself of all that prevents a natural state of basic healthiness. To be well is to become more simple. Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking and moving like a beginner.

• Simplify your stuff. How can you expect newness, freshness, and surprises if every square inch of space in your home and every corner of your mind is filled with "stuff"? It is beneficial to leave room around you for something mysterious to take place in life. Consider how your "stuff" may be a burden or may keep you trapped because it identifies you with the past and with a limited definition of who you are. Consider whether or not you would like to make a change here. Try giving a bunch of stuff away and learn what happens.
• Simplify your diet. How natural, fresh, and true to their original color are the foods you currently eat? Foods that are cooked simply or eaten raw tend to supply many more nutrients than those that are "worked over" in a variety of ways. Refining your diet in this way can have profound effects on the quality of your entire life.
• Simplify your life. Look carefully at all the ways in which your energy is being used, and note especially where and how it is being drained away. What might happen if you simply said yes when you meant yes and no when you meant no?

Take time to rest your mind. Use nature as a source of healing and meditation or prayer as a daily practice for keeping attuned to what is important. When the big picture is kept in the forefront, the little things just fall into line.

The great majority of us are required to live a life of constant systematic duplicity. Your health is bound to be affected if, day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune. Our nervous system isn't just a fiction; it's a part of our physical body, and our soul exists in space and is inside us, like the teeth in our mouth. It can't be forever violated with impunity. - Boris Pasternak

See your loved ones as brand-new every day. After living with people for years, adults or children, it is easy to develop the notion that you really know them. And in some ways you do. Yet it is a trap to always anticipate their reactions to certain things. Doing that almost assures that you will get just what you have expected. Acknowledge that human beings are much more complex and mysterious than that. There are always surprises to be uncovered, always new depths of appreciation that can be explored. Allowing someone else to be brand-new may start with pretending or imagining that you are meeting them again, for the very first time. It works.

Watch your language and your thoughts. Expressions like "I'm too old for that . . ." should be red flags, signaling you to become a beginner again.

Turn problems upside down, especially health problems. Instead of assuming the attitude that problems are things to be fought against and conquered, try playing with the notion that an illness, or any other problem, may be a friend or a teacher at this particular time in your life. "Listen" to what this challenge has to teach you, or what it forces you to practice-like patience, courage, or creativity. Don't consider problems as something "bad" or "good"-just as "different" or "interesting." Admittedly this attitude isn't easy to hold when times are really difficult. It takes gentle persistence to turn problems around and to make this approach to handling upsets a way of life. Why not begin now?

An Exercise for Beginners
Look out the window or step outside for a moment or two. Look at something, anything, in the natural environment-the sky, a cloud, a tree, a patch of earth. Soften your gaze, letting your eyes see each thing as if you have never seen it before. Be a beginner. Be an explorer. Let your curiosity about that thing grow. Now imagine that this is the very first and the very last time you will ever experience this gift. Absorb the impressions as fully as possible with all your senses and let yourself feel gratitude.

The Hebrew word dayenu, meaning "it is enough," captures the essence of living in gratitude for life. To live dayenu as a way of life is to be ready to embrace the mystery of the moment, fully, and then let it go. In this moment, all is a gift. One breath is precious, one smile, one day of seeing the sun. If there is no next moment, this attitude allows one to die freely, happily, with deep appreciation for all that has been and is.

"The misery here is quite terrible; and yet, late at night . . . I often walk with a spring in my step along the barbed wire. And then time and again, it soars straight from my heart-I can't help it, that's just the way it is, like some elementary force the feeling that life is glorious and magnificent, and that one day we shall be building a whole new world." Etty Hillesum, 1942, Dutch Jew, died at Auschwitz

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Reprinted with permission, from Simply Well by John W. Travis, MD, & Regina Sara Ryan. Copyright 2001. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. www.tenspeed.com

John W. Travis, M.D., M.P.H., acknowledged as a founder of the wellness movement, established the first wellness center in the U.S. in 1975, and created the Wellness Inventory (the first wellness assessment). He is co-author of the classic Wellness Workbook with Sara Regina Ryan (Ten Speed Press). The online version of the Wellness Inventory may be accessed by individuals at (www.WellPeople.com) and licensed by organizations (www.WellnessInventory.net).