Keel Your Body Basic

An alkaline balance in your body optimizes your its ability function, to absorb minerals and other nutrients, increase cell energy, increase cell repair, detoxify, impede tumor cell growth and support you immune system. It will improve oxygen flow in your body and make you feel more energetic.

Whole food and plenty of vegetables support your immune system. They help your body maintain a healthy PH balance and provide powerful phytonutrients as well. Eat 75% of alkalizing foods (fruits, vegetables, green tea) daily. Limit acidifying foods to 25% of your diet. (Meats, beans, grains, oils, alcohol (if at all) artificial sweeteners, sugars, Processed foods and medications all cause an acid response in the body that your body has to work to balance). Eat the basics to help your body work less so it can work on supporting you.

Let Your Light Be Bright

The lack of sunlight in the winter lowers your vitamin D levels and it lowers your mood as well. The command part of your brain requires sunlight to turn on the production of your feel-good hormone Serotonin. (Serotonin production also requires other building blocks - B Vitamins, Omega 3s, and protein, specifically Tryptophan found in animal proteins). Staying inside and under artificial lights will make you feel tired and blue! But when you get out in the sun, your body and mind rejoice and sing! Make sure you incorporate some outside daily activity into your routine each day. The fresh air and sunshine will raise your spirits and a walk will keep you in shape. If you can not get out, change your indoor lighting to full spectrum light bulbs to simulate the effect the sun has on your mood. While you are walking remember all of the things you have to be thankful for and celebrate the fresh start you have each day.

D'Up: To Tan or Not to Tan?

I am looking for an excuse to tan. Should I head to the beach or a booth? 15 minutes of sunshine is all you need to boost your D. Winter has been long and today a pretty snow is falling again, hiding the sun. I want to D'Up or get my daily dose of D. D makes me smile because it raises my happy hormones, it helps me make energy, it boosts my immune system (better Natural Killer Cells and White Blood Cells) and helps me burn the winter weight. Power D even helps me remove toxins from my body (Mercury) besides building bones. Is that cool or what?

2000-5000 iu per day (the higher amount in the winter) for adults, 1000iu for kids - check your level. It should be between 50 & 70.

Vitamin D occurs naturally in fish, whole eggs and mushrooms. It is also found in fortified milk and orange juice. But even including these foods in your diet - does not guarantee that you will have enough Vitamin D, so adding a supplement is a great idea. D'up? yup!

Yikes! Are You Eating Plastic?

A study 2 years ago showed 100% of healthy pregnant women and their babies had dangerously high levels of BPAs (plastics) in their bodies. If 100% of pregnant women are toxic, what does that make the rest of us? Toxic as well of course.

Plastics cause all kinds of havoc in our cells. They interfere with Omega 3s, leading to oxidative stress, poor brain function and hormone dysfunction. They damage the pancreas, prevent our bodies from detoxifying and promote cancer cell growth. They bind to zinc, leading to a cascading chain malfunction of vitamins, contributing to depression, heart disease, cancer, aging and diabetes. They interfere with proper cholesterol metabolism resulting in high cholesterol levels.

They are nothing short of something that does not belong in your body. Avoid them at all costs - eliminate canned goods, drinks and food stored in plastic and cooking in plastic. Eat lots of greens and include supplements like chlorella, bentonite or natural cell defense to trap and remove them.

It's best to eat natural whole foods to maintain your health.

Collections

My daughter is off to school 

I am caring for aging parents, buried an uncle a short time ago and another this week, my step-sister is dying and in the midst of this commotion, I find myself reflecting on next chapter. I have been so busy working as the sole bread-winner (with a 2-4 hour commute each day) and caring for others that I have had not made time to connect or reach out to my friends or be involved in the community. I got to thinking what is important? Is it things? Riches? How you touch others? How you leave the world?

I think it is how you touch others and how you leave the world. So now, I have two goals: to be a collector and to make a positive difference. I want to collect friends and be a friend. I want to leave this place, my little corner, better off for being here. We never know how what we do touches others, but if you act with integrity and compassion you can do a whole lot.

Charles Shultz had a quiz something like this

Can you name the five wealthiest people in the world, the last few Heisman trophy winners, the winners of the Miss America pageant, ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize, Academy Award winners or a decade's worth of World Series winners?

Probably not.  But I bet you can name or remember a teacher who aided your journey through school, friends who have helped you through a difficult time, people who have taught you something worthwhile, people who have made you feel appreciated and special and people you enjoy spending time with.

The point is, none of us remembers yesterdays headlines

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies...

Awards tarnish..

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

The people who make a difference in your life and the lives of others are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money...or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who reach out and care the most. I want to be one of those people

Shultz had it right - he got it. I hope that it inspires us to do the same

 

Perspectives

I get up in the morning. I think that is a good start. It means that I am alive and I have another chance to do something. Hopefully good. Some people don't have that chance. They are either too ill or in the middle of a crisis. So the fact that I am able and willing to get up and work is a good thing.

Do you have a daily list of Yahoos?! A gratitude list? Of things big or small that put a smile on your face? I challenge you to write down 5 things each day that make you smile or that make you feel lucky. Put a Yeah! after each one. My list: My house is warm Yeah! The sun is shining Yeah! My daughter is happy and healthy Yeah! The robins are back Yeah! My crocuses and hyacinth are up Yeah! I have change in my pocket Yeah! Put it in a notebook and carry it with you. Read daily

So simple - it makes you feel good. Read your list out loud. It might seem silly at first but it will make you smile. So go ahead and put a grin on your face. I dare you.