What does HEALTHY LIVING mean?

Hey everyone,

It's been a while......I have no excuse other than I have been busy making the world a better place, I promise.  AND, while doing so, I came across something that I wanted to share with you....

I Googled  the term "healthy living" to see what's out there in terms of resources etc., and do you know what came up?

EggBeaters.com
Uncle Bens
Amway
Amerimark
Kashi

Wrinkle Soulution
Healthy Choice
...and one called 'Tips for Healthy Living' that claims Coke gives you choices for healthy living.

Yikes.  We have a long way to go, people.

Now, I see this as being bad news and good news both.

Bad news for obvious reasons.  I have always been frustrated with the fact that so many food companies (which are all primarily under the same evil umbrella) claim they are healthy when they are not.  How can this be allowed? Take Cheerios, for example.  I'll bet if we polled 100 people in various towns accross America, the majority of people would say Cheerios are healthy.  I remember my son, who was absolutely fascinated with cereal commercials because of all the fun crazy and exciting characters, recited word for word, the nutritional facts about Cheerios and how it was part of a healthy breakfast. Ugh.

So, if you are out there scratching your head right now saying to yourself that you though Cheerios were healthy, I've got 2 words for you.  DEAD FOOD.

Processed foods are dead. They give you little of the vital, life giving nutrients that come from foods directly from the ground.  Period.  I don't care how much something is fortified with synthetic garbage. If it had to be fortified, it's dead.

Our bodies do best on foods from the earth and foods from something that had eyes. Yea, I said it.  But YOU MUST pay attention to food QUALITY. Spend the extra 50 bucks a month for organic.   I added up a comparison list for a family of 4 on organic vs non-organic. Trader Joes.  54 dollar difference for the month.  Even if it's 100, you can find a way to do it.  You are powerful, capable, and resourceful. Find another way to save. Cut out a bottle of wine or three and a few Starbucks please.  You get what I mean.

Now, I have to say that I do believe that 'back in the day', food practices in America were brought about with good intentions.  Unfortunately, good has gone bad, and big industry food practices have gotten so far out of hand that I am afraid there is no way of righting the wrong.

Sadly, today, the  Food and Drug Administration has tremendous power and huge money to have major influence through the media.  Their agendas are pretty simple.  CORN, DAIRY, SOY, WHEAT, BEEF, and DRUGS.  Find as many ways as possible to use them and then promote them as healthy through sophisticated marketing.  Wonder how much more money goes into marketing than into the actual manufacturing itself....   The average American eats the same 12-15 foods their entire lives....Oh, and guess what foods Americans are increasingly becoming highly sensitive to?  Wheat, dairy, soy, corn, and eggs are among the top food sensitivities today......hmmmmm.  Food for thought.

Now, I hate to be that complainer who complains and doesn't offer any solutions, so here I go with some information for you to share so that you can help make the world a better place.  That is your goal today, right?  Just making sure. :)

Now, here is where the good news comes in.....The fact that there was little info out there about how to actually live healthfully, means that we have lots of opportunities to make a difference. So many people out there are unaware of what sugar, processed foods, fake chemicals, dead foods, etc. are doing to them.  Knowledge is power.  You can become empowered and help others to do the same.  One person at a time.

Tell your friends to check out the following:

Food, Inc. - DVD
www.naturalnews.com (read their special report on the State of our Health)
The Future of Food  - DVD
Sugar, the Bitter Truth, a UCSF medical school - YouTube - WATCH THE WHOLE THING.  Believe me, you owe it to your health to do so.  Let me know what you thought about all of these and please pass them along.

Here's what Healthy Living means to me:

Caring enough about yourself and others to make the necessary choices and/or sacrifices that will result in you looking, feeling and being healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

QFTD:  Health is a state of mind, wellness is a work in progress. ~ Stevy Stevens.

Yours in living healthfully,

Heather

Spring Cleaning

It's spring cleaning time, Body Talkers, and I not talking about garages and closets. I'm talking about the most important asset you own, your most important piece of machinery......your body!

How about it?!

We spend a lot of time and energy cleaning our homes, cars, garages, offices, etc., but we actually spend very little time thinking about, let alone actually cleaning out ourselves!

Here in Sonoma, we are fortunate to enjoy a culture of food and wine unlike anywhere else in the country.  Combine this with the greatest community of people in the nation and we have one big reason to party, and we do, which is why we need to find a way to have healthy balance in our lives, so we can live longer, better quality lives in this great city of ours.

If you're like me, it may never have occurred to you that the inside of your body may actually need a good scrub down. 

The truth is, when working properly, the body is an amazing cleaning machine all on it's own.  One that is a thousand times more sophisticated than any drive-thru car wash you have ever seen.  Even the ones with pretty psychedelic colored soap. :) 

But no matter how effective a cleaning machine it is, a combination of environmental and lifestyle factors over the past 5 or so decades has made it difficult for even the healthiest of bodies to keep up with the job.

Here's a dirty little secret for you........our exposure to toxins is over 100 times greater than it was 100 years ago.  The amount of chemicals that have been created over the past 75 years is in the hundreds of thousands and these chemicals are taking a toll on our poor cells daily.  Disease is on the rise at alarming rates, and for the first time in history, life expectancy is going backwards.  This, along with poor eating habits, high levels of stress, poor sleep habits, sedentary lifestyles, etc., creates a toxic burden greater than what our bodies can handle.

That's the bad news. 

The good news is there is a solution. But it takes YOU to be willing to take charge of your health.  Are you?  This is important because it's going to take you, along with everyone else, to get educated and to be proactive about taking care of your health from the inside out.  Most people care for their health from the outside, focusing on the things they can see, rather than the things they feel.  Your body talks to you long before you end up in the Dr's office.  You just have to learn to listen.

The SOLUTION:

1)  Get inspired.  Something has to spark inside of you that says, "I am ready....bring it!".  (Hopefully it will be before you are on the pharmeuceutical highway of no return :)

2)  Get motivated.  Either find a buddy to get healthy with or a coach to guide you.
3)  Make a plan.  One that involves what you eat, when you eat, quality of sleep, proper exercise, stress management and relaxation.
4)  Get educated.  There are numerous books, classes, DVD's, and websites out there promoting healthy living.
5)  Get committed.  Set goals and commit to living a healthy lifestyle. Put them in writing and have an accountability person working with you, making sure you are walking your talk.

Spring Cleaning is a great place to start.  The best way to do this is to eat and/or juice clean, fresh, local organic fruits and veggies from all colors of the rainbow.   Give your body a break from alcohol, processed sugar, fried foods and other toxins that build up in your system.  Go to bed early and get 8+ hours of good quality sleep, rest, relax, exercise appropriately and engage in spiritual practice daily, such a sprayer or meditation.

Now is the time to focus on you.  Become part of the healthy living revolution and start enjoying each day to it's fullest.

To hear more about how to make positive lifestyle changes, listen in to my radio show on SUN FM, 91.3, Sonoma, every Tuesday at 2pm.  You can stream this on your computer or download my radio show podcasts on itunes for free!

QFTD:  The human body is the only machine for which there are no spare parts.  ~Hermann M. Biggs

Yours in living clean,

Heather