tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1 2008-05-14T20:55:07Z Tools & Tips For Your Healthy Lifestyle Movable Type 3.33 tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.187 2008-05-14T14:30:36Z 2008-05-14T20:55:07Z

We've been talking about healthful meals. Specifically, what we've been talking about is the pressure that many of us feel on our time ... and the fact that it takes a little longer to prepare a meal from scratch than...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com We've been talking about healthful meals. Specifically, what we've been talking about is the pressure that many of us feel on our time ... and the fact that it takes a little longer to prepare a meal from scratch than to hit the drive-through or heat up a prepared meal. True. It does. And doesn't it just seem like you've got more on your "life plate" than ever? It does for me. So one thing I'll bet would help us all, me included, is to take a quick look at the qualities that will allow us to prepare healthful meals that boost our energy with a minimum of time and effort. It seems to me there are 4 main conditions: 1. Information and understanding. For many of us, understanding why a particular thing is so valuable is a necessary precursor to making a behavior choice. Learning about why fresh foods are so much healthier than processed ones may help you make the choices you want more easily. 2. Energy! It really does require a bit more energy to prepare a more involved dinner than a less involved one. Ironically, eating well is one great way to increase energy. But you've gotta make the investment to start. For some people, preparing some extra food ahead on the weekend is a great energy-saving strategy. It's obvious but bears repeating that keeping an eye peeled for energy saving strategies in other areas of your life could help. 3. Planning. Sometimes it's more a matter of planning than actual time. If you can consolidate shopping into one weekly trip, you'll save time over stopping at the store several days. Or prepare "planned-overs" -- foods you can recycle later into other dishes, or freeze and serve again soon. 4. Time. Can't deny it. Preparing food from scratch does involve a modest time investment. At this point, it becomes a matter of priority. One way to look at it is like this: "It takes time to be sick." Why not put your time on the front end and enjoy better health? [Guess what? I'm quoting someone there -- a member of this very community! It's great to live in a world of consensus and agreement, isn't it?] Now I can't help but thing that all this would make a fabulous Wellness Coaching project. The next group starts tomorrow, May 15th. Check it out here: Wellness Coaching.]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.186 2008-05-13T02:50:39Z 2008-05-13T03:03:25Z

Today we're continuing the story of Jane and her energy-draining "Pile Paralysis." If you missed Part 1, you can read it here: Are You Paralyzed, Part 1 Jane had a "big pile" of stuff next to her front door. Instead...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Are You Paralyzed, Part 1 Jane had a "big pile" of stuff next to her front door. Instead of cleaning it up as planned, she put it off. Indefinitely. The longer it sat there, the greater Jane's resistance to moving it. "The pile" was becoming an elephant in Jane's mind. The longer it sat there, the worse she felt. "So why would a smart, responsible, loving person like Jane allow her life to be sidelined by a dinky little pile of papers?" It's the question on everyone's mind right now. Not only out of concern for Jane. But because if you, the reader, are anything like the rest of us, there's very likely a "pile" somewhere in your life as well. Not necessarily right next to the door. But somewhere. Lurking. Hiding. Draining your energy. You see, Jane is pretty normal.]]> me what to do -- not even me! I'll do it when I'm good and ready. * Why can't someone else clean up the pile? Why does it have to be me? * If I leave the pile where it is, maybe I'll get some recognition for everything I do around here. * I'm too busy doing everybody else's stuff to get around to my own. * Once the pile is done, then I'll have to move to the next project. That's too scary. I'd rather stare at the pile. * It'll take too long. I'd need a whole weekend for it, and I don't have a whole weekend available to "waste." * Oh that? It's nothing. * I don't want to throw it out. What if I need it later? * I like things just the way they are. Change is scary. * Identity theft. First we have to get a shredder. We can't afford a shredder until the car's paid off. That'll be 3 more years. * The kids really need my attention in the evenings. I'm the mom! * My spouse really needs my attention in the evenings. I'm the wife! * My mom's lightbulbs needed to be changed. She can't climb the ladder. * I can do it later. What's the rush? * Nobody really cares about the pile except me. I'm not worth the effort. We could go on, but I hope you get the idea. In the back of Jane's mind, there's some kind of "big story" going on about her attachment to the pile. Ideally, it would be great if Jane could bring her "big story" out into the open (into her own consciousness). Show it the light of day. Because, honestly, there's a way around each and every one of those great reasons for a motivated person. But first, you've got to know what it is! How about you? Would you like to get rid of your "big pile?" If so, you're in luck. The summer session of our group wellness coaching begins on Thursday, May 15th. It runs for 3 months, concluding on August 15th. You'll pick a project and dispatch it, once and for all. Once you've succeeded, you'll feel an enormous sense of satisfaction. Just like Jane will -- after she conquers "the pile." Master your life this summer. Learn more here: Wellness Coaching]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.185 2008-05-10T21:19:36Z 2008-05-10T21:44:30Z

Meet Jane, an average young woman in her late 30's. Jane has two kids, a husband, and a demanding job. She's a great mom, a reliable employee, and a devoted wife. There's really only one place that Jane consistently falls...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Meet Jane, an average young woman in her late 30's. Jane has two kids, a husband, and a demanding job. She's a great mom, a reliable employee, and a devoted wife. There's really only one place that Jane consistently falls short of her expectations for herself, and that's when it comes to her personal life. As an example, there's that pile of mail and papers on the kitchen counter. (We'll talk about the pile of mail as though it's for real -- it is -- yet in the privacy of your own mind, feel free to consider it a metaphor for all the other things that Jane is allowing to "pile up" in her life as well.) As the family comes home for the evening, everyone's rushed and tired. The mail and papers get plopped on the counter on the way in the door. Periodically someone sifts through to pull out the bills, but otherwise it pretty much goes untouched. When the pile gets too big to manage, it moves. To the floor in the home office. To an even bigger pile. Every time Jane and her family enter their home, you can imagine the first thing they see. The pile. And what's on their collective minds each time they leave? Yep. The pile. Frankly, it's an eyesore. But not only that, the thought of the pile and the thought of home kind of merge in Jane's mind throughout the day. "Home," instead of being a haven, is starting to feel like a lead anchor of work waiting to be done. It's draining. Metaphor talk: What if it wasn't really a pile of papers, but Jane's relationship with her husband, a nagging health problem, the need to get some exercise, untended home repairs, a creative project Jane "promised" herself she was going to get to one of these days, going back to school, or the plan for her "dream" business start-up? Can you see where we're going with this? Back to Jane: One day, Jane had enough. "Tonight!" she said on her way out the door to work. "Tonight is the night I conquer the pile!" But she didn't. The next day, leaving for work, Jane felt even worse. Not only was the pile still there, but she'd betrayed herself as well. She'd made a fervent promise to herself and failed to keep it. That day, Jane moved a little slower. The day dragged. Jane sat a little lower in her chair that day. She shrank. By the time she got home at night, she was too tired to do the pile. I suppose it wouldn't surprise you to hear that the pile continued to grow, as did Jane's sense of malaise. The truth is simple. When it came to that pile, Jane was paralyzed. Can you see how the sense of malaise Jane experienced as a result of her pile-paralysis could begin to affect her health? It takes energy to run a body efficiently. Once that energy begins to drain off into something like "the pile," there's less available to create health. "The pile" really was not the biggest concern in Jane's life. It was the paralysis that kept her from moving forward on projects to enhance her quality of life, coupled with her own betrayal. Perhaps you're asking, "Why?" When it's so simple to just pick up a few papers and pitch them in the garbage, why wouldn't Jane just take the 15 minutes or so and get it over with? Great question! We'll explore that in our next article. tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.184 2008-05-07T14:02:14Z 2008-05-08T03:37:00Z

In the previous article, we left off talking about the resistance that some of us have to preparing healthful meals. I think most people meet up with this stuff in our lives from time to time. I know I do....

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com In the previous article, we left off talking about the resistance that some of us have to preparing healthful meals. I think most people meet up with this stuff in our lives from time to time. I know I do. Just last night, for example, I was out late at a meeting. It was around 8 pm as I headed home for dinner. That little voice in the back of my head started right in. "Why not just run in the drive through. It's been forever since you've done that. You can get away with it once in a while, you know. Go on. It'll be easier & quicker than finding something at home." You've got a voice like that too, I assume. Its arguments may be different than mine are, but regardless, things occasionally come up. Fortunately, last night the other side chimed in next. It reminded me that I'd be much better off choosing something at home, which I did. It's helpful if you know your own vulnerabilities ahead of time. That way you can develop strategies for dealing with them. Mine usually run toward the "quicker and easier" variety, as you've just heard. One of my strategies is to keep a serving of something cooked and easy to thaw in the freezer for "emergencies." Last night I raided my stash. The other common piece of logic we identified last time was the one that goes "cooking is too much work; it's best left to others." Since I actually like cooking that one doesn't usually grab me. We've each got our favorites! Today we'll explore two more common ways people talk themselves out of preparing the kind of delicious, fresh, healthful meals that could otherwise bring nutrition and enjoyment into our lives! Faulty thought pattern #3: Cooking is old fashioned. What you hear in the privacy of your own mind: "Cooking was great for the old-timers. It's probably got some historical value. Sure, it's too bad we've lost some of the old ways (like making fire with 2 sticks). But come on. Nobody does that any more. We've gotta keep with the times!" How it rates on the faulty scale: I'll have to identify this comment as a personal opinion. I am all for keeping with the times when new innovations represent a qualitative improvement over the cumbersome way things had been done in the past. (Say, this computer I'm typing on.) However when the topic is something that's been done a certain way with excellent results for thousands of years and the "new" way represents a qualitative decline, I'll think twice before pitching a basic, successful strategy (like preparing whole foods from scratch). Faulty thought pattern #4: A large corporation that specializes in prepared foods is more qualified to prepare my food than I am. What you hear in the privacy of your own mind: "I trust that the 'experts' know what they're doing better than some dude off the street." A note of explanation. It's lately come to my attention that we've got a whole population of folks out there who trust their box mixes to provide better nutrition than an artful combination of fresh ingredients. Who trust McFood from a drive-through more than they'd trust Grandpa at the barbeque grill. To some readers, this may sound preposterous. Yet strange as it may sound, if you look at your life carefully, you may find yourself applying the same logic to ... oh, say pasturized dairy products versus "fresh from the cow." How it rates on the faulty scale: As I once heard Tom Brown Jr. advise, when in doubt, look to nature. If your scenario occurs in nature, you can be pretty well advised it's not a mistake. I've never seen a boxed dinner mix show up unaided in nature. I have seen the cow. Today's take home: It never hurts to question why you believe what you think you believe! In the next article, we'll "wrap" this topic with an exploration of 4 personal resources you can count on to get great meals on the table for yourself and your family!]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.183 2008-05-01T03:52:52Z 2008-05-01T04:38:44Z

"Eating healthy is a great idea. In theory. But who has time?" This same comment has come up several times in the past couple of weeks -- so I thought we might like to toss it around. I'm thinking a...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com "Eating healthy is a great idea. In theory. But who has time?" This same comment has come up several times in the past couple of weeks -- so I thought we might like to toss it around. I'm thinking a couple of posts. Today we'll cover two of the most common kinds of faulty logic that might lead people to that conclusion. Next time two more. And the time after that, a quick & solid look at how to make things happen to feed yourself well. Now first of all, let's set the record straight. All logic that might lead people to hedge in the kitchen is not faulty! With all the conflicting information available in the marketplace about what is or isn't a healthy food choice, it's easy to just become so confused that you throw up your hands and head for the drive-through. So let's say that's not the problem. You actually have taken the time to come to an informed conclusion about what to eat and how to prepare it. You just don't ever seem to be able to pull it off! The question is why? Faulty thought pattern #1 What you hear (in the privacy of your own mind): "I'm just too busy. Things are really crazy right now. There's a lot going on." How it rates on the faulty scale: Pretty high. What this internal conversation really says is you don't value your health and well-being (or the health and well-being of your family) enough to make keeping yourself alive and healthy a top priority. In other words, you're telling yourself "all the stuff I do in the world is so critically important that I don't have time to keep myself alive." Think this through. See the problem? If you don't keep yourself alive and feeling well, you won't be able to do all that crazy stuff! Faulty thought pattern #2 What you hear in the privacy of your own mind: "Cooking is menial work. It's for other people. I'm too [too good, too important, too manly, too rich, too whatever] to bother with that kind of menial drudgery." I realize that some of you may be raising your fists to this background conversation, but I promise you it's out there. So hold your fire, please. Let the people it applies to have a chance to recognize themselves. How it rates on the faulty scale: You're too important to keep yourself alive? How does that work, big picture? Here's my observation. Many people I encounter doing genuinely important work in the world have embraced the reality that caring for their own health has got to top their "to do" list. Perhaps they don't personally spend the half-hour in the kitchen making home-made yogurt. But they've either hired someone else to do it for them or they've researched and found other reliable sources for the quality foods they need. They're not buzzing over for a McBurger on their lunch break. And they're not popping a frozen packet in the microwave for dinner. They're eating real food. Positive take-away for today: Genuine self-worth means taking care of yourself! Be clever enough to work out a solution. You're worth it!]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.182 2008-04-17T03:33:15Z 2008-04-17T04:48:21Z

One thing I think we can all agree on is we've got a lot going on. And for most of us, dealing with time can be extremely stressful. Can be. Doesn't have to. Let's consider your plan for a single...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Enhance your relationship with time using these 3 tips:]]> Tip #1: When you pick what to with your time, pick things you want to do. Next: As a matter of daily practice, one of the most useful things you can learn to do is to get really good at managing your priorities. Schedule your highest priority activities first, then fill in with lower priority items as time permits. Tip #2: Begin your day with the following question: "What is the most important thing I can do today?" Wait quietly for an answer. You may be surprised! Then: Banish the dreaded "to-do" list! Well, don't throw it out altogether. But really, doesn't that list of 400 items you'd like to get done next Saturday morning seem just a bit overwhelming? Make the list if it helps you to house-clean your brain. Put it in a notebook or drawer where it will be nice and safe. Then make a daily schedule sheet. Pick your highest prioritiy activities. Estimate about how long you expect each one to take and compare that with the time you've got available. You only get to plan as many things as you have time for. Fill in the slots & get started! Tip #3: When planning your day, select high-priority activities that fit your schedule. Delegate, delay, or cancel everything else. Bonus hint: Breaks and playtime are high priority activities. :-)]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.181 2008-04-08T15:08:57Z 2008-04-09T15:47:00Z

We all know the medical consequences of stress by now, right? Heart disease, inefficient immunity leading to more colds & bugs (perhaps even cancer), obesity, etc. Let's face it, stress plays a role in nearly every known chronic or degenerative...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com We all know the medical consequences of stress by now, right? Heart disease, inefficient immunity leading to more colds & bugs (perhaps even cancer), obesity, etc. Let's face it, stress plays a role in nearly every known chronic or degenerative condition. But to a stressed-out person, those facts mean very little. It's the truth! And there's a very simple reason. The potential consequences, if they should occur, will show up in the future. Where the stress is here NOW. To a stressed-out person, NOW is much more relevant than something that might happen in ten years. Or fifteen. Or maybe never (if I repent from my stress-laden lifestyle after this crisis has passed). So let's think about this differently. How does stress affect your quality of life today? And how might your quality of life be measurably better tomorrow if you got a handle on that stress tonight? Transform Stress Into Power, then perhaps you're ready for Intuitive Brainstorming.]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.180 2008-04-02T02:48:13Z 2008-04-02T03:12:24Z

Sometimes we all get a bit confused about the difference between where a symptom shows up and what caused it. I know I do myself. So in explaining this difference to a bodywork client the other day, I came up...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Cat and Catastrophe Imagine you're driving down the main street of your town. Unexpectedly, a cat runs out in front of your car. You, being an alert driver and also a cat-lover, react quickly to avoid catastrophe. You stop on a dime. Fluffy goes on to see another day and stake a claim on her remaining 8 lives. Yet... Somewhere behind you, you hear a loud "thwak." You stopped quickly and Fluffy was spared. Yet someone behind you wasn't able to react as efficiently. Somewhere down the chain, there was a failure to compensate. Catastrophe occurred! Just not at the site of the initial problem.]]> "Cause Behind the Cause" of your most troubling or frequent symptoms and deal with them directly. Once you do, the weak link that's gotten your attention is much more easily resolved. And ... that means a happier you! Cool, huh?]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.179 2008-03-27T20:59:25Z 2008-03-27T22:24:08Z

Those darned great reasons. We've discussed them before. Yet it bears repeating because, well, let's just say that I even find myself wrapped in them from time to time. It takes practice. So you're happily cruising along in your life...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Those darned great reasons. We've discussed them before. Yet it bears repeating because, well, let's just say that I even find myself wrapped in them from time to time. It takes practice. So you're happily cruising along in your life and *bam* it happens. Something unexpected. "No big deal," you figure. "I can handle that." And usually you could. But not this time. Why not? Well, you've got your reasons! Here's the thing. We know how to recognize the big ones. I'm tired, Don't have the time, Don't have the money. Blah, blah, blah. But what about the sneaky little variations that slip in using different language? Or into a part of your life where you aren't trained to watch for trouble? Or even when the first great reason that pops into your mind is more of a habitual answer than the real deal? What then? Well, check out these 3 "deeper" possibilities: When you hear this, think that. 1. You hear: I'm just too tired to deal with it right now. In the past, perhaps you'd have blown off the rest of the evening in front of the tube. But next time it happens, try this on for size. Maybe the project, chore, or goal simply appears too big. Too intimidating. Unsurmountable! But it's probably not. And the sooner you get on with things, the easier it's going to be. The first item on your agenda might be to break the "big" task down into managable bite-sized steps. If you have trouble working that out for yourself, no problem. Ask a sympathetic outsider for some objective input. 2. You hear: I just don't feel like doing it! In the past, you would perhaps have blown the task off, yet felt terribly guilty because it wasn't getting done. Well guess what? That's a huge waste of energy! Instead, try this. Ask yourself, is this a task I'm really committed to doing? If not, then either find a way to upgrade your commitment level to the project, delegate it to someone else, or wipe it off your list entirely. 3. You hear: I've never really been very good at that sort of thing. In the past, you would have dallied around doing other stuff instead, continuing to berate yourself for not being up to the task. Another huge energy drain. Instead, ask yourself this: Am I more committed to my "same old same old" story about not being good enough ... or more committed to the results I want? Sometimes you've just gotta let go of the old to make room for the new! Readers: Here's a grand idea for spring. Pick a simple project you'll enjoy having behind you. Then do it! Watch for the reasons we just discussed -- see if you can catch yourself in the act and transform an unproductive habit. You'll have double the reason to feel proud of your accomplishment! Ready for more? Get back to basics with Word Cures: How to Keep Stupid Excuses From Sabotaging Your Health]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.178 2008-03-19T14:21:46Z 2008-03-19T15:39:55Z

Why would a dentist from Cleveland, Ohio care much about nutrition? Dr. Weston A Price, back in the 1930's and 40's, was one of a number of dentists of his era who observed an increase in tooth decay and changes...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Why would a dentist from Cleveland, Ohio care much about nutrition? Dr. Weston A Price, back in the 1930's and 40's, was one of a number of dentists of his era who observed an increase in tooth decay and changes in facial structure that they thought might be related to changes in their patients' diets. More and more processed foods were becoming available in the marketplace, and people were beginning to choose them. Dr. Price and some of his contemporaries theorized that this might be part of the reason for the changes they saw. To research his theory, Dr. Price traveled to a number of remote areas of the world. At that time, the people in these remote regions were still eating the traditional foods of their ancestors. He had a unique window of opportunity to document his findings, in words and with photographs. Dr. Price went to many different regions, where the foods consumed were quite diverse. For example, he traveled to Switzerland, to Africa, and to Alaska. The native foods available in these regions were obviously quite different. Yet his observations were consistent. People eating their traditional diets were healthy and vibrant, full-faced, and presented little tooth decay, despite not having access to modern-day dental care. When he went down the road to observe people of the same genetic lineage eating a more "modern" diet of processed foods, his findings were consistent as well. Within the course of a single generation, health and vitality had decreased, facial structure had changed, and there was a marked increase in tooth decay. What could explain these findings? Weston A. Price Foundation. Some of the key points of Dr. Price's healthy traditional diet include these:

• Nutrient density. Get the most nutrition possible from the foods you eat.
• Whole foods. Eat mostly foods that are minimally processed.
• Locally sourced. Choose mostly foods produced in your region.
• Healthy fats. Choose mostly traditional fats; they provide essential fat-soluable vitamins.
• Food production. Investigate how your food was grown or produced and favor natural practices whenever possible.
• Food preparation. Prepare foods in a way that promotes maximum digestability and availability of nutrients.

The current expert authority on Dr. Price's work ... as well as its practical application in your kitchen ... is a the foundation's Executive Director, Sally Fallon. Ms. Fallon is the author of the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, which naturally explains her views much more fully than I can. I would encourage anyone interested in learning more about natural health to explore it! Two important things to keep in mind as you read:

1. This viewpoint is controversial. Ms. Fallon does not agree with some of the nutritional advice you'll find around the marketplace these days. This alone is a reason for me to pick up the book and read, because I like to hear different views and make choices for myself. Not everyone feels that way of course, so keep that in mind.
2. This healthy traditional diet is inclusionary, not exclusionary. You won't be given a long list of foods to "never" eat. Instead, you'll learn about some simple foods you can begin to include in your diet, gradually if you prefer, to increase your health and vitality. It's not an all or nothing proposition by any means. "Learn a little, try a little" is my own philosophy, and it works here.

Now here's the really fun thing! Do you live anywhere near North Dakota? If so, you have a unique opportunity to hear Sally Fallon speak live and in person! The full seminar runs Friday evening through Sunday noon and includes two meals. Here are the details: What: Seminar on Healthy Traditional Diets When: March 28, 29, 30, 2008 Where: Minot City Auditorium Free preview: The Friday evening portion (registration begins at 6 pm, lecture from 7-9 pm) is free and open to the public on a space-available basis. The evening's topic is "The Oiling of America," exploring myths about good fats / bad fats, cholesterol, and heart disease. You are invited! Registration information: Anyone interested in learning more about registering for the full seminar, just email me: info@wordcures.com and I'll send you the phone number to call.]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.177 2008-03-13T14:37:20Z 2008-03-14T04:25:30Z

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking with a small group of massage therapy students about one of my favorite topics -- how day-to-day "vibes" can manifest in the body as a health challenge. We spend a lot of time...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking with a small group of massage therapy students about one of my favorite topics -- how day-to-day "vibes" can manifest in the body as a health challenge. We spend a lot of time here talking about how to manage those "vibes," but I thought you might enjoy eavesdropping on one of the clearest cases I've ever run into that illustrates how they can make their way into the body and cause seemingly far-reaching symptoms. Before we begin, a word about compensation. Your body is very smart. When it is served up a little insult (which happens a lot), it figures, "no big deal - I can handle this." And it sets up a compensation system. The compensation often turns into a chain of little bitty changes that your body figures it can deal with pretty easily. However eventually, if the insult goes on long enough without getting resolved, a weak link in the compensation chain sometimes shows up. Something that, despite its best efforts, your body actually can't deal with well. We call that something a symptom. "Karen's" symptom was chronic headaches. At age 50 (more or less), she'd been dealing with them for a good 30 years. backtracking and see where it leads. (Doesn't really matter what you label it, does it?)]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.176 2008-03-06T00:00:57Z 2008-03-06T00:53:41Z

"The trouble with people is they don't think!" If I heard my mom say this once growing up, I heard it a thousand times. And I know for sure she was quoting someone else ... so probably at least a...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com "The trouble with people is they don't think!" If I heard my mom say this once growing up, I heard it a thousand times. And I know for sure she was quoting someone else ... so probably at least a few more folks out there were raised to the same tune. Thinking has a lot to be said for it, doesn't it? You can think through the solution to a problem, think about the potential consequences of your actions before you take them, or think about what you wish you would have said instead of sticking your foot in your mouth with your co-worker yesterday afternoon. Thinking is a great thing! But it's not everything. Consider these 3 powerful add-ons to optimize your thinking experience and get better results. ;-) Add-on #1: Information-gathering. Surely you've been there. I know I have. You come to a stumbling block in your life. Even though you may be very good at managing 98.5% of the decisions that run past you on a daily basis, something from that other 1.5% gets stuck in your mental inbox. You think and think and think. And you keep coming up with the same answer. "It's impossible!" Then you pop onto the Internet and do a little research. Turns out it's not so impossible at all. Turns out there experts all over who have bunches of tips on how to get out of the very mess you're facing. Add a little fresh information, and you're golden. Add-on #2: Objective input. You "think" you know what to do. But you're not sure. So you create a focus group, send out a questionnaire, ask a few friends, or stick your product out on the table at a holistic expo. Then you listen for feedback. Chances are, somebody else's viewpoint is going to make an impression on you! How come this works so well? Simple. Everybody comes from a different viewpoint and you've got blinders on. No big deal here, we all do. Just listen and ... well, need I say you're golden? Add-on #3: The creative inspiration. This is one of my personal favorites. It's the big "aha." Or maybe it's a little "aha." But even a little "aha" can create big changes in your life -- usually for the better. Most of us are used to getting "aha's" during certain types of activities -- driving the car, waking up from sleep, or taking a shower. But did you know you can create an "aha" when you want one? It's true! It's just a matter of stimulating your intuition. And when that big "aha" shows up on your doorstep ... well, you're golden! So back to thinking. If you try and solve a problem in a closed loop, without considering the 3 powerful add-ons, you're likely to come up with only a single stale answer or two. Yet by opening the loop with an add-on, your thinking takes on fresh energy. It becomes more powerful and effective. With the net result being ... You're golden! ]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.175 2008-02-21T21:29:19Z 2008-02-21T22:01:53Z

Today's article is going to be quick, because I'm about to take my hopefully un-leaky tires on the road in a few minutes to head out for a holistic fair in Minneapolis this weekend. (At the Earl Brown Center --...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Today's article is going to be quick, because I'm about to take my hopefully un-leaky tires on the road in a few minutes to head out for a holistic fair in Minneapolis this weekend. (At the Earl Brown Center -- stop by and say "hi" if you're in the areas!) Anyway, I just wanted to share a little analogy you might find helpful in distinguishing the difference between Stress Management (a temporary quick fix which is, of course, sometimes necessary) and Resolving Stress (which hopefully gets to the bottom of things so you can move on. Stress management is kind of like putting a shot of air into a leaky tire... Stress Solved tips booklet? It's chock full of 42 top tips to get to the bottom of your stress-makers and take them out once and for all. Check it out!]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.174 2008-02-14T00:13:56Z 2008-02-14T01:27:42Z

In honor of good St. Valentine, let's explore heart energy and its value in creating health. From the perspective of energy medicine, heart energy is the center of your universe. Your heart connects the physical "doing" parts of you with...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Love and Survival (1998), Dr. Ornish says that one day he was reflecting on the well-accepted fact that heart patients tend to be more hard-driving than the rest of the population -- to the point of hostility. And he had the insight to ask himself, "I wonder what makes them so hostile?" ]]> intuitive approach to resolving stress. Healthy heart energy is considered by energy medicine experts to be central in the creation of any state of health. Drs. Caroline Myss and Norman Shealy say, "Even if the words we use to describe our goal are financial security, social acceptance or political power, for example, love is still the primary motivator behind our choices. Ultimately, without love, remaining healthy, much less healing oneself, is almost impossible." (The Creation of Health, pg. 104) Chinese medicine practitioners Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold say, "The Heart is considered the ruler because like a benevolent and enlightened monarch, it is all-knowing and ever-present, sharing its wisdom unconditionally for the good of the whole... "Just as the sun provides warmth and light for all of creation, so the Heart suffuses and permeates the body with consciousness, sensation, and feeling. The Heart maintains awareness by integrating and communicating experience, establishing an interconnecteness between our inner life and external universe. The Heart holds and envelops the Spirit." (Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, pg. 109) What are some simple things a regular person can do to create healthy heart energy? 4 Tips to Create Healthy Heart Energy:

1. Reach out to someone you haven't connected with in a while. Send an email. Phone. Connect. Let them know you care.
2. Forgive someone. Not because you're "better" than they are. Because you understand that holding a grudge harms both of you, and in the bigger picture there's really nothing to forgive anyway. It's all about the journey.
3. Share something of yourself with another being. This can take shape an any number of ways ... make a financial contribution to the charity of your choice, adopt a pet who needs a home, "adopt" a family who needs a helping hand, choose to do business with people or companies whose values you share, mentor a newcomer to your profession, etc.
4. Give a fellow human the benefit of the doubt. We all have bad days. We all say things we later wish we could take back. We all make poor choices. Sometimes we even change lanes without looking. Be generous!

Happy Valentine's Day to you! Resources: Love And Survival The Creation of Health Between Heaven and Earth ]]> tag:www.wordcures.com,2008:/HealthyLivingDIY//1.173 2008-02-07T02:56:50Z 2008-02-07T03:33:14Z

Bookmarks have been on my mind lately for several reasons. Turns out that both literally and metaphorically, they can save you (and me) a lot of time. And in the process, help us become more efficient, creating time and energy...

Elizabeth http://www.wordcures.com Bookmarks have been on my mind lately for several reasons. Turns out that both literally and metaphorically, they can save you (and me) a lot of time. And in the process, help us become more efficient, creating time and energy to spend on all that fun stuff we say we want to do! Starting at the practical-yet-mundane level, there's the computer bookmark. You know, those virtual systems that have sprung up in the last couple of years to allow you to save favorite articles for reference rather than having to print them out. Saves on physical clutter. (Raise your hand if you're in favor of less clutter!) I'm talking about those little icons you'll find at the end of each of these blog posts, as well as elsewhere around the web. Like del.icio.us, furl and Digg. Now even as we speak, it turns out I'm having computer issues. Seems my trusted friend latched onto something the anti-virus and anti-spyware software couldn't beat. So I've been marginally concerned about preserving the data stored on my hard drive. But guess what? I haven't had to worry about losing my bookmarked articles. They're stored somewhere else! Cool, huh? Then there's the "feeling" bookmark. This came out of a conversation I had just yesterday with one of this quarter's wellness coaching participants. Seems she's been doing great on her project. In fact, she's ahead of schedule. (Come to think of it, all this quarter's participants are doing great!) Anyway, here we were talking about her project and she happened to mention that it feels really great to be doing what you said you were going to do, when you said you were going to do it. And seeing the results of that all around you in the completed project you set about to complete. Rah! Anyway, that was about the time I suggested, "Bookmark that feeling!" And I'm now making that same suggestion to each of you. You do something well. Take on something that really matters in your life and succeed. You feel great about it. What to do??? Easy. Bookmark the feeling. Why? Because you know as well as I do that the moment will come, one day down the road, where you'll be setting out on another project. And you won't feel like following through. You'll begin to rationalize that you "didn't really mean you were going to do that ... then ... " You'll unwittingly set yourself out on that slippery slope of self-betrayal. And then... You'll call up the bookmark. The one that says, "hey there. Remember how great you felt last time when you pressed through the don't-wanna's and actually did what you said?" You'll call up the bookmark and it'll inspire you to press through again, just so you can feel great even more often. And you'll pull off another success! Rah! So bookmark that feeling. While you're at it, why not try out one of those little virtual bookmarking services. It only takes a minute, you'll save a tree, and your favorite articles will be easy to find the next time you want to share them with a friend or re-read one for inspiration. Why, you might even start with this one! :-)