Connect with Calm

How to Make All-Natural Almond Milk

2010-05-21T07:11:00.002-04:00

How to Make All-Natural Almond Milk

This one is for all the people who have asked for a substitute to dairy and soy.

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How to Make Guacamole

2010-05-21T06:59:00.003-04:00

How to Make Guacamole

Simple and well-illustrated recipe.

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Understanding Pain Killers and Inflammation

2010-05-21T06:57:00.002-04:00

Understanding Pain Killers and Inflammation

Important advice about the type of pain killer to use.

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How to Make Buttercup Squash Soup

2010-05-21T06:52:00.002-04:00

How to Make Buttercup Squash Soup

This flavourful soup will be chock full of vitamins and nutrients. Mmmmmm!

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Spring and Growth and Renewal

2010-05-14T10:23:00.001-04:00

Came across a fabulous quote in a newsletter from Julia Di Nardo, a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders. Her Food for Thought newsletter arrives in my InBox full of helpful thoughts. Check out www.healthehunger.com for lots of good information.

"Acting from authentic self-love, people are gentle, attentive and kind to themselves. They develop their gifts and talents and live according to the values and standards they have set for themselves. Theirs is a beauty that shines from within; they laugh readily and are at ease in the world. Theirs is not a conceit, but a sureness of self. “To honor the self,” Branden said, “is to be in love with our own life, in love with our possibilities for growth and for experiencing joy, in love with the process of discovery and exploring our distinctively human potentialities.”

In this time of fresh growth and renewal, it seems an invitation to revisit how we treat ourselves and perhaps cultivate a new attitude to Self.

Hope Springs Eternal; all powerful words, powerful sentiments.
I hope for spring renewal for you.

Air Freshener

2010-01-21T10:20:00.001-05:00

This time of year we are inside with doors and windows closed most of the time so the air tends to get stale and anything toxic may stick around. Spraying air fresheners to lighten the air is probably not a great solution. Better solutions exist with nature.
First and foremost, open the doors and windows when possible. Allow fresh air in when you sleep by leaving a window open just a bit.
In-home air purifiers are one solution but remember that the following plants are Mother Nature's own air purifiers. Advisable are 15 plants per 2,000 sq ft of living space.
Philodendron
Dracaena
English-ivy
Spider-plant
Weeping fig
Golden pothos
Peace lily
Chinese evergreen
Bamboo palm

Most of these are easy to grow and there is a variety of growing condition requirements. Most are easy to find in local stores and nurseries.
Practice your green thumb for green air!

New Year, New Decade, New Goal

2010-01-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

With this opportunity to start "fresh" it seems most beneficial to work toward something that feels good rather than resist what feels bad or is external. We have all sorts of negative stuff going on around us and we can energetically attract it by thinking about it. So instead I elect to set my magnetic charge to positive. The easiest way to do that is with kindness; simple, inexpensive, beneficial. A smile. A genuine compliment. A consideration.
For inspiration...
"If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again."
William Penn

Staying Healthy. Staying Sensible.

2009-11-11T21:41:00.002-05:00

Focus on staying healthy, feeling strong and vibrant, making sensible choices in order to maximize health. I choose health. And so I do the things that make sense. Vitamins C, D, E and A, Zinc, Selenium, early to bed whenever commitments allow, keep my neck covered, stay hydrated, rinse the sinuses, wash the hands, and know that I am as healthy as my current state of mind. Well and calm.

Sinus Relief

2009-10-11T09:19:00.001-04:00

So how are your sinuses now? Allergy season should be just about done for the hay fever sufferers. The kids are back at school and returning home with all sorts of new bugs. Seeing lots of sinus infections and wet lungs in the clinic. There are many things you can do to ease sinus discomfort and pressure. How about taking a moment to gently tap the area under your eyes? Use your ring finger as it usually has a light touch and good control. Tap from the inside of the cheek bone all the way out to the temple. Now tap the eyebrows, again moving outward. How does that feel?
Another effective technique for the sinuses is Reflexology on the pads of your fingers and toes. With your thumb pinch the pad of each finger. The more sore the finger, the more you benefit from the manipulation. Roll the pads of the toes between your index finger and thumb. These reflex points send a message to the body to ease the sinuses. This works well for children congested with a cold also.
Remember the benefits of homemade chicken soup, a natural antihistamine and delicious! Lots of the onion family (garlic, leeks) in your soup is good for a healthy immune system.
Stay calm. Stay healthy.

Changing Seasons

2009-09-29T14:27:00.008-04:00

Last week was the equinox and we are now into autumn. I like to call it "mud season". As the owner of two big dogs, this is the time of year the muddy paws are frequent. :)

This makes me think of dampness and the effect it has on a person's body. Many people are coming into the clinic with freezing cold hands and feet already. There are lots of damp, stuffy, congested sinuses out there also. The use of Reflexology for sinus congestion is almost miraculous, opening up passages and allowing people to breathe again. The cold hands and feet benefit from Shiatsu on the Triple Burner meridian plus the Spleen, Kidney and Liver meridians which help counteract the effects of adrenal and stress, often the cause of cold hands and feet. Our blood circulation focuses on vital organs first before sending fresh blood and vitality out to the body's extremities. One of the easiest ways to warm your body and counteract stress is to BREATHE. Deep, slow breaths in through the nose and pulled down into the belly. Exhale slowly and completely. Breaths like this tell the body to take a moment off and relax. Connecting with Calm.

Blood pressure medication side effects

2008-04-14T08:45:00.000-04:00

Interesting discovery this morning! A client asked about "Q10" and had heard it was great for energy. Realized she was referring to Coenzyme Q10 and went to Wikipedia to find a good description to send to her.
Reading through the information I discovered a nasty side effect of the statins used for lowering blood cholesterol and beta blockers used for hypertension. They block CoQ10 which means they hamper your body's ability to convert food to energy. Wow! I wonder how many people blithely take these meds without understanding it will make them feel low in energy?
The good news is you can supplement CoQ10 and it is present in things like chicken legs but 120 grams of meat only provides a few grams of CoQ10. The recommended daily dosage is 100mg. It is helpful for anyone wanting to ensure their body stays capable of converting food to energy. It's part of the whole complicated Kreb cycle of digestion. Check with your friendly neighbourhood naturopath for more information.

Opening Salvo

2008-04-07T15:42:00.000-04:00

And so it begins...well this promises to be a wonderful experience. Opportunity to post information and ideas.

Calm is thinking about sharing information of benefit; healthy stuff, happy stuff.

Glorious day today with brilliant sunshine and warmer than expected temperatures. Doors open and fresh air. What a gift!

Going to the Spring Cleanse workshop this evening. Good ideas for you on next post...