~ Practice Gratitude

~ What You Don't Want on Your Thanksgiving Table

~ A Healthy Immune System

Practice Gratitude

by Lesley Garner

There are two regular practices that can transform your attitude to, and experience of, life. One is gratitude. The other is forgiveness. They are the housekeeping tools of the heart and mind. One can fill you with a sense of the richness of life; the other cleans the dark and destructive corners of resentment, anger, and hurt that accumulate, sometimes on a daily basis.  If you're really down, it can be difficult to practice either one, but it's probably easier to switch your focus to gratitude than it is to forgive people who are hurting you.

Gratitude is always a good place to start from in the middle of turmoil. It's like a light that you can carry at will from the good places in your life to the dark ones. It will illuminate them.

Gratitude begins as an instinctive, unfettered, and free-flowing response to the positive moments in life. When we're children it begins as a sense of awe and love, before we're taught to say thank you. Then we sometimes find ourselves being made to say thank you politely for things we're not at all grateful for, so the sensation and the state get muddled. But you can find gratitude again. Remember the experience of receiving a spoonful of delicious ice cream, a sip of fine wine, an eyeful of moonlight, the sight of the sea, a tender touch, a helping hand, or the clean embrace of your own bed...Gratidude, unforced, will overwhelm you.

Remember those moments when you're in a beautiful place, in beautiful light, in beautiful weather, and all the goodness of the world seems to be spread unstintingly before you. You know, in every cell of your body that it's sensational to be alive.  Your whole self expands to receive your good fortune.

Think about the times when you can hardly believe your luck. You've met someone wonderful...or you find youself in the heart of a group of friends and you think how lucky you are to have them. You lose a child in the supermarket and after a heart-stopping minute, you find your precious one again. That's gratitude. 

Keep this in mind when you're part of a crowd enjoying an extraordinary experience.  Your team is scoring a winning goal.  You're watching a magnificent play.  At a concert, you're on your feet, moving in time with the music.  You'll never forget it.  You're so lucky to be here.

Narrow your focus. Remember the time you had a cold and somebody made you a hot drink.  Remember when you were stranded and somebody offered you a lift. Remember when the money to pay a debt arrived jsut in time.  Remember the stranger who helped you carry a heavy bag up the stairs.  These are simple, everyday things, but they connect you with the flow of the world.

Everyone knows what gratitude is, what the sensation feels like.  The trick is in the conscious practice of gratitude is to reach into this emotional store and be grateful on purpose.

In moments of stress and depression, it's far easier to follow a damaging practice of ingratitude, resentment, rage and blame. But these obsessive, negative thoughts switch on the chemicals in our bodies that damage our immune system and lead to states of depression and despair. The focus switches from the simple things we have, to the innumerable things we don't have, even though others do.  Ironically the more we have, the more we want.  But wise people, from the Buddha to the sociologists who have identified the modern sickness of luxury envy, know that want and desire can never be satisified.  The things we think we want are actually the sources of our unhappiness.

The trick is to identify this pattern of thought, and change it as soon as it occurs. Reach into your store at moments of trial and despair, and apply the transformative balm of gratitude to your open wounds.

It seems impossible - after all, you have real problems.  Of course you do, but they won't be any easier to solve if you only focus on the damage they're doing to you.  Negativity, self-pity, and complaints are addictive, easy, and irresistible.  They darken your vision so that hope and goodness are invisible.  They also become a habit.

I've found that if I practice gratitude instead, starting with the smallest thing (and nothing is too small), my attitude can be swiftly transformed. I like the practive of Mother Teresa, who treated everything that came to her as a gift.  "Excuse me," Mother Teresa said one to one her nuns when they faced a long, weary delay at an airport, "we have the gift of several hours' wait."  Advance practitioners of gratitude can look upon everything that happens to them - sickness, accident, bereavement, poverty - as a gift. They're the people who look back a disaster and say, "Oddly enough, that was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

If you really want to feel enormous grattidue for your messy, problematic life, try nearly losing it.  I've never felt so abundantly, humbly, unstintingly grateful, so in love with my life, as I did immediately after surviving a car crash. If your problems aren't life-threatening, you can change your attitude to them by practicing gratitude for the smallest things. And the moment to do this is when you find yourself feeling the least grateful. Stop right there and say the simple words: Thank you. 
 

In addition to being an author of several books, Lesley Garner has been an art citiic, book and film reviewer, as well as a columnist and social commentator. To read more of Lesley Garner's wisdom look for her book, Everything I've Ever Done That Worked  available at  www.hayhouse.com. This easy-to-read book is full of useful suggestions for getting through the difficult times of your life. Visit her website:  www.lesleygarner.com.

One Thing You Don't Want on Your Thanksgiving Table!

A naturopathic physician once advised me that before putting anything in my mouth I ask myself this question: "will this make my body stronger or make my body weaker?"  The fact is we all know what foods and beverages are nutritious, and which aren't.  But pausing to think about the value - or in some cases, the harm - what you are ingesting will do in the body, can really help us make better choices. You are probably already aware that soft drinks are not considered a nutritious beverage, but perhaps you were not aware of the detrimental impact it can have on your health and well-being.   Thanks to Healthy Chef Creations for providing this information about soda and what drinking it can do to the body:

Daniel Reid, author of The Tao of Detox, believes the sugary sweet, fizzy 'soft drink' is actually an 'acid bomb'. A 350 ml serving of Coke, Pepsi or similar drink delivers a sugar fix equivalent to about 9 teaspoons of sugar straight into the blood stream. This instantly acidifies the bloodstream requiring an immediate emergency response from the body. To counter act this rise in pH, you'd have to drink 32 glasses of alkaline water to netralize the blood pH!

Soft drinks contain carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of human metabolism and a primary contributing factcor to blood acidosis. In addition, soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which has a very high pH of 2.8. Since blood must be maintained at a slightly alkaline ph of 7.35 at all times, this causes a further drain on your body's calcium resources.

Soft drinks are extremely acidic and can eat through the bottom of a liner of an aluminium can.  This can leach aluminium from the can into the drink if it sits too long on the shelf.  Alzheimer patients who been autopsied ALL have high levels of aluminium in their brains. Heavy metals in the body can lead to many neurological symptoms and other diseases.

Soft drinks have a pH of about 2.5, below pH 6.5 means Acidity which in turn means you are putting something into your body that is thousands of times more acidic than your body is designed to cope with. Critical pH is 5.5 at which tooth and mineral will dissolve! Unhealthy cells flourish in an acidic environment. Soft Drinks and acidic foods deposit acid waste in the body which accumulates over a period of time. These wastes manifest themselves as joint problems and organ dysfunction. The Body pH of cancer or arthritis patients is always low/acidic.

Alkalosis is another scenario, in that your body could have a very high pH, this is caused by an acidic cell base. However, as a rule of thumb the more ill a person is the lower their Body pH.  Soft Drinks are one the most acidic forming substances that you can possibly put into your body,that should especially be avoided  when you are ill. The acidic content of the drink will help to maintain the condition and it will be much harder for your body to ward off illness whilst it is also trying to correct your pH.

If you have amalgam fillings and drink soft drinks then having a soft drink will bring about what is known as an acid attack on the fillings and so leach out more of the mercury vapour in your amalgam fillings. Combine this with the possible leakage from the aluminium of the can and you have a potent cocktail of acidity and heavy metals attacking your precious pH levels, as well as enabling disease processes that may be going on to consolidate or proliferate!

Soft drink's acidity can remove rust from a car bumper or other metal surfaces like coins. Can you imagine what it's doing to your digestive tract as well as the rest of your body? Soft drinks steal water from the body and works like a diuretic, which takes away more water than it provides to the body. For your body to process the high levels of sugar in soft drinks it uses a considerable amount of water, which is required for other bodily functions. In order to replace the water stolen by soft drinks, you need to drink at least 8-12 glasses of water for every glass of soft drink that you consume.  Soft drinks never quench your thirst, certainly not your body's need for water, in fact they make you want more of the same especially diet drinks. 

The elevated levels of phosphates in soft drinks leach vital minerals from your body.They are made with purified water that also leaches vital minerals from your body. A severe lack of minerals can lead to Heart Disease (lack of magnesium), Osteoporosis (lack of calcium) and many other diseases. Most vitamins can not perform their functions in the body without the presence of minerals.

Constantly denying your body an adequate amount of water can lead to a Chronic Cellular Dehydration, a condition that weakens your body at the cellular level most symptoms are DRYNESS e. g. dry skin, dry mouth, constipation etc. This can lead to a weakened immune system and all your system really needs is hydrating with WATER.

Soft drinks lead to a sugar crash. The high amount of sugar in Soft Drinks causes your pancreas to produce an abundance of insulin, which leads to a "sugar crash". This abundance of insulin removes too much sugar from the blood stream leaving you with low blood sugar level. You feel tired, get forgetful, can't concentate and need a sugar fix! You then repeat the process. Chronic elevation and depletion of sugar and insulin can lead to diabetes and other imbalanced related diseases. This is particularly disruptive to growing children and can lead to life-long health problems.

The caffeine and high amounts of sugar can  virtually shut down the digestive process.That means your body is essentially taking in NO nutrients from the food you may have just eaten, even food that was eaten hours earlier. Soft drinks consumed with french-fries can take WEEKS to digest. This can also lead to a syndrome where large proteins pass into the blood via the small intestine and cause allergic reactions.

Diet soft drinks and Aspartame

Out of the frying pan, into the fire! Diet soft drinks contain Aspartame, which has been linked to depression, insomnia, neurological disease and a plethora of other illnesses. The FDA has received more than 10,000 consumer complaints about Aspartame, that is 80% of all complaints about food additives. Soft drinks with Aspartame left in the sun/heat can turn the drink into Formaldehyde

Ask anyone who drinks diet drinks how much they consume they think they are being healthy but in fact the opposite is true and these drinks also make you gain weight! Formaldehyde is a very toxic substance. There is an increase in sensitivity to formaldehyde when there is a disruption in the methionine (sulfur) pathway. It has been listed as carcinogen by EPA, its vapours intensely irritating to mucous membranes. Topical application (ie on the skin) may produce an irritant dermatitis. Ingestion may cause severe abdominal pain, hematemesis, hematuria, proteinuria, anaemia, acidosis, vertigo, coma, and death.

Other linked symptoms and conditions are: Aching upper arms and shoulders, Asthma, Brain allergy, Candidiasis, Chemicals/chemical sensitivity, Chest pain, CNS disturbances, Crying Depression, Dizziness, Eye problems, burning eyes, Food allergy General malaise when in fabric or furniture stores, new buildings, new mobile homes or malls. Hallucinations - seeing things and hearing voices that are not there, walls move. Hay fever, Mucous membrane, Muscle spasms, Numbness, Paralysis, Pollen allergy, Rapid heart beat, Shakiness, Spaciness, Strabismus and Throat inflammation.

Healthy Chef Creations delivers natural & organic meals right to your door!  To learn more about their home delivery program visit their website: www.HealthyChefCreations.com.  

A Healthy Immune System

By: Rebecca Gerard, Licensed and Registered Dietitian

It’s that time of year again and it seems like everyone around us is sniffling, sneezing, and coughing.  As the outdoor temperatures and humidity drop, viruses begin to thrive and it is important to pay close attention to your immune system. A healthy immune system is vital for maintaining overall health. Here are a few tips to keep you on the “healthy” track.

1.       Limit processed/refined sugars: Research suggests that just 1 tablespoon of sugar suppresses the immune system for up to 6 hours. The average soft drink has 8 tablespoons of sugar. So count your sugar grams on the food label and try to keep daily sugar consumption to less than20 grams/day and not all at once.

2.       Eat an adequate amount of daily calories: To learn your estimated daily calories multiply your weight by 10 and that is the minimum number of calories you should eat daily.

3.       Limit processed/cooked fats: It seems to depress the immune system and increase you risk for infection.

4.       Probiotics enables us to properly digest and absorb the nutrition in our food.  I recommend either eating 8 oz of organic yogurt daily or taking a probiotic supplement before meals. Probiotics can include acidophilus, bifidus to name a few.

5.       A balanced diet of plenty of raw fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein both animal and plant, and essential fats. I recommend all of these foods on a small plate at meals and make sure that you include the rainbow of colors. This will ensure all the essential vitamins and minerals.

6.       Research is mixed as to whether  isolated supplements like multi vitamins seem to support the immune system. In fact some of them may cause more harm than good. It is best to get your nutrition from whole food. If you find that you do not or can’t  eat certain food groups then a whole food concentrate may be recommended like dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

If you find yourself with the above symptoms of the flu or a cold then here are a few things you can do to decrease the symptoms or get over faster:

1.       Drink plenty of fluids, especially warm fluids like hot decaffeinated tea. Generally half your body weight in ounces or more is suggested. A small amount of lemon and honey can be helpful as well and it can soothe a sore throat.

2.       Get at least 8 hours or more of rest a night. Take a nap as well.

3.       Avoid foods that lower the immune system like sugar.

4.       Don’t skip meals. Even if you are not hungry try and eat something small that includes protein. Protein supports that immune system.

5.       Take extra of your whole food supplement.

6.       Zinc lozenges can be soothing as well and can act as an immunostimulant.

Rebecca Gerard is a licensed dietician with over 12 years of experience working with clients to create customized nutrition programs. For more information you can email her at eathealthy@bellsouth.net.

Have questions or comments:  Andrea@HealWithHope.com
Sign Up to receive article update notification, health newsletters & more!