Working With What We Already Have

Above you see two pictures of my living room floor. The first is the before and the 2nd is after sanding, lots of TLC, and begging my "floor man" to just work with me on this one.

You are probably thinking great Paula, pictures of your floor, but what does that have to do with health. I am going to be quick about this explanation... the Reader's Digest version is what I am aiming for.

In a frenzy one day I made my boys help me rip up the carpet in this room. I hate carpet. I knew underneath there was 100 year old wood floors (my home is 175 years and there are wide plank boards under the boards you see. Hmmm, crowbar? Nah, work with what is right there!) that I would prefer to sweep than use a noisy vacuum cleaner on carpet.

Long story short: hard wood floor refinishing company took one look and said: "No way to make this floor look good. You need to put in a whole new hardwood floor." My reply: "Seriously? Why not use what is there and prevent the use of new trees to make new floor boards and the possibility of creating garbage in this world by ripping up the 100 year old boards. There is history here, lives lived on these boards, stories that I will never hear (the people are no longer alive!)... why waste what is already here? Why not work with what we have?"

I got my renegade, work for himself floor guy (who initially said the same thing about the floor and why I then asked the "pros") and begged him to just work with me on this one. I will share pictures of the final floor when I am finished sanding, fixing up, and poly-urethane covering the boards I am thrilled to have under my feet.

Your health and my floor connection? Work with what you have!

Years ago, close to 20 I bet,  I was doing a workshop locally on whole foods for weight loss. After the workshop a woman came up to me and said... I want to look like you. This woman was easily 5 inches taller than me and blessed with the big bone structure of Slavic peoples. I am 5 foot 5 1/2 inches and have the bone structure of a bird. (Trust me, I have had my longings for a more curvaceous and voluptuous body and bones that would better anchor me to this earth in a strong wind but what I have is what I have!) I hugged this woman, told her that her body was strong and beautiful, and suggested she work with what she already has (what she was gifted by her genetics)! Sure, a 25 pound weight loss would increase her health and vitality but her height and bones are her height and bones. 

My point(s): 

• embrace what nature, genetics, God, Goddess gave you (whatever beliefs you live and love by),
• eat whole foods to re-balance your weight right where it is supposed to be for you
• move your body to keep it frisky and healthy; do not rely on movement... exercise for weight loss, real food 100% of the time is what matters in the metabolism of healthy biology and body weight
• chew your food well to take good care of your gut
• LOVE exactly what you were given (what you have) and care for it in whole health ways to make the very best out of YOU!

There is only one of you. Celebrate you and make you the very best you that you can be!

That is how I am dealing with my 100 year old floors... making those boards the very best they can be and being at peace with their imperfections; walking with the history that came before me!

My Floor & I wish you Peace in discovering that what you have is just what you need. 

Summertime and the Living Is Easy

Summer is an amazing time to revitalize mind, body, and soul.  

How can we not feel amazing with the:

• sun shining brightly,
• warm rains on occasion,
• birds singing,
• frogs and crickets chirping,
• fire flies blinking at night,
• local produce pouring off the farm stands,
• green grass and wild flowers coloring our world happy,
• sultry, warm nights swimming in the moon light...

May your summer be filled with warmth, good smells, and happy memories!  Hugs, Paula

My "New" Favorite Song

So, you may be asking: What does a song have to do with health and healing? 

Everything I say, everything!

Musicians weave soul magic with their words and the musical notes.  Human healing begins at the soul's level.  Remember me writing about how healing the physical body begins with healing the emotional and spiritual body? What better catalyst than music!

An earlier post, about another favorite song, urges using forgiveness as a self-healing tool.

My new favorite song and how it fits into this whole story...

As you know, from a previous post on blasting belly fat, I recently ventured down into the Havasupai Indian Reservation in the Grand Canyon. After I posted this adventure story, a dear friend sent me the link to a song I had not heard in years:  In the House of Stone and Light by Martin Page.

Listening to the hauntingly beautiful music and soulfully insightful words of this song returns me to the same peace, deep inside my heart and soul, that I felt down in the Havasupai's canyon world.

(See pictures below.)

The House of Stone and Light as we walked into the Havasupai village.

Meandering through this House of Stone and Light!

Little Navajo Falls In The House of Stone and Light.  Yes, we swam there!  In fact, I am on that beach!

The sunrises and sunsets on the canyon walls were completely mesmerizing. The light, on the sandstone walls, absolutely glows. (I live in a sandstone home, I recognize my stone home's beauty and, yet, this canyon home is an intense sandstone home space!)  American Indians speak of sacred places where there are high levels of spiritual energy.  It was obvious to me that this oasis, in the Grand Canyon, is one of these sacred places, a vortex of energy.

The sunrise, hiking out of The House Of Stone and Light.

I would love to take my healing energy back to Havasupai.  Maybe I could offer my nutrition and whole health healing to the Havasupia people. I could support their health around the high incidence of diabetes and diabetes related health problems.  I could be giving back to the people who opened their canyon home to me and my family!

For now, I listen to my new favorite song, over and over again.  My kids tell me I am obsessed with this song about the canyon home.  I tell them the hike down into this beautiful home of the Havasupai was a deeply moving and soul cleansing experience.  

If they hand me my backpack and tattered Teva hiking sandals, I will know they are sending me packing back into the canyon!  I will go, willingly!

My dirty feet and tattered Teva sandals after a day of canyon hiking!

Your Take Away Health Information:  Find music that soothes and excites your soul.  

Sing, dance, let the music flow through you like the healing energy it is.  Much Love, Paula

PS  The lyrics of the song are deep, meaningful, soul searching!  Tell me this is not a healing experience...

O Mount Kailas uncover me
Come my restoration
Wash my body clean

I've been walking
Along a crooked path
Where the walls have fallen
Broken me in half

I'm telling you
I will not rest till I lay down my head
I'm gonna go
In the house of stone and light

I shall not cry
For the blind man I leave behind
When I go
In the house of stone and light, yeah
In the house of stone and light

Holy lady
Show me my soul
Tell me of the place
Where I must surely go

Old man waiting
At the gates for me
Give me the wisdom
Give me the key

I'm telling you
I will not rest till I lay down my head
In the house of stone and light

I make my way
Oh, gonna be such a beautiful day
In the house of stone and light
In the house of stone and light

Let me in beneath my skin
In the house of stone and light

It's been too long
My spirit's been at war
Havasupai Shaman
Let me be reborn

And I will embrace
The sun upon my face
Come the day
I awake the child inside
In the house of stone and light

And when I go
I will op', op', open my eyes
In the house of stone and light
I will see you
In the house of stone and light

Looking in beneath my skin
In the house of stone and light

Going inside
In the house of stone and light
(Stone and light)
Looking for the child
In the house of stone and light
(See myself got such a good shelter)
In the house of stone and light

In the house of stone and light
(I'm gonna let this child come washing of water)
In the house of stone and light
(He's speakin' softly to me)
(I must go there, to find my soul, yeah)

In the house of stone and light
(I can see so clearly now)
(I will go there, to find my soul, yeah)
In the house of stone and light
(Well keep on knocking on my door)
(I must go there, to find my soul, yeah)

In the house of stone and light
(I will go there, to find my soul, yeah)
In the house of stone and light
(I must go there, to find my soul, yeah)

Songwriter:

Martin Page

His albums are awesome. Check them out for some soul soothing, healing music!

Gustatory Guru of Gastronomy

Gustatory Guru of Gastronomy

So recently, I received a very sweet email, thanking me for my support in cleaning up this divine person's diet and contributing to their vibrant health.  And... "Gustatory Guru of Gastronomy" was the "alliterative moniker" she used for me!

Seems a lighter label than Diet “Dr. Doom” from an earlier blog post inspired by an encounter with a "health" chump of mine!

I find this to be true of people who are ready, on the cusp of making healthy changes in their lives:

When you are a stick of dynamite, ready to blast off into health and healing, changes are easier to accomplish and feel good about!

I light the fire under you and inspire you to activate your beautiful mind. You then peel back the layers to uncover your perfect soul. Healthy changes happen because when you feel good, you want to feel better.  What a ripple effect!

And... when one is not quite ready to dive headlong into major changes (Maybe you are one for a more subtle metamorphosis!), I help plant a seed.  A seed that will bloom and grow in your life, when the "soil" and conditions are right for growth.

Recipe:

Ethiopian Smothered Brussel Sprouts and Carrots with Turmeric 

1-2 tbsp butter, ghee, or toasted sesame oil

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

Unrefined Sea Salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or use dried ginger powder in a pinch!)

2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 lb carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into bite sized chunks

2 lbs Brussel sprouts, cut in half to make bite sized pieces

How to throw this together into a scrumptious pile of food:

Saute' the onion in butter, add ginger and saute' for 1-2 minutes more

Add carrot and Brussel sprout chunks

Let simmer in a cover pan for 10 minutes or so (I like the veggies to have a crispness to them)

Sprinkle turmeric over veggies, add crushed garlic cloves and stir well.

Turn off heat and let sit, covered, while you finish getting the table ready.

Serve:  over red lentils.

I bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil, add 1 cup red lentils,  and gently return to simmer.  Shut off heat when it returns to simmer and keep covered.  I then take the dog for a good 1/2 walk and the lentils are ready when I come out of the woods!

Options:

Use cabbage and potatoes instead of carrots & brussel sprouts

Add garlic, ginger powder, and turmeric to 1 cup pasture raised milk in your blender.  I also add 1/2 to 1 cup shredded coconut.  Blend to a puree and pour over veggies, stir well and gently re-warm.

Use coconut milk with the above spices.

As you can see, I added a few raw cashews on top!

The veggies are all local, seasonal, and organic.

The spices, coconut, and cashews... well, not so local!