Sep
28
Rethink Intelligence - Allow Creativity To Have It’s Perfect Work
Filed Under Expression | Leave a Comment
photo by kyle may
Two nights ago I was having an impassioned chat with a friend about intelligence.
His position was that he did not believe that every person has been imbued with a purpose or personal dharma and he pointed to the inequities which exist, in particular the fact that it appears that there are some who have been given a wealth of intelligence and others who have not.
I almost cried.
This is something that I feel strongly about.
My response, as I can remember it, was perhaps a bit too loud and maybe too forceful and was along these lines… “What do you mean by intelligence? What you term intelligence is just what the current mythology deems to be worth acknowledgment or praise. Don’t you know that where the academic scholar fails - the individual we have termed the common man excels.
That which the lawyer could never do in a moment of dire emergency for a pregnant girl in a subway car - a stooped woman, who we would perhaps call ‘homely’ will deftly step in, skillfully turn the position of the unborn child, prevent a breach birth and stave off further complications.
Everyone has deep intelligence and don’t allow yourself to believe that it’s not so.”
(Yes, I really do talk like that when the conversation becomes involved. Ask around.)
Folks, I believe that we have all been gifted with a wash of unmatched intelligence - book knowledge just being one among many - including inductive reasoning, phonetic ability, idea orientation, analytical reasoning, graphic orientation and so on.
It’s unfortunate that we have allowed ourselves to believe that there is only one type of intelligence worth mention, praise and reward. This is not so, and not how it should be.
Then last night I came upon this video from one of the TED conference talks. (TED being the Technology, Design and Entertainment conferences which bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers).
And I realized that I am not alone in this belief.
It is one the funniest and most insightful talks that I have seen in a great while.
If you do nothing else today - watch this.
The tide is changing.
The mythology is lifting.
Let us watch it happen together.
Sep
28
For Robust Health - Think Expansion Not Exclusion
Filed Under Nourishment, Rethink | Leave a Comment
Often one of the most undiscussed areas of food and eating are the specific benefits that we stand to receive from eating particular foods.
Yes, we have heard that protein builds muscle and that carbohydrate acts as body fuel but what I am talking about goes beyond those beginning thresholds.
Take for instance one of my favorite legumes - the chickpea, aka the garbanzo or as it is commonly known in West Indian circles - channa.
To think of the chickpea as just another bean or provider of protein is similar to calling any one of us just another member of our family without recognizing our individual traits and personality.
And yet how many of us have faithfully eaten one or two beans to the exclusion of the many choices available and felt that we were doing good because we were eating beans and wasn’t that enough?
Perhaps it is good enough, but …
Wouldn’t it be better to know which beans have what ability in the body and know that we have the power to provide pointed solutions to any concerns that we have?
While scanning The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood I was very happy to learn that the chickpea
- provides more vitamin C,
- nearly double the usual amount of iron,
- and (soy excepted) three times more fat than most legumes.
But in my glee (well, except for the fat part) I was reminded that
the often-ignored-by-me aduki bean
- tonifies the kidneys
- and has diuretic properties,
that lentils
- benefit the heart and circulatory system,
- help reduce blood cholesterol,
- control insulin and blood sugar
- and lower blood pressure,
and that mung beans
- have the ability to disperse body heat during hot seasons.
To each one a purpose and function.
___________________________________
No matter which bean you particularly favor, know that generally most beans and legumes
- support the adrenal glands,
- assist the kidney in some fashion and
- promote physical growth and development.
Moreover, as Rebecca Wood points out, they also
- build body mass similarly to meat protein
- but without the added cholesterol, saturated fat or toxic nitrogen byproducts.
- _________________________________
When deciding which legume to incorporate into your meal, here are a few guiding principles…
1. A bean’s color often indicates the organ it most benefits - and so while red beans such as aduki and kidney beans influence the heart, green colored beans like mung beans and split peas benefit the liver, and yellow beans like chickpeas and soybeans support the spleen-pancreas.
2. Most legumes range from 17 to 26 percent protein, roughly double cereal’s protein and also higher than that of eggs and most meats.
3. Additionally, most beans are low in fat and are good sources of calcium, potassium, iron and zinc.
____________________________________
When you’ve chosen a bean that meets your particular nutritional needs and taste - here are some ideas to assist in the buying and preparing.
1. Stay away from beans that look dull and faded as they are older, tougher and will take longer to cook. Try your best to purchase beans in either a see-through wrapper or from a bulk bin.
2. Uniformity of shape and color is not desirable, as Rebecca Wood points out, as it indicates a hybrid which is less vital than a heirloom variety.
3. Most beans call for overnight soaking as this speeds cooking time, and eases the stress on your digestive system.
4. As an additional softener and flavor enhancer you might wish to add a 2-inch strip of kombu seaweed for every cup of dried beans after the beans have boiled (and this can be removed before serving).
5. And don’t forget to sort your beans to ensure that your lot doesn’t include any undesirables.
So you can see that just as there are different friends appropriate for different days, events and situations - in like manner - your food.
Make a good choice today.
Sep
24
Get Personalized: Your Body Knows Best
Filed Under Nourishment | Leave a Comment
Photo by pardeshi
Often when people hear that I deal in health and wellness they ask questions like “So what should I be eating?”
And then they wait for me to provide them with a list of shoulds and shouldn’t’s - pretty much the same sort of thing that we have all grown used to - every practioner having a different view of what is the one perfect way for everyone to eat.
And that’s where they get a surprise.
You see, I don’t tell my clients what they should be eating.
I work with them to do experiments to uncover what works for their bodies and what doesn’t.
Sound strange?
Well, it may not be common practice, but it certainly isn’t anything new.
As early as the 1950s noted biochemist Dr. Roger Williams promoted the idea of biochemical individuality, explaining that “Biochemical individuality simply tells us that body chemistries are not the same. Two people of about the same height and weight have about the same total metabolism, but the details of chemical reactions taking place in their bodies may be different.”
Here’s a Personal Story
I was raised on a primarily vegetarian diet that included large portions of rice and red beans, huge bins of homemade whole wheat bread, packages and packages of vegetarian “meat???”, etc, and while this way of eating seemed to work for my brother and sister - who remained relatively thin, that diet had a peculiar fluffing effect on my body.
As a result I spent most of my young years very fluffy and interestingly enough, hardly ever feeling satisfied.
So there we have it, one person’s pleasure - another person’s poison.
And the holding positions aren’t necessarily between meat-eating and vegetarianism/veganism but more complex.
There are all sorts of questions to be answered such as
- Does eating wheat make me feel sluggish and somehow not right?
- Does this particular vegetable upset my stomach?
- How is dairy affecting my sinuses?” and on and on.
If we use a blanket approach - there would be no way to get to the personalized and best way of eating for each person.
Here’s a case in point; when I was quite young I noticed that when I ate avocados they produced a burning sensation in my mouth. I can also remember trying to explain why I no longer wanted to eat avocados to my West Indian avocado-loving parents. Just blank (unbelieving!) stares.
And yet, even now I have to stay away from avocados most days.
And so, while there are certain healthy guidelines that everyone would do well to consider, the overriding bottom line is - everyone’s different.
So before you run out to grab another book or follow another eating suggestion - it would probably be worth a bit of your time to see what really suits you - and to remember that your body really does know best.
Sep
11
photo by chaosinjune
When I first heard Marianne Williamson’s often repeated quote…
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…”
I will admit, I was excited by what it might have meant - that I was perhaps greater and had more potential than I had even allowed myself to believe.
And quite frankly that was what I needed to hear at that moment.
I was at my law school graduation and the student speaker was sharing those words with the graduating class and gathered families - and by that point I had not as yet secured a job (not that I really wanted a legal job - but that’s fodder for another post).
But now that I have been trying to hack my way through my fears and do things that before I had only dreamt about, I’ve been giving this idea a second glance.
You see, I think that after all my greatest fear - I mean greatest - standing on the edge of the diving board at 50 feet type fright - is that what I bring forth won’t be good enough.
And this is despite the fact of what I know about ‘dharma’, what I intimately know that I am here to do, and despite what I share with others everyday about infinite intelligence.
Perhaps there’s just some sort of fear force field inherent in the human experience or that we receive through our conditioning that we must all break through before we reach our greatness.
It’s at moments like these that I am particularly encouraged when I read that
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez is quoted as saying “All my life, I’ve been frightened at the moment I sit down to write.“
- Or learn that even with all his success, Steven Spielberg still suffers from insecurity, and says that it’s like having big ears - it doesn’t change just because you win an Oscar.
- Or hear that Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange, constantly thought about giving up writing because of the debilitating fear that his work wasn’t good enough.
You see what I’m saying?
This forcefield idea has something to it - but I have a sneaking suspicion that it does not so much surround us like a fog, but has been transmitted to us through the telling of tales and the averaging of possibilities.
And as far as I can tell there’s only one solution to this bugger.
It appears that despite the promise of potions or hopes of theraputic wrangling - the only way out of this thing is through.
Sep
11
I Pledge Allegiance to Me
Filed Under Connection, Nourishment, Rethink | Leave a Comment
So we grew up pledging alliegiance to the flag, solidarity to our clan, loyalty to the country, and fidelity to the loves in our life, but what about ourselves?
I mean really, when was it ever suggested that we lay down a bill of self determination rights dedicated soley to ourselves that read something like…
- I promise to walk you away from situations that are bent on mayhem and confusion
- I will honor you as a temple
- I will offer you healthy food and drinks
- Overcome any additions that hurt you
- Love and appreciate you for what you do
- Accept that I have the power to heal you
- Adorn you with nice, comfortable clothes and shoes
- Realize that laughter, play and rest help you feel good
- Exercise regularly and appropriately for my body type
- Accept you and be grateful for you just the way you are
- Listen to messages you are sending me when you are hurt or sick
- Understand that my unexpressed emotions and thoughts affect you
Wouldn’t so much be better if we were encouraged early on to adhere to a pledge to ourselves vehemently - despite all other curiosities and distractions.
When we don’t do this it becomes quite easy to end up feeling turned around, unsure and uneasy when we try to determine what the next best thing to do is - without the full power of “Self Allegiance First!” powering our decisions?
I invite you today to make a commitment to yourself first - before lover, children, kin folks and friends.
Because when we’re not standing in our own corner - who’s covering our spot?
Sep
11
Determine Your Life Direction Today - Avoid the Holiday Rush
Filed Under Expression | Leave a Comment
Get a jump on the new year’s rush - and take a few moments to re-examine what next you would like to have appear in your life while you still have about three and a half months before 2009.
That way - you’ll give yourself a nice head start and then when January rolls around and everyone else is flustered, wondering, and still trying to determine where and what, you’ll be contented knowing that you are already dedicated and moving in the right direction.
So why not allow yourself to set a few short and longer term goals - perhaps in these intervals.
1. One month
2. Three months (take that January 2009 late starters),
3. Six months
4. And then one year
I’ll be putting together my own list in the next week or so and just might share some of what I got down with you.
If you feel at a loss for what to include on your list, try asking yourself the following questions listed in Jack Canfield’s The Power of Focus;
1. What do you want to do?
2. What do you want to have?
3. Where do you want to go?
4. What contribution do you want to make?
5. Who do you want to become?
6. What do you want to learn?
7. Who do you want to spend your time with?
8. How much do you want to earn, save, and invest?
9. How much time do you want off for fun?
10. What will you do to create optimum health?
Let’s see if we can’t pull a fabulous fast one by January 2!
Aug
19
Health: Put It In Their Hands
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If you find yourself stumped when trying to come up with ways to entice your children to join you in your quest to eat healthier - one strategy may be to make them think that it was their idea.
Or at least allow them to discover better ways of nourishing themselves and then serve up (both literally and figuratively) what they’ve found to you.
The following video shows how to make it work.
Aug
14
Does Organic Really Matter?
Filed Under Adventure, Expression | Leave a Comment
Photo by oakley originals
Still not convinced about the benefits of eating organic for your body, your immediate community and our greater world?
Here’s a quick refresher list providing some of the main reasons why.
1. Keep chemicals off your plate. Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms, and thus are harmful to humans. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is the way to prevent any more of these chemical from getting into the air, water, and food supply.
2. Protect future generations. Children are four times more sensitive to exposure to cancer-causing pesticides in foods than adults.
3. Protect water quality. The EPA estimate that pesticides pollute the public’s primary source of drinking water for more than the half country’s population.
4. Save energy. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate and harvest all the crops in the U.S.
5. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature. Three billion tons of topsoil is eroded from croplands in the U.S. each year, and much of it is due to conventional farming practices, which often ignore the health of the soil. Organic agriculture respects the balance necessary for a healthy ecosystem; wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fencerows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
6. Help small farmers. Although more and more large-scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small, independently owned and operated family farms. USDA reported that in 1997, half of the U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can demand fair prices for crops.
7. Support a true economy. Organic foods might seem expensive at first. However, your tax dollars pay for hazardous waste clean-up and environmental damage caused by conventional farming.
8. Promote biodiversity. Planting large plots of land with the same crop year after year tripled farm production between 1950 and 1970, but the lack of natural diversity of plant life has negatively affected soil quality.
9. Nourishment. Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil, in turn producing nourishing plants. Well-balanced soil produces strong, healthy plants that have more nutrients than conventionally grown produce.
10. Flavor. Organic produce simply tastes better. Conduct your taste test.
Adapted from www.wholefoods.com and www.ota.com
Aug
14
Collard Greens: Via a Brooklyn Garden
Filed Under Nourishment | 1 Comment
It’s a particularly beautiful thing when you have the opportunity to watch something grow from your kitchen window and then get to partake in the offerings.
My neighbor, a vegetable garden phenom, was kind enough, after faithfully tending to her tomatos, peppers, collards and such, to share her bounty with me and these collards and tomatos are a part of what I got.
So today I thought that we would delve into the preparation of the much feared yet revered collard green.
Despite common thought that collards take forever to prepare, there are quick methods to prepare this nutritional goldmine.
And keep in mind that according to the USDA Composition of Foods, collard greens outrank broccoli, spinach, and mustard greens in nutritional value. Collards are cruciferous, cancer fighting vegetables and are low in calories, high in fiber and rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium and B vitamins.
Some of the benefits from eating dark leafy greens are:
- blood purficiation
- cancer prevention
- improved circulation
- strengthened immune system
- promotion of health intestinal flora
- promotion of suble, light and flexible energy
- lifted spirit and elimination of depression
- improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function
- cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus
If you should be so lucky to receive a similar gift, here’s an easy and tasty way to prepare those green leafy stalks.
Collard Greens and Carmelized Onions
3/4 pound collard greens (6 or 7 cups, chopped)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 onions, sliced into thin crescents
salt to taste
1. Wash collards, remove stalks and stack 4 to 5 leaves. Slice into strips, approximately 1/4 inch wide. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet or cast-iron pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and sweet. Take care not to burn. Add garlic and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden.
3. While the onions are cooking, bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil in a 10-12 inch skillet with a lid. Add collards, cover and cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The greens are cooked when they are tender but still bright green. Drain in a colander and set aside.
4. Add greens to onions and garlic. Season with salt to taste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Serve hot.
Adapted from Greens:Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi
Aug
14
Bring the Sea Home
Filed Under Nourishment | Leave a Comment
photo by rene ehrhardt
While just taking the time to get out in nature will do wonders for your peace of mind and inner calmness - being able to dip into the ocean brings additional powerpacked rewards.
Last weekend I finally had a chance to visit Coney Island in Brooklyn and was reminded of something that I had been missing. And while Coney Island is no Balandra or Negril, being near the ocean always seems to work its theraputic wonders.
The good news is that you can incorporate ingredients from the sea to pamper yourself at home.
photo by moaksey
Take dried seaweed, for instance, which is rich in iodine and protein. The nutrients in seaweed are directly absorbed by the pores of the skin, affecting the body on a cellular level, and in the process helps to detoxify, revive, remineralize and stimulate the body as a whole.
And you can use sea salt to exfoliate the skin’s surface and rid it of dead cells. Sea salt’s slight abrasion or graininess “polishes” the skin, increases blood circulation and stimulates lymph production to eliminate toxins, while naturally triggering the skin’s own oil secretion.
Below you will find a couple of recipes that incorporate these ingredients and allow you to concoct your own healing remedies should you be low on time or the ability to get to a shore.
Seaweed Powder and Aloe Hydrotherapy Bath
1/2 cup freeze-dried seaweed powder
1/4 cup aloe gel
Pour seaweed powder and aloe gel into bath water and relax for 20 minutes. Pat dry and moisturize. As seaweed baths can be draining, it is best not to overexert yourself immediately after the treatment.
Aloe complements the effects of the seaweed in that the gel helps regenerate and soothe damaged or dry skin.
Revitalizing Sea Salt and Rosemary Oil Body Scub
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
1/4 cup rosemary oil
body-scrub tool
Dip the body-scrub tool in a bit of oil, then dip it in the coarse salt. Rub over skin in a circular motion, paying attention to rough spots like the knees, elbows and heels. Rinse off with warm water, pat dry and moisturize.
Ideal for dry and flaky skin, this scrub is both easy and fun to apply. The tonic and invigorating effects of rosemary acting with the sea salt will also increase blood flow.
Adapted from Secrets of the Spas: Pamper and Vitalize Yourself at Home
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In Other Words
"The point is not to overcome your self doubts about being an artist. The point is to move through your self doubts. Many of us believe that "real artists" do not experience self doubt. In truth, artists are people who have learned to live with doubt and do the work anyway."
"I believe and know that your willingness and ability to live your creative dreams directly benefits the whole world. Every person living or actively engaged in living his or her dream is more available to be of use to others. When we are consciously expanding ourselves and our dreams, we attract and add to what is needed in this world."
Simple Ways to Have An Adventure Everyday
1. Go to a thrift store and buy the most outrageous outfit that you can find.
2. Build a sand castle.
3. Go to the library and read children's books.
4. Leave entertaining messages on friends' answering machines.
5. Go to the store and find one new food to try
6. Invite a friend over for a picnic on your floor
7. Make your own wrapping paper.
8. Make your home more exciting with fabric.
9. Come up with five new outrageous affirmations.
10.Spend an entire day listening to your internal guidance system.
11.Play hopscotch with tape in the living room.
12. Randomly give small anonymous gifts to strangers.
13. Watch the sunrise
14.Stroll around a college campus
15.Plan your IDEAL LIFE in a journal
16.Go hiking
17.Go to the beach and listen to the waves crash
18.Help a neighborhood kid fix his bike or study French.
19.Create a character for Saturday night live.
20.Take a day trip somewhere
21.Wear your hair sticking straight up.
22.Decorate your bicycle.
23.Spend $10 in the spice aisle and use whatever you buy at least once.
