Tag Archives: cleanse

How Microwaving Food is Hazardous to our Health and Beauty (!)

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Hello Loves,

I hope all is well!

I wanted to talk about microwaved foods today. Those of you that follow me on Twitter might have seen my Tweet (I still can’t believe that this word is part of our daily vocabulary now!) about seeing packaged, organic spinach that was labeled “microwavable.” It was just the most ironic label and it horrified me so much that I felt compelled to write about it…

First off, what is interesting is that after over 20 years of research, the Russians banned microwave ovens back in 1976, making a strong argument for possible biological and environmental damage and against their safety.

I am really concerned that microwaves may destroy all the nutrition in our food. When I started getting into health years ago I threw out my microwave, and I personally haven’t used one once in literally years. There has been surprisingly little research on how microwaves affect organic molecules, or how the human body responds to consuming microwaved food. The few that there have been do suggest that microwaving food destroys nutritional value.

I’m not just talking about regular cooking through a stove or an oven, which yes, does destroys enzymes and can denature certain nutrients. Microwaves add another element, the “microwave” effect, which is different on a molecular level than regular cooking. How do microwaves work anyway? Microwaves are on the low end of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Microwaves cause dielectric heating, which means they spin around very rapidly inside your oven in such an electric field at high frequencies, and the molecular friction eventually causes the water to turn to steam and that heats up the food. But this can also change the food’s chemical structure.

When we microwave foods, structures of the water molecules are ripped apart and deformed. When we use an oven to heat food, heat is transferred convectionally from the outside and moves inward. Microwave cooking begins within the molecules where water is present.

Studies and reports indicate that microwave ovens can cause carcinogenic toxins to leach out of your plastic and paper containers/covers, and into your food. The January/February 1990 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter reported the leakage of numerous toxic chemicals from the packaging of common microwavable foods, including pizzas, chips and popcorn. Chemicals included polyethylene terpthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene. When we microwave fatty foods in plastic containers it can further release dioxins, which are known carcinogens, and other toxins into your food. This has resulted in warnings to new mothers about NOT using the microwave to heat up baby bottles (!!!). If you know of any mothers that microwave baby bottles, you should share this with them (!). I saw a first-time mother unknowingly microwave her baby’s bottle  a little while ago at a friend’s house, and when I (very gently and non-judgmentally) told her about some of the risks, she was shocked and said she would not do it anymore.

But back to the food itself. There are some good studies to show the effect of microwaving on food, but I’ll mention just two of them: A study published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli “zapped” in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of its beneficial antioxidants. What a ripoff!! If that is the case, we might as well eat cardboard then waste our money on organic food that we won’t get nutrition from anyway!

Also, there was a study conducted by Swiss food scientists Hans Hertel and Dr. Bernard Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Institute for Biochemistry back in the 1990s. It revealed that microwaves changed the nutrients in food, and adversely affected the human body and blood, including the following ways: Increased cholesterol levels, increased numbers of leukocytes (white blood cells), which can suggest poisoning, decreased numbers of red blood cells.

Wow!

Lastly, the FDA maintains that small amounts of radiation leakage through the viewing glass of microwave ovens are “insignificant” and “well below the level known to harm people.” Ha! They also say that about cell phones. Check out my blog on how to minimize radiation damage from cell phones HERE. However, according to Powerwatch, a non-profit independent organization with a central role in the microwave radiation debate (“Microwave oven and microwave cooking overview,” Powerwatch):

“Even when the microwave oven is working correctly, the microwave levels within the kitchen are likely to be significantly higher than those from any nearby cellular phone base-stations. Remember also that microwaves will travel through walls if the microwave oven is against an inside wall.”

Huh??? There is a chance that the microwave can produce levels of radiation in your kitchen higher than a CELL PHONE BASE STATION?? Have you run to throw out your microwave yet??

Don’t worry, you won’t miss it as much as you think. Plan ahead, and think of thawing frozen items out the night before of that morning for dinner. Use a toaster oven in place where you might heat things up. Sure it may take a little longer, but it is well worth it to avoid potential health risks to us and our loved ones!! Of course, it would be awesome if we all just ate more raw food in general- like huge salads- and avoided having to zap and heat things up all the time anyway!

For more info., and where some of this info came from and more reference studies, check out:

http://curezone.com/foods/microwave_oven_risk.asp

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx

Take care and be well.

With Love, Kimberly

The Rainbow of Health Foods

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Hey Guys!

I am officially back in New York, and I am SLAMMED with work. Good thing chlorophyll keeps me grounded! Are you having a good week so far?

Driving back up the coast to New York from South Carolina I was really inspired by colors. There was a huge rainstorm that passed in and out, but then it would get very sunny and light up all these beautiful flowers and green trees. I love color! If you peeked into my closet you would see an abundance of brightly colored pieces- though of course, I have my share of black too! (I do live in Manhattan after all :) ). I wrote another piece on color a while back- check it out HERE.

As color applies to food, when our food is naturally colorful the greater the abundance of antioxidants, life force, minerals and vitamins. Have you ever noticed how so much processed food, such as french fries, turkey sandwiches, chicken burritos and the like are ugly tan and pasty brown colors?? Or maybe artificial neon colors are more disarming- like the bright red of the processed, canned tomato sauce on a slice of Pizza Hut pizza or the more orange than orange Dorrito. Either way- it certainly is scary!!

Here are some examples of our true Rainbow of Health Foods:

RED: Contains Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant

Examples: Tomatoes, watermelon, guava

ORANGE: Contains Beta-carotene, which supports the immune system and is a powerful antioxidant

Examples: carrots, yams, mangoes, pumpkins

YELLOW- ORANGE: Vitamin C, flavonoids which help us detoxify of harmful substances

Examples: Oranges, lemons, grapefruits, papayas, peaches

GREEN: Folate, which build healthy cells and genetic material. Also contains chlorophyll and a broad range of vitamins and minerals

Examples: Kale, spinach, collard greens, cilantro, parsley, etc.

GREEN-WHITE: Contains indoles and lutein- which help eliminate excess estrogen and carcinogens

Examples: Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower

WHITE-GREEN: Contains allyl sulfides- which destroy cancer cells, reduce cell division, and support immune systems

Examples: Onions, garlic, chives, asparagus

BLUE: Contains anthocyanins, which are powerful free-radical scavengers

PURPLE: Contains Resveratrol- a strong anti-aging antioxidant

I’ll write more soon! Have a beautiful, colorful day!

Love, Kimberly

How to Survive A (Vegan) Roadtrip!

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Hey Guys!

So yesterday I took a 12 hour roadtrip down the coast. I’m happy to say that I survived- not only intact but healthy and happy! I was able to jump in the ocean at the end,  which here in South Carolina is 75 degrees. That made it all worth it.

Given what fast food and mass, commercial food companies consider “food” and stock at gas station rest stops, there was no way ever I was about to take any chances. The night before I made a huge salad to eat with arugula, buckwheat micro greens, sunflower sprouts, radishes, dulse…

And also to take with me in Tupperware to eat as an early lunch! I knew that it wouldn’t be good all day long sitting in the car, but since we left around 6 am and I had some ice, it was still okay to eat around noon. The trick? I did not put any oil on the salad so it would  not get soggy. I used lots of freshly chopped herbs and spices, and at a rest stop I cut open an avocado I brought along and mashed it into the Tupperware, and ate the salad just like that!

 

When we stopped for gas, I did happen to take a peek at the local gas station fare. Could not help myself!!! I didn’t know whether to laugh, shriek, gag, or do all 3 at once! Amongst the turkey and chicken Lunchables, Supersized slushies and Cokes and bags of mini powdered doughnuts I found a counter of processed delicacies that words can almost not describe. Check it out below! It was a slow turntable cornucopia of corndog, chicken, cheese and ham, and other grilled “delights”. Zits, a congested liver, cellulite and a big belly for only $2.22!!! Eeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!

I did indeed laugh (in disbelief really) and shriek. I didn’t cry, but i did leave with a saddened feeling at once again seeing what is commonly pushed as “food” to so many hungry people that travel across the highways.

It DID make me really appreciate the organic blueberries I had packed…

And as I wearily nodded on and off to sleep with my hypoallergenic pillow…. I had a dream that healthy food would one day be as readily available for all at these rest stops rather than all the inedible crap that really isn’t fit for human consumption!!

 

So I guess the obvious moral of the story is to always be prepared! We can all plan a bit ahead and be sure to grab fruit, avocados, even gluten-free crackers or organic, baked chipped as road trip snacks. Because remember what the alternatives are!!!

You want to feel good and full of energy when you land at your destination… rather than fat and bloated! Just because you are on a road trip and you can’t find good food on the road per se isn’t an excuse to eat crappy food… again, plan ahead!

You’ll have a better trip, wherever you go.

I’ll write more soon. Much Love!! Kimberly

 

What is the Silent, Sneaky Beauty-Killer That Ages Us?

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Hi Guys,

This post is dedicated to a friend of mine, and was born out of my concern for her, as she flies often.

Low-level radiation is like a killer, because we can’t see it, feel I, hear it, taste it, or smell it. I am not talking about just nuclear weapons, but rather the low levels of exposure we are continuously exposed to on an every day basis.

First off, what is radiation? In the broadest definition, it is the process in which the energy in the form of, for instance, light or heat, is sent out through space. The different types of radiation are classified according to the electromagnetic spectrum by their wavelength and frequency. One end of the spectrum is the “low energy” forms of radiation, which include radio and television waves. These forms have long wavelengths and low frequencies. As we go up the spectrum and the wavelengths become shorter and the frequencies higher, the spectrum expands to include microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultra-violet light, x-rays, and gamma rays. When me move towards this high end of the spectrum, the radiation energies have a special power known as ionization. X-rays and gamma rays, when they pass through a cell, can separate electrons from their atoms and endow these runaway electrons with higher amounts of energy. The result may be tissue damage in many different forms- from cancer to genetic and birth defects.

What are sources of radiation in our lives? Nuclear weapons and nuclear waste is one obvious source. Radon is another. But what I want to really talk about today is everyday, low-level forms of radiation, which emanate from such devices as microwaves, high-voltage power lines, radio transmitters, and cell phones. For years, our society has maintains that exposure to low levels of electromagnetic waves are harmless, but evidence is mounting that all this exposure to low-level radiation is indeed much more harmful that previously thought.

What is also a major source of radiation exposure? Flying in an airplane. The higher up the plane goes in the atmosphere the more radiation we are exposed to. In a flight from (only!) Los Angeles to San Fancisco there is said to be a tenfold increase in radiation (as  measured by a mini-Geiger counter) that jumps from 12 to 125 radiations per minute when the plan is leveled off at the maximum flight pattern.

What does this really mean? An airplane flying coast to coast will expose the flyer to several hundred milliards (1/1000 of a rad). The average dose for medical X-rays is 300-500 millirads for pelvic X-rays, 100-1000 millirads for a full facial dental X-ray, and 10-500 millirads for chest X-rays. That means that one single flight may expose us to the same or possibly more radiation than a full chest X-ray (!).

This is a big problem because as we know, continual exposure to low-level radiation produces free radicals, a major cause of premature aging and health problems. Free radicals can cause cross-linking among tissue proteins (wrinkles!), inflammation, disrupt and/or deplete the immune system, and can produce mutations. Many researchers in the field of aging agree that free-radical destruction is the basis of aging, or at least always goes along with the aging process.

Dr. Abram Petkau stated (reported from the Radiological Physics Dept. at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) that the free-radical effect from chronic low radiation exposure to be 1,000 times greater than a single large exposure (!). John Gofman, Ph.D., M.D writes in Radiation and Human Health, “Harm in the form of excess human cancer occurs at all doses of ionizing radiation, down to the lowest conceivable dose and dose rate.” Perhaps the most succinct summary is given by Dr. Karl Z. Morgan, who was the director of the Health Physics Division a the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 30 years:

“There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of radiation so low that the risk of malignancy is zero… the genetic risks, and especially those associated with recessive mutations, may be as harmful and debilitating to the human race as the increases of cancer.”

THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO

Okay, sorry for all the doom and gloom! But I say these things as we should at least be aware of radiation exposure.

And I am happy to say that there are things we can do in our diet to help minimize the effect of radiation. How can food help? First off, if we have enough minerals in our system, the cells become saturated with minerals and there may be less opportunity for the radioactive  minerals to be absorbed into our systems. Second, there are certain specific foods which can actively help draw the radioactive materials to them and pull them out of the body (chelation). Thirdly, if we eat foods very high in antioxidant nutrients and enzymes, it will help squash out the free radicals created by radiation exposure.

Anti-Radiation Foods that Fit into Our Above 4 Criteria

-       Swiss chard

-       Turnip greens

-       Watercress

-       Mustard greens

-       Kale

-       Spinach (no surprise here, all greens!)

-       Kelp

-       Dulse

-       Chlorella

-       Nori

-       Beets

-       Bee pollen

-       Garlic

-       Apples

-       Chaparral

-       Siberian ginseng

What else can we do besides loading up on these foods? Don’t smoke! Don’t live near nuclear plants, avoid unnecessary diagnostic X-rays, and use infrared saunas whenever possible. Check out my post on cell phones, and wear that wired (not Bluetooth) headset.

It is critical if you fly often that you eat only the best food while flying on the day. You want to give your body the best to help combat the radiation as much as possible. That IS NOT the time to splurge on the fast food chains found in all airports. Rather, bring healthy snacks and be sure to drink your Green Smoothie before you leave for the airport. For some healthy travel snack ideas, check out my blog called, “Easy Travel Snacks.”

Be aware, and take care.

Love,

Kimberly

Believing it is really possible

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Hi Loves,

I just wanted to quickly share with you a revelation I had today- right on my yoga mat!

Yoga is very confrontational for whatever is going on in our life, in our mind, our lives and our spirits. What we learn about ourselves and within the poses has the power to shift our consciousness past much more than the physical pose itself! Today I took “Flight School” with a wonderful woman named Summer, which is basically a yoga class that is all about inversions. Since I love being upside down, it seemed to be a perfect fit for me.

I have been able to do handstands for a few years now, and bakasana (crow pose) which is an arm balance. But I have never seen a girl be able to press up from a straight-armed crow pose into a handstand in front of me  …until today. Summer walked right up to the front to demonstrate, and did it right in front of me.

I had always seen lots of my guy friends do it, and thought it might be one of the poses that is easier for men and the male anatomy to accomplish. I never ever really worked on it because I didn’t think it could really ever happen. WELL I was wrong!!! Seeing the quiet grace with which Summer came onto her hands, bent her knees to the back of her arms and press straight up was awesome!! Like me she is not overly muscular and does not have a gymnastics background either.

Just SEEING that it was possible opened up my mind and I had an almost immediate paradigm shift. Once I knew she could do it, I knew I could do it too. Why? Because we all have the unlimited ability of consciousness within us. All new poses take work to master, but I never focused on that sequence of poses because I didn’t really think it was possible. I didn’t even try. But today after seeing her, I really focused on learning to press up in class today and I almost got it! And I know in a few weeks or months I will get it. Why? Again because I now believe and know that it is possible.

There are so many limitations we put on ourselves, even unconsciously. I challenge you to consider something that you’d really love to do or accomplish but didn’t think you could, and prove yourself wrong. It could be dropping back to your weight from college, learning a new language, getting the promotion at work, making the Green Smoothie every day (of course right!!), etc. It doesn’t have to be something huge- in fact starting with baby steps to accomplish “smaller” things can help us build confidence to go for more.

 

 

Except for the truly outrageous thoughts (hey we can’t all be President of the United States but we can do so many other things!) :) if you can even think about trying to pull it off… it IS possible!!

Also…it is the highly anticipated opening weekend of Iron Man 2. I remember being at the set last summer and the excitement back then during every day of shooting… I can’t wait to see it one of these weeks. You won’t catch me waiting in lines this weekend though.

On that note, have a relaxing night! I’m going to rest my pour wrists that had a lot of weight on them today, as I’ll go back to practicing my pressing up from crow into handstand tomorrow, now that I fully know and believe it is possible for me to achieve.

LOVE AND HARE OM,

Kimberly

Best Blender for Green Smoothies

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Many of you have tried making my Glowing Green Smoothie and are now enjoying it daily! Yay for you! Some of you have perhaps tried to make it, and ended up with a chunky, grainy mess that really didn’t taste very good. Here’s the one thing we all need: the right blender. The right blender is critical for a number of reasons I list below. The blender I wholeheartedly recommend is the Vitamix. By the way, I tried my friend Lenka’s Blendtec and made a Green Smoothies with it last week. NOT the same!!! (To see why I personally prefer the Vitamix over the Blendtec, please see the comment section)

Here is a reason why the Vitamix is the industry standard across raw food restaurants, cafes, and natural restaurants!!

Here’s why I think the Vitamix is so critical:

  1. More nutrition: This is definitely the most important reason. The Vitamix is a 2-horse power blender that has the ability to rupture open the cell walls of the vegetables and fruits and release maximum nutrition from the whole foods. The reason we are blending in the first place is to help “pre-digest” the foods so your body does not have to work hard to absorb the nutrition. With the right blender, there is more nutrition readily available to the body, including 3,850 powerful phytonutrients. EVEN if a blender makes the smoothie fairly smoothie, it does not mean that all the cell walls have been adequately burst open for maximum nutrition (!).

If there is one thing I do not scrimp on, it is my health and making sure I have as much of the best health and beauty nutrition available to my body as possible.

  1. Better taste: Okay this one is a very close second place. The Glowing Green Smoothie only gives us great results when we stick to it, right?  There is no way anyone would want to drink the smoothie every day if it is grainy and chunky. But it is delicious smooth! When I was in Virginia last week I tried making the smoothie with my client’s $100 blender. HORRIBLE! Even I could not drink more than 3 sips of it, and I wanted to barf! It is funny how the texture of something makes such a big difference in how palatable something is, even with the exact same ingredients. To my friends who have been making the Green Smoothie with $60 Oystertag blenders: I promise you that that is not the way I intended it to be or taste!!

With the Vitamix the Green Smoothie is incredibly delicious, and you will WANT to drink it every day. You can’t overestimate the value in that.

  1. Easy to clean up and saves time: It take about 60 seconds to chop the organic produce and throw it in the Vitamix and blend it to smoothness. When I made that “barf” Green Smoothie :)   last week it took so much time to blend it, because I had to cut everything into tiny pieces and add them in one at a time. It took like 15 minutes! PLUS the longer the produce is blending in there, the more the chance it is getting heated up and we are killing enzymes- which defeats the purpose of what we are doing! Then I had to clean it up, and it had all these pieces and a blade I had to screw off separately. With the Vitamix you throw some water and soap in after you are done, turn it on, and it cleans itself in 15 seconds.

I don’t have time to spend an extra half an hour with a slow blender to make the smoothie or clean up. I’m sure you don’t either. Who does? Time is precious!

The Vitamix is an investment, but it is an investment in your health and something that will last you a very long time. Think of how easily you splurge on new makeup or good shampoo and consider them “essentials” rather than luxuries. What if I told you the Vitamix too was an essential, for the reasons I list above, as the one piece of kitchen equipment that will help make your skin and hair better than all the Sephora crap- oops I meant stuff :) – you buy every month?

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A DIRECT LINK TO THE VITAMIX SITE WITH A CODE FOR FREE SHIPPING, WHICH IS A SAVINGS OF $25.

If you don’t like ordering over the Internet, you can call Janet Gladish and order directly from her at her direct line of 440-782- 2316. The discount code if you do it that way is: 06-004995.

The End of Painful Periods & Dioxin-Free Tampons

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Hi Guys!

I hope you are well and had a great weekend.

I am slowly getting used to being in New York and all the concrete again. I am writing this from my little backyard, which I officially opened this weekend! I cleaned it up, re-organized the shed, brought plants back in, and reset up the furniture. This little 15 x 20 space really saves me from feeling claustrophobic!

I was thinking about the topic of menstruation because one off my regular clients had a doozy of a period this past week. So much so that she had to stay at home and miss work, and was in extreme pain. She would call from the floor of her apt. moaning. How awful that any woman has to go through that! Not to mention if it happens once a month! Despite the media and having a whole range of pain reducing drugs like Midol and Tylenol easily available at our fingertips, let me assure you that debilitating periods are not normal, and not the way nature intended for our menstruation cycles to be!

When we menstruate, it is actually a monthly cleanse in which the accumulated toxicity of a month’s worth of substances is expelled out of the female body. The unfertilized egg has absorbed and then passes out some of the toxicity that the woman has been exposed to that month. Right before that release it is the worst and that is why so many of us feel PMS, as that is the time of the most potent build up of toxicity in our bodies.

When our bodies are really toxic then there is more toxicity that is released in menstruation each month. This higher than natural release of poison can make for very long, painful, crampy periods where the blood has a definite and unpleasant odor.

As our diet becomes cleaner and our bodies become cleaner, our periods become much less painful and much shorter, which is the way nature intended them to be. Nature did not design a process that would hinder women for a week a month or cause the kind of pain that women in today’s toxic world deal with. Do you think the cavemen had Midol? :)

I’ve noticed a major reduction in my period span from over a week to 2 to 3 days now. It is over almost immediately, and I don’t get cramps or have any pain anymore. Of course this took time. Even when I became a raw foodist years ago (now I’m about 90-100% raw, depending on the season) I didn’t have an immediate change in my periods. It did happen however, and I do feel much better now. This also goes to show how much work and time cleansing does take. I too had a lot of toxicity in my body that I had not yet fully cleansed out. Let’s not forget we’ve been eating a certain way for decades. There is no room for ego or thinking we are “cleaner” or better than others. When we make changes in our diet or do a few cleanses it does NOT mean we have cleansed out everything. It takes a lot of time and work, probably a few years. And we have to keep on cleaning up! Pesky toxins are accumulating.

While we’re discussing things that are not natural to menstruation cycles, like extreme pain, let’s also discuss the way our society “deals” with our period. We try to “plug” up the inconvenience with tampons! Of course tampons are very convenient and allow us to go to the beach and the pool when we have our period. But we must be aware that tampons also create a reverse pressure and fight the natural flow of energy, old blood and tissue out of the body. That is why yoga teaches us that when we are on the moon cycle we really shouldn’t be doing many inversion poses- they work against the natural flow. And so it is with tampons. The reverse pressure they create may be associated with issues like ovarian cysts, and some may even believe uterine fibroids.

To make matters worse, many commercial tampons are bleached white with dioxin, which is one of the most powerful toxins known to man. Even in small amounts it can shock our system and we certainly do not want to be voluntarily putting something with dioxin into our bodies on a regular basis! The average woman could use up to 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. That is a lot of dioxin exposure. Published scientific reports have shown that evidence is growing that even low levels of dioxins may be linked to cancer, endrometriosis and immune system suppression.

“Some highly exposed members of the population may be at risk for a number of adverse effects including developmental toxicity … higher probability of experiencing endometriosis in women, reduced ability to withstand immunological challenge, and others.” Environmental Protection Agency

We are all really sisters in this worldwide community, and it is important that all of us are at least made aware of this craziness. Please be conscious of how much/often you are using tampons. I recommend switching to this great, dioxin-free and organic tampon brand: Natracare.

Take care of yourself! Lots of love, Kimberly

PS! The highlight of my weekend is that I adopted another baby turtle from Chinatown yesterday. I couldn’t help myself! He was SO cute, and currently has a length of about 1 ¼ inches long. :)   Tiny!!! I purposely rescue them from there instead of getting them at Petco. It goes like this: I wander around Chinatown until I get to the section where there isn’t a lot of people speaking English. Then I ask a random store, “Turtles?” And kind of show them with my hands. After a few stores they go, “Okay!” and take me to the back, randomly where there will be a pampers container or a bucket with like 50 of them swimming around in a tiny space, as well as some in the front for show in a small container off to the side somewhere. I shudder to think of what happens to the others. :( I asked the Chinese man at the store what I should call him, and he said something that sounded like “Foac” with a hard “O”, which is the Mandarin word for luck. So I started calling him “Foccy,” also with a hard “O.” I looked it up and I think it is really spelled “Fu.” Oh well! I don’t care because I just love my new baby turtle!!!

Feeling the Inner Fire and Flow

16 Replies

Hi Guys!

How is your week going so far? I hope you are well!

I’ve been outside so much here in Atlanta- during my time off, and because so much of the movie is shot outside. I can feel the Shakti energy within me being nourished by being so close to nature and feeling so free and in tune with the nearby river, the trees, and the forests. The pranic energy flow from all the surrounding nature is palpable!

When we allow ourselves to really pause, we can start to fully realize that there is so much dynamic movement taking place in every moment. Our body’s natural cycles are tied to the sun and the moon and the cycles of the seasons. The constant flow of our breath is our life force- conscious energy flowing in and out from Source.

Here are some other ways our bodies are in a constant dynamic flow:

-    We have over 100 trillion body cells, and 98% of them are replaced each year. That means every 4-6 weeks the skin cells on our faces are renewed, and every few months we have new tissue to make up our organs. We can recreate our bodies to be healthy and vibrant starting right now!

-   Our heart carries rhythmic messages to every cell of our body. It pumps over 100 gallons of blood per hour.

-    The magnetic field of the heart is 5,000 times greater than the field generated by the brain, and can be detected from several feet away from the body in every direction. Love truly is the greatest power on Earth!

-    When we our hearts and minds (brainwaves) are in energetic syncopation, or being in line with one another, we experience resonance, otherwise known as harmony. When the heart and the mind are not in line with one another we experience dissonance or being/feeling out of tune.  That is why we must follow our true bliss in life! And that is why my guru Paramahansa Yogananda once stated, “There is incredible creative power behind the words of someone that always speaks the truth.”

It is against our true nature to be stagnant. Each one of us is a drop of consciousness, which means creative life force that has the amazing capacity to grow, learn and accomplish things in this lifetime. If you feel any stagnation in your life, then it is time to make a change. Find new and exciting things that challenge you to grow and truly feel alive, really feeling the sheer force of the pranic energy flow through your body. It could be taking more time to go on walks outside instead of being locked in a stagnant, air-conditioned gym! Or taking time to pick your own berries at a local farm or meditate outside. Okay those are all things I like. :) So maybe for you it is making a point to go swimming in the ocean this summer, or trying a new outdoor activity you’ve never done. Or maybe it is time to get a new job in a field you really love.

We truly are all connected. If you admire the energy or spirit in someone else, it is because you subconsciously recognize the energy and spirit within yourself.

With Love,

Kimberly

 

Israeli-Inspired Chopped Salad at a Thursday Night Dinner Party!

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Hi Guys,

I hope you are having a great week so far. I am leaving tomorrow morning for Atlanta, so tonight was my last night in New York. My beautiful friends Philip and Taylor invited me to their apartment in Brooklyn to have dinner. I went right after a yoga class I teach, which was a nice transition from my busy day. It was a really yummy meal! I brought an Israeli-Inspired Chopped Salad and raw cacao truffles.We also had baked yams, beets, spaghetti squash and sauteed swiss chard.

What was crazy- and awesome!- was that this wonderful lady named Amanda was at the dinner party! Amanda is a blog reader :) of mine and I had answered some of her blog comments. It was so nice to meet her again and in person! And I got to meet her 3-year daughter Maddie.

I guess the universe pulls like energy together!

Here is  my Israeli-Inspired Chopped Salad:

This is great for bringing to spring  and summer parties. It adds a raw salad to a dinner party meal, WHILE looking elegant and brightly colored. Sometimes you want a little change from big floppy green leaves all over the plate. Don’t get me wrong, big floppy green leaves as a green salad is one of the staples of my diet, but sometimes you want to try something that looks visibly different.

- Zucchini, diced

- Tomatoes, diced (1 and a half times as much as the zucchini)

- Cucumber

- A handful of chopped parsley

- A small handful of chopped mint

- Juice of 1 lemon

- a splash of olive oil

- a sprinkling of Celtic sea salt (not too much salt!!)

- a generous serving of freshly ground black pepper

Add all vegetables to a bowl and toss. Add the lemon, black pepper, olive oil and Celtic sea salt, and mix well with your love. :) Think of who you are making the salad for. Stay present while making food! It can be a form of a meditation practice.

Enjoy this super fresh salad!

Lots of love, Kimberly

Acid Reflux, and How the Diet Is the Root Cause and Can Help Alleviate It

23 Replies

Hi Guys,

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

I started thinking about acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), or heartburn (dyspepsia), because of late I’ve had numerous new clients that have this very issue. It raises the question of how common this issue really is- but when we go to the drugstore and see aisles full of tablets and liquids to help with these conditions, we know the very answer. The issue is everywhere!! Chances are love, that you reading this probably know someone that has suffered/is suffering from one of these conditions. In 2001, the antacid medications of Prilosec and Prevacid ranked second and third in the largest sums of money spent on any prescription medication, with sales exceeding $7 billion along on just those two medications!!

Sadly, most people do not do much to change their diet- instead they go right for the pills. I saw this horrible commercial lately with the almost exact wording, “Chug that coffee…Eat that burrito… then take __________ for your heartburn.” I mean really??? Can you believe that is really promoted? But then again, the reality is that companies make money by promoting drugs and pills, not promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Let’s take a closer examination of the issue in the first place. Our lower esophageal sphincter (LES, but not Lower East Side :-) ) is a natural anti-reflux barrier like a gate to protect the stomach. When we eat or drink anything the LES relaxes to allow the substances to pass through, but then returns to a closed position. The issue is when the LES relaxes at inappropriate times, such as between meals. This can cause digestive acids to flow back up into the esophagus from the stomach, creating that horrible acid feeling!

How can we naturally alleviate this condition, which can really adversely affect our lives? With diet. Food alone can really help- and it can also help in a non-direct way by alleviating a major root cause of this issue: constipation. A researcher of gastrointestinal disease from Yale University believes that over 90% of GERD cases in Western populations are a direct result of constipation (S.J. Sontag, “Defining GERD,” Yale J Biol Med 72, no. 2-3 (March-June 1999): 69-80). Severe straining to evacuate hard matter from the body (which is the byproduct of a problematic diet in the first place!) forces the stomach up into the chest from the abdomen. As a result of all that straining and forceful pressure, the natural opening in the muscular diaphragm through which the esophagus passes is widened. Over time, part of the stomach is up in the chest cavity, (which by the way can also be cause by excessive abdominal fat), and when we inhale, pressure is exerted on the stomach and acid is pulled up into the esophagus.

So what is the first thing we need to do? Drink the Green Smoothie! More greens, fruits and vegetables! More dietary fiber! Our poop shouldn’t be allowed to get so hard and tough that we are straining so hard to go to the bathroom!! That is what happened when we eat lots of concentrated meat and dairy problems (to mention only one of the issues with these foods). The SAD (Standard American Diet) is a recipe for acid reflux disaster with lots of meatball sandwiches, mac and cheese, pot roast and potato dishes- you know, the typical fare that is seen as food in the Western world.

A high fat diet (again often animal products like cheese are the major culprit) can overdistend the stomach and cause heartburn. Need another reason to give up coffee? Both regular and decaf coffee are extremely acid-forming in the stomach and can  contribute to LES dysfunction. Switch to herbal tea!! If you have a sensitive stomach you might be best to avoid raw onions, hot spices, straight fruit juice (which I recommend no one drinks anyways), and even radishes.

Sure we can always just go to the store and buy some pills to cover up the discomfort. But that in no way gets to the root cause. If we keep eating the way we are eating, we will consistently feel pain and have GERD! As with all pills and meds, there are side effects, such as possibly interfering with our hormones and metabolism (especially the H2 receptor antagonists).

Years of unhealthful eating may have caused GERD and LES dysfunction. Here is what we can do from a lifestyle standpoint:
-    Switch to a plant-based diet, where greens, vegetables, fruit, nuts and certain non-GMO grains (like quinoa) are the basis of what you are eating every day. Low in fat, and high in fiber.
-    Don’t overdistend your stomach by stuffing yourself silly. Eat slowly so you truly stop eating when you are full!
-    Lose weight if you have excessive belly fat. Have the Green Smoothie for breakfast!
-    Cut out coffee.
-    Use antacid medications as a last resort- not casually! Work to change your diet instead of covering thing up.

I’ve seen lots of relief with numerous clients by following these simple guidelines. I hope they help you also! Here’s to a happy LES for all of us (Isn’t that a happy abbreviation, versus saying lower esophageal sphincter?? :) ).

I’m leaving for Virginia Thursday to go work with a client, then back down to Atlanta. I’ll write more from there!
Sending my love!!
Kimberly