Happy Mother's Day!

I love holidays that are all about celebrating the people in our lives! And mothers deserve a holiday just about every day :) Unfortunately, I did not win the lottery so I cannot buy my mum the spacious kitchen with lots of counter space and stainless steel appliances that she has always wanted...just yet :) Today we will celebrate by spending time together, enjoying this beautiful sunshine and all the lovely flowers, and maybe making some rhubarb crumble. 

A friend generously gave us some of the rhubarb that grows in their very own vegetable garden, and the time has come to put this rhubarb to use. Now, I don't think I've ever actually tasted rhubarb before, so this will be a first not only for cooking it but also for finding out what it tastes like! The huge amounts of sugar in most rhubarb recipes are a bit ominous, but hopefully the flavour of the rhubarb itself will be delicious! And just the word 'rhubarb' makes me smile :) It's a fun one :) Happy Mother's Day!

Ommm...

And now it is time to sink into the present moment and contemplate the vast benefits of regular meditation :) In the past, this practice was mostly associated with particular forms of spirituality and probably wasn't considered to be a very mainstream activity in Western society. Nowadays, however, there is such a great need for stress reduction that meditation is becoming more and more popular, with classes and group sessions popping up all over the place. 

Our society features many characteristics of the Type A personality - fast-paced, competitive, time-crunched (with a constant sense of urgency), highly active, and aggressive. We are encouraged to always be productive, on the go, always push ourselves to the limit, even if we are sick, tired, or constitutionally not designed to function in such a way. In order to survive, many people rely on stimulants such as coffee, refined foods, energy drinks, cigarettes, and medications. This may give you a temporary energy boost, but it is like borrowing money that you do not have - later on you will feel even more tired than before. We can only borrow so much before crashing and arriving at full on adrenal exhaustion. While proper sleep and nutrition are absolutely essential in order to balance things out a bit and edge towards the side of health and vitality, meditation can also be a beautiful, grounding, rejuvenating part of our day that helps us to not only survive, but truly thrive in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelmingly hectic and stressful. Even people who are not super stressed can benefit greatly from integrating some meditation into their day. Here are some of these wonderful benefits:

• Stress Reduction - meditation lowers oxygen consumption, decreases respiratory rate, increases blood flow, slows the heart rate, normalizes blood pressure, decreases muscle tension and headaches, reduces anxiety, leads to a deeper level of relaxation, activates theta brain waves, lowers levels of cortisol (stress hormone)

• Brain Function - increases serotonin (the 'happy' neurotransmitter), detachment from thoughts, stillness of mind, improvement in concentration, increased creativity (arising spontaneously in the moment when the mind is quiet), deeper understanding of self and purpose

• Physical Health Benefits - helps relieve pain associated with certain illnesses, helps in chronic conditions like allergies and arthritis, enhances the immune system, helps with overall healing

Neuroscientists have also found that meditators actually shift their brain activity from the stress-prone right frontal cortex to the calmer left frontal cortex, and that there is also less activity in the amygdala (where the brain processes fear). 

Meditation is free and anybody can do it. The easiest way to start is to find a quiet, comfortable space and to simply focus on your breathing for a few minutes. I also like to do a body scan at least once a day - this is when you either sit or lie down and gradually concentrate on different parts of the body, allowing them to relax and letting any tension melt away. I start at my feet and move upwards. This exercise is also great for getting back in touch with the body. Raising our awareness of the body and reconnecting with it is essential to overall health :) 

I could go on and on about this topic as it is especially fascinating :) Meditation is so special - not only does it provide physiological health benefits, but it can also lead to great personal and spiritual growth. Mind, body, and spirit can all be integrated into this practice. Meditation can also mean something different to every single individual because it means going inward. However, it is also very unifying because it reconnects us to wholeness and grounds us in the earth. Even when the world seems overwhelming, meditation provides a centered place that is like your own rock - no matter what, it will always help bring you calmness, peace, and the power to accomplish anything you put your mind to! 

Rainy days are good too...

When Spring is here, but the sun isn't quite shining, and you have already splashed around in the rain, what do you do? There are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy at this time of year. Here are a few suggestions that always get me excited!

1) Cook or bake something that you have never tried before. I have a stack of recipes that I have put aside but I like to have some extra, unhurried time to make them happen, rather than trying to cook something completely new after a long and busy day in the big world. A rainy day provides the perfect opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Try making a Spring pea mint soup, stuffed roasted tomatoes or portobello mushrooms, banana coconut & lime muffins, turmeric potatoes with lemon & coconut, parsnip and coconut soup, pecan chocolate ripple cheesecake, etc, etc, etc.!!! Now I'm officially hungry :) 

2) Do something crafty and/or "old-fashioned". We all have the potential to be able to sew, knit, paint, hammer, and do things ourselves, rather than buying everything pre-packaged, generic, and often disposable. A scarf that you make yourself will keep you much warmer and cozier come winter-time! And it will carry all sorts of lovely memories, like the music you enjoyed while knitting, the conversation you had with your friends and family, the way your cat played with the yarn, and the sense of accomplishment you felt after creating something with your own two hands. 

3) Read a fun book. This can be done while sitting in the softest of chairs, possibly by a fireplace, with a big mug of herbal tea by your side. It seems like we don't have solid blocks of time to read anymore, so why not take this opportunity to pick up a book that really appeals to you and feel all your stress dissolve and melt completely away. It does not have to be Dostoevsky - anything that makes you happy will do :)

4) Why not try meditating? This practice does wonders for our health and stress levels. There has been much research done on how meditation helps to lower blood pressure, raise serotonin, improve digestion, and much more! I will posting more on meditation later as it is such a wonderful practice and so easy to integrate into day to day life - you can meditate anywhere, anytime, for however long you want! It is one of the best things for lowering stress and promoting healing. An easy way to start is just by focusing on your breath and letting any thoughts drift away like clouds in the sky :) 

5) Do whatever it is that you love passionately but never get around to because of work, household chores, kids, school, etc, etc, etc. It is so incredibly important for us to follow our hearts and do what we absolutely love in this world. It seems like everyone is bogged down with endless To Do lists that form the structure of society but do nothing for the happiness of its citizens. Our first responsibility is to remember our wildness, freedom, and individuality and to live it as fully as we can! By being our selves we bring love, light, and meaning into the world :) 

Happy May 1st!

Apparently it is very true - April showers bring oodles of May flowers! In some countries May 1st is an official holiday so people can run outside and play if they desire to do such things :) 

Here, we may not be celebrating an official holiday, but we are enjoying a day that feels as warm, nourishing, and joyful as the peak of Summer! Dig out your sandals and short shorts!

Green Power!

A bonus post today! Why? Because it's Spring and I was extra uplifted by seeing so many people buying dark leafy greens today at my local produce destination. Now, the place I go for all my fruits and veggies is very small, accepts cash only, and has one little old-fashioned cash register. People stand in line for an average of half an hour to get their yummy produce - but they are willing to do so because everything is non-spray, as local as possible, super fresh, and amazingly delicious! There's also a fun, lively atmosphere that keeps things interesting while you're standing patiently in line. 

Today, I was especially impressed by all the green things in people's baskets - kale, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, basil, lettuce...it was all so beautiful :) These greens represent the fresh growth of this season. What makes it extra special is that Springtime is when our livers are most active. The body naturally wants to cleanse and rejuvenate after the Winter, and one of the best ways of helping it along is by consuming these wonderful dark leafy greens. Not only are they bursting with nutrients, but the bitter flavour of the greens stimulates and supports the liver in the detoxification process. 

Some other seasonal foods that help with liver function include asparagus, beets, dandelion greens, artichokes, and any bitter greens. Some other foods that make our livers nice and healthy include lemons, broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, nuts, seeds, turmeric, papaya, and avocado. Some people, especially those with a sluggish liver and/or underactive stomach, do well by drinking lemon water first thing in the morning. Just take some warm, pure water and squeeze some fresh lemon juice into it - it helps you wake up too :) 

And now, here is a terrific web site that just might require bookmarking as it is so full of fabulous, reliable, and up to date information - World's Healthiest Foods. Enjoy!

Follow the Flowers

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of visiting a beautiful garden in Vancouver and feeling like I had been transported to a magnificent paradise. This time of year is the best for stepping outside and drinking in the beauty of all the newly blooming flowers and lush greenery. Everything feels suddenly alive and vibrant and breathtakingly gorgeous! Even walking around the neighbourhood is a different experience when you're surrounded by such colour and cheerful birdsong. 

There was no admission fee when I went, so hundreds of people had flocked to this same place, to admire nature and soak up the loveliness of this sunny day. I get so excited when I see people choosing to reconnect with nature and life and feel the sun on their skin rather than locking themselves indoors. It's especially enjoyable to see how children interact with their surroundings - they experience everything directly and completely in the moment rather than analyzing things and feeling separate from their environment. 

We are all part of the environment, but it is terribly easy to feel like you've been separated from it. Luckily, that is all an illusion - no matter how many office towers we build or how orange the fluorescent lights we put up, we will always be part of nature and grounded in the earth. Simply walking outside, visiting a park, doing a bit of gardening, or sprinkling some fresh herbs on our food can help to reconnect us and remind us that we are one with nature :)

Let's Talk about Milk!

When I was little, I used to drink at least one glass of milk a day, and I always put a generous splash of the stuff in my cereal-out-of-a-box. I stopped drinking milk several years ago, especially after reading about how the cows are treated and what kind of unfortunate substances end up in the milk; however, I never thoroughly researched exactly how the pasteurization of milk effects its nutritional value. 

Why did pasteurization come about in the first place? It used to be, people would just get fresh raw milk from their local dairy farmer. Farms were small and people knew exactly where their milk was coming from. Then, the familiar story of industrialization happened. Big cities were born and new technology changed how farming was done. This is when cows started to be unnaturally confined in unhealthy environments. There is plenty of information about the ugly side of dairy farming (and industrial farming in general) out there and I won't present that here. It is important to know, however, that these conditions resulted in very poor quality, bacteria laden milk. This kind of raw milk was dirty, not healthy, and certainly should not have been consumed. Rather than addressing the conditions that resulted in such a bad product, pasteurization started to be used and has been used ever since. This low quality milk is heated at high temperatures to destroy germs and make it safer to drink - yum :)

So what is the alternative? Raw milk. Why is it controversial? Because a lot of raw milk is produced according to the same industrial model as pasteurized milk. It's dirty. The good news is that there are smaller farms popping up that are going back to the old-fashioned way of doing things. They are bringing back green pastures, jersey cows, cleanliness, and ethics. In Canada, it is illegal to sell raw milk commercially; however, you can buy a cow share and get fresh, raw milk every week. In California, you can pick up raw milk at the supermarket. 

Now, let's do a bit more of a comparison between raw and pasteurized milk to see exactly how the pasteurization process changes the milk.

Pasteurization destroys:

- phosphatase, an enzyme that helps with calcium absorption

- immunoglobulins that strengthen our immune system

- probiotic bacteria, the healthy bacteria that lives in our gut and is a fundamental part of health

- lactase producing bacteria that allows us to digest the lactose in milk

- lipase, the enzyme that digests fats

- lactoferrin, nisin, lactoperoxidase, which protect us from pathogens

- delicate proteins in the milk are denatured

- vitamins A, D, B-12 are diminished

- calcium is inhibited and phosphorus is diminished

And this is on top of starting with a poor quality product that has come from cows who have been under much stress, fed antibiotics (thus contributing to a low immune system), given hormones, fed cheap grains rather than green grass, and unnaturally confined.

So why should we care about all of this? Everything that we choose to put into our mouths contributes to who we become and what kind of world we choose to support. Eating is an intimate act - the things we consume are literally the building blocks we are made of. Also, by eating something, we are affirming and supporting the method by which this food came about. If it's an organic tomato from your local farmer, you're directly supporting and giving strength to a world in which organic tomato farmers thrive and tomatoes are full of vitality and life-force. If I eat a bowl of ice cream from the supermarket, I directly support a world in which factory farming, industrial processing, flavour creation in a laboratory, and profit over the health and rights of living creatures are all acceptable. 

Now, I certainly don't mean to lecture or judge anybody's food choices - the freedom to eat what we want is one of the delights of life. However, I think it's super important to be as informed as possible about what it is that we are choosing from. Sometimes the choice isn't even really a choice but something we've been brainwashed into doing. Food is an industry, and like many other industries and corporations it is laced with deep seeded corruption and misinformation. If anything, I hope that we can continue to think about the source of our food and consider the potential power of what we eat to deeply nourish us, heal us, and reconnect us to our life-giving Earth.