To Life

Chemical exposure and behavior

2010-06-05T12:04:00.001-07:00

A recent study shows an association between pesticide exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This comes as no surprise to me, given there have been many studies linking chemical exposure to physical health, emotional health, cognitive health and behavioral health.

I thought it was worth pointing this one out in particular because this study is dealing with children. Often times the concern about chemicals is related to the cumulative effects of low levels of exposure over long periods of time. This shows that even over a short period of time (since a child's life span isn't that long compared with an adults), exposure is having serious impacts.

If you want to reduce how much you or your family are ingesting these toxins invest in your health by buying organic as much as possible and avoiding chemical bug sprays (and chemical sunscreens, and cleaning products, and so on).

If you're on a budget but want to make the most impact with the money you can spend on this, start with buying the dirty dozen (12 produce items that contain the most pesticides) organic, listed here starting with the worst offender:

celery
peaches
strawberries
apples
blueberries
nectarines
bell peppers
spinach
kale
cherries
potatoes
grapes (imported)

And here's a handy wallet guide you can download so you don't have to memorize the list. If you're more into technology than me, it appears you can also download this info on your iphone.

Read the Time magazine article about the study here. Highlights below:

Chemicals in plastics and common household goods have been associated with serious developmental problems, while a long inventory of other hazards are contributing to rising rates of modern ills: heart disease, obesity, diabetes, autism.

Add attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to the list. A new study in the journal Pediatrics associates exposure to pesticides with cases of ADHD in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 4.5 million children ages 5 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and rates of diagnosis have risen 3% a year between 1997 and 2006. Increasingly, research suggests that chemical influences, perhaps in combination with other environmental factors — like video games, hyperkinetically edited TV shows and flashing images in educational DVDs aimed at infants — may be contributing to the increase in attention problems.

The team analyzed the levels of pesticide residue in the urine of more than 1,100 children ages 8 to 15 and found that those with the highest levels of dialkyl phosphates, which are the breakdown products of organophosphate pesticides, had the highest incidence of ADHD. Overall, they found a 35% increase in the odds of developing ADHD with every tenfold increase in urinary concentration of the pesticide residue. The effect was seen even at the low end of exposure: kids who had any detectable, above-average level of the most common pesticide metabolite in their urine were twice as likely as those with undetectable levels to record symptoms of the learning disorder.

The team analyzed the levels of pesticide residue in the urine of more than 1,100 children ages 8 to 15 and found that those with the highest levels of dialkyl phosphates, which are the breakdown products of organophosphate pesticides, had the highest incidence of ADHD. Overall, they found a 35% increase in the odds of developing ADHD with every tenfold increase in urinary concentration of the pesticide residue. The effect was seen even at the low end of exposure: kids who had any detectable, above-average level of the most common pesticide metabolite in their urine were twice as likely as those with undetectable levels to record symptoms of the learning disorder.

Taking time

2010-05-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Matthew Sanford is a Minnesotan on a mission to help people strengthen the connection and relationship between their minds and bodies. He's an amazing person -- genuine and insightful and with a great sense of humor on top of it all. I was lucky enough to read his book, meet him and interview him for this article.

I highly recommend his book, Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence. At age 13, Sanford was in a car accident that paralyzed him from the chest down and killed his dad and sister. The book, which talks about that journey and much more, is quite moving and has a lot of applicable nuggets of wisdom.

Here are a few of his comments I'd like to highlight from our interview:

Q What makes a mind-body approach to health so powerful?

A. It's a simple idea -- if you're more connected to your body, you're going to take better care of it. When you're more connected, you become a better steward of your body. You become more present, and maybe you decide it would feel good to exercise a little. You listen to your body and get help right away when you need it.

People need to know this and learn to bring their minds and bodies together. We need to be more proactive in our own health. The mind-body approach has the best chance for maintaining health for a lifetime.

Q What are small steps people can take toward integrating mind and body and living a more peaceful life?

A What's happening is we're not paying attention to our bodies. When you pay attention, you realize that sitting up straight with good posture isn't a moral issue -- it just feels better. You realize it's more nourishing to breathe through your nose. It feels better to take a walk, or to appreciate the beauty that's all around you.

Everyone thinks they don't have enough time. But that's a habit you fall into. Everyone has the same amount of time. You have to make some choices to be a little quieter and to sit still -- even for just a few minutes a day.

--
I think Sanford is so right that taking the time to cultivate a strong mind-body connection improves health because people naturally start to take better care of their bodies. They notice how they feel physically, mentally and emotionally when they don't get enough sleep, or eat too much sugar or pack their schedule with too many obligations. Once people realize how different these choices make them feel, that becomes enough motivation to continue healthy habits and live healthier, happier life.

I also love what he says about time. I think in today's fast-paced world we have to be on the defensive to keep from getting caught up in a lifestyle that's out of control. We have to learn to say no and to be deliberate about how we spend our time. Otherwise, a million and one other things will creep into the time we should be saving for what's most important, and most fulfilling, in life. Even if those things are good, too much of them becomes depleting. And of course, once we take the time to be still and quiet, as Sanford encourages, we have better insights into ourselves and into where we really want to be focusing our energy.

Here's more about Sanford: www.matthewsanford.com
And his organization: www.mindbodysolutions.org

And I'll leave you with a few of Sanford's simple tips for people wanting to get started strengthening that mind body connection: Notice how the sun feels on your skin. During your next shower, pay attention to the feel of warm water and the smell of the soap. Take a few deep breaths through your nose.

Didn't want to forget this one

2010-05-12T17:54:00.001-07:00

The neighbor kids are super excited that we're having a baby - it's very sweet. They love coming over to draw pictures of the baby (see above, courtesy of 1st-grader Rose), guessing if it's a boy or girl and suggesting names.

And almost every time Rose sees me, she goes straight for my belly, puts her hands on it and turns one ear to "listen to the baby." She concentrates and listens intently, shushing me if I say one peep. But so far, every time, she tells me she didn't hear anything.

Recently I suggested that maybe the baby was so quiet because it was taking a nap. But she said to me: "No, I think it's whispering to its angel." I asked her what they were talking about and she said the baby was asking the angel, "What is out there in the other world?"

I nearly cried and just had to share this little heartwarming story with you, my dear reader. Kids are so in tune.

Make your own mouthwash...and such

2010-04-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

The idea for this article is courtesy of my brother, who successfully likes making his own EVERYTHING. One area he and others are getting more interested in is making homemade hygiene and body care products like lotion, hair conditioner, detergents, etc.

Why? There are a lot of reasons this is a growing movement:

You have complete control over the ingredients in your products. Instead of the long list of mystery ingredients, people can rest easy knowing they're comfortable with everything added to their product.

It's safer and healthier. People are becoming more aware that the skin, as an organ, absorbs what you put on it, so whatever products go on the skin end up in the blood stream and body. Here's what Kara Parker, M.D., who was interviewed for the article, says about that:
"The skin is like an externalized gastrointestinal tract – I don't know how we got to the point where we put things on our skin that we'd never eat," she said. "Many of these chemically manufactured ingredients are new to nature and our bodies have never seen them before, but they're getting absorbed and our bodies have to deal with them."
For example, one of Parker's patients had toxic levels of the female hormone progesterone but hadn't taken any hormones. "I couldn't figure it out, it didn't make any sense, and then I learned she'd been using a popular anti-aging facial cream that has progesterone in it," Parker said. "They don't have to list it on the ingredients."

Better for sensitive skin and respiratory systems. If you deal with rashes or itchy skin or even respiratory issues or headaches, the artificial fragrances and other additives found in many hygiene products could be what's irritating you. Dr. Parker said she's seen many patients whose symptoms improved after switching to healthier/cleaner products.

Save money. If you're buying products made with quality ingredients already, making your own saves money.

Better for the environment. Making your own stuff in bulk and reusing the same containers helps reduce plastic use.

For fun. People who like cooking, gardening, baking or being creative often enjoy mixing this stuff up and tinkering with recipes and so on.

Read the full article here. And if you're interested in getting started, here's a list of resources, some simple recipes and a list of upcoming classes on how to make your own stuff (if you live in the Twin Cities area).

If you want to learn more about how body care and hygiene products impact health, read this article I wrote last fall. And to for more on the broader issue of how simple choices and everyday products impact your health, read this article from last summer.

This post is getting long, but I can't not include one recipe:

PEPPERMINT-CLOVE MOUTHWASH

Courtesy of Liz McMann's blog, www.foodsnobberyhobbery.blogspot.com

• 1/4 c. water
• 1 tbsp. witch hazel
• 1 tsp. vegetable glycerin (optional -- gives a sweet taste)
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 drop peppermint essential oil
• 1 drop tea tree essential oil
• 1 drop clove essential oil

Combine the ingredients in a tightly sealed bottle or jar. Shake gently, then take a sip, swish and spit.

Integrative medicine

2010-04-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Below is the intro to an article about integrative medicine and simple preventative tips or habits that can lead to a happier, healthier life. I wrote this for Minnesota Monthly's May issue. Read the full article and tips here.

Integrative medicine is starting to transform the Western world. And here in Minnesota, it’s blooming like crazy.

Our state’s ahead of the curve when it comes to holistic care, according to Bill Manahan, MD, an assistant professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Medical School and past president of the American Holistic Medicine Association. Manahan, whom peers call “a sage” and “the father of holistic medicine in Minnesota,” recently completed a tour of 20 integrative-medicine clinics across the state and says he was “blown away” by the innovation and success rates he encountered.

“In the last five to 10 years, there’s been a dramatic increase in patient knowledge and patient demand for a broader picture of healing,” says Manahan.

In other words, people are clamoring for the kind of integrative care that so impressed Manahan: Doctors who uncover the root cause of illness instead of just treating or masking symptoms. Physicians who take body, mind, and spirit into account and look carefully at the influence of lifestyle habits like diet, activity, and rest. People are looking for providers who count scientifically backed methods like acupuncture, herbs, dietary changes, and meditation among their tools—along with Western medicine’s diagnostic tests, prescription medications, and procedures.

People also want their doctors to spend time with them. Initial appointments with many integrative-medicine doctors run one to three hours, a relief to anyone sick of the hi-how-are-you-here’s-a-prescription-bye routine.

Minnesota’s lucky to have many excellent integrative doctors. (Find some at www.holisticphysicians.info.) We recently talked to six of the most respected names in the field and asked them to share their tips on everything from preventing headaches to improving digestion.

Click here for the article and tips.

Someone I'll never forget

2010-04-05T12:45:00.001-07:00

I get to meet and talk to some of the most inspiring people. 91-year-old Eleanore Van is one of those people, and I can honestly say I'll never forget her or the bits of wisdom she shared with me. I interviewed her for the 'How I Got This Body' column, and I'll include the whole article below, but click here to see a picture of this beautiful lady. Unfortunately, since this column is so limited in terms of word count, you don't get to learn as much about her as I would have liked, including that she's maintained her perspective despite some challenging times in her life.

She has made my day every time I've talked to her for this article. And I happen to talk to her one day when I was having a very bad day, which made all the difference in the world...never underestimate how much who you are in a simple and even brief interaction can make a difference in someone's life.

A CHANCE START
When I was in high school, one of the teachers came and asked -- now this was when I was in my junior year -- she asked if there were five girls that would like to learn to dance. And I said, 'Yes, I would like to,' and so she took us five girls and taught us to dance and then she took us to dance for the troops. It was quite an experience. I still have a picture of us dancing.

DECADES OF DANCE
There's the thrill of learning, the thrill of doing better all the time. I dance Friday and Sunday one week and then the next week I dance Sunday. The Friday dance, I helped build this club, it's called Minnesota West Coast Swing. That's from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., but I usually don't go that long. I usually go home around 11 p.m. or 11:30 p.m.

ANOTHER DAY AT 91
Today I went and saw my friend over at the nursing home and took care of him for two and a half hours. I came home and took a quick nap for half an hour and then I went outside and chopped ice and got most of the ice off my walks. I came in and cooked dinner and my other friend that's sick came over and ate with me because I wanted to make sure he ate. I was just doing the dishes now.

FAITH KEEPS HER GOING
I couldn't possibly get along without going to church. I'm a Catholic and am very much entwined in it and my blessings and I try to use it every day in my life to make everybody happy and be good to my neighbors.

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
I have [visited her friend at the nursing home] for 11 years. This fellow was never married and only lived two doors from me. His niece and nephew are his only relatives, and they put him in the nursing home and his nephew's never been there and the niece only comes three times a year. I felt so sorry for him because he was so good to me. I go every day, even on Saturday and Sunday, to visit him and make sure he's taken care of. And then I take him for a walk for an hour and of course I chat with all the people working there. When it comes time for him to eat, I feed him because he's completely immobile.

MOM SAID
I never sat around and I never moped. I always try to think of the good things in life. My mother always taught me that we should learn to take care of ourselves and not depend on other people, and she always told me I could do anything if I put my mind to it.

Creating a healthier home

2010-03-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of easy everyday choices that impact the quality of air in our homes, and that was the subject of this article I wrote for today's Star Tribune.

Here's a blurb:

There's solid scientific support behind the need to think more carefully about what's in our homes. Air pollution levels in homes are often two to five times higher than outdoors, according to Environmental Protection Agency studies. "Poor indoor air quality can lead to eye irritation, headaches, allergies and respiratory problems such as asthma, and other serious health problems," the EPA said.

One big class of culprits is volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs, which are commonly released into the air by carpet, upholstery fabric, air fresheners, cleaning products and paint. Long-term exposure to high levels of VOCs increases your risk for cancer, liver damage, kidney damage and central nervous system damage, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

"There are a lot of decisions we make on a day-to-day basis that can impact our health," said Dan Tranter, research scientist for the Minnesota Department of Health. "This is a serious public health issue."

And here are some of the tips:

Candles. Most candles are made of paraffin, a petroleum-based product that releases several toxic chemicals into the air. Opt for clean-burning soybean or beeswax candles.

Clean house. Don't wear shoes indoors -- they track in chemicals from fertilizers, gasoline runoff and who knows what else. Dust and use a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner regularly.

Cleaners, polishes and detergents: Cleaning products and varnishes frequently use chemicals that are released into the air and leave chemical residue wherever you've cleaned. Make your own products out of vinegar, baking soda and olive oil; the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has many recipes on its website at www.pca.state.mn.us. Search for "nontoxic cleaning recipes" (fourth item down is a handy .pdf). Most laundry detergents and dryer sheets also leave chemical residue in the form of perfumes, brighteners or fabric softeners. Make your own detergents or buy a healthier brand that lists all ingredients, such as Seventh Generation.

Plants: Some plants are especially effective at filtering or absorbing chemicals from the air and therefore improve indoor air quality. Try English ivy, spider plant, golden pothos, peace lily, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm, snake plant, elephant ear, pot mom or cornstalk dracaena.

Wood: One of the healthiest options is solid wood finished with a water-based nontoxic finish that emits no VOCs. Avoid particleboard or pressed wood, which often contains formaldehyde and other unhealthy adhesives. If it's hard to find what you want in a chemical-free finish, consider buying unfinished solid wood so you can select the finish or do it yourself.

Linens: Cotton crops are usually doused with lots of insecticide and pesticide. Look for organic cotton or bamboo, a fast-growing renewable resource, for sheets, towels, comforters and blankets.

Fabrics and window coverings: Synthetic fabrics often contain and emit chemicals. Safer choices are cotton, linen, hemp, jute, sea grass, silk and wool.

Mattresses, pillows and padding: Most mattresses, especially older foam mattresses, require heavy-duty flame retardants. Flame retardants, required by law in many bedding items, are linked to serious health problems. Avoid the chemicals by purchasing items made of wool, which is a natural flame retardant. Wool also naturally repels dust mites, mold, mildew and smells, and it wicks away moisture. Other safer materials for mattresses include organic cotton, silk and natural foam rubber. Keep in mind that polyester, frequently used to fill pillows, is usually made of synthetic plastic. Look for pillows made with cotton, wool and other nonsynthetic options.

Plastic: Avoid plastic whenever possible. When you do buy plastic, seek out plastics without phthalates, PVCs/vinyl and Bisphenol A, all of which are linked to health problems. Use glass containers instead of plastic, and look for toys made of wood or cloth.

Paint: There are many no-VOC paint options on the market, and you can also find paints made of natural products such as milk, clay and beeswax. If those aren't an option, look for a low-VOC paint that's "Green Seal" certified. Never use spray paint.

Flooring: New carpet and its adhesives usually emit VOCs into the air. Look for "Green Label" or "Green Label Plus" carpet and rugs, which have lower VOC levels. Better yet, avoid carpet altogether and stick with flooring made of hardwood, stone, bamboo, reclaimed wood, cork or tile. Carpet or rugs made of wool are also good choices -- plus wool is a natural dust-mite repellent.

General air quality: Test your home for radon, keep carbon monoxide alarms within 10 feet of every bedroom, fix water leaks immediately to avoid mold, change furnace filters regularly and make sure your home is well ventilated.

Strategic buying and remodeling: Remodel or purchase new carpet only during open-window season. If you're buying a product that does release chemicals, or "off-gas," consider a floor model that's already had time to lose some of its chemicals. Or see if your new item can sit unpackaged in a warehouse for a week or so before you bring it into your home.

Storage: Avoid buying chemicals as much as possible, but if you must, buy the smallest container possible. If you don't think you'll use it again, contact your city or county for the nearest household hazardous-waste site, where you can drop it off and keep it out of your home. If you're storing chemicals, keep them in a detached storage area. If there's no other place but an attached garage or basement, make sure the products are tightly sealed and have no cracks.

Oral hygiene fave

2010-03-07T14:11:00.001-08:00

These cows might improve their breath and smile if they used a tongue scraper. I got hooked on tongue scrapers in oh about middle school and have been a fan since. As part of my Minnesota Monthly health column - check out all the questions and answers here - I got to write a bit about this handy tool:

Q. My friend’s always trying to get people to use a tongue scraper. I think she’s just obsessed with oral hygiene. I’d like an expert to weigh in on whether tongue scrapers are useful or, more likely, my friend is crazy.
—Pilar in St. Anthony

A. The good news is, at least if your friend gets in your face to say, “I was right, you were wrong!” she’ll have fresh breath, thanks to her trusty tongue scraper. “A tongue scraper is a valuable oral-hygiene tool,” says Eden Prairie dentist Brad Dodds. “Using one properly helps remove bacteria, small food particles, and dead cells from your tongue.” And that can help prevent bad breath as well as tooth decay and gum disease. In case you’re running out to buy one, here’s what to look for: Tongue scrapers typically have a handle about the length of a toothbrush and a triangle or oval-shaped fixture on one end.

How to reduce stress

2010-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

We all (hopefully) realize that lifestyle choices (how we eat, sleep, move our bodies, etc) can either make life more or less stressful. But I always think it's more motivating when you understand how those habits actually impact your body, mind and spirit. So below is some of that information, from a recent story I wrote, Goodbye Stress.

Exercise. When your body is stressed and prepared to fight or run, it's full of stress hormones. If you're sedentary, those hormones will continue to circulate and cause damage to your body. Vigorous exercise, however, burns off those hormones. Exercise also releases feel-good chemicals like serotonin.

Caffeine. If you need caffeine to wake up or get through the day, it's masking other problems, perhaps an overscheduled lifestyle. Caffeine increases the effects of your body's own stimulating neurotransmitters: norepinephrine and dopamine, which are similar to adrenaline in their effects. Caffeine and these natural stimulants provide short-term energy, focus and even a lifted mood. But in the long term, caffeine depletes your stores of norepinephrine and dopamine, leaving you more tired, sluggish and down than you were before the caffeine habit.

Sleep. If you don't get enough sleep (most people need between seven and nine hours), your body interprets that as a major stress signal. Lack of sleep triggers the body to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which makes it harder to fall asleep and stay in a deep sleep because on some level your body and brain think they need to stay alert for danger. Cortisol also tells you to eat more, leading to weight gain. Adequate sleep, on the other hand, repairs your body, sharpens your mind and stabilizes emotions.

Food choices. People who are stressed often crave and overeat sugar and simple carbohydrates, like chips, cookies and white bread or pasta, because those foods provide a fast release of the feel-good chemical serotonin. But eating this way causes a blood-sugar crash a couple hours later, leaving you tired and moody. Plus, sugars and simple carbohydrates lead to fat buildup around the mid-section. And belly fat acts like adrenaline -- it actually pumps out more stress hormones. Complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice or oatmeal, allow your brain to gradually process more serotonin for the long haul. Eating protein and healthy omega-3 fats, found in fish, walnuts and flax, will also improve mood. B vitamins, which are abundant in fresh leafy greens and in chemical-free, pasture-raised meat, are another important factor because they're needed for serotonin production.

Quieting body and mind. The body and mind need periods of activity followed by quality rest and recovery in order to be healthy. Meditation, yoga, prayer and music therapy all activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which soothes the body and mind and helps with recovery from stress. Practices that quiet and connect the mind, body and spirit also calm the brain's neural circuits.

Tea time

2010-02-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

Winter's a great time to cozy up to a nice cup of tea. And it's nice to know it's a beverage you can feel good about enjoying, thanks to it's many health benefits, some of which are outlined in this article I wrote recently. Here's a piece of the story about the different types of tea:

A GUIDE TO TEA AND ITS BENEFITS

Everything that's truly tea comes from a plant called camellia sinensis. Depending on how it's harvested and processed, it falls into one of five categories:

Green tea. This has received a lot of attention, research and popularity because of its potential anti-cancer properties. It may stimulate the brain in a positive way and help with focus. Green teas are often used with or after a fatty or greasy meal to help ease digestion.

Oolong tea. Like all tea, it may improve function of the immune system and is packed with antioxidants and other healthy compounds.

Black tea. This has the highest caffeine content of all teas -- as much as three times higher than the others -- yet that's still less than the amount of caffeine in coffee. Some people say that compared with coffee, it's easier on the stomach and digestion.

White tea. This rarer tea is becoming more popular. Some people wonder if it'll turn out to be even more beneficial than green tea.

Red tea. This is not technically tea, since it's not from the tea plant and is instead from an African shrub called aspalathus linearis. But red tea, also known as "rooibos," has grown in popularity recently. That's largely because it contains a wealth of flavonoids, known to promote health and prevent disease, including cancer, and it's caffeine-free.
Herbal teas

These are also not technically teas, but they have health benefits and many have no caffeine. Consumers have traditionally used the following sampling of herbal teas in hopes that they'll support, promote or soothe various conditions:

Peppermint: This cooling tea is often used to calm the stomach, improve digestion and reduce headaches and fevers. It's also used to cool down if you're feeling hot or irritable.

Cinnamon: New data shows cinnamon tea may help regulate blood glucose and therefore may be especially helpful for people with diabetes.

Ginger: This is said to ease nausea and improve sluggish digestion. Since ginger has a warming effect, it's especially good after eating colder foods like yogurt, ice cream or cold pizza. It's also a good option if you're coming in from an afternoon of sledding and are chilled to the bone.

Chamomile: Peter Rabbit's known this for ages -- kids and adults alike use it for an upset tummy. Chamomile may also make it easier to fall asleep at night.

Lavender: People use this for its calming effect.

Licorice: Licorice tea is often used to soothe sore throats and aid digestion.

Turmeric: This has anti-inflammatory properties and is often used to improve digestion.

Dandelion tea: People drink dandelion tea to support liver health and function.

Raspberry leaf: Pregnant women sometimes use this to support their pregnancy or recover after delivery.

On joy

2010-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in the last post, I'm a big fan of the book "The Chemistry of Joy," By Henry Emmons, M.D. I liked this bit in particular:

"Joy isn't an object or an achievement. It's more like a gentle breeze that simply comes, on its own, when it's allowed to do so. But if joy is really natural, why doesn't it come to us more often and more easily?

Usually, joy is not present because we haven't allowed it to be. We block it chemically, with unbalanced biochemicals in our brain, with poor nutrition that depletes our bodies, or sleep patterns that disrupt our relationship to nature and our own cycles. We block it with our thoughts, when we strive to control the uncontrollable, to to grasp after happiness, to push away love and connection, to blind ourselves to internal and external reality. We block it with our hearts, too, when we close down in fear or resentment or confusion. You cannot receive an object when your hand is clenched. You cannot receive food when your jaw is clenched. You cannot receive joy when your mind is clenched. And you cannot receive love when your heart is clenched."

Winter boost

2010-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

Many people start to feel down in winter or become depressed seasonally. Here's a recent story I wrote about seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is basically depression that can range from quite mild to severe, that occurs seasonally. Below are some of tips from the experts on how to deal with SAD.

I also recommend to anyone who knows they deal with depression or even thinks they might have some level or form of it to read the book "Chemistry of Joy." I've heard this referenced many times so I finally checked it out at the library (after a long wait list!). It's written by a Minnesota doc and is about how various lifestyle choices influence brain chemistry and mood. Most of the tips below and the tips in the book are in line with what I've learned from experts in other specialties (nutrition, sleep, fitness, etc.), so it's interesting information for anyone...well or maybe for anyone who is a health/body/mind geek like me.

TIPS FOR COPING WITH SAD

Try light therapy first. Purchase a 10,000-lux light for your home. Place it about 24 inches from your body for about a half-hour each morning while you eat breakfast or read the paper. Insurance often covers the cost, and if it doesn't, you can buy one online for a few hundred dollars.

Exercise. Find an activity you enjoy, meet a friend for exercise or join a group to increase the chances you'll stick with your plans. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise at least three days a week.

Eat better. Although you're more likely to crave carbohydrates and sugar, try to limit your intake of refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar. Make sure you get enough protein with each meal by incorporating nuts, eggs, fish, beans, seeds, dairy or meat, and eat a healthy snack with protein between meals. Also, healthy fats have a huge impact on improving mood.

Check your vitamin D. Many people are deficient in vitamin D, which can affect numerous systems in the body. Some doctors recommend taking 10,000 international units of vitamin D per week. Vitamin D plays an important role in mood as well as numerous other functions.

Make time for yourself and manage stress. Take time to do relaxing things you enjoy, such as massage, meditation, yoga, reading or listening to music.

Get outside. Take advantage of sunny days. Bundle up and sit on your porch with a drink of hot tea or go for a walk in the fresh air.

Think spring. Projects that remind you spring is coming can lift spirits. Plan your garden, plant seeds or bulbs inside or work on getting your canoe spiffed up for summer.

Take a trip. A winter trip to a warm, sunny locale can brighten your mood, at least temporarily, and break up long winter months.

Connect with people. Make plans with supportive and positive friends and family, even if you don't feel like it.

Look into counseling. A good therapist may help you cope better with SAD and some of the negative thought patterns that can come along with it.

Consider medication. Antidepressants and other therapies may also improve symptoms.

Enviro Info

2010-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Whenever I have questions about how to recycle this or that odd thing, I go to our friend Nancy, who seems to know just about everything on the topic of the environment. So I was happy to see she started a blog with some great resources on how to deal with stuff in a more earth-friendly manner:

http://trashbasher.blogspot.com/

Also, a while back a Star Tribune columnist wrote a bit about how to stop receiving phone books. I'm guessing we're one of many households where they go straight to the recycling bin...what a waste of trees. Here's how to get removed from these deliveries. I finally did this, and it only took about five minutes:

Dex: Go to www.dexknows.com, and at the very bottom of the page click "Select your Dex." On the following page, enter your zip code and click "Proceed to select your Dex." There, you can enter your address and fill out that you want to receive "0" of everything. Or call them, 1-877-243-8339

Yellowbook: Call 1-800-929-3556

Verizon Yellow Pages: Call 1-800-888-8448

Posture check

2010-01-17T12:35:00.001-08:00

My lovely sister-in-law has excellent posture and learned it partly from a method called the Alexander Technique. She inspired me to write a story that touches on some of the techniques for improving stance, including the Alexander Technique, and all the health benefits of doing so. Better posture is definitely on my list of goals for 2010. Here's the full story, and here's a list of some things posture can impact:

Appearance. Standing tall makes you appear younger and thinner and helps clothes fit better. Poor posture collapses the midsection, adding a couple inches to your waistline. Also, studies show that poor posture conveys weakness, poor health and insecurity while good posture indicates strength, good health, vitality and confidence.

Back pain. Many people are plagued with upper or lower back pain because of poor posture or weak or imbalanced core muscles. One-on-one lessons in the Alexander Technique proved to have long-term benefits for people with chronic back pain, according to a study recently published in the British Medical Journal.

Headaches. Many people's heads jut forward too far in front of their bodies, causing nerves to pinch and muscles in the head, neck, back and shoulders to tighten. The result? Tension headaches.

Fatigue and injury. The body is designed to conserve energy and hold itself up with ease. Every step in the direction of poor posture takes more energy from the body and tires the muscles. As the wrong muscles work hard to hold the weight of the body, lactic acid may build up and tendons and ligaments may stretch inappropriately, increasing injury risk.

Performance. Proper posture means coordination improves and musical performers have better poise and sound production. The same is true for fitness -- better posture may mean a superior golf swing or more efficient running gait.

Breathing. Poor posture can decrease breathing capability by as much as 30 percent. When the head juts forward, the ribcage drops, compressing the lungs. Also, a tight neck or misaligned head makes it harder to get air in and out. Every cell in the body needs oxygen to do its job properly.

Pain: Neck, shoulder, joint and other areas are affected. When the body is misaligned, the wrong muscles go to work, causing fatigue, tension and tightness, while muscles that are designed to efficiently hold the body weaken from disuse. Poor posture not only leads to muscle imbalances, but also misaligned joints and pinched nerves. Poor posture can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, tendinitis, carpal tunnel and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Nerves. The nervous system constantly sends messages to different systems and parts of the body, instructing them what to do. But when nerves are pinched or squished because of misalignment, they can't work as well, which can reduce the health of every system of the body.

Arthritis. Misaligned joints mean common movements wear away at those joints, leading to inflammation and arthritis.

Digestion. A compressed midsection means a squished digestive system.

Follow your heart

2010-01-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

When I met Minnesota writer and book author Phil Bolsta, I could see that he was a person who had found his calling and whose work was his passion. I now follow his blog, Triumph of the Spirit, at http://bolstablog.wordpress.com, and especially liked the points made in his recent post, "Life is Short, Do What You Love!" I thought this was a good reminder of that which can't be said enough. Read the full post here, or this snippet below:

In the late 90s, I was writing catalog copy for Fingerhut, a part-time freelance job which I greatly enjoyed. The woman working next to me, Diane LaMere, was doing the same work but felt very differently about it. She found the work tedious and longed to spend her days painting instead.

One day, after she mentioned again how she didn’t want to be there, I asked if she needed to work at Fingerhut to put food on the table. No, she said, her husband could support them both if need be. “So why are you still here?” I asked. “What’s stopping you from doing what you love?”

The question startled her. She just looked at me and I could see the light bulb go on. In a matter of weeks, she had turned in her resignation and was gone.

Fast-forward ten years to this week when I received an e-mail out of the blue:

I don’t know if you remember but I used to sit next to you downstairs at Fingerhut. I really didn’t like the job much and I remember complaining about it to you and you said why don’t you quit and do something you like. And so I did. I am now a full-time artist. I paint mostly landscapes, some figure work, also. I have a studio in the Northrup King Building and I couldn’t be happier. You can look up my work at www.dianelamere.com. if you so desire. Anyway, thanks for the push.

I love it! There’s nothing better than seeing somebody take a leap of faith and end up in a life they dreamed of. Way to go, Diane!

Take care to do what you like or you will be forced to like what you do.
George Bernard Shaw

Shake it

2010-01-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

People who are the healthiest, happiest and most energetic seem to also be the people who have the most fun with their health routine/regiment/activity/lifestyle. I think there's a huge misconception that being healthy means denying yourself or avoiding all that makes you happy or tastes good. Or that health means all work and no play. But that is the unhealthiest view of health I can imagine. I think being content and enjoying life are the healthiest things people can do for themselves and others, and I also think that a healthy lifestyle is essential for contentment.

Certainly making healthier choices and maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires discipline and deliberate decisions and work. But people who take the time to seek that out and make those changes enjoyable not only stick with them and improve their health but also say their overall quality of life improve by leaps and bounds. Exercise becomes a release, or cooking delicious homemade meals becomes play.

That's what appealed to me about this story I wrote about bellydancing. The women I interviewed were incredibly passionate about the difference dance has made for them on many levels of health: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. I was pretty impressed by their enthusiasm. The bottom line was, they were having a blast doing it. A few said they were hooked after just one class. Belly dancing isn't for everyone, and neither is running or basketball or tennis or skiing. But it seems finding something that's fun and rewarding for you means the cycle of your good health and happiness continues to spiral upward.

Serenity Prayer

2009-12-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

I've always been a big fan of the Serenity Prayer, but I didn't realize until now that there can be more to it than the first piece I knew:

God grant me the serenity to accept that which I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference,
living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is; not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will,
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next

Yoga for the kids

2009-12-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

I think yoga is great for everyone, but I was especially happy to hear that numerous Minnesota schools (yes, public schools) are incorporating yoga into their day. Educators are teaching yoga to kids as young as two and all the way through high school. As our world becomes noisier, busier, less focused and full of more and more stimulus every which way we turn, it seems teaching meditation and yoga is one of the most valuable tools to pass onto young people.

Here's one paragraph summing up what the people I interviewed said:

More educators are embracing yoga's principles and methods and touting its benefits: improved self-esteem, self-awareness, acceptance and focus; learning to quiet the mind and shift to positive, peaceful thinking; better posture, flexibility, balance and coordination, and an increased ability to cope with strong emotions and calm down. Studies have linked yoga in schools to better grades, behavior, health and relationships among students.

The kids I talked to loved it...although for some it took a while to get used to or to reap the benefits or to become comfortable with the practice. One girl in 5th grade said it helped her and a friend get through recent deaths in their families. Other kids say it's relaxing or fun. They talked about how it helps them focus and calm down their emotions. These are life skills we could all use help with.

Read the full story here.

Easier ways to eat healthier

2009-11-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Many people have talked to me about their desire to change their eating habits for the better -- they want to improve their health, reduce their exposure to unhealthy ingredients and chemicals and support food production methods that are in line with their values.

I think this rising awareness is great, and I like that people are making better choices that respect their bodies and that support what they believe in. But it can be overwhelming to get started or to make these improvements. In light of that, I interviewed a team of food/nutrition/health experts to hear their suggestions on how to eat healthier and, just as important, how to create a strategy or routine that will provide them with the time and energy to cook homemade, healthy meals.

One suggestion, for people who are in the habit of buying whatever is cheapest, is to start thinking about your food budget in a new way. For some food items, like better animal products and organic produce, eating healthier costs more. But if you value your health and the earth (because many food production methods are disastrous for the environment), put your money where your values are. Think about what's most important to you. Can you reduce or altogether cut your cable package? Avoid buying a new cell phone? Realize you don't need another pair of shoes? One nurse I interviewed said she recommends everyone combine their health care and food budgets because the two are so linked.

Read the full article here. And, here's a brief summary of the first half of the article - goals to work on one at a time to improve your health:

1. Read labels: Every label, every time until you know which products are safe. Avoid items with mystery ingredients, trans fats (partially hydrogenated anything), high-fructose corn syrup, MSG (present in everything from Doritos to soup) and genetically modified foods.

2. Choose produce strategically: Eat as many fruits and veggies as you can! And buy them organic as much as you can. If that seems it'll bust your budget, start by buying the "Dirty Dozen" organic and sticking with conventional for the "Clean 15."

3. Do a meat check: Buy 100 percent grass-fed beef, free-range poultry and eggs raised on pasture, etc.

4. Increase healthy fats: Wild-caught salmon, nuts, flax, avocado.

5. Use whole grains and legumes: Buy these in bulk to save enormously. Cook a big pot of steel cut oats, quinoa, brown rice or beans and use them for many meals through the week.

6. Buy better milk: Choose hormone-free and organic.

If it seems impossible to find foods that fit these suggestions, it's time to find a new grocery store. Co-op grocery stores are great at filtering out most of what's bad for you, and because the food all meets a certain standard, prices can be lower than the one organic option at a typical grocery store. Co-ops are often food, nutrition and health meccas, offering classes, information and services that you don't find at typical grocery stores. If you live in the Mpls/St. Paul area, there are oodles of options. Our co-op is about ten minutes away, and there are actually four good co-ops within about a 15 minute drive.

Wishing you happy eating and good health!

Mason and meditation

2009-11-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I love Mason Jennings and I love what he said about meditation, yoga and the great state of Minnesota in our interview. The Q and A with a photo's also online here:

As Minnesota singer/songwriter Mason Jennings travels the country performing tunes from his latest album, "Blood of Man," he doesn't leave his yoga mat and meditation practice behind. The folksy pop artist finds creativity, peace and gratitude from a consistent practice. In advance of his Minneapolis show Nov. 22 at First Avenue, Jennings talked about his love of the Boundary Waters, the hum of the Earth and learning meditation from a woman who helped teach the Beatles.

Q What kind of routine do you keep with yoga and meditation while touring?

A For the last five years I've done transcendental meditation every day. I wake up in the morning and do 20 minutes of sitting meditation with my mantra, and in the afternoons I try to find a place somewhere private at the club or theater we're at to do another 20 minutes. At least twice a week I try to find a Bikram yoga studio on the road. It's made a huge difference. Meditation was the first thing I got into. I had a lot of panic attacks and anxiety on the road, changing cities every night. I couldn't figure out how to get that under control, but I wanted to do it without medication or drugs. I was introduced to my meditation teacher Nancy DeHerrera -- she was a liaison between the Beatles, Donovan and the Maharishi -- and it was a massive change for me. Suddenly I wasn't having panic attacks, and I felt really centered. I found a great sense of peace and a sense of a higher power.

Q And when you're back in Minnesota?

A That's one of my favorite things when I get home -- I can't wait to get back to my favorite yoga studios and practice more. At home I try to go as much as I can, maybe five days a week.

Q What difference have meditation and yoga practice made in your life?

A Personally I have a lot more faith in a higher power, though I can't explain that, but every time I practice meditation I feel a sense of peace and bliss. When you feel that, it changes your life right way. When I started meditation I didn't have any more anxiety issues, and when I started doing yoga I felt so much better. I haven't been sick this year, I've felt really strong and healthy and good. Professionally, I can sing a lot better now that I'm doing yoga and I have more lung capacity. I also feel more able to take risks and experiment with my work, because I feel like I can handle it physically.

Q You traveled to Patagonia recently to work on music for the upcoming documentary, "180 Degrees South." What was it like to practice meditation there?

A It was amazing. Anytime you can be somewhere away from all the cell phone interference and electronics, you can actually hear the Earth hum.

Q You've said people need to stay inspired by life and keep a sense of wonder. How do you do that?

A For sure, meditation and yoga keep me in that state. As soon as you start to meditate, you start feeling grateful -- it's the first feeling that comes into your heart. Also with yoga it's interesting because you don't ever get "good" at it, it's not a competition -- you're just always trying to get more in tune with your body. Engaging in this beautiful practice keeps a sense of wonder for me. As an artist I try to treat everything as art -- find creativity in everything and have that sense of play and fun.

Q Where in Minnesota do you feel the most contemplative, insightful or creative?

A For me it's the Boundary Waters, going up there and hanging out in the North Woods. That's a magical place, I think. There's nowhere else I've been that's like that in this world. I feel really lucky that we live so close to that area. Anywhere in Minnesota -- I'm forever fascinated with that place. When I go all over the country, every state has a certain vibe. You come to Minnesota, and there's this confluence of energy. I get really inspired when I'm there.

How to find safe cosmetics

2009-11-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

I highly recommend reading this article I wrote on how to buy safer, healthier cosmetics. The story will show you easy ways to find better products. In case you think this is something only a neurotic person might be concerned about, I pulled some paragraphs from the story to highlight why you should care. Also, if you're a man and think this doesn't apply to you, remember the issue isn't just about makeup -- it's shampoo, lotion and anything else you put on your skin:

Most likely, your bathroom beauty products are made with not-so-gorgeous ingredients, including lead, mercury, parabens, phthalates and other known human carcinogens. Many of these chemicals mimic human hormones, especially estrogen, and may disrupt your body's natural hormone system, which is responsible for directing cell division, gene expression, growth, reproduction and brain and nervous system development.

"It's really important for people to understand you can absorb chemicals through the skin," said Ann Louise Gittleman, a beauty expert and nutrition specialist. "Remember, the skin is an organ."

Studies show that people are absorbing these chemicals. Parabens have been found in breast tumor tissue, for example. This chemical preservative acts like the hormone estrogen in the body, and increased exposure to estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration recently released results from its study of 22 lipsticks. All contained lead.

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, studied 20 teenage girls from across the country last year. Their blood and urine samples contained 16 toxic chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and many of which are associated with serious health risks in lab animals, even at low doses.

Laugh for happiness

2009-10-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

Have you ever tried fake laughing really hard for long enough that you actually started laughing? I actually have, and it really works. Although my cousins and I had a noble purpose for our fake laughing that involved teasing my fabulous sister, laughing with no purpose at all really works too.

Even if I hadn't truly started laughing from my fake laughter, my mind and body would have benefited. Read this story I wrote about laughter yoga to learn more. Or here's a piece of it for quicker reading:

Even if the laughter is faked the entire time, laughers are still soaking up health benefits. Laughing can infuse oxygen into the blood and organs; lower blood pressure, pulse rate and cortisol levels; improve circulation; lift depression; enhance immune and digestive functioning, and boost endorphins, leading to a more positive mood.

The body doesn't know the difference between real and fake laughter, said Dr. Dale Anderson, a retired surgeon and holistic physician. As founder and owner of ActHappy.com, he uses theater, acting and laughter to help people transform their outlook.

"You don't find the chemistry of happiness -- you make the chemistry of happiness," he said. "Laughter is certainly one of those ways that we can open our inner cellular pharmacy and pull out the inner 'uppers.'" Laughing creates positive physiological changes that can be seen on PET scans and functional MRIs, he said.

Bountiful CSAs

2009-10-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is a box of our CSA from earlier this summer. If you're not familiar with CSAs, it stands for community supported agriculture. Basically each season a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" (boxes of produce or other farm goods). Anyone can buy a share and then regularly get fresh produce from that farmer. This was our first year buying into a CSA, and it's something we'll definitely continue. It's the next best thing to growing all your own produce.

Some reasons we like it:
- You typically receive a wider variety of produce than you'd likely seek out in a grocery store, which means you're taking in a greater range of nutrients.
- We're eating tons and tons of produce because we don't want to waste what we already paid for.
- Being introduced to food you wouldn't necessarily grab at a store means you cook new and interesting recipes.
- We bought from an organic farmer, so we know everything we eat is free of any chemicals, and we know we're supporting a farm that is not damaging the environment.
- Our farmer sends a newsletter each week with updates from the farm and recipe ideas, especially for the rarer items so knowing what to do with them is no problem.
- I believe that for the most part, what you spend your money on is a reflection of what you value. We value health, food that's produced in a sustainable way and local family farms.
- The food is fresh as can be and doesn't travel far to get here. It eliminates a middle man, shelf time and excess transportation.
- The farmer can spend less time marketing and dealing with the business side while they're busy in the field because they've already sold their produce.

Now that summer is over, our farmer also has winter and spring shares. So if you're interested in checking into a CSA, you don't have to wait until summer. Some tips:
- Find a CSA that touts the cleanliness of the produce. (Some can have lots of dirt when they arrive).
- Pick a CSA with a pickup option that is convenient for you. (Our pickup location is just a couple miles away, so it's not a hassle to get our box each week). Many CSAs have multiple pickup locations.
- Look for a farmer who includes recipes and meal suggestions for the items.

Resources for finding CSAs:
www.localharvest.org/csa/
www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html (for Minnesota and Wisconsin)
www.minnesotagrown.org (for Minnesotans, obviously)
www.rsfarm.com (our CSA, Rock Spring Farm)

Or check with your state's Department of Agriculture or just google your state/city and community supported agriculture.

Why your food choices affect water supply

2009-09-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Voting with your food dollars for sustainable farming operations and those that don't use chemicals is also a vote for clean water. See this article in the New York Times to learn more about the health effects resulting from conventional big agriculture. Some highlights:

Agricultural runoff is the single largest source of water pollution in the nation’s rivers and streams, according to the E.P.A. An estimated 19.5 million Americans fall ill each year from waterborne parasites, viruses or bacteria, including those stemming from human and animal waste, according to a study published last year in the scientific journal Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

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Yet runoff from all but the largest farms is essentially unregulated by many of the federal laws intended to prevent pollution and protect drinking water sources. The Clean Water Act of 1972 largely regulates only chemicals or contaminants that move through pipes or ditches, which means it does not typically apply to waste that is sprayed on a field and seeps into groundwater.

As a result, many of the agricultural pollutants that contaminate drinking water sources are often subject only to state or county regulations. And those laws have failed to protect some residents living nearby.

To address this problem, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has created special rules for the biggest farms, like those with at least 700 cows.

But thousands of large animal feedlots that should be regulated by those rules are effectively ignored because farmers never file paperwork, E.P.A. officials say.

And regulations passed during the administration of President George W. Bush allow many of those farms to self-certify that they will not pollute, and thereby largely escape regulation.

Sleep, sleep, sleep!

2009-09-19T10:11:00.001-07:00

I love to sleep! And I love even more when people talk about how good sleep is for me. Here's an article I wrote that talks about this fabulous topic. The sidebar is the most important piece because it discusses what beneficial processes happen when you get enough sleep. Since many people have trouble sleeping or getting enough sleep, there are also tips for getting better rest.

The truth about sleep:
- Almost everyone needs 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours, but some people need more or less. This is what the experts I interviewed this time around said, but when I wrote about sleep a few years ago, different people said 7 1/2 to 9 is the normal range. I believe this range since I need at least 9, and in the early 1900s people got an average of 9 hours. Which leads to the question of whether technology and progress has made our lives easier.
- When you don't get enough sleep, your hormones are affected. You become hungrier, gain weight more easily (especially around the belly), increase your chances for getting diabetes, can't concentrate or remember as well, are more likely to become depressed or anxious and are more likely to get sick.
- You cannot train yourself to need less than you need. Your sleep needs are genetically determined.
- If you think you trained yourself to need less, you actually have just gotten used to how you feel sleep deprived, so it's your new norm. But it's still putting a dent in your health.
- You don't need less sleep as you age. It's just harder to sleep sometimes as people get older.
- Certain light frequencies, including those on TVs, computers, cell phones, can block the effects of melatonin, which is a natural sedative that your body releases to help you get tired and fall asleep easily.

In addition to the tips listed in the article, these relaxation CDs designed specifically to help people sleep better might be helpful for people with troubles sleeping.

Taking responsibility

2009-09-15T15:14:00.001-07:00

Read this great op ed piece in the New York Times by food writer Michael Pollan. A few highlights:

No one disputes that the $2.3 trillion we devote to the health care industry is often spent unwisely, but the fact that the United States spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care can be substantially explained, as a study released last month says, by our being fatter. Even the most efficient health care system that the administration could hope to devise would still confront a rising tide of chronic disease linked to diet.

That’s why our success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three-quarters of health care spending now goes to treat “preventable chronic diseases.” Not all of these diseases are linked to diet — there’s smoking, for instance — but many, if not most, of them are.

We’re spending $147 billion to treat obesity, $116 billion to treat diabetes, and hundreds of billions more to treat cardiovascular disease and the many types of cancer that have been linked to the so-called Western diet. One recent study estimated that 30 percent of the increase in health care spending over the past 20 years could be attributed to the soaring rate of obesity, a condition that now accounts for nearly a tenth of all spending on health care.

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Even under the weaker versions of health care reform now on offer, health insurers would be required to take everyone at the same rates, provide a standard level of coverage and keep people on their rolls regardless of their health. Terms like “pre-existing conditions” and “underwriting” would vanish from the health insurance rulebook — and, when they do, the relationship between the health insurance industry and the food industry will undergo a sea change.

The moment these new rules take effect, health insurance companies will promptly discover they have a powerful interest in reducing rates of obesity and chronic diseases linked to diet. A patient with Type 2 diabetes incurs additional health care costs of more than $6,600 a year; over a lifetime, that can come to more than $400,000. Insurers will quickly figure out that every case of Type 2 diabetes they can prevent adds $400,000 to their bottom line. Suddenly, every can of soda or Happy Meal or chicken nugget on a school lunch menu will look like a threat to future profits.

When health insurers can no longer evade much of the cost of treating the collateral damage of the American diet, the movement to reform the food system — everything from farm policy to food marketing and school lunches — will acquire a powerful and wealthy ally, something it hasn’t really ever had before.

How to forgive

2009-09-11T13:24:00.001-07:00

Mary Hayes Grieco has dedicated her life to helping people forgive and spreading forgiveness. God bless her. Most of us realize that it's good to forgive and that we'll be better off if we're forgiving. But how many people know how to actually forgive? For some, it comes naturally. For others, it does not. I fit into the "It Definitely Does Not" category.

So I can use the help of a concrete method, which is what Mary teaches. I attended some of her workshops for this profile I wrote about her and found her tools to be highly effective.

One thing she's quick to note is that forgiveness is NOT about being passive. It's not about letting people mistreat or walk all over you, or continuing in a relationship that's unhealthy or draining. It's also not about failing to respond in a healthy, appropriate way to hurtful actions, words or situations.

Mary advocates for people to have healthy boundaries and healthy expectations. I've been fortunate to have had very few times I've needed to really forgive people. But those times have been extremely difficult for me. I'm slowly learning how to better handle my expectations about how people act and communicate (or fail to!) and what they value. And I'm slowly learning how to adjust my boundaries accordingly. Because the reality is, some people are not life-giving. Some people don't need to be part of our lives or don't need to be part of our lives at the level we expected. But even if we realize we'll never be close with a particular person or in extreme cases that we need to end a relationship altogether, it's still helpful to forgive, for our own sake and the sake of a more peaceful world. Who wants to be a bitter grudge-holder? Failing to forgive sets us down that path.

If you're interested in forgiveness, or just personal growth in general, read about Mary, check out her website, www.maryhayesgrieco.com and maybe order her CDs or books. If you're in the area and can attend a workshop, I highly recommend it.

Also, Mary notes that it's not just people who need forgiving. Sometimes we need to forgive an institution, a church, a society, a belief or an illness.

Here's a brief summary of her eight-step method (this part isn't done with the person you're forgiving, it's a more internal process):

• State your will to make a change in attitude and move on.

• Express your emotions about what happened.

• Release the expectations you are holding in your mind, one at a time.

• Open up to getting your needs met in a different way.

• Sort out your boundaries by giving the other person responsibility for their actions and being willing to take responsibility for yours. Visualize a sphere of light around you, protecting you from the hurtful actions and attitudes.

• Receive healing energy and unconditional love through your spirit. Imagine light pouring into you from above.

• Send unconditional love, as goodwill and light, to the person or situation.

• See the good in the person or situation. Notice the physical change inside yourself and gently integrate it as your new way of being.

The real cost of cheap food

2009-08-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

This article from Time magazine has a lot of great information about the hidden costs of buying cheap food. If you've not yet decided whether you can afford to buy organic or choose ethically-raised meat or buy from a sustainable farm, this is a must read. I like to think about it this way: Do you have cable? Do you have a cell phone? Do you have a new gadget or more than enough shoes? Do you spend money every day buying coffee? Then this lifestyle IS affordable, it's just a matter of priorities. Here are a few highlights from the article:

- For all the grumbling you do about your weekly grocery bill, the fact is you've never had it so good, at least in terms of what you pay for every calorie you eat. According to the USDA, Americans spend less than 10% of their incomes on food, down from 18% in 1966.

- The U.S. agricultural industry can now produce unlimited quantities of meat and grains at remarkably cheap prices. But it does so at a high cost to the environment, animals and humans.

- But cheap food is not free food, and corn comes with hidden costs. The crop is heavily fertilized — both with chemicals like nitrogen and with subsidies from Washington. Over the past decade, the Federal Government has poured more than $50 billion into the corn industry, keeping prices for the crop — at least until corn ethanol skewed the market — artificially low. That's why McDonald's can sell you a Big Mac, fries and a Coke for around $5 — a bargain, given that the meal contains nearly 1,200 calories, more than half the daily recommended requirement for adults.

- So what's wrong with cheap food and cheap meat — especially in a world in which more than 1 billion people go hungry? A lot. For one thing, not all food is equally inexpensive; fruits and vegetables don't receive the same price supports as grains. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda but just 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit. With the backing of the government, farmers are producing more calories — some 500 more per person per day since the 1970s — but too many are unhealthy calories. Given that, it's no surprise we're so fat; it simply costs too much to be thin.

- Our expanding girth is just one consequence of mainstream farming. Another is chemicals. No one doubts the power of chemical fertilizer to pull more crop from a field. American farmers now produce an astounding 153 bu. of corn per acre, up from 118 as recently as 1990. But the quantity of that fertilizer is flat-out scary: more than 10 million tons for corn alone — and nearly 23 million for all crops. When runoff from the fields of the Midwest reaches the Gulf of Mexico, it contributes to what's known as a dead zone, a seasonal, approximately 6,000-sq.-mi. area that has almost no oxygen and therefore almost no sea life.

Inspiring ladies

2009-08-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

I liked working on this story about breast cancer survivors who started a dragon boat racing team. The women were so inspiring. It was a reminder to me that no matter what the issue is you're dealing with, there are other people out there who share your challenges. It's all a matter of getting out there and finding the resources that you need and want in order to connect with the people and places that can improve your quality of life.

Or, if there isn't just the right resource for you, you can create it. This local dragon boat racing team for breast cancer survivors started because of one woman's initiative. She did some research, threw up some flyers and spread the word. Within a few years the group has grown to more than 50 women.

When I met these women at a practice, I also appreciated how they were all so different but were really held together by their common journey with breast cancer and their desire to continue living life to its fullest. They were old and they were young. Some were undergoing chemo treatment and others had been out of treatment for over twenty years. Several of the women told me they didn't exercise before or hadn't been involved in athletics or never participated on a team. A few told me they're usually more homebodies and aren't generally super social or involved with groups. But none of that mattered to anyone. Everyone was accepted, respected, welcomed and supported. It was nice to see people having fun and moving themselves to a healthier place in many regards.

p.s. Here's a sidebar of exercise guidelines for cancer survivors, from the American Cancer Society.

Meet more appetizing meat

2009-08-18T13:13:00.001-07:00

Last year my brother bought a cow directly from a farmer and split the meat up with people in our family. It was great because we knew it was good, clean healthy meat from a cow that was raised and slaughtered well. It also made dinner planning easier since we'd grab a cut and plan around it. Buying meat direct is becoming more common for many reasons:

- More people are learning about the nauseating/horrifying way most conventional, mass-produced meat is raised and slaughtered.

- People want to support small businesses and local farmers, which helps the local economy.

- The food is often safer and has public health benefits. If you eat one burger made from whatever beef you picked up from the grocery store, there could be pieces of beef from literally hundreds of cows from who knows where. How likely is it that there will be a dangerous strain of bacteria compared with buying one cow and having oodles of ground beef from that one cow? Also, animals raised on smaller, more sustainable operations that allow the animals to eat their natural diet of grass are significantly less likely to have problems with E. coli and other bacteria in the first place.

- There's more awareness of the health differences among various types of meat. 100 percent grass fed beef has a much higher percentage of beneficial healthy fats, for instance, when compared with grain-fed meat (which is the norm). You can also ask the farmer whether chemicals are used and whether the animals are routinely fed antibiotics. If they are exposed to those chemicals, you're eating them too. Yum, yum.

- The way meat is raised can have an effect on the environment that ranges from devastating to beneficial, believe it or not. People who care about the future of the planet want to support operations that are on the beneficial side of the spectrum.

And the list could go on and on. Read this story I wrote about it for the Star Tribune Taste section. And here's the sidebar, which gives information about buying direct, explains questions to ask the farmer and tells you how to make buying direct easy. I'm not sure how much it varies by state, but are tons of good farms in Minnesota to choose from.

Also, if you want to learn more about what's happened to most meat you're eating, I highly recommend watching the movie Food Inc, which is in some independent theaters now and should be out to rent soon. If more people were aware of how it's raised, they wouldn't be eating 95 percent of the meat in this country. I've learned enough about it that I honestly will not eat meat unless I know about how it was raised and where it's from. Fortunately, there are tons of excellent local restaurants that list that information on their menus now.

And, I'll make another plea for people to read Michael Pollan's books, Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. You'll be glad you did.

Checking out fermented foods

2009-08-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

As probiotics (healthy bacteria) have become the latest superheroes in today's health/nutrition scene and as people want to be closer to their food production, fermented foods are gaining popularity.

Foods like yogurt, beer, sourdough bread and sauerkraut are all fermented, a tradition that's older than recorded history. It's pretty simple and safe to ferment your own stuff. Read this article I wrote for the Star Tribune to learn more.

Here's a little slice of the story:

"In the normal scheme of things, we'd never have to think twice about replenishing the bacteria that allow us to digest food," said Sandor Ellix Katz, author of "Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition and Craft of Live-Culture Foods." "But since we're living with antibiotic drugs and chlorinated water and antibacterial soap and all these factors in our contemporary lives that I'd group together as a 'war on bacteria,' if we fail to replenish [good bacteria], we won't effectively get nutrients out of the food we're eating."

A proper balance between good and bad bacteria is crucial, said Joanne Slavin, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

"A diet that has some fermented foods is good for our digestive tract and health," Slavin said.

Slow does it

2009-07-25T17:58:00.001-07:00

Jack Johnson says, "Slow down everyone, you're moving too fast." I agree, wholeheartedly.

Packed, fast-paced lives have repercussions for our health, happiness, relationships, productivity and the list goes on and on. My wonderful and brilliant sister-in-law Betsy sent me this video about reinstating slowness. Give it a watch. It's a talk by Carl Honore, a journalist who wrote the book In Praise of Slowness.

Honore talks about the consequences of our fast paced lives and the way it infringes on much that is good. As one example, he talks about how many intense extracurriculars kids are involved in today and how much homework they are swamped with (I won't get started on that topic just now because I will surely go on a tangent for hours. If I have kids I'll tell them, "Homework, schmomework! Go be a kid and have fun exploring the world!") Anyway, Honore talks about how many of the top notch colleges are noting a decline in their student population. Kids today come in with great grades and jam-packed resumes and lists of activities, but they don't have any spark and they don't have creativity. They're burned out before they even enter adulthood. What a shame, our society has sucked the life out of them.

But fortunately there is quite the backlash against our increasingly fast lifestyles, he says. Thank goodness for that. There are slow food, slow cities, slow travel and slow medicine movements. Read about it at www.slowmovement.com. People are redesigning their neighborhoods, growing their own food and homeschooling their kids.

I personally hate being busy and have always hated being busy. So, of course, I'm a fan of this movement. But it's not always easy to incorporate. Little steps, I think, are the way to go. For instance, I planned to have one day a week with no email and no internet. That didn't work for me because of my work schedule, but maybe it would work for you! And maybe it will work for me someday. Another big thing I think helps is practicing the ability to say no. I say no to a lot of professional and personal invitations when my schedule feels too full. And I am done feeling guilty about it or feeling the need to explain myself. I know I'm not at my best when I'm busy and don't have time to take care of myself. And life is short - trying to pack too much in only makes it slip away faster and less enjoyably.

So, set small goals to make sure you have time to do the things that are most important to you and make you happiest. Carve out the time you need to do whatever makes you the best version of yourself. Be disciplined, never caving to the ongoing pressure to do more. Make the seal above your mascot and your inspiration to spend more time lying around on warm rocks!

Be here now

2009-07-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

By Mason Jennings

(www.masonjennings.com to learn more about my favorite artist and one of my heroes, who will be receiving fan mail from me at some point in the near future!)

Be here now, no other place to be
Or just sit there dreaming of how life would be
If we were somewhere better
Somewhere far away from all our worries
Well, here we are

You are the love of my life

Be here now, no other place to be
All the doubts that linger, just set them free
And let good things happen
And let the future come into each moment
Like a rising sun

You are the love of my life
You are the love of my life
Yeah, you know you are

Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again

And it's all new today
All we have to say
Is be here now

Be here now, no other place to be
This whole world keeps changing, come change with me
Everything that's happened, all that's yet to come
Is here inside this moment, it's the only one

You are the love of my life
You are the love of my life
Yeah, you know you are

Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again
Sun comes up and we start again

It's all new today
All we have to say
Is be here now

Myths galore

2009-07-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

When it comes to food and health, there's misinformation everywhere. A lot of people I interview point out how our modern health problems (obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc) correlate with the change to "diet food" and "convenience food." Since the beginning of time people ate real, whole food, not diet food that's processed and created with man-made ingredients. When people started trying to make eating easier, cheaper and healthier, we all got sick and fat.

Read this article I did for the Star Tribune about six summer diet myths.

If you haven't already, bookmark the Center for Science in the Public Interest's website to see how additives thrown into your food and drink affect your health.

And instead of getting stuck in a rut of outdated diet information or getting caught up in trendy new products, stick to these guidelines.

• Include healthy fat, such as nuts, avocados and olive oil, with every meal. This will help your body absorb nutrients and keep you feeling full and satisfied.

• Include protein, such as chicken or fish, with each meal.

• Eat mostly complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, brown rice and whole-grain bread. These high-fiber foods also keep you full.

• Eat less, more often. Try eating five times a day, including small meals and snacks.

• Eat food that's as close to its natural state as possible. If it came straight from the ground, a tree or an animal, there's a good chance it's more healthy than anything you'll find in a package.

• Exercise more. It's an important part of weight loss and good health.

Goose and fawn

2009-07-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went for a walk around a wooded nature preserve with many winding, looping paths. When I was done walking and ready to leave through the only nearby exit, I came upon a family of geese. They were plopped down right in the middle of the path, and the path was between two ponds. So I gathered my courage and tried to walk quickly along the very edge of the path. But they started hissing at me and coming at me like they were going to eat me, so I turned around and ran away.

I was somewhat annoyed. I could not get past them without getting attacked, I thought. So I had to turn around and do this whole extra loop in order to exit the preserve. But then, while I was on the new path, I came upon a deer and her speckled baby fawn. They were so beautiful, and they were less than 20 feet from me. They didn't even seem scared, so I got to watch them for a bit.

I thought about how much those geese and deer represent what happens all the time in life. We're headed in a certain direction that makes sense and we can see where it's going and everything is just fine, thank you very much. But then some obstacle or barrier or challenge sits right in the middle of our path. We might feel frustrated, annoyed, sad, angry or discouraged. But eventually, it causes us to go down another path. As we head in a new direction, we find some pleasant surprise we never expected and wouldn't have seen otherwise. Later, we often look back and realize things worked out for the best.

Keeping clean

2009-06-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

If you've ever wondered what the big deal is about organic food or putting weed killer on your lawn or drinking out of plastic water bottles or sticking with your favorite laundry detergent, read on. For the complete story, read this article I wrote for the Star Tribune. I highly recommend it because it's an important topic to be aware of.

This growing concern is not because people have become obsessed with anything that can cause ill health. It's that all these things have something in common: They're made with chemicals that may disrupt the human endocrine system, which is the same as the hormone system. Your hormone system regulates nearly everything, including reproduction, growth and development.

Some chemicals, called endocrine disruptors, mimic hormones. So they attach to receptors on your cells and your body thinks it's a hormone giving an instruction. That instruction could be for the cell to divide or for your body to activate certain genes or to amp up or slow down a certain function (think of overactive or under-active thyroid as an example on that one).

A very small amount of hormone can make a big change in your body. So even at very small doses some people are concerned these hormones are responsible for changes leading to cancer, infertility, behavior and mood problems (one source said that anyone who doesn't believe hormonal changes impact behavior has never been around someone with PMS) and so on.

Some chemicals are known for certain to be human endocrine disruptors, including DDT and PCBs. But so many chemicals have been introduced into our food and cosmetics and lifestyles that there are potentially tons more out there that have not been restricted in any form. BPA, in many hard plastics and the lining of food and beverage cans, is one example. Japan restricted it from cans nearly ten years ago when studies started coming out. The European Union and Canada as well as some states (go Minnesota!) have started restricted it's use as well. But the FDA continues to say there is not enough evidence.

So some people say we need to protect ourselves and pressure our government. If you want to avoid these chemicals, follow these suggestions:

• Drink out of stainless steel water bottles or BPA-free bottles.

• Never microwave food in plastic containers or under a plastic film. Use glass.

• Buy organic food or grow your own, sans chemicals.

• Don't use conventional pesticides or weedkillers. (They get into the soil and water supply)

• Buy biodegradable cleaning products, dishwashing and laundry detergents. (Otherwise they end up in the water supply and soil, harming the environment, wildlife and eventually possibly humans).

• Don't use anti-microbial soaps or disinfectants. (This is like spraying your counter tops with hormones).

• Properly recycle or dispose of cell phones, batteries, unused medications or lead parts by dropping them off at places such as a hazardous-waste center. Otherwise, chemicals leak from landfills into soil and water supplies.

• Before buying cosmetics, including shampoo, deodorant, lotion and makeup, check out www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, www.safecosmetics.org or locally run organicdivas.com. The FDA does not approve most cosmetic ingredients. (Cosmetics easily slip into the blood stream through your skin.)

The Joy of Less

2009-06-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Pico Iyer wrote this beautiful piece, The Joy of Less, for the New York Times. Take a moment to read it.

And a few paragraphs to highlight:

“The beat of my heart has grown deeper, more active, and yet more peaceful, and it is as if I were all the time storing up inner riches…My [life] is one long sequence of inner miracles.” The young Dutchwoman Etty Hillesum wrote that in a Nazi transit camp in 1943, on her way to her death at Auschwitz two months later. Towards the end of his life, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen,” though by then he had already lost his father when he was 7, his first wife when she was 20 and his first son, aged 5. In Japan, the late 18th-century poet Issa is celebrated for his delighted, almost child-like celebrations of the natural world. Issa saw four children die in infancy, his wife die in childbirth, and his own body partially paralyzed.

I’m not sure I knew the details of all these lives when I was 29, but I did begin to guess that happiness lies less in our circumstances than in what we make of them, in every sense. “There is nothing either good or bad,” I had heard in high school, from Hamlet, “but thinking makes it so.”

---

...every time I went to one of those places, I noticed that the people I met there, mired in difficulty and often warfare, seemed to have more energy and even optimism than the friends I’d grown up with in privileged, peaceful Santa Barbara, Calif., many of whom were on their fourth marriages and seeing a therapist every day. Though I knew that poverty certainly didn’t buy happiness, I wasn’t convinced that money did either.

Iyer recently wrote “The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,”

The Journey

2009-05-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice-
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers,
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.

It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.

But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do-
determined to save
the only life you could save.

How we use our time

2009-05-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing I've learned from the times I've been overseas it's that in the United States we're really good at creating a culture of busyness. And we're really good at working hard, oftentimes too hard.

I wrote this article for this month's Experience Life magazine about what happens when we end up fitting our most important relationships into extra pockets of time.

Here's a little excerpt:

We may tell ourselves it’s “just for now,” but relegating these relationships to a low-on-the-totem-pole position can easily become habit forming. Over time, a tendency to put work first can erode our most important intimate connections, undermine our quality of life and even hamper our ability to reach the career goals we prioritized in the first place.

It all starts with taking for granted people and relationships we should not. “We assume that our partner will understand that we had to stay late for a meeting in a way that we don’t assume our coworker or boss will understand that we need to skip that meeting because we haven’t been home lately,” says University of Minnesota social scientist William Doherty, PhD, coauthor of Take Back Your Marriage (Guilford, 2000). “We borrow on our partners’ goodwill and patience.”

When we do this long enough, says Doherty, our families “start to feel depleted of our time and attention.” This can kick off a downward spiral of resentment and emotional withholding, which further compounds the already significant challenges of sustaining healthy family relationships.

--

And here are some questions the experts suggest we ask ourselves as we look at how we've set up our lives and if we need to reprioritize relationships:

* If I died today, would I be happy with the amount of time I spent with my family?

* Do any of my family members complain directly or indirectly about how much quality time we have together?

* Do I constantly think and talk about work when I’m around my family? Do I separate my professional commitments from family life, or am I constantly replying to emails and answering cell phone calls?

* Do I repeatedly tell people I’ll have more time once a project or deadline is met? Is my time-crunch really temporary, or is it the lifestyle I’ve adopted?

* How much am I physically present in my most meaningful relationships? When I’m physically present, am I mentally and emotionally present? Do I have energy to give real attention and focus to my loved ones, or am I so drained that even when we are together, I don’t engage?

* Where and how do I use my energy? What gives me energy, and what drains my energy?

Cloth diapers are back

2009-05-04T09:32:00.001-07:00

After hearing some of my cousins talk about using cloth diapers for their little ones, and then hearing about friends choosing cloth, I decided to look into the numbers. It turns out more people across the country are ditching disposables, and people in the cloth diaper business are seeing major growth. Read my article on the trend here. (And dote on the picture of my cousins' baby Sadie too! Although relatives can't be sources, we were able to use her for the photo!)

Here are some of the reasons people told me they prefer cloth:

- They can save a bundle of cash. Parents can diaper a baby for $50 to $500 total from birth through potty training if they use cloth. And those diapers can be reused for the next baby, and the next baby, and so on. Plus people can sell the nice diapers online when they're finished having children and make some of that money back. Disposables are estimated to run up to $2,000 per baby.

- They don't have to throw thousands of diapers away. They want their kids to be able to enjoy the Earth and live on a healthy planet. There's no conclusive figure on how long it takes for a diaper to dispose, but estimates are that the low end is at least 500 years...although in a landfill it wouldn't dispose that quickly.

- Disposables can be hard on the environment because of the way they are manufactured. Nearly all of them are made with chlorine and other chemicals.

- Cloth is better for the baby. If something is going to be on a baby's skin all day and all night, cloth seems healthier than plastic.

- Many disposables have chemicals and fragrances that can be irritating to the baby's skin.

- Some studies indicate disposables may reduce fertility in boys because their testicles remain at a slightly higher temperature when they're surrounded by plastic. (Note: there isn't yet conclusive evidence that this is or is not the case, the pediatrician I interviewed said).

- Babies diapered in cloth usually potty train faster because their cloth diapers stay wetter, and that irritation is a cue that helps them learn when they have to go.

- Cloth diapers of today are convenient and easy to use. See www.bumgenius.com for an example of how some work.

A fresh perspective

2009-04-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to interview geriatric neurologist and author Peter Whitehouse for this story in the Star Tribune. It was fascinating to hear his views on brain health. His research actually lead to the first four medications used to treat Alzheimer's disease. But over time, he's realized that simple strategies, such as exercising, are significantly more effective than any medication. (Though the pharmasutical industry, of course, begs to differ).

More important, Peter doesn't really use the term "Alzheimer's disease," because he says that what we label Alzheimer's disease is the extreme end of a continuum of brain aging and memory loss that everyone naturally experiences. We all understand that our bodies lose function with age, so it makes sense that the same thing would happen to our brains. Some people experience a more severe loss of brain function and memory than others, and those are the people "diagnosed" with Alzheimer's disease, he says. His persepctive is refreshing, as it means nobody needs to be scared of "getting" Alzheimer's disease, and we don't need to spend money trying to cure it. Instead, he says, we should focus on prevention, which is easy and effective.

Here are a few of the questions and answers from the article:

Q To what extent can individuals prevent brain aging?

A There's a lot people can do. Everyone has more control over their own brain aging story than they might initially imagine. This ranges from good prenatal care, to avoiding exposure to lead poisoning and other toxins, to eating a healthy diet, to staying fit. The most important things are physical exercise and diet. A close second is keeping cognitively alive, meaning keeping your mind at work, ideally in a social setting where it's meaningful work. Usually that means helping other people.

Q What type of eating habits are good for brain health?

A You might call it the Mediterranean diet. It means eating less red meat and eating lower on the food chain. We're talking about fruits and vegetables, less processed food, watching how much sugar is in the diet, eating high fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.

Q What is positive aging and how can people achieve it?

A Positive aging focuses on the contributions older people can make in society by sharing the wisdom they have gained. A sense of purpose may be the most important thing for positive aging, having a sense that there's something to be accomplished in our life that goes beyond us as individuals. A sense of purpose has a spiritual dimension to it.

Additives that need subtraction

2009-04-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of stupid products out there trying to capitalize on people's growing interest in health. Read this article I did for today's Star Tribune about six claims that sound good, but if you look at the whole picture the product isn't quite what it seems.

The lamest product of all is Diet 7Up with antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial because they essentially protect the body from free radicals that may damage the body and contribute to diseases such as cancer. Yet this Diet 7Up has ingredients that are suspected of causing cancer, like aspartame. Oh the irony. Or there's the stealthier Vitamin Water, which sounds healthy but is basically sugar water with some added vitamins. Bad use of your money, plus the case against sugar keeps growing and growing.

I realize that most healthy people already know these products aren't actually healthy, but this is more a reminder to not be swayed by marketing and to look critically at all the ingredients in packaged items you buy.

And here are a few quick tips from the article:

1. If you buy deli meat, ask for or look on the packaging for meat that is free of nitrites and nitrates. This additive can "lead to the formation of potent amounts of cancer-causing chemicals," according to the Center for Science in the Public Trust, a consumer advocate organization.

2. Avoid artificial colorings, many of which haven't been sufficiently tested. I was surprised to find how many artificial colors have been banned throughout the years as they finally figured out those additives were responsible for everything from liver cancer and organ damage to heart damage and bladder stones. Yikes! How long before they find out the artificial colorings still used are doing something awful to our bodies? These additives are especially bad for children. Unfortunately food marketed to kids is even more likely to have bright artificial colors because for some reason kids want to eat things that are neon and florescent colored. ("Aw, isn't that cute, little Jimmy's flag-shaped macaroni is dyed blue and red for the Fourth of July!") No, actually, that is not cute at all. It's gross. And not safe.

3. Add this link to your favorites list: http://cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm. This page from the Center for Science in the Public Trust has some great information on which additives seem safe and which should be avoided. It does a nice job of breaking down the facts and suspicions behind different ingredients.

Or, to repeat again...avoid packaged food and stick with whole foods and you'll avoid most of this. Eat fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains, clean fish and grass-fed, free ranging meat and you'll be much better off.

My little buddy's wisdom

2009-04-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

The other day I was drawing with Rose, my favorite five-year-old (see above for her rendition of me, on the left, and her, on the right), and she had these two little nuggets of insight I thought I'd share:

Me: I miss Micah...but he'll be home tomorrow night, so that's pretty soon.
Rose: Sometimes that happens to me too.
Me: What happens to you?
Rose: I have to wait. Like I have to wait until I'm six to get this makeup I'm going to share with my sister. But my birthday is May 18. (Sidenote: I'm afraid she might have confused "six" with "sixteen"....there could be some disappointment May 18.)
Me: I guess we'll both just have to be patient.
Rose: I already am patient.
Me: Oh really? What do you do to be patient?
Rose: I just don't worry. Sometimes I still think about it, but I just don't worry about it.

Impressive thoughts on patience from a kindergartner. Maybe next time I'll ask how she manages that whole "not worrying" thing since she made it sound pretty easy. I think a lot of us could use help with that bit.

Later on, I was apologizing to her for a miscommunication between her, her mom and me about when I could play with her. I was trying to explain what happened and why there was confusion. She shrugged her shoulders and said:

"That's OK. All people's the Lord's people."

There we have it - forgiveness mastered at age five.

Think before you throw

2009-04-03T14:35:00.001-07:00

Never before has a trash can been so cute (I know this doesn't show scale, but it really is small and cute). And never before has a trash can been so empty. Our new trash hauler takes compost separately, and by the time you remove recyclables and compostables from your garbage routine you find there is hardly any garbage at all. Every week, we have less than a half a bag of trash. It's amazing how much you can compost: coffee grounds, food, tissues, paper towels, tea bags, grass clippings, corn husks, dryer lint and so on.

Why compost? According to the Environmental Protection Agency...

* Yard trimmings and food make up a quarter of our waste in the United States, taking up space in landfills and releasing methane gas (a greenhouse gas) and acidic leachate as it decomposes in landfills.

* Compost enriches soil with good nutrients and microorganisms. It's used as a natural fertilizer for gardeners and for reforestation projects, landscaping and erosion prevention.

* The process of composting can degrade and eliminate nasty things like wood preservatives, pesticides and chlorinated and nonchlorinated hydrocarbons in contaminated soils.

* It can suppress plant diseases and pests

* The process of composting can capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air.

If you have a garden or plants, start a compost in your back yard. Or, call your trash company and see if they pick up compost. If they don't, call your city and see if a different trash hauler does pick up compost and switch to their services. If there aren't any that do, tell the existing companies and your City Council that you'd like a hauler that picks up compost.

Our old trash pickup cost about $30 per month. Our new, smaller trash costs $22 per month plus $75 for a year of composting. That breaks down to $28.25 per month total, so we actually saved a few bucks by switching to the composting company. As an added bonus, it's a family-run operation, and they bring the compost to one of my favorite places, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Ham lady rises above

2009-03-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

I went to the grocery store to get some ham and this lady at the deli counter completely made my day. Other than wanting nitrate-free ham, I didn't really care much about what I got. But when I said I was after some ham, she enthusiastically explained the attributes and flavors of a few different options. And then here's the rest of our conversation:

Ham lady: Now how much do you want?
Me: ummmmm..hmmmm...maybe 2/3 of a pound, well maybe a little less, something like that, doesn't matter too much.
Ham lady: Let's start with a half pound and see where we're at. We can just build from there if you want more.
Me: Sounds good.
Ham lady: How do you want it sliced?
Me: Doesn't really matter.
Ham lady: Well what are you using it for?
Me: I'm putting it in crepes.
Ham lady: OK, well let's go for a real thin slice. That way it will roll easily in your crepes.
Me: Sounds great.
Ham lady: Here's a half pound, what do you think?
Me: That's perfect. That'll do it.
Ham lady: Now make sure when they bag your groceries they put the ham on the very top. Because it's so thin, it's fragile, and I don't want it to break apart.

In conclusion, the ham lady was 500 percent more concerned than I was about getting me the best, most perfect ham possible for my situation. Her words, her actions and her thoughtfulness showed she has a heart for service. I imagine that every morning before she puts on her apron and that thing they put on their heads she says to herself, "Today, I'm going to do the best job I can as deli lady. I'm going to look each customer in the eye and find out how I can meet and exceed their deli needs. I'm going to treat everyone with kindness and care."

She reminded me of this guy Larry, who I wrote a profile about many years ago. He was retiring as trash hauler of a family trash hauling business he'd started. Here's one thing he said:

"It gets in your blood and it may sound silly, but driving that truck in the early hours of the morning -- it makes you feel good. You're doing something good." He talked about how lucky he was to see so many sunrises, and how he felt good about keeping the neighborhoods clean.

Like the ham lady, he was doing more than just caring about the physical work of cutting ham or picking up trash. He was also doing this work of caring for others by treating them well and going above and beyond. One of his customers was an elderly woman who never brought her trash out, so he'd go in and get it for her and they'd end up chatting. And one time a little girl ran out to tell him to come inside because her mom was sick and dying and wanted to say goodbye to him.

I guess in whatever you do there's opportunity to find meaning in it and to bring joy to others through it.

More on high-fructose corn syrup

2009-03-11T16:00:00.001-07:00

A new study shows that a particular gene may be involved in the connection between consuming high fructose corn syrup and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.

More interesting to me is the commentary on the effect high-fructose corn syrup could have on the body:

“There has been a remarkable increase in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup,” Gerald Shulman, of the Yale School of Medicine, said in a journal news release. “Fructose is much more readily metabolized to fat in the liver than glucose is, and, in the process, can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),” which, in turn, leads to hepatic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Read the full article about the study here.

Cool dude

2009-03-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

I think Minnesota is pretty proud to count explorer and environmental educator Will Steger among its residents. I got to interview him a while back for this Q and A. We talked about how he has stayed so healthy for his expeditions and what he thinks about the connection between the environment and health. Here's some of what he said:

Diet is extremely important. It's essential for good health, longevity and, No. 1, quality of life -- the here and now. I eat very simple foods. I eat pretty much all organic, and I always have. I eat a lot of wild foods like vegetables, fruits and nuts. I don't eat processed foods; it just doesn't make sense. And I'd never touch food that has [artificial] color, artificial flavors or preservatives. It's not necessary to eat that way; there are better choices. Eating right is so simple.

If I want to maintain my spirit ... I will try to get seven hours of sleep a night. That's very important.

A purpose in life is extremely important. Health is really about being in the present moment. It's also about longevity, but it's really the quality of the moment and keeping that inspiration and good feeling. After all, the moment is really all we have. A lot of health has to do with how you feel right now, and the mind, body and spirit are all pretty inseparable.

We've punished the environment so much in the last 150 years and more so in the last 20 years, that our environment is falling apart, unfortunately. In America, I think the rampant cancers, the unknown diseases, it's all interrelated. We've poisoned the atmosphere, we've poisoned the water. We're seeing we have a credible climate problem and a problem with our health. We're at the edge, looking over the precipice, and it's pretty scary. We know we're on a thin line, but we're Americans and we can work together and tap our ingenuity.

He's a fascinating individual. To learn more, see this in-depth article written about a year ago in the Star Tribune. Steger's websites are www.willsteger.com and www.globalwarming101.com

Empty brains

2009-02-26T11:33:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks into our trip I told Micah that my brain felt empty. I wasn't really thinking about much of anything at all. He was experiencing the same thing. We agreed empty brains are fantastic!

Not thinking meant we were just BEING. So often we all tend to live in our heads, constantly analyzing, weighing, thinking, processing, debating and ruminating. But some of the best of what life has to offer comes when we can simply be.

So here's another pitch for breaks from the routine or for extended time off - it will help drain your brain in the very best of ways.

There were definite phases during our time away though, and several days after the no thinking period thoughts and discussions started to swell up because we had gained some new perspectives on big picture stuff. Both no thinking and new thinking have their value.

Time off is obviously great for your mental health. It's also important for physical health. Taking at least two weeks off in a row significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks, for example. Read this article, No Vacation Nation in Experience Life magazine for more about the benefits of vacation and how Americans simply don't get enough. When we told people in the U.S. how long we'd be gone they'd say, "Oh wow, such a long time! How could you get so much time off?" And when we told people in New Zealand how long we were visiting they'd say, "Oh, not very long." We thought that was pretty telling.

p.s. The photo above is actually of dazzling glow worms we got to see late one night...but unfortunately they didn't show up so well on camera. At least they illustrate empty brains though!

Notes of promise

2009-02-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

It's been neat seeing some of the conservation efforts here in New Zealand. Here's a little sampling:

- In Kaikoura, a town along the coast with a population of 4,000, there are multiple green efforts and projects, including a simple one - lots of recycling. Every single place you find a trash in the town there are also separate bins for recycling glass, paper, plastics and cans.

- At Burger Fuel, one of the few fast food chains we've seen, all the old oil used in the restaurants is converted into biofuel. They also have in-store glass recycling, and the fries are served in recycled paper containers.

- We stayed with the Smith family for the first few days of our trip, and everyone in their neighborhood had big rain barrel systems that collected water from the roof, filtered it and fed back into the house for all their water needs -- tap, toilet, shower, etc.

Where to begin...

2009-01-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Micah and I are leaving for a month in New Zealand.

It's hard to put what this means to us, and what this means to me, into words.

But since this blog is centered around health, wellness and happiness, I suppose it makes sense to explain why I think that taking this trip is one of the healthiest choices I've made.

The most valuable thing we have is time. Period. And there are no guarantees about how much time we have. In my mind, the best way to spend that time is doing whatever brings you the greatest joy and appreciation for life.

One of the things that brings me the most happiness is close relationships with people I love. My relationship with my husband is the most important of all, and it will always be my first priority. If something is truly my priority, then it's where I devote the most time and energy. So in honor of that, we wanted to take some time to ourselves to simply be together. No work, no schedules, no chores, no errands, no distractions. Just be together.

We wanted to do that in another country, in the setting of an unfamiliar culture where there will also be new things to explore, like glaciers and rainforests and fjords. Removing ourselves from our normal setting and falling into a brand new backdrop, we think, will give us an even greater appreciation for each other. It'll be a fresh place to better know ourselves and better know our marriage.

I also think it's incredibly important to have stopping points in life. Taking breaks (whether it's half a day to ourselves or several months somewhere new) from our routines gives us time to really think about who we are, what we want, where we're headed, what life's really all about and what it is that brings us the greatest joy in the first place. In our culture, unfortunately, getting a break is something you have to be deliberate and determined about. You have to want it, plan it and work to make it happen. I say, do whatever it takes to give yourself breaks, whatever that means to you.

And remember this:

Experiences over stuff
People over things
Time over money

Saving your money, earth and health

2009-01-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Please read this article I wrote for the Star Tribune about ways you can save money that will also help save the planet and your health. It's a list of several easy, everyday tips.

At this point – with all we know about the state of our environment and the impact our environment has on our health – not doing these things (and ideally more) is selfish. It shows disrespect for the God-given gifts of creation and our bodies. It shows a lack of regard for future generations. Would you punch a baby? No?! Well, trashing their air, water and food supply is probably worse than a punch in the face.

We need to stop living in a bubble and realize that our actions – big and small – have consequences. The world is not any one of ours alone. These changes are so easy that even the laziest of us has no excuse for not doing them.

The list couldn't go on forever, but the underlying point is to be more aware of what you're consuming throughout the day. Wash and reuse things like tinfoil and plastic lunch bags. Use rags instead of paper towels to clean up a mess. Hang dry as many clothes as you can. Wash on cold when you can. Choose the higher quality material that costs a little more upfront but outlasts the cheap item. Stop putting pesticides on your lawn. Unplug your cell phone charger from the wall when it's not in use (it's sucking power even without the phone plugged in). Turn out the lights. Buy only what you need. Encourage others to do the same.

Thanks.

And if you're interested in more on the health-environment link, here's an interesting article in Health magazine about a study showing the connection between air pollution and lifespan.

Remember to breathe

2009-01-21T11:29:00.003-08:00

Our breath is amazing for its ability to reflect and impact our mood and health.

Stop for a second and watch whether your belly or chest expands most when you take a breath. If you're breathing in the most efficient way, your stomach will be moving in and out much more than your chest. But being rushed, stressed, anxious, busy, upset etc. can throw people into a habit of breathing primarily from the chest, which is harder on our bodies.

Noticing your breath through the day and making a conscious effort to get into a better habit if needed is a small thing that has a lot of power to change how calm you feel and how healthy you are. After all, we breathe to get oxygen into our cells, and that oxygen is needed for pretty much anything to function properly. If our stores are depleted, our bodies and brains aren't happy.

For more about how your health and mood are tied to your breath, see this article I wrote for the Star Tribune earlier this month.

And here are some easy tips for practicing optimal breathing, as noted in the article:

1. Lie down with a hand on your chest and a hand on your belly; practice breathing from the belly. The hand on your abdomen will float up and down if you do it correctly.

2. Two or three times a day, stop to notice and feel your breath for a minute or two. Don't try to change it, just observe it. Make this a ritual; for instance, before getting out of the car for work, after you turn off your computer each evening or while you're drinking your morning tea or coffee.

3. Start a habit of taking one deep, mindful breath in and one slow breath out at certain times of the day, such as when you first get home from work.

4. Sit in a comfortable, upright position with eyes closed. Feel your thighs touch the chair and your feet become grounded. Notice how your body feels and feel the movement of your breath and the muscles in your belly. If your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the rise and fall of breath.

5. Sign up for a class in yoga, meditation or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.

6. See the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Healing's website (takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/therapies/mind-body/breathwork) for exercises.

Right on

2009-01-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal titled "Alternative Medicine is Mainstream." I think it's right on and recommend everyone check it out. I included a handful of key paragraphs from the article below.

In mid-February, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Bravewell Collaborative are convening a "Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public." This is a watershed in the evolution of integrative medicine, a holistic approach to health care that uses the best of conventional and alternative therapies such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture and herbal remedies. Many of these therapies are now scientifically documented to be not only medically effective but also cost effective.

The latest scientific studies show that our bodies have a remarkable capacity to begin healing, and much more quickly than we had once realized, if we address the lifestyle factors that often cause these chronic diseases. These studies show that integrative medicine can make a powerful difference in our health and well-being, how quickly these changes may occur, and how dynamic these mechanisms can be.

Many people tend to think of breakthroughs in medicine as a new drug, laser or high-tech surgical procedure. They often have a hard time believing that the simple choices that we make in our lifestyle -- what we eat, how we respond to stress, whether or not we smoke cigarettes, how much exercise we get, and the quality of our relationships and social support -- can be as powerful as drugs and surgery. But they often are. And in many instances, they're even more powerful.

These studies often used high-tech, state-of-the-art measures to prove the power of simple, low-tech, and low-cost interventions. Integrative medicine approaches such as plant-based diets, yoga, meditation and psychosocial support may stop or even reverse the progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, prostate cancer, obesity, hypercholesterolemia and other chronic conditions.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that these approaches may even change gene expression in hundreds of genes in only a few months. Genes associated with cancer, heart disease and inflammation were downregulated or "turned off" whereas protective genes were upregulated or "turned on."

Joy, pleasure and freedom are sustainable, deprivation and austerity are not. When you eat a healthier diet, quit smoking, exercise, meditate and have more love in your life, then your brain receives more blood and oxygen, so you think more clearly, have more energy, need less sleep. Your brain may grow so many new neurons that it could get measurably bigger in only a few months. Your face gets more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. Your heart gets more blood flow, so you have more stamina and can even begin to reverse heart disease. Your sexual organs receive more blood flow, so you may become more potent -- similar to the way that circulation-increasing drugs like Viagra work. For many people, these are choices worth making -- not just to live longer, but also to live better.

And then two bears attacked me

2009-01-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

For a while there, it seemed like I was having bad, vivid and memorable dreams every single night. I don't really know why. But I do know that what I dream about sometimes affects how I feel when I wake up. If my dreams make me feel scared, nervous, anxious, uncomfortable, embarrassed or sad it trickles in some small way into the start of my day. I'd rather start on a calm note instead of with memories of being attacked by bears (don't laugh at my dream - bears are SCARY!)

To combat this series of bad dreams I've been reading some inspiring, uplifting and affirming books. I've been doing this especially right before bed, because people are always saying how things you take in right before bed really sink in overnight. I believe it. And I am happy to report that my books seem to have helped stop my bad dreams.

I believe everything we take in - what we watch and see or what we read and listen to - has an impact on how we view the world and ourselves, what we think is normal and how we feel about our lives. So don't let negative, depressing, violent, degrading perspectives seep into your conscious. Be aware of how things make you feel, and make a conscious effort to cut out the bad and heap on the good. There are so many little places unhelpful messages can seep in, like while glancing at a women's magazine at the grocery store, watching a movie preview, seeing a billboard or hearing a minute of news. So for me, taking in the kind of culture and perspective I want to be surrounded with helps even things out (and as an added bonus seems to help with bad dreams).

I recently read Tuesdays with Morrie as well as Cold Tangerines and Forever Ours. I'd recommend them all. A couple years ago I was lucky enough to interview the author of Forever Ours, Janis Amatuzio, M.D., a forensic pathologist. When I met her I could quickly tell there was something special about her. She emanated strength and grace, and the way she talked about her work as coroner was moving to say the least. Her book details multiple experiences confirming that when the body dies, the soul lives on. Forever Ours is a great read for anyone, but especially for people with fears or sadness about death or for anyone looking for a boost in faith.

Other ideas for good books?

Fresh starts

2009-01-01T13:02:00.001-08:00

Read about the top five ways to improve this, that and the other thing here. I compiled the pieces on boosting brain power and helping your body, which I'll post below along with another list I liked about feeding your soul. I thought it was interesting that both the brain and body experts said exercise is the most important action you can take.

Boost your brain

Boosting your brainpower can be as simple and fun as having dinner with an old friend or learning to play piano. Susan McPherson, a neuropsychologist and associate professor of neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, shares her suggestions for staying sharp.

• Physical exercise. A fit body makes a fit brain, so get regular exercise.

• Mental exercise. Play games that make you think, problem-solve and remember, including Trivial Pursuit, bridge, crossword puzzles and Sudoku puzzles.

• Socialize. Friends help your brain stay young, so shoot for socializing a few times a week. Face-to-face is best, but calling an old friend works, too.

• Learn something new. Take guitar lessons, start knitting or learn a new dance. Learning keeps you sharp by increasing the connections between brain cells and helping brain cells communicate more effectively.

• Eat well. Stay away from junk food and fast food and focus on eating lots of vegetables and fish or other lean meats. Anything that helps your body helps your brain.

Toward a better bod

Hope your body stays strong all year long? Then follow these five suggestions, courtesy of Sara Bernstein, a dietitian and personal trainer at Ways to Wellness, a program at Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury.

• Exercise. Work out 30 minutes or more most days of the week to maintain a healthy weight, improve cardiovascular health and reduce stress.

• Destress. Stress leads to abdominal weight gain, heart disease, some cancers and other chronic health problems. Incorporate regular relaxation, such as yoga, which is a mood-booster that also lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Eat good fats. Stop eating saturated and hydrogenated trans fats, which cause inflammation. Instead, eat the mono- and polyunsaturated fats found in fish, avocados, flax and walnuts.

• Add antioxidants. Fresh fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants, which prevent harmful free radicals from damaging cells and causing cancer and heart disease.

• Fiber up. Instead of eating processed snacks and white bread, eat oats, peas, beans, barley and flax to prevent absorption of bad cholesterol and to control blood sugar.

Feed your soul

Nurturing your soul doesn’t always mean stepping back, but pursuing a change of pace, finding an artistic outlet, or creating a moment to become reacquainted with ourselves.

• Play music. Minnesota is home to a huge number of community bands and other groups. So dust off that trumpet. Buy a new clarinet reed. Find a group by going to http://mcbrc.us /

• Retreat. A number of centers here offer time for reflection, physical nurturing and spiritual sustenance. Google Minnesota and “retreat centers” for ideas.

• Volunteer. Sometimes nourishing your inner person happens while reaching out to help another. Inquire at a local church, hospital or community center for options.

• Make something from scratch. Anything. Simmer a soup that starts with chicken bones. Dig out an old family recipe. Take all day if necessary. Then share it with someone.

• Go a day without the Internet. Some who have tried this say that their day seemed less fragmented, their mind more focused. Consider what you might find within yourself by closing the screen on others’ lives and living your own.

Better skin

2008-12-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

Winter can be hard on the ol' skin. Read this article I wrote for the Star Tribune about things you can do from the outide in and the inside out to improve your skin. Some of my favorite tips:

Cut out sugar and simple carbohydrates. "Sugar is always detrimental to any type of [skin] condition," said Dr. Stephani Waldron-Trapp, a doctor of naturopathy at the Bloomington Natural Care Center at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Sugar may increase inflammation, aggravate acne and increase breakouts. It may also worsen eczema and itching, she said. The same goes for simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, crackers and baked goods. Choose complex carbohydrates -- vegetables, whole grains and fruits, which nourish cells and lead to better-looking skin, she said.

Eat healthy fats: avocados, fish, nuts, olive oil and flax. "Every one of your cells has a membrane around it, and that membrane is made up of fats," said Darlene Kvist, a licensed nutritionist and director of Nutritional Weight and Wellness in St. Paul. "Eating healthy fats means the membrane will be flexible but sturdy." She's seen healthy fats improve many skin conditions, especially rosacea and redness.

Massage oil into your scalp. For dry, itchy scalp, massage a couple capfuls of olive, mineral or aromatherapy oil into your scalp and let it soak in for a few hours or overnight, Hordinsky suggested.

Thank God for running

2008-12-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

I had not planned on running today.
And then.
There I was waiting patiently for "15 minutes." A half hour had passed, but I was still patient. "It's busy, the week of Christmas, they're probably short staffed," I told myself, passing the time by chatting with the elderly people across from me, admiring a newborn and discussing with the guy next to me the fact that there's not much exciting about winter unless you have snow. At 35 minutes I was patient. Even 40 minutes.

At 45 minutes my patience was gone. Just like that. And when I learned that I waited so long not due to busyness but due to carelessness I was angry. A small series of minor irritations followed, and on my drive home I was very angry. I knew I needed to go running. As fast as possible. I did not care that we have a negative wind-chill today and that my feet would probably not warm up until July or that my eyelashes would freeze and my lungs be shocked by the cold air. So I ran. Hard. And thank God for that.

I've happily come to realize that running is like an old, familiar friend to me. It has been since fifth grade when I lived to beat classmates at the 50 yard dash. But I didn't fully appreciate running for all it has to offer when I ran mainly for competition, mainly to push my body and mind to their limits and then push some more. In the last few years I've realized running is there for whatever I need at the time.

I remember the last time I knew I MUST go running. It was late last winter, and I had just spent the morning on the phone dealing with all of the following: automated "customer service," pressing "1" or "2" or "3," rolling over one retirement account into another, car insurance, renters insurance, credit reports, a credit card and some other nuisances. By that afternoon I was about to punch a hole in the wall and/or burst a blood vessel, so I did the only thing I could do - I put on my running shoes and ran as fast as I could.

I feel fortunate to have found something that offers me such a release. I don't know what I would do without it. I hope everyone reading this has found or soon finds something that offers the same release for times when anger/frustrations/stress are on the verge of consuming you.

Bye, bye blackie

2008-12-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

Blackie is our second car, creatively named after its color black. As of this week we're officially down to one car (at least for the near future...we'll see how long we last). While this will no doubt be a challenge or nuisance at times, I'm actually kind of excited about it. Here's why.

1. Living with less = simplifying your life: As they say, "You don't realize what you can go without until you go without." I mostly work from home, so I think a majority of the time we can make this work just fine. It'll be a good kind of challenge to see what new ways we figure out for getting around town.

2. Better for our health: Instead of driving up to the grocery store when I'm missing ingredients for brownies but am just dying to have them right this very moment, I'll have to run, ride my bike or walk there. It's built in exercise and outside time that keeps me from using the car purely out of habit. My dad used his bike a lot this summer to get groceries, run errands and get to church, savings lots of gas money in the process.

3. Better for the environment: Air pollution is bad for our health and the health of our planet. Every little bit we can do to help the environment helps. Sharing one car between two people means we'll have to plan ahead, combine trips and think more creatively about how to get around. Air pollution has been linked to respiratory and nervous system problems, cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature birth. One study showed people living near a major roadway were twice as likely to die from cardiovascular problems, and another showed cardiovascular deaths in Dublin decreased by 10 percent when coal burning was banned in that city.

Read this article in Better Health and Living or this article in Health magazine to learn more about air pollution and what you can do to decrease it. One of my favorite tips is to call, write or email your school district and school board members and ask them to ban bus idling.

Boring but important

2008-12-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be one more medium talking about the bad economy, but let's face it: a lot of people are getting laid off. And along with being unemployed comes concerns about health insurance. This article from Health magazine does a decent job of spelling out what options you may have and what you should do step by step to protect yourself. Good stuff to know.

The incredibly confusing egg

2008-12-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

If you're confused about grocery store eggs and labels like "free range," "cage-free," "pastured," or "organic," see this article I wrote for today's Star Tribune. Check out the video too -- it will remind you how funny and cool chickens are if you haven't seen one for a while.

The article discusses the living conditions of hens and the potential health effects those conditions have on the hen, its eggs and the people who eat those eggs. Below, I've posted a brief description of what various labels mean.

Conventional eggs are usually the cheapest option, and these don't contain labels like "cage free," "free range," etc. Most U.S. consumers buy conventional eggs (though the number is declining), which are produced at large commercial operations with thousands or even more than 1 million hens. Hens are contained in small cages, called battery cages (they've been described as comparable to a laptop in size. The European Union has banned them), and cannot spread their wings. They don't leave their cages and have no natural light, instead lighting is controlled to regulate egg production. Hens are fed a corn, grain and soy mix.

These labels are according to USDA definitions (by the way, I spoke with no less than 10 people in the department before finally getting these definitions...our tax dollars...)

Cage-free: The poultry is not caged, and each hen must have at least 1.5 square feet of space.

Free-range or free-roaming: The poultry has been allowed access to the outdoors.

Pastured or pasture-raised: Birds are raised outdoors using movable enclosures located on grass.

Natural: The product doesn't contain artificial ingredients or added color and is minimally processed, meaning the raw product is not fundamentally altered.

Organic: The product must be certified by the USDA after meeting set standards, including that it was under continuous organic management beginning no later than the second day of life. (The USDA also told me that for poultry to be certified organic it must have access to a pasture, the outdoors and a comfortable shelter. I suspect this could be a new requirement but finding out would have probably required another two hours on hold).

Attack on the present

2008-11-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

The grocery store was playing Christmas music earlier this week. I do love Christmas music, but my gosh, can't I enjoy one holiday before everything around me skips onto the next? Before the Fourth of July they're selling back to school clothes. Before Halloween they've got the turkeys out. Before Thanksgiving, it's Christmas music. Pretty soon, before Christmas they'll be pushing Easter eggs.

No wonder so many people have troubles being present and truly enjoying this moment, this one, right now. Everything around us signals us to think ahead, speed up, plan now, fixate on the future and rush through this very moment. Being present can be a challenge, and our culture makes it all the harder. I just wish retail would do us a favor and wait until the day after one holiday passes before urging us to think about the next.

For help living more in the present, I'll once again recommend meditation and yoga.

Babies, babies, babies

2008-11-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

I loved working on this story about Blooma, which is a place that offers classes on everything from prenatal yoga to childbirth education to eco-conscious baby care. I'd encourage you to read the story here, not just because I wrote it but because the people I interviewed shared a lot of useful information and insights that I think are important for everyone to know, whether or not you're planning or expecting a baby.

I got to observe some classes at Blooma and found them both empowering and touching, especially the prenatal yoga class. Blooma founder Sarah Longacre is a prenatal yoga instructor and doula, and she does an amazing job of infusing confidence, trust and calm in the people who come to Blooma. So many portrayals of childbirth center around fear and worry. But Sarah, and others I interviewed for this article, say it doesn't have to be that way. They focus on how normal of a process birth is and how a woman's intuition and wisdom can help her through a more positive, less fear-driven experience.

In the course of working on this story I came across some not-so-flattering statistics about birth in the United States that indicate change is overdue. The short of it is that medical interventions have risen rapidly (The Caesarean-section rate nationwide is at an all-time high of more than 30 percent, a 46 percent increase since 1996, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The rate of induction -- above 22 percent -- has more than doubled since 1990). At the same time, our country is doing worse with preterm and low-birth weight rates, as well as other complications for mom and baby.

Here's what this story reinforced for me:
1. Whatever your fear, obstacle or challenge, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you. It's just a matter of finding them.
2. It can make all the difference in the world if you take ownership of a situation and research it to find out what is the best option for you.
3. If you're pregnant, a good doula and/or midwife may be an excellent resource to add to your team. They can explain pros and cons of different options as well as advocate for and support your choices along the way.
4. The way everyone else does something isn't necessarily the best option for you. Everyone is different, so find what's right for you. But never assume that certain routines are done in the optimal way. For example, giving birth on your back makes it harder for the baby to come out compared to other positions, such as squatting. Yet most hospital births routinely have women on their backs because that's how health care providers have been trained to deliver.

I also recommend the documentary, The Business of Being Born, produced by Ricki Lake. You can find it at some libraries or order it on amazon. Their explanation of the history of birth in the United States -- and how it compares with other industrialized countries -- is fascinating. It's also packed with some eye-opening information about different choices.

An open door

2008-11-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

Think for a second about the ingredients for a strong, close relationship.

The first thing I'd throw into the mix is communication. You spend time together talking with each other about things that really matter. Most people realize that relationships take some effort, like regular communication, but the payoff is worthwhile.

Why would a relationship with God be any different? I believe in God, and I also believe that Jesus was more than just a radical historic figure who talked a lot about love and forgiveness and that he was in fact who he said he was: Emmanuel, which means "God with us."

I also believe that God wants a relationship with all of us and that his door is always open. But it's ultimately up to us to decide whether to accept the invitation. One way to do that is to communicate, and one way to communicate is by prayer. Prayer is not the adult version of a wish list for Santa. It's a conversation. (By the way, the hardest part of the conversation for me is remembering to listen! Well, that and not falling asleep if I pray before bed).

This year I tried two approaches to prayer that I'd heard people recommend, and I found them both moving and meaningful.

1. Start a prayer journal and keep it for several weeks (or even months). Write down in a notebook what you're thankful for and what you are praying about/for every day. Looking back after time can be a powerful experience and a reminder that God does care and listen, even if not everything is answered or answered in the way we expect.

2. Think about something that has got you down, some hurdle or obstacle or frustration that you wish would be lifted off your shoulders. Make a commitment to pray about it every single day for three months (and remember to listen along the way).

If you're interested in more discussion of prayer, I'd recommend the book Too Busy Not To Pray, by Bill Hybels, who says this about Christianity:

"It is a walk – a supernatural walk with a living, dynamic, communicating God. Thus the heart and soul of the Christian life is learning to hear God's voice and developing the courage to do what he tells us to do."

Best hour you'll spend

2008-11-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

The food you eat, the way you manage stress and the exercise you get can have a profound effect on your body's ability to fight cancer and your body's ability to ward it off in the first place, according to brain scientist and physician David Servan-Schreiber, who wrote "Anticancer: A New Way of Life."

I listened to this interview with him on Minnesota Public Radio's Midmorning program, and I strongly recommend it. It's an hourlong show, so find something else to do while you listen (I peeled and cut vegetables, the only level of multitasking I can handle).

In the interview he says, "There's tons of scientific evidence that you can dramatically change your biology in a way that will resist cancer growth." (Note: he's saying lifestyle changes are an essential complement to conventional medicine. He's not saying you can always prevent or cure cancer completely on your own). Here are some things he points out:

Food affects gene expression.

Sugar feeds cancer cells and produces low-grade inflammation in the body that is favorable to cancer multiplication.

We eat the wrong fats. Trans fats, which are in many processed foods, should be completely avoided, along with meat from animals that eat corn and soy. This is one of a million reasons to only eat 100 percent grass fed meat (which has good fats)!

Eat more foods that fight cancer, meaning mostly vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are packed with phytochemicals, which can kill cancer cells and stop new blood vessel growth that's needed for tumors to grow. Other good foods include garlic, onions and leeks. Cooking them in olive oil enhances the benefits (this may be why the Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular disease and cancer). Use spices like turmeric and curry (this may be why Indians have less cancer than Americans).

Meditate. It allows your immune system to do a better job.

Exercise regularly.

He also adds a piece about cell phones. Most studies have looked at people using cell phones for less than 10 years, which is not nearly long enough to see an impact, he says. However, some Scandinavian countries have done studies for more than 10 years. They've found that people using a cell phone for more than an hour a day total have twice the rates of brain tumors, which usually occur on whichever side of their head they hold their phone. He says there's no adequate scientific evidence that cell phones are safe. But they do know that radiation from cell phones penetrates the brain. Some guidelines:

1. Don't ditch your landline. When people call on your cell phone, call back from your landline.
2. Use a headset when you do use your phone to keep radiation farther from your body.
3. Don't keep your phone next to your body, for example in a breast pocket or pants pocket. Instead, keep it in a purse or on your desk.
4. Don't let a kid under age 12 use a cell phone at all.

I haven't read his book yet but after listening to the interview I bet it's well worth the read.

More flax

2008-11-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

I already wrote about flax once here, but after reporting this story on it for the paper I learned more information, so I'll just post the sidebars - some ideas on ways to use it and some of its potential health benefits.

EIGHT EASY WAYS TO USE FLAX

GROUND FLAX SEED
Start with 1 tablespoon and eventually use up to 2 tablespoons daily. Grind small amounts at a time to keep seeds fresh.
• Add it to cereal or oatmeal.
• Use it in place of breading on poultry.
• After putting lemon juice on an apple or pear, roll the fruit in flax seed and add a dash of cinnamon or cloves.
• Sprinkle the seeds into scrambled eggs, soups, salads and peanut butter.
• Season vegetables with a mixture of seeds and sea salt.
• Buy bread, cereal and granola with flax in it or add the seeds to homemade baked goods. Keep the oven temperature below 350 degrees when baking with flax.

FLAX OIL
Start with 1 tablespoon and eventually use up to 2 tablespoons daily.
• Mix it into salad dressing.
• Add it to yogurt, smoothies or oatmeal.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Flax is high in alpha-linolenic acid, which converts to an omega-3 fatty acid, an essential fat. Healthy fats such as those in flaxseed are healing and beautifying, according to author Ann Louise Gittleman. They can improve hair, skin and nails. They're good for the brain and can help with attention or concentration difficulties and mood swings, she said.

Most Americans don't get enough omega-3 fatty acids, said the University of Minnesota's Angie Moeding, so flax is one way to supplement your diet with more of these healthy fats. Benefits may also include improved heart health, inflammation reduction and lower triglycerides, a form of fat in the blood, Moeding said.

LIGNANS
Lignans act like antioxidants, which can reduce cell-damaging free radicals and toxins in the body. Lignans also contain a plant-based compound that acts like estrogen and may help regulate hormones. They may improve breast health, reduce symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, slow tumor growth in breast cancer patients and protect against cancer.

FIBER
Flaxseed is high in soluble and insoluble fiber, packing 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon. Be sure you're well hydrated when eating flaxseed to avoid digestive upset. Start with 1 tablespoon of flax at a time and work your way up to two tablespoons per day. Fiber acts as a laxative and can improve digestive health, regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

Remember that supplements such as flax might interfere with medications or certain conditions. You may want to talk with your health care provider about adding flax to your diet.

Cards with care

2008-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Trying to find a decent card has become a more and more frustrating experience. I'm continually disappointed by the small selection of recycled cards at most stores. Cards have become increasingly ridiculous over the years with shiny, puffy materials plastered all over them so you can't even recycle them. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse they came out with those stupid music-playing cards, which are the ultimate in wastefulness (sorry, everyone who loves music cards). Now you have to throw away a small electronic device along with the card?!

Fortunately, there are some recycled cards I love. My all time favorites are made by watercolor artist Masha Dyans. The cards are gorgeous and unique. (These used to be widely available at Target stores but have been mysteriously disappearing from Targets near me). I also like Sierra Club cards. They're made from recycled materials, and part of the proceeds goes to helping protect the environment. When I recently came across some pretty cards by Minneapolis artist Marva Sheriff, I also started thinking more about buying recycled cards from local artists.

This website, etsy.com is an excellent place to find cards (and about any other arty good) from artists near you. Click on "Shop local."

I'm officially through with buying cards in stores (unless I find a great store that stocks many recycled cards and doesn't sell music cards) and am going to the internet for future purchases. My plan is to think ahead and buy a bunch at once so I only have to pay shipping once. Below are some recommendations of websites with recycled cards.Please let me know if you have other ideas!

Masha Dyans
Sierra Club
Eco Expressions
Credo designs
Recycled Greeting Cards

Learning from your body

2008-10-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

The idea of cellular memory is fascinating to me. To sum it up, it's the thought that the cells in our bodies and our body parts can store memories, emotions, etc. There are stories of people who had an organ transplant and without knowing their donor take on that individual's taste in food or become passionate about a cause that was close to the donor's heart. Or of people who become emotional or suddenly recall a particular memory during a massage or yoga pose.

This story I wrote on Pat Samples touches on the idea of cellular memory. Pat works to help people realize the wisdom their bodies are holding and learn from it. She has lots of suggestions on ways to get more in tune with your body and ways to let your body express itself, but here's a sampling:

• Take a moment to observe part of your body, such as your hands. Think about what your hands have done for you and what you appreciate about them.

• Play music and see how your body wants to move and dance -- watch whether your motions reveal melancholy, excitement or something else.

• Notice your posture. Is your clenched jaw related to long-standing resentment? Are your hunched shoulders reflecting a passive nature?

• Write about a memory from childhood, and observe how your body feels in that scene.

• Throw a dozen eggs at a tree trunk to release pent-up anger.

Election guide 101

2008-10-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest gifts of my life is my extended family. These are the most fun, supportive, loving people I've ever met. They'd do anything to help someone through a hard time or to make them laugh. We enjoy hanging out so much that gatherings often extend longer than anticipated…we've reheated leftovers from the first meal as people get hungry again, and we've taken naps when we're too tired to stay awake but aren't ready to leave. I love them all dearly.

And among us, there are die-hard liberals and die-hard conservatives, people who believe fiercely in their party, volunteer with campaigns and work for politicians. Even if I wish I could convince them all to vote like me, the mix is refreshing because it reminds all of us that there are good people on both sides.

With three weeks until this very important election, I thought I'd share my tenants of being a responsible citizen:

1. Be a lover, not a hater. All Republicans are not oil-loving oligarch/redneck robots who don't believe in gravity and have no heart. All Democrats are not lazy, naive hippies who believe in fairies and don't like babies. Fortunately, I have my family to remind me that wonderful people sometimes disagree.

2. Be an adult. There's a reason you can't vote before age 18. There's an assumption that as an adult you'll be an independent thinker and make your own informed choices. Just because your parents vote a certain way or everyone in your "group" votes a certain way doesn't mean you should. Think seriously about the best choice with an open mind or don't vote at all.

3.Be flexible. Just because you've always voted a certain way doesn't mean you always should. People and parties hopefully shift over time, so put your support behind those headed in the right direction right now.

4. Think about the big picture. Strategists are great at throwing out meaningless phrases or focusing on one or two hot-button issues to rile people up and get voters' emotions to trump logical thinking. Instead of getting swept up, look at what's actually affecting your life today and what's going to affect the lives of generations to come.

5. Support good. Think about who's bringing out the best in people, and who's bringing out the worst in people. The way someone runs a campaign and the choices they make during that campaign are indications of what's to come.

Food as a solution

2008-10-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

What you eat can aid or aggravate discomforts in the body in so many ways. This story I wrote for the Star Tribune describes how food can play a role in menopause symptoms, but most of the suggestions are good for everyone and help with other types of symptoms, body complaints or prevention.

The nutritionists' recommendations (and the eating habits of two women I spoke with) were this:

-Remove processed carbohydrates such as muffins, cereal and refined bread

-Instead, emphasize complex carbohydrates, including vegetables, whole grains (think quinoa, barley, rye) and fruit

-Get enough healthy fats by eating salmon, avocados, olives, nuts and olive oil

-Eat protein with meals throughout the day

The second half of the story describes what these types of foods do in the body that make them helpful or not. For example, processed carbohydrates and sugar cue your body to pump insulin, and too much insulin can lead to weight gain. Processed carbohydrates also cause your blood sugar to spike and drop suddenly, which leaves you tired, moody and hungry. Complex carbohydrates reduce the sharp ups and downs for blood sugar, and protein, fiber and healthy fats smooth it out further (and add other health benefits).

You don't have to be going through menopause to learn something useful from the nutrition guidelines.

Not getting sick

2008-10-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

My fabulous sister-in-law Betsy just sent this article about 7 ways people avoid getting sick. The first tip was getting regular massages! There's your first clue it's worth reading.

Also, it reminded me that I've been meaning to write about neti pot again. I started feeling cold-like symptoms a few weeks ago so I started using the neti pot daily and drinking lots of water and taking some vitamin C and zinc. After three days of kinda-sorta symptoms I was back to normal.

So I'd add using neti pot regularly to the don't get sick list. Here's an article I wrote on it last year, but also as a quick primer:

What it is: You mix a little non-iodized salt with lukewarm water in a ceramic pot with a spout.

How you use it: You put the spout up to one nostril and tilt your head so the water ends up running out the other nostril. (Sounds horrible but it really isn't once you get the hang of it).

Why you use it: For allergy and sinus relief, to prevent colds or reduce their symptoms and for general health. Neti pot helps clear allergens, pollen and pollution. It can reduce pressure in your sinuses and reduce sinus infections. It also helps you breathe easier in general but especially when you have a cold or are breathing dry air.

Where to get it: Health foods store, co-op grocery store or online.

Why it's not for weirdos: It's been around for gazillions of years and is a safe way to reduce the need for prescriptions. I know lots of people who have found great relief from using it. And I have actually become somewhat addicted to it after using it during my semi-cold because I always think I can breathe just fine before I use it but then after I feel so much better.

Here's my heart

2008-09-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be misleading, but the picture is actually of the arteries in the back of my eye...couldn't get the heart pictures to work on here.

Last month I went through a cardiovascular disease screening at the University of Minnesota. I experienced it first hand so I'd have a better understanding for a story I was writing about the test. I ended up learning a lot about my health. Part of what I learned was that they could already see evidence that I have the genes for cardiovascular disease. Bummer.

But I pretty much loved my test experience. Mainly because of how it put me in touch with what's inside. It's easy to be proactive about issues we can see. We'll search to the ends of the earth to find a solution for a nagging wart or bad skin. But it's so rare to be able to literally see what's going on inside. So sometimes we forget that there might be something deep within that ought to be taken care of.

I say take advantage of any opportunity to be more in touch with your body and how it's doing or what it's trying to tell you. It could be as simple as paying attention to how your body feels when you're taking a hot shower versus sitting in traffic. Or it's as technical as going through a 12-step screening that shows you your heart and arteries and the back of your eye.

The story is here, and here is the sidebar (with info on cardiovascular disease prevention and contact info for the screening).

Also, here's a nod to good friends. I've never written a first person story for publication before, and let me tell you it is hard. I called on two friends who excel at first person (thanks Tom and Alyssa!) and they graciously served as editors before I turned it in. Thank goodness!

Uncomforting

2008-09-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

The Corn Refiners Association is airing a highly lame commercial defending high fructose corn syrup. See it here.

It's a guy and girl lounging outside. She offers him some of her popsicle, and he says he doesn't want it because it has high fructose corn syrup*...

Him: You know what they say about that stuff.
Her: What?
Him: That...it's...that...um...
Her: That it's made from corn, has the same calories as sugar or honey and it's fine in moderation.

First of all, the logic behind this commercial is weak. They're basically saying that since high fructose corn syrup is made from corn, it must be safe to eat. Well if that's the basis for safety, I might as well start eating ethanol. After all, "it's made from corn," like the chipper gal points out.

There's disagreement among experts about whether high fructose corn syrup is damaging to our bodies (see earlier post "High fructose be gone." Whatever the truth is, I'd rather avoid it because in order to create high fructose corn syrup, molecular structures must be manipulated. This is not the case with regular old sugar, or with nature's most obvious sweeteners -- maple syrup and honey.

An easy, intuitive rule of thumb is to eat food that's as close to its original state as possible. So here are two examples that move from the most processed option to the most natural option.

Oatmeal
Worst option: Buying it from a pre-made packet that has high fructose corn syrup among the ingredients
Better: Making your own oatmeal and adding brown sugar
Best: Making your own oatmeal and adding maple syrup
Maple syrup is a great natural sweetener, but be sure to buy 100 percent maple syrup, not something that has high fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring and other weird stuff that makes it taste grosser but cost less than maple syrup straight from the tree.

Yogurt
Worst option: Buying it with flavorings and high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener mixed into the ingredients
Better: Buying yogurt sweetened with regular old sugar
Best: Buying yogurt without added sugar and adding your own fruit (maybe some berries you keep in the freezer) and a spoonful of honey.

*Note: the girl in the commercial could have bought a popsicle without high fructose corn syrup. Or, she could have frozen grape juice (made from 100 percent juice, of course) into a tube shape in her freezer and avoided the added sugar altogether.

Brain habits

2008-09-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to change your mindset? I think it's the wildest frontier of all when it comes to self-improvement.

Not that it's easy by any means, but controlling your actions seems like the first step in changing yourself. And then maybe being deliberate about what you say and how you say it. But reorienting the way you think, what you think about, how you react and how you feel? That's tough.

I'm convinced that a lot of our mindset comes from pure habit. Trying to lay new tracks for an old train of thought is about as easy as sitting still in a rocking chair. You don't realize you're rocking, just like your mind doesn't realize it's thinking.

But life's too short not to try to change certain thought patterns for the better. I'm talking about unhelpful thoughts that are stifling, distracting, frustrating and annoying, those that return unwanted, incite negative reactions and make you feel bad or worried.

I don't have any great ideas for making it easier to change attitudes and thinking. Sometimes when I catch myself thinking in a certain way or thinking about something that upsets me, I sit with the thought and watch it develop and try to reframe it using logic and remember (and by doing so create) more helpful feelings. Over time that sometimes helps change my thought pattern...and sometimes it doesn't.

As an easy example, I used to get really nervous before track races. Eventually I got sick of feeling nervous. So the night before a race I'd remember, visualize and work on feeling confident and excited instead. It worked well, and over time I hardly had to practice because my mindset had actually shifted.

On a more emotional level, if I think about a past situation that makes me really angry I either watch my thoughts unfold and hope they don't get stuck there or in some cases try to remember what it feels like to be accepting, forgiving, calm and peaceful in hopes that I'll transform my thoughts so I can better enjoy the present moment.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying people should avoid, repress or hide their thoughts or feelings. That would be the last thing I'd ever recommend. To keep going with the last example, I'm talking about a situation where I've already thought through what is upsetting me and have done anything I can to improve it. I'm at a point where there's nothing else that can be done, but it's still eating at me.

In cases like that or in times when we fall into habits like negative thinking, worrying, feeling bad about ourselves, reliving upsetting memories or even avoiding things we should be working through and thinking about, I think it's important to try to build a new mindset of acceptance or something else. But it's hard, and I'm certainly no expert...ideas?

Envir-O-hygeine

2008-08-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

The product shown above managed to blend my love of oral hygiene with my love of the earth, a feat I've never seen before. You know Stonyfield Farm yogurt? The plastic cups it's in are recycled and make up part of the 100-percent recycled handle on this toothbrush, which was designed by dentists and engineers.

The case around the toothbrush is made from wood-based plastics from renewable forests, and not only does the case serve as packaging for the toothbrush in the store but it's also a travel case, complete with small holes in the top for optimal air flow.

When you've worn through the toothbrush you can mail it back in a postage-paid return mailer, and the company will recycle the handle and use it in plastic lumber products such as park benches. Yogurt cup to toothbrush to park bench. Good job, Preserve, for being a thoughtful company and a good steward of the earth.

College kids are smart

2008-08-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a story I just did for the Star Tribune about how more colleges and universities are using food service companies that value sustainable, healthy, fresh, local and organic food instead of processed nastiness from, as one source said, "halfway across the planet" and instead of food that's doused in chemicals or meat from animals cooped up in a tiny cages and pumped with antibiotics because they're sick because they're fed stuff unnatural to their diets because they are being mass produced.

Administrators, faculty and students in higher education are perhaps among the most aware of the health, environment, economic and societal reasons to eat this way. They realize the importance of it and want to feel good about what their school serves and what they eat. So they are hiring food service companies with the same values, such as Bon Appetite Management Company.

In case I haven't talked enough about grass fed, I'll include the sidebar below. As a reminder, almost all cows are fed grass at some point in their life, so asking if something is grass fed doesn't really mean all that much. The difference is that some cows are fed grass their entire life, and this meat is called "100 percent grass fed" or "grass finished." Grass is natural to cows' diets so they don't get sick and need antibiotics when all they eat is grass. Some companies say "we only feed our cows grain at the very end of their lives because it's too cold so there's no grass" but there are Minnesota producers who feed 100 percent grass so if it can be done here (using hay during no grass months) it can be done anywhere. Once the animal starts eating grains, which is the way conventional meat is produced, it changes the structure of the fats and proteins in the animal in a negative way, making it much less healthy for you to eat.

Health benefits of 100 percent grass-fed or grass finished meat:

- It's higher in good fats, including conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, which may improve immune function, regulate blood sugar and stimulate fat burning in the body.
- It's higher in omega 3 fatty acids, which may help to prevent heart disease and diabetes. (This is why fish are high in omega 3, they eat algae...which you might note is green like grass).
- It's lower in fat overall (note to cooks: for optimum taste, cook it longer and at a lower temperature than conventional beef).
- Grass-finished beef is unlikely to have any additives, including chemicals, growth hormones or genetically modified feed.
- It's higher in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps with immune function.
- It's high in CoQ10, an enzyme needed for proper heart function and circulatory issues. CoQ10 is also a powerful antioxidant.

Yes, eating healthy is often more costly. But it's not as expensive as the gazillion preventable or delayable chronic diseases we deal with in this country.

Simple stripes

2008-07-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Anything that reduces hassle and makes life easier is a good thing. (Warning: most products are marketed to make you THINK they make your life easier when in fact they are tricking you and actually clutter your home, make things more complicated and waste your money. If you saw it in an infomercial it probably falls under that category. If the person in the ad says in a cheesy voice, "But wait!..." before detailing what a deal you are getting it absolutely falls under that category).

Here's something that is small but actually makes things just a tad simpler: buy sheet sets with vertical stripes. How many times have you washed your sheets only to find you can't figure out which direction to put that first layer of sheets (you know the one with the elastic on it that fits real tight and has a life of its own), and they get all bunched up and you spend minutes wrestling with the discontorted sheet until you finally find which side goes where?!?

Next time you need a new set try finding ones with stripes like these shown above, and bed making will be a breeze.

Flexible Flaxable

2008-07-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

Once again I'd like to praise good fats and encourage people to add a sprinkle of flax or flax oil to their diets. Flax is super easy to use. I like adding a tablespoon or so to oatmeal and smoothies but you could also use it in baked goods, yogurt or cereal. Here’s a primer, 4 stars for flax:

* Flax is a grain that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Remember, omega-3 fats are good and essential. They’re shown to help reduce inflammation, boost heart health and improve mental health, including depression.

* The fatty acids in flax may enhance elasticity of blood vessels and prevent buildup in arteries.

* Flax seed is bursting with lignans, which to make it simple can help balance hormones in the body and work as antioxidants. Hormones influence mood as well as health. Antioxidants basically act as packmen and eat up the toxins that can harm your body and lead to disease or illness.

* Flax seed has lots of fiber, which helps digestion, decreases chances of heart disease and diabetes, lowers cholesterol and balances blood sugar. Note: flax oil doesn’t have this fiber benefit.

Most grocery stores and health food stores carry flax oil and flaxseed, which you can buy in bulk. So far I have used the oil out of laziness, however I think next time I’ll go for the seed to get the fiber and lignan benefit. I’ve heard recommendations to grind the seed rather than eat it whole because it’s possible the whole seeds will sneak through undigested and then you won’t absorb the benefits. You can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder and then store them in something airtight, keeping it in the fridge so it stays good longer.

If the health benefits aren’t enough to excite you, maybe vanity will be...I had a friend who started using flax and her skin cleared up without any other dietary changes. Those fatty acids are supposed to do wonders for skin, nails and hair.

For more see www.healthyflax.com

Better eats

2008-07-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've known for a while that eating local is a growing movement with good reason (especially in Minnesota where our educated, progressive, conscientious population is supporting it big time...sorry, my Minnesota pride may be excessive but it isn't unwarranted). But until I did this story for vita.mn I didn't really go out of my way for it or think about it regularly during grocery shopping or while eating out.

After reporting the story and visiting a nearby organic family farm I realized it's something I should be more invested in, it's something everyone should pay attention to. The very next time I went to the grocery store I specifically picked out two heads of lettuce grown in Minnesota and felt good about it. Who needs a bag of lettuce from California when I can support the guy living 30 minutes outside Minneapolis?

I'll post part of the story that describes 6 reasons to eat local:

1. The food is fresher, tastes better and is less likely to be contaminated because it has shorter distance to travel.
2. To infuse money into smaller businesses and the local economy
3. Fewer trucks hailing cross-country means less pollution (and less traffic)
4. To get to know the people and stories behind the food.
5. To encourage variety -- small farmers can grow more than breeds that are good for mass production and have a long shelf life.
6. If there's a salmonella outbreak in tomatoes traced to Florida and Mexico, but you buy your tomatoes from Farmer Lou down the road, there's no need to freak out and miss out on caprese salad for weeks.

The full story is here and a profile on a local, sustainable farm that produces 100 percent grass-fed beef is here.

Working and not working

2008-07-03T17:19:00.001-07:00

A lot of people are searching for work that isn't work, a career that blends their talents and skills with their passion and values, something that brings them joy and happiness. As my yoga teacher once put it, it's "finding that which gives you energy" and making a living from it.

I interviewed a woman named Jean Dibner for this story on planning ahead for a retirement that's unique to your desires and is meaningful to you. Jean had a great tip to help figure out that sometimes difficult and often life-long question of what is your purpose. She said:

"I think it's very important to be able to reconnect with that child in you. Think about what you were really passionate about when you were ten," she says. "When I was ten years old and was bored in school I was tearing paper out of my notebook and making sculptures."

She took an early retirement from her job as an exec at a high-tech company, went to art school and started sculpting...now, at age 66, she's won a lot of awards, commissions much of her work, teaches sculpting classes and is loving life. Here's her website, if you want to see her work. Neat lady.

Beans, beans, magical indeed

2008-06-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

I love it when the doorbell rings and I look out the window at the top of the door and see nobody there. That means it's one of my little neighborhood kid friends. This afternoon standing too short to be seen was 1st grade graduate Annie. For the second weekend in a row she came holding the bean plant above asking if I could watch it while her family goes to the cabin.

She planted the green bean seed the day we planted the vegetable garden and has been proudly caring for it and updating me on its status since. She instructs me the bean plant doesn't need to be watered every day, instead I should check to see whether it needs more water and probably should water it every other day... "Like if I water it Monday, I don't water it Tuesday but then I'll probably water it Wednesday," she tells me matter of factly to explain what she means by "every other day." But she waters it before she gives it to me Friday afternoon and then she picks it up again Sunday afternoon, meaning basically I do nothing for the plant other than set it on my table and pick it up from the table when she comes back.

It might sound lame, but in a small way this scrawny plant does something for me because it makes me smile when I see it on my table and think about how cute it is that this kid brings over this bean plant for a 48 hour stint. I guess if there's a point it's this: never underestimate the way little things you do - often without even realizing - can make a difference in someone's life.

Summer Day

2008-06-17T12:53:00.001-07:00

If I could embody a poem, The Summer Day would be a top choice. The weather has been nothing short of heavenly, so it seems like a good time for this:

The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean --
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down --
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

p.s. yes, I do realize I took a picture of a dragonfly, not a grasshopper.

Water please, hold the chemicals

2008-06-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

First people realized the importance of staying hydrated, and water bottles became fixtures in backpacks and on desks. That’s great. Water makes up an average of 60 percent of a person’s body weight, and the major systems in your body need enough of it to function properly and go to bat for you every day. Drink on. (For more benefits of water see this article from Mayoclinic.com)

Then people started thinking those soft plastic water bottles are hard on the pocketbook and earth, so they switched to reusables, like Nalgene. (By the way, don’t ever reuse soft water bottles, which are breeding grounds for bacteria, also contain chemicals, etc.)

But then we found out many hard plastics, or polycarbonate plastics, contain the compound Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is shown to leak into the water or food it's containing. Some scientists and researchers say BPA mimics the hormone estrogen in the body and leads to health problems. While some BPA defenders acknowledge it leaches and is ingested, they deny any ill effect on humans.

Uhh...as much as I trust the plastics industry and people who sell products with BPA, no thanks. This fall I replaced my Nalgene (which by the way, bowing to consumer demand Nalgene is now making BPA-free reusable plastic bottles, shown here) with a Klean Kanteen, made of stainless steel (see mine photographed above, posing in the grass since it’s nature friendly). Other options are Swiss-made Sigg, made of aluminum and CamelBak, made of BPA-free plastic. Buy them online or in fitness/outdoors stores or health food grocers.

BPA is in more than your water bottles though, it’s also in many baby bottles, food-storage containers, the lining of food and drink cans and so on. To avoid it, try to use glass, porcelain other non-plastics or look for BPA-free whenever possible. Also, to be safe never put hot food or drinks in plastic, and don't microwave plastic even if it claims to be microwave safe.

For more, see National Geographic’s Green Guide article here and here, or this article in the New York Times.

Be on the offensive!

2008-06-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Being busy is like dust on windowsills or dandelions in the summer -- you have to constantly work to deter it, you have to be on the offensive to keep it from taking over. Even then, being busy sneaks in like spam in your inbox or those people at the mall who try to get you to take a "quick survey" or unexpectedly spray you with terrible fragrances -- it sometimes can't be avoided.

Somehow in the past couple weeks the topic of being busy has come up with many friends, so I thought it might be a good time to write about it. Plus, summer is often a time that looks from afar like endless days sipping lemonade on the porch but then mysteriously gets filled up with plan after plan after plan. I dislike being busy almost as much as I dislike not getting enough sleep, and unfortunately the two usually go hand in hand. I know everybody's "I'm too busy" threshold is different, but when I feel too busy it turns everything in my life into something that needs to be crossed off a to-do list and makes normally enjoyable activities stressful.

For example, I had been looking forward to starting our vegetable garden ever since I dug up the grass and turned the soil a few weeks ago (during that time I learned why people list gardening as exercise, it IS hard work digging up crusty soil). Anyway, things kept getting in the way of planting the seeds and then finally I realized one day it had to be done...now. That was the day or else summer would slip by and my seeds would have to wait until next year and my gardening workout would have been for nothing. But I was very busy that day and started to get annoyed at planting the garden and was viewing it as a chore even though I'd been excited about it for weeks.

I eventually changed my mindset in the garden (especially when my recently turned five-year-old neighbor suggested we plant carrots and sandwiches), but the point is when you're too busy even fun things aren't so fun. Or they aren't fully experienced. And that is a waste of life. Time is perhaps the most valuable thing we have, so it's worth protecting and spending carefully.

Calling all who are literate

2008-05-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'd like to encourage everyone on earth to read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. This is an excellent book on food and nutrition that is interesting, informative and clearly written. The first half or so gives a lot of information on the history of food and nutrition and how we got to where we are today in this country, and the second part is filled with practical, simple tips on making healthier eating choices. I cannot say enough good things about it. Because the book provides a good background and explanation of why certain things are good for you (such as eating lots of plants, reading labels and buying organic) it arms you with a deeper understanding, which I think leads to increased motivation to do what's best for the ol' body.
Here's an excerpt:

You are what you eat eats too

That is the diet of the animals we eat has a bearing on the nutritional quality and healthfulness of the food itself, whether it is meat or milk or eggs. This should be self evident yet it is a truth routinely overlooked by the industrial food chain in its quest to produce vast quantities of cheap animal protein. That quest has changed the diet of most of our food animals from plants to seeds, because animals grow faster and produce more milk and eggs on a high-energy diet of grain. But some of our food animals, such as cows and sheep, are ruminants that evolved to eat grass; if they eat too many seeds they become sick, which is why grain-fed cattle have to be given antibiotics. Even animals that do well on grain, such as chickens and pigs, are much healthier when they have access to green plants, and so, it turns out, are their meat and eggs.

For most of our food animals, a diet of grass means much healthier fats (more omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acid or CLA; fewer omega 6s and saturated fat) in their meat, milk and eggs, as well as appreciably higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants. Sometimes you can actually see the difference, as when butter is yellow or egg yolks bright orange: What you're seeing is the beta-carotene from the fresh green grass. It's worth looking for pastured animal foods in the market and paying the premium they typically command. Though from the outside an industrial egg looks exactly like a pastured egg selling for several times as much, they are for all intents and purposes two completely different foods.* So the rule about eating more leaves and fewer seeds applies not only to us but also to the animals in our food chain.

*"Free range" doesnt necessarily mean the chicken has had access to grass; many egg and broiler producers offer their chickens little more than a dirt yard where nothing grows. Look for the word "pastured." And in the case of beef, keep in mind that all cattle are grass fed until they get to the feedlot; "grass finished" or "100% grass fed" is what you want. For more on the nutritional benefits of pastured food and where to find it, go to eatwild.com.

Beautiful places, better people

2008-05-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

It must be built in to who we are as humans that when we're struggling with a difficult decision or are trying to figure something out we're drawn to do that big thinking in nature or in another beautiful or peaceful setting.

I went to a lecture earlier this week where speaker Eve Edelstein, a neurobiologist and architect, talked about the evidence behind that -- how technology allows us to see the way brain waves, brain function and different systems in the body change in response to the environment.

For example, one study looked at workers in a dark cubicle environment compared to a nice, modern environment and found the workers' hearts were acting less stressed in the nice environment. Other studies show lighting affects recovery and mood in hospital patients and that environment can alter cognitive function (evidence for the sit-by-a-lake-to-do-your-big-thinking method of decision making). Edelstein also told a story about Jonas Salk, who was trying without success to figure out the polio vaccine in some dingy work space, but when he finally moved to a nice building overlooking a beautiful cliff he quickly made the discoveries leading to the vaccine.

Edelstein and others are working on ways to use the biological responses to design buildings and spaces that are more healing and peaceful for people. The Center for Health Design is one place working on this in health care settings.

In the meantime, her talk provided even more reasons to spend time outside where God and nature have already figured out the formula that makes our brains and bodies happiest.

Dear moms

2008-05-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

I feel it's my duty on mother's day to remind and encourage moms everywhere with or without kids in their home to make time to do things for themselves, just purely for their own enjoyment. You deserve it, moms! Although I think I'd be the last person to forget that whole make time for self thing I'm guessing that if I'm a mom someday somehow everything and everyone else will seem more pressing, and I'll probably want and need people to remind me of that too.

On another motherly note this month I got to write about my mom a bit as part of a story on letting go of outdated or limiting self-perceptions in order to become more of who you really are. We're all proud of her for making a major career change, going back to school and working hard to become a nurse in her 50s. But if she hadn't let go of her perception that she wasn't any good at science she wouldn't have started on the path that ended in her becoming a nurse, and I know all her patients are quite lucky she let that untrue perception expire. I enjoyed working on this story because I've seen myself and others identify with qualities or perceptions that are no longer true (or maybe never were) and that really can hold us back. Here's the story in Experience Life magazine.

High fructose be gone

2008-05-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for an electrolyte replacement/sports drink that does not have high fructose corn syrup, and Micah came to the rescue with this Clif electrolyte replacement drink mix, which he got at Hoigaards. The first two ingredients are organic brown rice syrup solids and organic evaporated cane juice. Powerade and Gatorade have high fructose corn syrup as the second and third ingredients (after water). I say I don't trust a brand that markets its products to athletes and then dumps high fructose corn syrup in those products. (Plus, this has more of the electrolytes you're trying to replace, such as sodium, than the other two)

Producers started using high fructose corn syrup instead place of sugar because it's a cheaper sweetener and preservative. Now its found its way into everything from bread to ketchup, so be sure to read labels! High fructose corn syrup doesn't seem to be too good for the ol' body. Some researchers and doctors are linking it to altered metabolism, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, and because of the nature of molecules in high fructose corn syrup there's also some concern that it can lead to tissue damage.

Here's the link to the Clif stuff. And if you drink soda and want to avoid high fructose corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners, try something like Jones cola, sweetened with cane sugar.

May Day

2008-05-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors snuck over to leave this flower plant arrangement on our steps for May Day. I found myself pleasantly surprised thinking, "Wow, cool, people still do things like that?!" Good job, mankind. When I went to thank them I think I flustered one of the girls though because I guess it's supposed to be some sort of secret (I forgot what May Day is all about and had to look it up). Anyway, how sweet.

Fresh flowers always remind me of one of my fabulous college roommates who always, always made sure to have them around. I thought it was neat that she wanted to do something for herself by buying them and do something for everyone by brightening things up. She must have known intuitively what this article in Health magazine highlights:

- Flowers alter brain chemistry, making you feel more positive.

- Women who were surprised with flowers displayed instant happiness and were still in good moods three days later.

- People with fresh flowers around the house feel less anxiety.

- Women have more innovative ideas and solutions to problems when flowers are nearby.

I don't know why a couple of these are from studies just about women, I would think the same holds true for men. Although, the flower giving does more often go man to woman. Not sure why this is now that I think about it. One of my guy friends told me once he'd really like to be surprised with flowers from a gal sometime. I've bought Micah plants, but never flowers specifically for him I don't think (though once I made a "bouquet" of specialty beer and he did display instant happiness).

Five years of pages

2008-04-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

The past few days my brain has been foggy. I think part of my head mush comes when I have things on my mind and haven't been able to organize my thoughts/feelings or put them into words so everything just keeps swishing around waiting for an outlet. When that happens sometimes I write in a journal. Or I write in it when I'm stuck or upset or confused or excited or overwhelmed or super happy or just wanting time to reflect.

I'm near the end of this journal, which I started almost five years ago. Sometimes there's two days between entries, another time there's nearly a year between. Reading it has been so interesting for me, just seeing what I worried about and thought about and focused on and expected, seeing how my attitude toward things changed. Looking back on those pages really revealed to me or reinforced my patterns of thought and outlook and things I've wanted to change about myself. I'm sharing that as a way to say I think journaling can help you realize things about yourself or untangle things you're wrestling with in your heart or clear up a mushy head or even show you useful insight from the you of five years ago.

Here's one of the things younger me wrote that I appreciated today: "I need to remind myself that all facets of life -- location, career, family, friends, faith, finances, health, love-life, etc -- will rarely all be going well and strong at the same time but they'll also rarely be all bad at the same time. So I need to keep focus on those parts that are going well." Yeah, I totally need to remind myself of that. Otherwise the tendency is to obsess and worry about whatever one or few aren't going well. But that is just a big waste of energy when I could instead focus on enjoying the ones that are going well and be thankful for them.

If he can do it...

2008-04-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

A dad with seven kids under age seven who still finds a way to get regular exercise and has a great sense of humor (and who wears red Converse All Stars while working out as an added bonus) seems like a good person to glean some wisdom from, so I interviewed him for a story about how he does it.

Basically this dad, named Sheff, mixes workouts with family time by doing things like lifting his kids instead of lifting weights. He said they used to go to the gym but then it was really just a hassle getting everyone there and then it meant leaving the bunch at the gym daycare. Instead he developed a routine called "the Dadiator Workout" where he lifts the kids, ranging from about 10 to 50 pounds, and he does other things like going running and doing circuits with the kids at a nearby park or ice skating with them riding behind on sleds, etc.

I love the video, by Troy Melhus of the Strib, it's super cute and guaranteed to make you smile. You can watch it here on the Star Tribune website. Or here is the article (and David Brewster's photos, which are adorable).

A couple of Sheff's comments that stuck with me:

"I've always liked exercise routines people tailor to their lifestyles, either to their constraints or environments" and "I just look for opportunities to be active and have fun and do it with intensity."

More like air funkener

2008-04-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Those air freshener commercials make me want to vomit. There's nothing refreshing or clean about spraying or burning chemicals into the air, which is what most of them have as ingredients. So stop spraying nasties into your couches and bathrooms and then inhaling deeply, stupid commercial actors. Many household air fresheners have chemicals called phthalates, which can cause hormonal abnormalities and are associated with other health problems. Of course the U.S. doesn't require products with phthalates to be listed on labels or anything like that, but the E.U. and several other countries have banned certain types of phthalates from consumer products. So while the fragrance folks will disagree I'd say better safe than sorry. There are enough chemicals floating around outside, no need to add more in your home.

Here are some actually fresh ways to freshener the air. They seem pretty obvious, but then most things are before some industry decides to make them more complicated so we will buy things from them.
-Open a window
-Clean so you eliminate the sources of smells
-Open baking soda in the fridge or in a room
-Simmer cinnamon and cloves or fresh ginger in some water on the stove
-Set out sachets of natural dried herbs like lavender
-Put a little lemon down the garbage disposal

Also, don't wear shoes in the house. How appealing are the bottom of your shoes? Everything you walk in all day including pollutants like grass fertilizer gets tracked in and caked into the floors, making things smell worse in addition to making the house dirtier.

Nice work, amiga

2008-04-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

One of my life-long friends put her last addiction in its place and quit smoking a few months ago. I am so proud of her. I asked how she finally did it and she said the first month and a half was terribly difficult. She said she made it through those weeks because she refused to let smoking be even a sliver of an option in her mind and she had something to motivate her (she wants to have a baby and they didn't want to try until they were both smoke free. As Stephen Colbert would say, tip of the hat to you two!) After two months of not smoking she said it became much easier.

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things a person can do, so I find her story inspiring for anyone wanting to form or break habits big or small. But a lot of habits or patterns are more vague than black and white like quitting smoking. For example, "I want to eat more vegetables" or "I should exercise more" or "I want to be more assertive" so perhaps in those cases its best to make a specific goal (like I'll eat four veggie servings a day or I'll workout half an hour four times a week) and do it for two months. Then with any luck it slips into being an ingrained lifestyle change or at least becomes easier. Also, my sister says she heard if you start the beginning of the week (meaning Sunday or Monday) doing whatever it is you're trying to do you're more likely to keep it up. So if your goal is to run three days a week but you skip Sunday, Monday and Tuesday you're more likely to let the whole week slip by.

The other thing my friend said was, "It is amazing how I can do one really good thing for myself and it makes me want to do more." So true. Sometimes getting the motivation or having the discipline to start and then stick with something until, well...it sticks is hard. But when you do, you get this momentum going plus the results inspire you to do more. Onward and upward.

Good point

2008-04-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

From the Dalai Lama: "If there is no solution, why worry? If there is a solution, why worry?"

That's a quote from him during his talk at Mayo Clinic, according to this article in the Star Tribune. Here's another great insight from him:

"When someone takes harmful action against you, you forget they are a person, you concentrate on their actions. You can diminish your own anger by reminding yourself that they are a person, and that they are not always their actions."

Spring cleaning rocks my world

2008-04-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

I look forward to spring cleaning so much that usually I also have fall cleaning because once a year just isn't enough. I love being organized and organizing, and I love getting rid of stuff. I truly believe in the whole idea that clear, peaceful space = clear, peaceful mind.

I met this girl who said her goal is to be able to fit everything she owns in her car. I like her thinking, though it's not realistic once you start acquiring furniture. But if you could exclude that and kitchen necessities (NOT silly, wasteful appliances that never get used and just take up space like quesadilla presses or slushy machines) I'd be into the whole fitting it in the car goal...as long as it was a decent sized car. Then I was talking with a woman this week who said she's not buying clothes for one year to reduce her carbon footprint. Commendable.

I have been a neat freak since forever. As a young girl I told my parents I wanted to be a "sweeper" when I grew up. And my family always enjoys the video footage of three-year-old me giving my Dad a box for a Christmas gift. This was not just any box, it was a leftover cardboard box with a bent up plastic cover that used to hold a stack of greeting cards and had seen better days. But apparently I found it lying around the house somewhere and was extremely excited to give this gift to Dad, telling him "It's a box. You can put things in it!" Today I use a nicer looking box to store bills and odds and ends until I can go through and deal with them or file them or whatever at the end of the week. Boxes really are useful.

To illustrate my love of all things organized, I included a picture of my book arranging method, which is to sort by color. Some people think this is a strange way to stack books. I say it looks much better than any other method I've seen.

Picture day at preschool

2008-04-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I started working once in a while as a substitute assistant teacher at the family center (see earlier post Dried up worms and the right mix in life). I've been in the same four-year-old and five-year-old class a few times, which is fun because I'm getting to know the kids better that way. Today was class pictures so of course excitement was in the air and the kids were giddy all morning long. One little red-head came in wearing her ballerina outfit for pictures, and I think that pretty much encapsulates why kids this age are great -- they're old enough to be deliberate but are still totally free spirits.

Breakfast

2008-04-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite breakfast. I love it because it fills me up, keeps me going strong all morning long and most important it tastes delicious. Here we have baked sweet potato fries, scrambled eggs with a few avocado slices and a chicken apple maple sausage from Trader Joe's. I'm always excited about new breakfast ideas, so if you have a personal favorite, please share!
Here's why I think my breakfast is nutritious.

Sweet potato fries: Sweet potatoes have a glycemic index of 54, considered low on the scale that runs from 0 - 100. Compare that to a regular baked potato at 93 (new potatoes are 62, fyi). Low glycemic index foods are slow burning, meaning they provide sustained energy and keep you full. High glycemic index foods like a floury white potato cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin, which can have harmful effects on your body and is likely to make you feel tired and hungry soon. As an added bonus, sweet potato fries are packed with vitamin A and are a good source of vitamin C, B6, beta-carotene, iron, potassium and fiber.

Avocado: They have the good, monounsaturated fat oleic acid, which some research shows may lower blood cholesterol levels. They're another good source of potassium (regulates blood pressure) and give you lots of folate (good for heart health). Adding avocado to a salad, by the way, helps your body absorb more of the nutrients from the other veggies. Plus, your salad will taste a million times better.

Eggs: These eggs are organic and free range, and because of this and the feed the chickens eat are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fats are considered an essential fat -- humans can't make them on their own but we need them. They're known to improve heart health, reduce cholesterol, protect the nervous system and improve mental health. Animals and fish don't make omega 3 fats on their own either but they can store them in their body fat (yolk of the egg for the chicken) after eating sources of omega 3 fats.

Chicken sausage: These taste really good and are a lean source of protein. I like having some protein and some fat in each meal.

Aspiring lab rat

2008-04-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

To avoid confusion, I'm the one aspiring to be a lab rat, not this bird. But I included a picture of Kiwi, who we are watching this week, because even he tries to find sneaky ways to get a massage. I spied him hitting a hanging bell thing in his cage and then sticking the back of his head under it so he could get a mini neck rub. Kindred spirit.

Massage is one of my favorite things ever. I would choose it over fresh chocolate chip cookies or an afternoon sitting by the ocean. Although a couple years ago Micah got me the best gift of all time, a massage table and at family gatherings there are often cousin back-rub exchanges and I sometimes pay for professional massages - such as yesterday I got one! - I still can't possibly get enough.

So in the past months I've been eagerly trying to be a research participant in a study looking at the benefits of massage during which I would receive multiple free massages and could also feel good about my dutiful volunteer work to spread the word of the health benefits to the world. Unfortunately I haven't found such a study yet, but there's some other interesting research I've come across...if anyone else is interested in trying to be a participant, here's the links I check (just don't steal my spot if a massage study opens up some day!) I think most universities and larger clinics usually have similar websites they keep updated to recruit participants.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (division of the National Institute of Health)
National Institute of Health
Mayo Clinic
University of Minnesota
Northwestern Health Sciences University

How to ask

2008-03-29T15:44:00.001-07:00

I did this story for Experience Life about how to ask for what you want in the right way to actually get it. I thought the people I interviewed had some good tips, and if you want to learn more see the story here.

April Fools: A great day for a colonoscopy

2008-03-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am actually getting a colonoscopy on April Fools Day. How great is that. If you don't already know, I have colitis (briefly, it’s an autoimmune disease that means I can be perfectly healthy for years and then something triggers my immune system to mount an attack on my colon and not stop, causing inflammation and digestive troubles until I go on steroids -- which by the way my fabulous doctor says will not help me get bigger muscles faster but I still think it must surely help some -- and then I'll go off my steroids and be perfectly healthy for years and so on).

So this is my third colonoscopy because it’s my third time having this flare up. I consider myself a colonoscopy veteran at this point (yeah, I don’t want to hear a peep out of you 50-year-olds who are feeling sorry for yourselves about this procedure). It’s frustrating to have this disease, but as they say if you can’t do anything about a bad situation find some way to grow from it. So here’s a glimpse of my self-therapy:

- I've always been health conscious but I have learned a ton more about nutrition, mind-body connections and how our bodies work after reading books and talking to people in attempt to figure out how I can best avoid my symptoms coming back and handle it when they do. Through this process I found a lot of things I thought I was doing right were actually not that healthy or helpful, and I think I’m much better off today and living a more balanced life because of it.

- I used to be in the backseat of my health care, just going along with whatever doctors said. Through maddening, wasteful, ridiculous experiences with my diagnosis and our health care system I've learned that's simply not an option. Everyone MUST take their health into their own hands and aim to be a partner with their doctors and others who provide care. It's so important to do background research, ask questions, follow up, keep organized with your records and progress and look for second opinions. It's way too easy for people and their health problems to fall through the cracks otherwise.

I also encourage anyone reading this who has stomach/digestive problems to get them checked out to at least eliminate the possibility that you have something like colitis, crohns or celiac. It often takes years for people to be actually diagnosed with these diseases, and my experience is it’s not uncommon for primary care doctors to say “you have IBS” or “try cutting out dairy” and leave it at that. That is bad, bad, bad. If you are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed then you’re also not able to treat the problem, and leaving it untreated for some of these diseases greatly increases your risk of colon cancer, shortens your lifespan, etc. Go to a GI doctor who wants to get to the bottom of it and who knows the responsible thing to do is at least eliminate the possibility of these diseases.

Finally, easy yogurt recycling

2008-03-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our curbside recycling doesn't take those individual yogurt containers, and I think it's a rarity to find programs or places that do take them. But today the lady behind me at Whole Foods had a big bag of empty plastic yogurt things, so I asked her about it and apparently you can just drop them off at Whole Foods, which will recycle them for you. What a deal. Maybe other grocery stores or co-ops also take yogurts?

Also, you can recycle shoes at REI. I'm not sure if it's more than tennis shoes...I dropped off a couple old pairs of running shoes the other day and saw maybe one pair of boot looking things in there too.