Contributor's Corner

New ideas and thoughts from some of our very favorite health and wellness experts.

Monthly Archives: October 2011

I Love My Brain

By Kris Carr / October 27, 2011

For many reasons I am in love with my brain, your brain, the brain. Yet until recently, I’ve known next to nothing about the most phenomenal organ in my body. Thanks to Jill Bolte Taylor’s book, My Stroke of Insight, I am on a new mission: Know thy brain. In doing so, I have a hunch that I will come to know myself at a deeper level.

Have you read this book? If not, I highly recommend it. Your brain will thank you, just like mine did. Here’s a nutshell synopsis from Amazon:

“On the morning of December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a 37-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. A neuroanatomist by profession, she observed her own mind completely deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life, all within the space of four brief hours. As the damaged left side of her brain – the rational, grounded, detail- and time-oriented side – swung in and out of function, Taylor alternated between two distinct and opposite realties: the euphoric nirvana of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace; and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized Jill was having a stroke, and enabled her to seek help before she was lost completely. In “My Stroke of Insight,” Taylor shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery, and the sense of omniscient understanding she gained from this unusual and inspiring voyage out of the abyss of a wounded brain.”

It took Jill eight years to recover completely. How she did it and what she learned speaks to my healing journey. Not just because I have an incurable stage 4 canser, but because I am terminally human, totally complex, ever evolving, bursting with energy and “insight,” facing new struggles and triumphs just like, oh … 6.94 other billion people on the planet.

When Jill lost her left logical brain, she found her right mind. The side of her brain that sees in pictures, feels at one with the universe and perceives this whole super disco as pure energy.

When I was told that there’s no treatment, no cure and no hope for recovery, I too went into my right mind (though I am very grateful for how logical I remained, it helped me to make a brilliant, integrative, plant-based game plan). But it was my sense of wonder and flow that helped me think beyond science to fully understand energy, cellular integrity and my body’s innate healing wisdom. As I’ve said before, health is not the absence of disease; it’s the presence of vitality. Health is life force. I have it in spades. And here’s why: I’ve learned to protect and heal my energy.

I’m turning 40 in a few weeks. And that number has me thinking about a lot of things. You may have noticed that I’ve been absent lately – ever since we bought and have been renovating our little farm-ette. Mostly, I just decided to take a break … from my computer, from work and from my life as “Kris Carr: the this, that, and the other thing.” I’m back now, and I have to say, my time off was wicked fun. And I feel so totally renewed. I’ve laid off of TV (um, after thoroughly devouring 76 episodes of Battlestar Galactica and getting over my crush on Starbuck), been practicing yoga for 1-2 hrs daily (thank you Elena Brower and Tara Stiles) and have been building a serious EFT practice (thank you Nick Ortner) which has totally blown my mind – pun intended.

I’ve also been mowing, riding tractors, building unicorn pavilions and hunting rainbows – all in a days work.

Basically, I’ve been giving my brain a rest. And it’s been very enlightening.

Here are a few more golden neuron nuggets from lovely Jill:

Protect my energy. No radio, no TV, no nervous visitors (AKA energy suckers).
Honor the deep healing power of sleep.
Trust that I am trying – just not with your skill level or on your schedule.
Cheer me on. Expect for me to recover completely, even if it takes 20 years.
Celebrate ALL my little successes. They inspire me.
Please don’t finish sentences for me or fill in words I can’t find. I need to work my brain.
Focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t.
Remember that in the absence of some functions, I have gained new abilities.
Call in the troops! Create a healing team.
Love me for who I am today.

I highly recommend Jill’s Ted talk.

I’m also wildly inspired by what Oprah said about Jill during her final episode.

“Dr. Taylor sent me a sign that I have hanging in my makeup room. It says, ‘Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.’ And I ask the same thing in my home and at my companies. Thank you, Dr. Taylor, for that simple but powerful lesson. All life is energy and we are transmitting it at every moment. We are all beaming little signals like radio frequencies, and the world is responding in kind.”

Both Jill and I agree that our “illnesses” were the best thing that ever happened to us. Canser (spelled wrong, just because I feel like it) and other issues in my tissues have taught me more about livin’ than dying. So let me get to the point of this musing. Give yourself (and your brain) a break. Get out of the logic and into the expansiveness. In the stillness you know exactly what you need to recover. Yes, we are all recovering from something. The sooner you embrace it, the easier it will become.

I sure hope I get to meet Jill someday. I sure hope I get to meet you, too.

Peace and plasticity,
Kris

Kris Carr is a New York Times best-selling author, motivational speaker and wellness coach.

The Art of Living with Enough

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / October 18, 2011

What does enough really mean?

I remember my response the first time I was asked this question. My first thought was, “Having enough means I have all that I want (and then some).” That sure caught my attention since it actually sounded more like excess than enough.

I quickly realized that at some point what constituted enough had become laced with fear. Rationally, I knew that enough falls into the territory of having my needs or expectations met. And yet, emotionally that didn’t feel like enough. That definition left me feeling a bit vulnerable. Having more than I needed, well, that felt safer.

I couldn’t help but dig a bit deeper and wonder. How do we recognize enough in a culture that celebrates over-achievement, over consumption – pretty much over the top everything?

What became clear was how much suffering stems from our thoughts of not having enough and not being enough. These thoughts stir up all kinds of fears that grip us with such force it’s hard to see the distortion they cause.

We negate our strengths and long for the talents we see in another. We spend money we don’t have hoping to fill this internal hole with more stuff. We hoard what keeps our illusion of safety alive and well. We hide who we are and pretend to be what we hope others will acceptance and love.

Stepping back, it’s easy to see that this is way out of whack. Once aware, it’s hard to go back to living in this space. When we see our self-destructive patterns, it’s good to know there some simple solutions that can help us break free. In fact, there’s a simple daily practice that always works and leaves you feeling happy, satisfied and full.

It’s called appreciation!

I know you’ve heard it before. Live with appreciation, give gratitude and acknowledge all you already have. It seems to be the standard solution offered up for nearly everything. And here’s why. It works.

Genuine, heart-felt appreciation reduces internal fears. It stops the brain from streaming those endless, negative messages that drain your energy. It’s a neurological fact. The brain cannot be in a state of appreciation and fear at the same time.

This means that when you consciously choose to live with appreciation, you strengthen your well-being on every level-physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. You boost your health, strengthen resilience and flood your body with all kinds of supportive neurochemicals that keep this energy flowing.

I highly encourage you to make it a daily practice to live with appreciation. You can download the Live Dynamite exercise here. Or get started right now with the tips below:

• Make appreciation a positive, daily ritual
• Start each day recognizing and feeling what’s going well
• Actively appreciate who and what you value most
• Identify your daily accomplishments and see your strength
• Make it a practice to write it all down each night
• Pay attention to how full you feel as your energy expands

“The trick is in what one emphasizes.
We make ourselves miserable,
or we make ourselves happy.
The amount of work is the same.”
-Carlos Castanada

Get good at living™!
Maryanne

How Does Feng Shui Work?

By mschnippering / October 13, 2011

Some call feng shui an art, others call it a science, and still others tend to dismiss it as silly superstition. Whatever you call it, it is something that has been gaining in popularity as of late. As people look for guidance in these troubled times, inevitably they will look at themselves and their lives in an attempt to improve their situation. Feng shui can do just that. So how does feng shui work?

To fully understand all the concepts involved in feng shui would take many years of studying. Feng shui is based on the premise that we are all made up of and surrounded by different kinds of energy. And so is everything else around us down to the smallest pebble stuck in your shoe. The art and science of feng shui involves harnessing these currents of energy in a manner that will be beneficial.

The Chinese, with whom feng shui originated, call these energy currents “chi“. Chi flows through and interacts with everything in any given space. Feng shui is the art or science of arranging the elements of a space in order to allow the maximum possible flow of positive chi. Proponents of feng shui state that chi flows in different areas and is affected by different things. Some of these things are called the “five elements,” which are fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. Another important thing that affects chi is the yin and yang, the symbol of the eternal conflict within ourselves.

Feng shui can be applied to many different aspects of life. Some use it to improve interpersonal relationships. Others apply the art to the world around them, by learning how to arrange the different and disparate objects into a harmonious whole. It is stated by practitioners of feng shui that how the objects and people interact in a home setting or workspace can affect the positive or negative flow of chi, which in turn affects the positive and negative aspects of our lives.

People can now hire feng shui practitioners to turn their living space or work area into an area that is filled with positive energy. Lately a lot of people have been seeking other means of answering life’s spiritual and moral questions. Feng shui was one of the answers that is catching on. A lot of people believe that they can truly better themselves by rearranging the elements of their lives.

None of this has ever been scientifically documented, but go on the Internet and do some research of your own. You will find a lot of positive testimonials in favor of this scientific art. Feng shui has been practiced for a long time in China before it became popular in other parts of the world. What it really boils down to is arranging the parts of your life into an order that promotes positive thinking.
Michael Schnippering is the founder of Feng Shui at Work.

Seeing Beings, Not Bodies

By Rick Hanson / October 11, 2011

What happens when you look at someone?

The Practice: See beings, not bodies.

Why?

When we encounter someone, usually the mind automatically slots the person into a category: man, woman, your friend Tom, the kid next door, etc. Watch this happen in your own mind as you meet or talk with a co-worker, salesclerk, or family member.

In effect, the mind summarizes and simplifies tons of details into a single thing – a human thing to be sure, but one with an umbrella label that makes it easy to know how to act. For example: “Oh, that’s my boss (or mother-in-law, or boyfriend, or traffic cop, or waiter) . . . and now I know what to do. Good.”

This labeling process is fast, efficient, and gets to the essentials. As our ancestors evolved, rapid sorting of friend or foe was very useful. For example, if you’re a mouse, as soon as you smell something in the “cat” category, that’s all you need to know: freeze or run like crazy!

On the other hand, categorizing has lots of problems. It fixes attention on surface features of the person’s body, such as age, gender, attractiveness, or role. It leads to objectifying others (e.g., “pretty woman,” “authority figure”) rather than respecting their humanity. It tricks us into thinking that a person comprised of changing complexities is a static unified entity. It’s easier to feel threatened by someone you’ve labeled as this or that. And categorizing is the start of the slippery slope toward “us” and “them,” prejudice, and discrimination.

Flip it around, too: what’s it like for you when you can tell that another person has slotted you into some category? In effect, they’ve thingified you, turned you into a kind of “it” to be managed or used or dismissed, and lost sight of you as a “thou.” What’s this feel like? Personally, I don’t like it much. Of course, it’s a two-way street: if we don’t like it when it’s done to us, that’s a good reason not to do it to others.

How?

This practice can get abstract or intellectual, so try to bring it down to earth and close to your experience.

When you encounter or talk with someone, instead of reacting to what their body looks like or is doing or what category it falls into:

Be aware of the many things they are, such as: son, brother, father, uncle, schoolteacher, agnostic, retired, American, fisherman, politically conservative, cancer survivor, friendly, smart, donor to the YMCA, reader of detective novels, etc. etc.
Recognize some of the many thoughts, feelings, and reactions swirling around in the mind of the other person. Knowing the complexity of your own mind, try to imagine some of the many bubbling-up contents in their stream of consciousness.

Being aware of your own changes – alert one moment and sleepy another, nervous now and calm later – see changes happening in the other person.

Feeling how things land on you, tune into the sense of things landing on the other person. There is an experiencing of things over there – pleasure and pain, ease and stress, joy and sorrow – just like there is in you. This inherent subjectivity to experience, this quality of be-ing, underlies and transcends any particular attribute, identity, or role a person might have.

Knowing that there is more to you than any label could ever encompass, and that there is a mystery at the heart of you – perhaps a sacred one at that – offer the other person the gift of knowing this about them as well.

At first, try this practice with someone who is neutral to you, that you don’t know well, like another driver in traffic or a person in line with you at the deli. Then try it both with people who are close to you – such as a friend, family member, or mate – and with people who are challenging for you, such as a critical relative, intimidating boss, or rebellious teenager.

The more significant the relationship, the more it helps to see beings, not bodies.

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and author of the bestselling Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom.

Reposted from Just One Thing at www.rickhanson.net.

Redefining the Word “Athlete”

By lkocanda / October 6, 2011

Before becoming a parent, I thought I knew exactly what it meant to be an athlete. Being an athlete meant pushing myself to the limit — racing for a personal best, an age group win, or to outkick my nemesis at the finish line.

With age, though, comes wisdom.

At first by necessity, then later by choice, my perspective has changed. Fitness is still a top priority in my life, but I no longer gauge my success solely on performance. I don’t have to compete every weekend to feel energized by exercise. Runs don’t always hurt anymore. I’m not always racing against the clock and I don’t care as much if someone passes me on the trails. I love running while my kids ride their bikes; stopping to let them pet a dog or pick a flower isn’t a bother. I’m still an athlete, though, perhaps even more than I was in my pre-mommy years.

I’ve come to realize that being an athlete isn’t so much about physical prowess or building an impressive athletic resume, it’s about character. You are an athlete when you decide you’re not going to let life’s uncontrollables bring you down, or when you pull yourself off the couch and get moving when you’re feeling a little down in the dumps. It’s about finding ways to make a visit to the park a workout too. Just enjoying an easy bike ride, resisting that temptation to push hard, can be a significant accomplishment. It’s all about knowing what you need to do at a given stage in life, and then doing it.

That’s right, the concept of “ages and stages” refers to motherhood, too.

There will be times in your life you need or want to race hard and often; at other times it’s best to use that energy to attack the mundane. Take a look at where you are right now and then figure out where you want to be, where you really want to be. Start taking steps in that direction — Olympic strides or small baby steps — just get moving. Do that and you are an athlete.

Laurie Lethert Kocanda is an endurance athlete, mom and co-author of Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom.

The #1 Health Tip Every Expert Agrees On [And 3 Easy Ways to Do It]

By candersen / October 3, 2011

Paleo or vegan, conventional nutritionist or holistic healer, USDA lab rat or New York Times columnist – when it comes to how to be healthiest, there is a lot of disagreement but the one thing just about every expert will tell you to do? Eat more vegetables! (Oh and drink water. Fine, that’s two things.) And yet when researchers tally up what people say they eat and what they really eat, almost everyone falls short on their servings of greens. The reason for this is simple: Popeye has been usurped by Iron Man. Actually, it’s because veggies don’t taste like cake. You may have noticed. But from my own experience and from raising four picky little humans, I can tell you that you can learn to not only like, but love, your plant matter.

The other day my friend showed up on my doorstep with two big bags of farmer’s market veggies saying, “For some reason when I think vegetables, I think Charlotte!” Best compliment ever! As I sniffed the Thai basil and caressed the baby bok choy, I realized how happy vegetables make me. One of the most important things I’ve learned from Intuitive Eating is that foods are powerful medicine. Coming from an eating-disordered mindset where food was always forbidden or punishment it’s a total paradigm shift realizing that food can heal, strengthen and fortify in amazing ways – with vegetables being at the top of this superfoods list.

Over the last month or so I’ve been making an effort to eat more vegetables – not in an effort to eat “low carb” or “low fat” or even to lose weight or any other form of restriction but rather to increase the amount of powerhouse foods in my diet. I first got the idea for this from watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix. It’s about two severely obese men who completely overhaul their health by going on a juice-only diet. While I am still a little dubious of all the movie’s claims, it did make me more interested in the subject so I checked out Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, the main expert in the movie. It was awesome. He recommends a non-strict vegan diet but what I really liked was how many different ways he had to use vegetables. From restriction to inclusion! (I should add: by way of the bathroom. Even though I started with a high-fiber diet, I’ve definitely had to spend a lot more quality time with Mr. John since starting this experiment. Ahem.)

Veggies contain powerful cancer fighters, immune boosters, mood enhancers and a plethora of other amazing things. But then you don’t need me to tell you this (just like you don’t need me to tell you how adorable Pregnant Beyonce is!). Most of us know that plants are good for us but how to make them good eating is another story entirely.

3 Tips to Incorporate More Veggies Into Your Diet

1. The green smoothie. Dr. Fuhrman has a green smoothie recipe he uses but of course I can’t follow a recipe! However would I ruin perfectly good food? It started with your basic yogurt/protein powder/spinach/berries blend but as I added more veggies it morphed into a vile concoction that I had to gag down – until I discovered unflavored protein powder! I bought a bag from PureBulk.com (cheap too!) and now I put in a random assortment of veggies – today was 1 bunch of bok choy, 1 large handful spinach, a bunch of romaine lettuce from my garden, 2 celery sticks, 1 small cucumber, a tomato – and blend in my Vitamix with a scoop of plain protein powder. Soooo basically I’m drinking gazpacho as my post-workout recovery drink. Who doesn’t love lukewarm gazpacho after a hard lifting workout? If you’re just starting out with green smoothies, I recommend trying one of the variations on the Green Monster Smoothie that are so popular in the fitosphere! (Angela of Oh She Glows even has an entire site dedicated to the Green Monster.)

2. Cauliflower rice and other substitutions. You can sneak veggies into your food a la Jessica Seinfeld or you can use substitutions. I have done both but I found a recipe from Mark’s Daily Apple for “cauliflower rice” and was intrigued. Basically you grind up a head of cauli into rice-sized chunks, steam it al dente and then use it like rice. I added sauteed onions, cilantro and lime to mine and was pleasantly surprised at how awesome it tasted and how much like rice (couscous, actually) it felt. Other popular subs include cauliflower “mashed potatoes”, sweet potato “chips”, eggplant “lasagna noodles”, and squash “spaghetti noodles” etc.

3. Everything’s a salad. “When you said you eat a lot of salad, I didn’t know you meant at every meal,” my sister said in awe at our family reunion as I polished off yet another container of spinach. I’ve found that you can dump pretty much anything on top of salad greens and it tastes great. My current favorite combo: grass-fed ground beef, 1 tbsp full-fat sour cream, a big glop of jalapeno-tomatillo salsa and chopped jalapenos (it’s not a meal if your lips aren’t burning!) all plopped on top of a HUGE plate of salad greens, cilantro and sliced bell peppers. I’ve also topped salads with marinara sauce, Mexican bean & corn casserole, chili, salmon and dill sauce and scrambled eggs.

What’s your secret weapon for getting more veggies onto your plate? Do you have a great Green Monster recipe or a fave food substitution or a killer salad combo I should try??

Charlotte Hilton Andersen is a health and fitness writer and author of the blog and book, The Great Fitness Experiment.

Contributor's Corner

Monthly Archives: October 2011

I Love My Brain

Trackbacks

The Art of Living with Enough

Trackbacks

How Does Feng Shui Work?

Trackbacks

Seeing Beings, Not Bodies

Trackbacks

Redefining the Word “Athlete”

Trackbacks

The #1 Health Tip Every Expert Agrees On [And 3 Easy Ways to Do It]

Trackbacks

SEARCH

Subscribe by Email

Recent Posts

RECENT COMMENTS

CATEGORIES

MONTHLY ARCHIVES