Best of Existing's Tricky 2010

I can't believe it's been eight months since I started this blog.  Here is a list of personal favorite posts of 2010!

Refocusing: Letting Go and Letting Love

The Ego's job is to create fear and control, but sometimes a book or experience, quote, or friend can help us kick that Ego to the curb and get in touch with our inner guidance system. The message I received will enable me to kick this healing into high gear. 

Protect Yourself This Flu Season

Drug companies push dangerous shots that contain mercury and other nastiness. A few simple holistic remedies will help you maintain health, even through the winter flu season. 

Healthy Monday's: The Protein Myth

One of the biggest questions I am asked is "How do you get your protein if you are not eating meat? There are many sources of protein for vegetarians, including nuts, seeds and dark leafy vegetables. This article also covers which items are a complete source of protein, meaning they contain all essential amino acids. 

Forgiveness

This is one of the most important lessons I've learned this year. I've experience so much healing by using this simple tool. I know it will help you as well. 

The Power of Affirmations

Louise Hay is a brilliant woman who healed her own cancer through the use of affirmations.   

12 Steps to a Healthier You

Most people have the desire to improve their health, increase happiness and live better lives. However, most efforts fail because they don't know the steps to successfully implement change in their lives. Read, print, and follow these steps to create a healthier you. 

Mirroring: Reflect on the Inner You

This tool has been tremendous in opening myself to others. Often times those who affect us the most, are the ones we need to pay the most attention to. They are a reflection of something inside ourselves. 

Superfoods Part I, Superfoods Part II and Superfoods Part III

This three-part article details 17 different Superfoods that personally healed my issues with anemia, hypoglycemia, hormone imbalance, and have reduced the inflammation in my system, which in turn has reduced the cancer. This is one of the most important sources of information I've ever received.

I'm a Reiki Gal Now!

I resisted, dug my heels in, crossed my arms, and shouted "I don't wanna" in my little kid voice, year after year.  This year I finally relented, and realized what a beautiful gift Reiki is. This is my story.

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

It is so difficult to explain diet and lifestyle changes to our loved ones. Often times people become defensive, and in turn, we can have a superior attitude. This list of tips will help you co-exist with those still on a SAD (Standard American Diet). 

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Attracting Abundance

I have been using the Law of Attraction for a few years now and I'm telling you, it works.  This is a list of my favorite tools to aid you in implementing the Law in your life.

Healing With Energy Psychology

I have used many different energy psychology techniques.  In this article I discuss some of my earliest successes, which have lead to incredible healing.

No TV For 30 Days Challenge

Kris Carr originally posted this challenge on her blog CrazySexyLife.  In this article I provide tips on reducing TV in your life, how to fill in all the extra time, and challenge you to take a 30 day break from the boob tube.

Releasing Romantic Illusions

In Gabrielle Bernstein's wonderful book Add More ~Ing to Your Life: The Hip Guide to Happiness, she discusses how we sometimes make our intimate relationships "special", which can lessen our own loving relationship with ourselves.  

Loving Tuesday's: Love Yourself

Self love is so important.  Enjoy this beautiful post filled with tips, quotes and pictures to help you create a loving relationship with your self. 

Comment, re-post, sign up to be a follower and spread the word! Thank you for a wonderful 2010, let's start 2011 off with a BANG!! 

Namaste

Shanna

 

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Merry Christmas!!

Christmastime is a wonderful time to reflect on what we are grateful for and the things we love.  This year I am grateful for:

• All the miraculous healing I've experienced
• My wonderful parents
• Learning how to balance my finaces
• The opportunity to continue working part time for Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
• My brand new water heater
• The new friendships I've developed this year
• Starting this blog, my followers, comments received and everyone who's re-posted something
• Discovering HerFuture and the wonderful Gabrielle Bernstein
• Learning to cry
• Stretching and balancing myself through yoga
• My wonderful loving doggie Triton
• My Mom's doggies Magic and Aurora
• Meeting my cousin Sloane
• All the blessings I've received
• Learning to open myself and heal

I love this video by the talented, yet bizarre Kate Bush



Have a wonderful holiday! What's on your Love List? What are you Grateful for?

Reflections on 2010

As the year draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on the lessons I've learned this year:

1. Forgiveness is a daily practice.  It is the key to loving oneself and letting go of fear.  Without forgiveness, we would not heal.  
2. Gratitude changes everything.  The more I focus on what I have, rather than lack, the less I find I need to be happy.  
3. I can be flexible.  Whether it's a flexibility in my schedule, or my new-found ability to touch my toes, thanks to yoga, I have learned that being flexible is an important aspect of interacting with others. 
4. Crying and having feelings does not make me "ridiculous", it simply makes me human. 
5. Meditation is good for the soul.  It balances out my day, clears my mind, and gives me the tools I need to manifest my desires. 
6. Friendships are precious, and each one must be honored.  It is also important to know when it's time to let someone go. 
7. Loving yourself is the first step.  Without self love, my love cannot be shared with others. 
8. Communication is key.  Remember what they say about ass-u-me? Whether it's a family member, friend, your mortgage company, postal worker, etc. it is important to thoroughly communicate and ensure that both parties understand and are on the same page at the end of the conversation. 
9. Balancing the two sides of my personality, the organized control freak and creative free spirit has greatly improved my attitude and productivity.  By creating balance in my life I have time to do all the "to do's" on my list, in addition to working on creative products and being flexible in my schedule. 
10. Deep breathing allows me to really let go and align myself with my desires.  

What have you learned in 2010?  What will lessons will you take into 2011?  

Soak Up the Sun

For years we've been told to avoid sunlight.  We slather suntan lotion on our bodies, and hide from those glorious rays of sunlight in fear of developing skin cancer.  Because of this, Vitamin D deficiency is a leading epidemic worldwide.  Vitamin D is found in nearly every cell of the body and is responsible for interacting with over 2000 genes.  It strengthens muscles, is an anti-inflammatory, improves immune functioning, balances insulin, builds bone and fights cancer.  The best way to get our daily Vitamin D intake is to spend at least 20 minutes in direct sunlight, without any sunscreen.  We have been brainwashed to believe that time in the sun is bad, that it creates cancer and causes other issues, but there is really no proof of that. While standing out there until you turn into a lobster is probably not the best idea, we need Vitamin D to function, so soaking up a little sun is really to our benefit.  A Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many diseases such as several forms of cancer, osteoporosis, heart conditions, MS, obesity, Alzheimer's, depression and infertility.  In the winter time, many people do not spend nearly enough time in the sun.  In this case, it's a good idea to take a daily Vitamin D supplement to get your recommended levels.  You can find these easily in any Whole Foods or local health food store.  Vitamin D is important to your health, so get some sun, take a supplement, and you will notice a difference.

Love and Gratitude Friday's: Triton's 3rd Birthday!!

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."
 - Buddha, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism.
 
"Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself- if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself- it is very difficult to take care of another person. In the Buddhist teaching, it's clear that to love oneself is the foundation of the love of other people. Love is a practice. Love is truly a practice."
 - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk, author and peace activist.

I am so grateful to have spent nearly three wonderful years with the most wonderful creature alive, my precious dog Triton.  Even though he never cleans the house, creates vast lakes of water and slime in the kitchen, farts up a storm, steals the food off my plate and always hides the garage door opener when I leave him in the car, he's the best friend a  girl could ask for. I am so grateful to Wayside for their amazing program, to the Universe for leading me to him, and every moment we've shared.  I am grateful to my Mom for all the dog sitting, my Dad for all the dog walking, and everyone else who has participated in his care.  I love cuddling with him on the couch, taking him for walks (except during squirrel season!), and going on car rides.  He is the best thing that's ever happened to me, my constant, my angel and friend.  I love you Triton and am grateful to share this life experience with you! Happy Birthday!!

Getting Into the Vortex: Guided Meditations

According to Abraham, the collective channelled by Esther Hicks, everything in life comes down to one thing: coming into alignment with the Energy of our Source. They have written many books on this topic, but have not released a guided meditation CD geared towards releasing our resistance and aligning with our Source.  There are four meditations, each 15 minutes long, focusing on four areas of life: General Well-Being, Financial Well-Being, Physical Well-Being and Relationships. 

I started listening to this meditation about two weeks ago, daily, and have enjoyed the experience so far.  The focus in on breathing, a topic that comes up a lot in the world of physical, emotional and spiritual health.  Breathing is key to releasing toxins from our body, letting oxygen in, reducing stress, and letting go of our resistance to new ideas.  Combining breathing with strong affirmative statements, this meditation is designed to bring us into alignment with our desires, and show us what it means to be a Spiritual being. 

Fifteen minutes a day is a reasonable amount of time to spare in order to shift into a space of physical, financial and generally well-being, while improving my relationships.  I find that if I listen to it right before I get out of bed, I never forget and it kick starts my day.  I highly recommend checking out this meditation CD, and further exploring the works of Esther Hicks.

Refocusing: Letting Go and Letting Love

Last night I read Mathew and Terces from Cafe Gratitude's new book Kindred Spirit and was completely moved by the experience.  While reading a passage regarding how the Ego can create stories that are not necessarily true, especially in relationships, I began crying, real tears. Now, those that know me will realize what a rarity this is. I do not cry, especially sitting home alone.  But last night, I shed a few tears and immediately my Ego jumped in and said "You are ridiculous!".  Yikes! I realized in that moment that instead of being in a state of letting go and being love, I was trapped in a place of being control and showing any emotion outside of that control was "being ridiculous."  Over the past few years, as I've continued to heal, I sometimes have moments where I get frustrated. What else is there for me to learn, to do, in order to release this cancer and live a fully healthy life? I realized last night that while I've done quite a bit of work, my focus has been more on reading about exercises or writing about healing tools, rather than the implementation.  And while I have done many exercises, as soon as that Ego pops in with the control, I stop letting go, and stop making progress.  Therefore, I'm starting fresh, breaking out all my workbooks, healing tools, etc. and telling my Ego that it's time to let go and be love.

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to get up a bit earlier, begin my day with meditation, a green smoothie, journal free write and yoga.  Once I'm balanced, I'll be able to work on my writing throughout the day, and take small breaks to do some EFT, Reiki, Healing Codes, etc. and make sure that I focus on at least one emotional exercise each day, and by golly if crying is required, I'm just going to have to let go and get over it. This will be difficult for me, but I feel positive and I know that in reality, being love, asking for forgiveness, apologizing, blessing others and expressing gratitude is a daily practice, and one that will make me into a even happier and spiritually balance, physically healthy person than I am today. 

I am amazed when I look back and see how far I've come, but it's time to heal this attachment to cancer, and be a daily example of Kindred Spirit.

Namaste

Love and Gratitude Friday's

"When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears" Anthony Robbins

"Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving." Kahil Gibran

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls" Aesop

The Little Things I Love

listening to holiday music ♥ Burt's Bee's chapstick ♥ homemade guacamole ♥ cuddling on the sofa with my giant furry puppy dog ♥ receiving abundance from the Universe just in the perfect time ♥ reading Darcy's Voyage and seeing Elizabeth and Darcy fall in love in a whole new way ♥ the release of Twilight Eclipse on DVD ♥ finally being inspired to start writing my book ♥ chocolate/mint/banana smoothie ♥ connecting to new friends via Twitter ♥ getting back into yoga and being able to touch my toes! ♥ looking at cute Christmas doggies on my calendar ♥ reading Crazy Sexy Diet and being re-inspired to eat healthy ♥ Holiday specials of Eureka and Warehouse 13 ♥ cozy socks ♥ clean sheets ♥ wearing my winter scarf ♥ 

What's on Your Love List? What are You Grateful For? 

 

30 Things Before I Turn 30: #21 Try Kimichi

I've been working on my list of 30 Things to accomplish before my birthday, and have completed one of the items from my list.  This week I decided to buy kimichi from Whole Foods.  They have four different flavors, and I read and re-read each item several times before choosing the spicy kimichi.  Two of the items had fennel in it, and I've discovered the fennel makes me nauseous, so it limited my choice.  I really didn't know how to eat it, so I purchased some delicious crackers and decided to make a lovely snack.  Delicious! It is similar to sauerkraut, but with more vegetables than just cabbage and seasoned differently.  This one is quite spicy, with red pepper flakes, but I did enjoy it. 

So why kimichi? Kimichi is a fermented food, filled with all the good bacteria your body needs for digestion.  It has tons of enzymes, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin C, helps you absorb B12 vitamins, and probiotics. 

Have you ever eaten Kimichi?  How do you like to eat it?  Do you have any favorite recipes you would like to share?

Crazy Sexy Diet

I've been following the work of Kris Carr for a few years now.  Eight years ago she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, incurable. Instead of giving up, she decided focus on healing herself. She filmed a documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, that showed us doctor's visits, emotional breakdowns, and discovering green smoothies.  She has written three books now, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, Crazy Sexy Cancer Journal and the new Crazy Sexy Diet. 

Crazy Sexy Diet is a great tool for anyone hoping to heal themselves from any ailment, or someone simply wishing to convert to a healthier diet. In her book, Kris encourages readers to "eat your veggies and shake your God pod."  Eating a high alkaline diet, and moving your body, are two important keys in her lifestyle guide. Ten chapters cover topics such as testing your PH, the truth behind sugar and milk, detoxing your body, juicing tips, meditation, healthy snacks, supplements, and most importantly, her 21 Day Adventure Cleanse. The cleanse is worth the price of the book.  Kris' cleanse does not restrict how much you can eat, only what you eat.  She provides daily encouragement, through affirmations, fun tips, and exercise suggestions. The cleanse also includes a weekly juice fast, giving your body a day of rest to release as many toxins as possible.

With guest articles from greats such as Dr. Brian Clement, Emily Deschanel, Rory Freedman and many more, this book is packed with excellent tips for converting to a healthy lifestyle that will make you feel great and heal your body.

Banana Cake With a Delectable Chocolate Frosting

Banana Cake With Delectable Chocolate Frosting
(from Sinfully Vegan by Lois Dieterly)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups oat flour (or ground oats)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 medium bananas, mashed with a fork
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/ cup applesauce
3 tsp flax powder
3/4 cup water
2 T whipped tofu
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus another 1/2 cup for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 8-inch round cake or 8-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Mash bananas in medium bowl with fork. Add maple syrup, applesauce, whipped tofu, and vanilla. Make a slurry (a thin mixture of liquid, usually water, combined with a finely ground substance) with flax powder and 3/4 cup water. Add flax/water to banana mixture.
3. In another bowl, mix oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Add chocolate chips and stir again, just to mix. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until sides pull away from the edge of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Delectable Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup cocoa
1/3 cup whipped tofu

Directions:
1. Place tofu in food processor and blend until smooth
2. Add maple syrup and cocoa and continue blending until mixture is smooth and creamy

The Acid/Alkaline Balance

Our bodies are meant to be slightly alkaline, around 7.35.  However, because of our diets, most people are highly acidic.  The more acidic your body, the more prone you are to health issues, such as the common cold, autoimmune disease, cancer, etc.  Harmful bacteria thrive in an acidic state, making it more difficult for your body to perform basic functions.  Eating a diet high in Alkaline foods can prevent disease, and even eliminate disease if you already have it.  That doesn't mean you can't eat from the acidic side, but it's best to eat at least 60% alkaline foods.  If you are combating a disease, closer to 80% is better.  This chart will show you where foods fall in the acidic/alkaline balance.

Acidic/Alkaline Chart

As a rule of thumb, if you just make sure that 2/3 of your plate is filled with green vegetables, you are probably good.  It's also a good idea to buy PH strips (you can get them from any pharmacy) and test your PH levels. It's best to do it in the morning, after your first elimination but before you eat, to see what your standing level is.  If you are below 7.0, you might want to focus on improving your diet.

Green Smoothies are a great and easy way to get those essential alkalizing veggies into your body.  Snacking on almonds, or almond butter, adding Cinnamon to your food and switching your sweetener to Stevia will also help.  Start making the shifts, and you will feel better and your body will thank you for it.

Hair Loss for Women, Why It Happens and Tips for Stopping It

Last night a friend of mine sent me a message asking me if I had noticed an excessive amount of hair loss since becoming a vegetarian. Oddly enough, I had a similar conversation with another friend a few weeks back, who is not a vegetarian, but also noticed increased hair loss. I have noticed this for a few years now, and so far it's not obvious to an outsider, but my hair is much thinner than it used to be. I did a little research, and shockingly, this is a growing issue for women of all ages.  It's also believed that reasons for women's hair loss are very different than in men.  Some of the reasons I found include: hormone imbalance, autoimmune disorders, anemia, thyroid disorders, various medications, and a stressful event. 

After looking into this further, this is one common factor that may help stop this.  Most people are not getting an ample amount of B12/Folic Acid.  It is not available at all in any vegetarian diet; people who eat meat do get this, because of the bacteria stored in a cows tissue.  However, with the change in diet for cows and the excessive use of hormones and steroids, I believe even meat eaters are not getting an ample amount of this vitamin. It is very easy to add a supplement to your diet, 1-2 pills daily with food.  B12/Folic Acid is not just important for your hair, but for those who may have found themselves experiencing some of the health issues listed above, specifically anemia, thyroid issues and stress, will find that adding this supplement will balance out some of those issues.

Aside from taking this supplement, another factor in hair loss is likely our diet.  Most people have a very acidic diet, filled with processed foods, overly cooked foods, very few fruits and vegetables and high in animal product.  The more acidic your body, the more prone to disease. Also, most of the foods on the Standard American Diet are very low on vitamins and minerals, so when your body is deficient, it starts to pull from your bones and anywhere else it can in order to function, which would account for hair loss.  This would also be a factor if you have an autoimmune disease. 

Hair loss is not fun, so take your vitamins, eat your veggies, and enjoy a long life of luscious locks!