INDIAN SUMMER: FALL is FAST APPROACHING!!

INDIAN SUMMER: FALL IS FAST APPROACHING!!

Hey Friends,
If you live in the northeast, or in any four-season climate this news is VIP, so read on!!
Although the days are still warm (even hot) and the sun is still strong (keep applying healthy sunscreen)
we can feel that FALL is FAST APPROACHING. Cooler mornings, marked by snappy refreshing air and winds that blow are telling us to PAY ATTENTION.

NOW IS THE TIME:
TO SHIFT YOUR DIET.
TO PREPARE FOR COLD & FLU SEASON. 
TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY….


before it's too late...

If we make a few mindful changes NOW, 
we can AVOID colds & Flu LATER!!

I'll say that again:
If you change your diet and lifestyle, NOW, you can AVOID COLDS & FLU THIS WINTER!



Now do I have your attention?

During the summer, we need to eat foods that contain LOTS of WATER to keep our skin, cells and tissues fully hydrated to protect from the sun's drying affects. But if we keep indulging summer foods and treats (such as ice cream, raw fruit & tomatoes, cheese and dairy) we'll pay for it later!!

As the days get longer, the cool air acts to squeeze excess liquids from our cells and tissues and organs.
Why? Because when the temps drop below freezing - water will freeze. And if you have excess water in your system, you'll feel cold and be more susceptible to colds and flu.

Some foods cause allergic reactions in the body? Why? Because many people are very clogged up!!
You can tell when someone speaks - they have that nasal congestion,  or continually "ahem" to clear their throat. Runny nose, post nasal drip, stuffy nose, coughs, sore throat, watery eyes and any other type of mucus/phlegm are all signs that our bodily system is jammed and the life giving energy is not flowing properly.

Many people still overeat processed foods that contain preservatives, pesticides, insecticides, sugar, poor quality fats, and consume excessive amounts of dairy and meat in their diet. Many people eat the same 10 foods all year round. Now that's a recipe for a lifestyle or health disaster.



My Best Advice for Fall:
1. Cut out the allergic-causing foods like sugar, eggs, dairy & wheat.
2. Notice what %age raw to cooked foods you eat. Start eating more cooked than raw, as the days get colder. Eat even more roots and stews as Winter approaches to keep your core warm.
3. Eat lacto-fermented food every day to keep the digestive fire in your belly amped up…made from fresh veggies pickled in a salt brine, and left to ferment; not heat-processed w/ commercial vinegar.
4. Enjoy a little miso soup once a day.
(unless you are allergic to soy - then eat more lacto-pickles)
5. Add warming spices and medicinal herbs to your diet.
6. Use essential oils that contain anti-bacterial, anti-viral properties on  your skin.
7. Keep Autumn's drying winds off your skin and out of your body: wrap your neck in a scarf; layer clothes for cool mornings/evenings and warm afternoons.
8. Go to bed at night and get up in the morning at the same time each day to reset your bio-rhythm.
9. Oil your skin with organic food-grade oil appropriate for your body type.
10. Sign-up for my annual Cold Buster - Build Immunity Workshop. Discover your body type, sample healing foods, take home recipes and an Ayurvedic home remedy for you and your family.
Miso soup, essential oils, Ayurvedic home remedy, spice blends, dietary recommendations, recipes…and more.



Plus, I'll have our new Prakasa Medicinals on hand for sale!
Prakasa medicines are made from medicinal plants that have volunteered on our land over the last few years. The spirit of these plants have brought their healing medicine to us!! And I have hand-crafted each batch according to sustainable wild plant harvesting standards. Only 100% organic vodka used in the tinctures. No plants were killed in the harvest, most of the plants were left for the bees to enjoy.
We never apply any pesticide or herbicide to anything on our land. We only ever use the excellent local compost called "Black Gold" from Dalton, Ma.


Supplies are limited. Reserve yours today.

St. John's wort tincture: good for SAD & Winter Blues                                
Mullein, dried leaves: make a tea/infusion to clear lung congestion.                
Mullein, tincture: easiest way to take mullein                                                  
Lemon Balm Tincture: calm frayed nerves and restore balance to the CNS.  
Tinctures: $12 - 1 oz bottle
Dried herbs: $5 - bag

Pick-up Prakasa Medicinals at the studio.
(Shipping/handling is extra.)

Check out our website today!

Namaste, Lynne

SUMMER LOVE: PROTECT your SKIN with HOMEMADE NON-TOXIC SUNSCREEN

BLOG: SUMMER 2014

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body!
It acts as a physical barrier between you and the environment, and it is permeable.
So whatever you put ON your skin, goes IN to your body.

Nourishing things that should "often" touch your skin:
     sunshine
     clear air
     fresh water
     loving hands (yours or your partners)
     organic food grade oils
     chemical and fragrance free soaps
     chemical free fabrics
     essential oils (in a base oil)

Harmful things that should "never" touch your skin:
     commercial sunscreen, lotion or spray
     moisturizing lotions and/or skin creams with preservatives
     soaps with chemical fragrances and/or preservatives
     toxic chemicals of any kind - be they in household cleaners, paints, etc.
   
In Summer the sun is hot, really hot. You want to play outside, but don't want to get sunburned.
So what do most people do?

Reach for the SPF 30…or above.

Did you know that ALL SUNCREENS that are sold in a store contain preservatives?

Yes, even the "natural" sunscreens, that are supposed to be healthy for you have them.


"Chemical sunscreens don’t sit on the surface of the skin – they soak into it and quickly find their way into the bloodstream. They scatter all over the body without being detoxified by the liver and can be detected in blood, urine, and breast milk for up to two days after a single application. That would be just fine if they were uniformly safe – but they’re not." 
Arthur Perry, MD, FACS  

 

AVOID: 6 SCARY SUNSCREEN INGREDIENTS

Oxybenzone This penetration enhancer (i.e., chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate the skin) undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to UV rays. When oxybenzone is absorbed by your skin, it can cause an eczema-like allergic reaction that can spread beyond the exposed area and last long after you're out of the sun. Experts also suspect that oxybenzone disrupts hormones (i.e., mimics, blocks, and alters hormone levels) which can throw off your endocrine system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 97 percent of Americans have this chemical circulating in our bodies, as it can accumulate more quickly than our bodies can get rid of it.

Octinoxate One of the most common ingredients found in sunscreens with SPF, octinoxate is readily absorbed by our skin and helps other ingredients to be absorbed more readily. While allergic reactions from octinoxate aren't common, hormone disruption is: the chemical's effects on estrogen can be harmful for humans and wildlife, too, should they come into contact with the chemical once it gets into water. Though SPF products are designed to protect skin from sun-induced aging, octinoxate may actually be a culprit for premature aging, as it produces menacing free radicals that can damage skin and cells.

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate) Just like the vitamin A we eat, retinyl palmitate is an antioxidant. As an ingredient in sunscreen, it's function is to improve the product's performance against the aging effects of UV exposure, However, certain forms of vitamin A found in sun protection products—namely retinyl palmitate, a combination of retinol (vitamin A) and palmitic acid, an ingredient found in tropical plants such as palm and coconut—can be cause for concern. When exposed to the sun's UV rays, retinol compounds break down and produce destructive free radicals that are toxic to cells, damage DNA, and may lead to cancer. In fact, FDA studies have shown that retinyl palimitate may speed the development of malignant cells and skin tumors when applied to skin before sun exposure, so steer clear of skin sun products that harbor the stuff.

Homosalate This UV-absorbing sunscreen ingredient helps sunscreen to penetrate your skin. Once the ingredient has been absorbed, homosalate accumulates in our bodies faster than we can get rid of it, becomes toxic and disrupts our hormones.

Octocrylene When this chemical is exposed to UV light, it absorbs the rays and produces oxygen radicals that can damage cells and cause mutations. It is readily absorbed by your skin and may accumulate within your body in measurable amounts. Plus, it can be toxic to the environment.

Paraben Preservatives Associated with both acute and chronic side effects, parabens (butyl-, ethyl-, methyl-, and propyl-) can induce allergic reactions, hormone disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity. While butylparaben was reported to be non-carcinogenic in rats and mice, but it has been previously suspected that parabens and other chemicals in underarm cosmetics may contribute to the rising incidence of breast cancer.

HELP!!
So what's a sun-worshipping, sun-lover to do?

1.) Follow the yogis method of sunbathing:
Oil your skin every morning with pure-unrefined-organic coconut oil.
Then go out early in the day (8am-10am) to take the sun directly on your skin. Start with 10 minutes and over the course of the summer season build up to a few hours. Do NOT let your skin get burned.
When you feel the sun heating up your skin, go inside. As you build up your tolerance and your skin slowly tans, you can take more sunlight later in the day - afternoon/early evening - when the suns rays do not feel as strong. This way you will receive the NOURISHING BENEFITS OF THE SUN, WITHOUT THE HARMFUL EFFECTS THAT CAN DAMAGE YOUR SKIN.
Since everyone has a different tolerance to the sun, this method may be combined with the natural homemade sunscreen recipe that follows.
Please stop being afraid of the sun. The sun supports life. We need more than 10 minutes a day to feel strong and vital, especially those of us living in four season or temperate climates.


2.) Make your own sunscreen!!
Here is a great recipe for all you DIY.
Sunscreen Recipe:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fractionated coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax
2 Tbl shea butter
1 tsp. Vitamin E
2 Tbl. non-nano Zinc Oxide*
12 drops Helichrysum essential oil**


Skin-healthy sunscreens contain real ingredients that should "go bad" after a few months!!
Okay, so some of these ingredients are easily gotten at your local health food store and others  not.

Non-nano means larger than 100 nanometers in size, some recommend at least 200 nanometers.
Particulates smaller than this are small enough to enter your skin. I'd go with the 200 minimum.
Easy to buy online. http://www.amazon.com/beauty

Fractionated Coconut oil stays liquid at all temperatures. It is easy to use and buy online:
http://www.amazon.com/Health OR http://www.sunrosearomatics.com

Helichrysum is a fantastic healing essential oil. I recently got turned on to this EO. It smells wonderful.
You can order some from Florecopeia Essential Oils. http://www.floracopeia.com


Check out the picture below:
This sunscreen looks like mayonnaise. How cool is that?!
A natural non-toxic sunscreen that actually looks like something you could EAT!!

And this is the whole point of my blog post today:
Never, never, absolutely never put anything ON your skin that you could not or would not put IN your mouth and eat!!

PS. I'm gonna go rub some 'mayo" on my body and go have some fun in the sun paddling on my SUP!
See you on the beach.
XX, Lynne

Avoid that Late Winter Cold.

Avoid Late-Winter Colds.

Sigh…it's that time of year…again!!
So many friends are coming to class with a head cold.
It's not allergies people - the trees are barely giving up their sap for syrup-ing.
There is NO pollen in the air.

But what happens this time of year - in the transition from mid-Winter to late-Winter is this:
THERE IS MUCH MORE MOISTURE IN THE AIR.

We see this in the midday when Winter starts to thaw. The snow melts.
If there is precipitation it comes in a "Wintery Mix" of snow-sleet-rain…and that all adds up to
SLUSH.

Not just on the ground, but in your body, cells and tissues!!
Extra moisture in your body can create a condition where your body has to, wants to must get rid of that excess liquid in order to stay healthy.

So what happens?

Your body squeezes that extra moisture (from the melting snow & moist air) out of you.
The fastest way is in the form of a nasty head-cold.

But hold on here…this is a health blog!!
Is there a good way to avoid, mitigate or lessen the effect of this Winter to Spring transition?
Absolutely!!

Here's how:
Switch your diet with the seasons!!
This time of year is is important to eat more bitter, astringent and pungent foods.
These foods help rig your body of excess mucus and liquid, and act as a tonic to the tissues.

Pungent root vegetables are great:
Beets, parsnips, all radishes (daikon, red, watermelon radish), turnips, burdock to name a few.

Beans are a must!!
Any type of bean - black, navy, lentil, kidney, aduki, cannellini, red, mung…
Beans absorb water - that's what they do. So start fresh with dried beans.  Soak 'em over night and cook in fresh water with a little kombu seaweed. When tender add salt to taste.

Green Leafy:
All green leafy have a bitter quality  - even if they taste pungent, sour, bitter, or sweet.
The darker the better!! For amazing results add them to your beans at the very end and let them wilt in.

Cut out ALL snot producing foods - like dairy, wheat and sugar - for a few weeks. Eat much less whole grains for a few weeks or choose ones like buckwheat and corn that suck water out.
And voila - you'll walk right around that old cold germ from which everyone else is sneezing.

Want to know how to stay healthy with the seasons?
Join my iLEAP: Into Life Empowered & Present Wellness Course and I'll show you how.

2014: Expand Your Consciousness

Sunday, March 2, 2014

This morning I awoke with an inkling of an impression to write another blog.
Something deep inside me was yearning to come out. It started as an almost imperceptible murmur,
the subtlest impression of a thought at it's very moment of inception. Barely audible, I had to work my mind to grab and hold on to this very fine strand of cognition. It seemed relevant and important.

And so a simple inner dialogue arose gently, between my deeper Self and my dreaming/waking-up self.
It went something like this:

Self: "Hmmmm..."           Me: Huh?                                
Self: "Consciousness…"  Me: What?
Self: "Expansive…"        Me: Where?
Self: "Humans…'             Me: Which?

Me: Tell me more?
Self: "Blog. Expansion, consciousness and humanity…"


What IS this inner voice? And who/what causes it to speak? Who is speaking to whom?

As I reflect on THAT moment of waking up, I know that "That Something" started deep within the belly of the UNIVERSE. In a place where there are no 'things'. The universe stirred, wanting to arise.
It came forth, to express something important through me. An accurate metaphor would go like this:
If I were a funnel, the pulsation of the cosmos whirled through me to create a thought-form inside my brain, and I received that thought-form and thought my senses created something from it.

This phenomena is the crux of Tantra.

Facts: You and I definitely exist. Source definitely exists. A relationship between these two exists.
There is a name for You-Source-Relationship. It's called the Triadic Heart. But more on that later.

These tiny moments of relationship are happening ALL the time. Every human has an inner voice. Many can hear it, many do not. Some will heed that voice, while others ignore it. Some even try to suppress or destroy that voice. What about you? Do you listen for the whispers of the cosmos?

The RELATIONSHIP between YOU and SOURCE is the MOST IMPORTANT PART of the HUMAN EXPERIENCE-EXPERIMENT. It's the most relevant aspect in the quandary of whether we will survival as a species, a planet and all life forms on it…or not!!

And yet this relationship is entirely up for grabs!! Nothing pre-arranged. Nothing is guaranteed. We have to create, feed and nourish this relationship - just as we would as any other important relationship. Your capacity to receive these impulses and do something with them is the heart of living yoga daily. Yoga is the art of living life as a fully embodied, fully aware, fully connected and fully expressive human being…each and every day…and knowing that you are ALWAYS and forever a PART of the WHOLE COSMIC ORDER.

Now, getting back to the metaphor of my funnel experience, which is the crux of this blogpost.

IT'S TIME TO EXPAND OUR AWARENESS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN.

As a collective of humans on earth, we tend to get myopic, ego-centric and way too contracted!!
When we think of ourselves as ONLY a PHYSICAL BEING, an earthbound human, we are going to exacerbate this reality. We will cut ourselves off from nature, from one another, and from our Source. Culturally, we will stay more indoors, start more wars, communicate through devises rather than face-to-face…and all of this will make us feel more dejected, separate, neurotic and alone.

The year 2014 marks the greatest time of expansion in the entire history of humanity and the universe. Never before in time has the universe been this expanded and this complex. In fact, creating expansion and complexity is the Source's main priority and function.

To sync up with this ever expanding reality we MUST SHIFT our PERSPECTIVE about who and what we are. We literally can and must expand our consciousness, our senses, our mind and our beliefs!! We trade in our smallness for a bigger cosmic reality that is powerful, exciting and real.

CHANGE is the NATURE of the UNIVERSE.
So let's roll with it, and roll with me here:

Imagine yourself a magnificent, unlimited and all-knowing being. As such a great being, you are not limited to time and space; you are not stuck in one place and you are not stuck in one physical body.

In fact, as a human being on earth, you come equipped with five bodies to help you navigate a world of three dimensions - time, space, gravity. Your first body is the most obvious - the physical body. You  must nourish this physical body and take care of its material needs (food, clothing, shelter) or perish.

You also have a mental body - your brain comes well equipped to figure out how to navigate this material reality on earth. It organizes all the sensory input to make sense of things. Friend or foe? Food or poison? Now or later?

You have an emotional body - which tells you how well you are navigating your physical and mental bodies. The center of the emotional body is your heart which acts as an inner compass for your own spiritual life and development. Right from wrong? Kind or mean? Harmful or helpful? Love or hate?

Then there is your pranic body - which is nourished by breathing!! Breathing - what a novel idea!!
Breathing properly nourishes ALL the bodies and connects you to Source.

In your intuitive body great things happen. You can receive these tiny little messages from Universal Spirit of Source Energy. You can tap into a vast unbounded consortium of wisdom and use it to inform everything you think, say and do. And when you do - you just know stuff!!

Finally there is the bliss body - or Body of Light. You know this one when you are SO HAPPY. You're LIT-UP, filled with joy & peace, connected to everything everywhere - because you are!!
Actually, this is the first body to arise when Spirit creates conditions for a soul to coalesce it's energy and condense The Light enough to embody as a human being.

The practice of yoga - asana, pranayama, concentration, contemplation, mediation, chanting, prayer, and devotion will strengthen this triadic relationship in a manner that is conscious and effective. So that you will feel your self expand and connect with pure love, pure light, pure consciousness. Then you will know who and what you are as a human being.

NOW - it's time for you to expand. Consider how completely different your life would be if you knew how to nourish each of your bodies and become completely alive!! How much fun it would be to live from an expanded point of view. Instead of believing: I am a poor miserable lonely person in pain. You could know: I am an awakened, connected, embodied being that is full of the same Light as Source!!

WOW - now that would be cool!
The best part of all is that this SHIFT is happening all over the world. It's powered by Universal Love individuals are speaking up, living and acting from their hearts instead of from their heads; indigenous people are rising up; women are standing up; new consciousness is arising.  Ordinary people are joining together in UNITY CONSCIOUSNESS to CELEBRATE this AMAZING LIFE and to HONOR ALL LIFE FORMS EVERYWHERE…

Love is the source of the Source.
Love is the expression of that Source (you and me).
Love is the relationship between then!

How will you expand this year?

HEALTHY NEW YEAR

HEALTHY NEW YEAR:
GIVE UP YOUR RESOLUTIONS & REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR LIFESTYLE!!
January 5, 2014

As the tumultuous year 2013 dwindles to an anti-climatic close and the New Year 2014 arises, I am usually filled with renewed hope and a sense of possibility. This is a great time of year to look back, to take stock. What went well/wrong, what did/didn't I accomplish, what would I like to change/keep? Personal reflection can feel like a cup ‘half empty’ or a cup half full depending on you outlook. And while reflection is a truly worthwhile endeavor, it is primarily a high and refined form of art. How do we hold our past accomplishments and failures equally and recognize their unique worth? Can we wipe the past slate clean and start anew? Do we vows to do things differently, knowing how hard real change is to enact?

To this I say: Let’s NOT make any new year’s resolutions this year!!

If we look at the word resolution closely, we see that it’s meaning holds nuance. To resolve is to bring a task to completion, finish a project, lay an issue to rest, remedy an unfavorable situation, or return to a problem again and again with the intent of fixing it.  There are shades of meaning implicit here, but all begin with a notion that something is wrong and needs to be different!! Or changed!! Or completed!!

When we look closely at the nature of life we see that life itself  is a revolving door in constant motion. History repeats itself. Life is cyclic. In modern culture we can see such an example in the fashion industry where styles comes and go only to return again 20 years later. Or in human history where conflicts between people arise time and time again. Or in our own personal story, where we repeat habits over and over.

Spirit ebbs and flows in an infinite realm through time and space condensing into all the various forms including thoughts, ideas, patterns, material things and their thoughts, movements actions and reactions. Life is a grand and wild dance that never ever ends, and has no real resolution. So let’s get in sync and stop trying to resolve things – especially our bad habits.

Instead of making big resolutions at the start of the new year, let's take a different tack - 

let's  do something radical. Rather that setting ourselves up for failure and disappointment, let me guide you step-by-step on what, when,where, why and how to make simple do-able lifestyle changes that will guarantee you immediate success. Let's revolutionize our lifestyle little by little and take back the power to create a healthy lifestyle. 

I have designed a new program just for you! 

It's called iLEAP: Into Life Empowered & Present

You'll begin to sleep better, eat better, feel better right away!! 

Now that's revolutionary.

iLEAP starts on Saturday, January 25, 2014…so check out these links and enroll today.

Watch my introductory iLEAP video: youtu.be/PE17wBOps50

Watch an iLEAP testimonial: youtu.be/WWcXqaK_pnw

Click here for more info: iLEAP: Into Life Empowered & Present

Click here to register: iLEAP - Pay Online

The ONLY way we can have a HAPPY new year is to create a HEALTHY NEW YEAR.

Namaste, Lynne

PS. I am always available to work individually with anyone who is ready to make a lasting change for the better. Ask me about the Lifestyle Consultations and Wellness Coaching sessions that I offer.

Birch Trees & Your Skin

December 18, 2014

SKIN CARE for the WINTER!!!

I'm fresh off the trail from my now - since a foot of snow has fallen this week - daily x-country ski workout. On the trail today, as I was cutting new tracks in the soft, dry fresh snow, I thought about my skin….and yours!! So please enjoy my midday musings and some seasonal health tips for caring for your skin in the cold of Winter.

What do birch trees and your skin have in common?

At first thought probably nothing…
Today I skied past a beautiful old silver birch tree. It was tall and graceful and majestic….and healthy.
I marveled in awe as my path crossed beneath its arching boughs. The outer, older layers of bark curled back onto themselves revealing newer, thinner, more tender bark below. It reminded me of skin.

And I thought, THIS would make a great blog topic!!!

So here goes:
Your skin has seven layers - each connects energetically to one of the seven types of tissues in your body (blood, plasma, muscle, fat, bone, nerve, reproductive). As new skin is formed in the deeper layers, the older, superficial skin - aged by exposure to sun, wind, cold, lotions, creams and even the fabric of your clothes - sloughs, peels, cracks and finally falls off.

We want this natural process of natural regeneration to progress in an unimpeded manner.

BUT this does not always happen. In fact, the way many of us conduct our modern lives, we block the regeneration process rather than enhance it. Eat the wrong foods for your body type, or eat for reasons other than hunger, or eat at the wrong times will age your skin. Applying copious amounts of chemicals in lotions & creams to your skin or chapstick to your lips several times a day, will clog your skin, from the deepest most formative layer (new bark) to the superficial layer (old peeling bark).

What does this imply?
When the foods we consume are processed and the lotions we rub on are commercial ("natural" skin products with any type of preservative falls into this category), the quality of the new skin will be diminished…less supple, less porous, less healthy….because the essential elements were not of the highest possible quality.

We know that skin is a barrier from the harsh elements…and it is! But skin is also a major player in your respiratory system. It is the largest organ in your body. Skin directly conveys the external environment to the internal organs. Ever see someone who made your skin crawl or your hair stand up or made you shiver? You get my drift.

But more importantly,  skin is a huge conductor for universal consciousness. When skin is clogged you'll pick up less of earth's electromagnetic frequencies and you'll feel even more disconnected from nature, from your surroundings, from your beloved peeps and from life in general.
Just like when you have a cold (and I can teach you how to avoid colds & flu in my Cold Buster online course) and are all clogged up, when you use skin care products that are not of the highest organic quality, there will definitely be a down side.


All this wisdom from a birch tree!!
Yes, indeed. When I go outside into nature, I know that I will receive a piece of valuable information or hear some intrinsic wisdom…because I am clear and open. Not just open-minded and open-hearted, but because my skin is clear and clean! Every pour of your skin takes in information and gives off energy.

To optimize protection for your skin, toss out ALL of store bought lotions, creams, salves and buy organic unrefined, unpasteurized oils. Sesame avocado oil or ghee is good for thin, cool body types, coconut or sunflower oil is great for hot-blooded active body types and olive or almond oil is great for heavy-set, lethargic body types.

Every morning this Winter - before you go outside - rub copious amounts of oil on to your skin - into every nook & crevice, behind and in your ears and nostrils, on your feet. Allow the oils soak in for 10 minutes (while you meditate - which is supremely excellent for your skin. By reducing stress - your skin will look younger) and then shower and dress. If you have very dry or flakey skin, repeat again at night, before you bathe or shower. There are wonderful Ayurvedic body oils for each body type.
Call me and I will help you find the right one.

When you take deeper care of your skin, you, too, might hear what the birch tress have to say. Perhaps you'l think more about the relationship between your daily habits, the toxicity levels in the environment, and make the connections that I am suggesting here. l hope you'll be inspired to make positive changes.
Imagine a world without toxic chemicals. Imagine your skin glowing, supple and young looking because you stopped using commercial lotions, creams and balms.

Now that's valuable information and great wisdom.
Thank you birch tree.

Want more valuable information on how to feel fantastic, energized, connected and loved?
~ Contact me for a free 15 minutes consult.
 I'll give you one tip to begin your journey today. click here.
~ Check out 2014 iLEAP Wellness Program: click here.
This course will give you all the basics to make the changes you dream of making.

LIES, LIES, LIES…

December 6, 2013

Here's my latest rant!!

I was driving east on route 9  earlier this week and noticed a new billboard for Panera Bread Co.
Pictured front and center is a big meat sandwich (ham or turkey or other). The caption reads (and this is not an exact quote, but when I drive by it again, I will edit this to the exact quote):

"PROTEIN & WHOLE GRAINS 
TO BOOST YOUR ENERGY."

And to this I say: Lies, lies, lies….

Why?




According to Ayurveda, the oldest continuous medical system in the world, dating back over 6,000 years ago, each food has a particular type of energy based on one of the five elements (or combination).
The energy of meat and grains is primarily "earth" energy. This means that when you eat meat and grains these foods provide your body, mind and soul with a condense, grounding energy.

The exact OPPOSITE kind of energy that Panera suggests in this advertisement!!!

Meats and grains take a lot longer to digest than fruits and vegetables, approximately up to six hours if you have slow digestive fire (agni) and up to four hours if you have strong digestive fire. Whether your digestive fire is slow or fast depends on both your constitution (genetics, karma, ancestry) and your condition (lifestyle, diet and exercise) among other things.

In order to feel the boost that Panera brags about, you'll need to drink a big mug of coffee!!

Meats come laden with fat, which is good, because we NEED FATS to live. It is SUGAR that makes you FAT, not fats. Your liver stores excess carbohydrates (grains) as fat, and reconverts them later when you need energy. Many grains contain gluten. Most sandwich bread is made from wheat. When you grind wheat berries into flour and add water - you get dough or batter or paste…depending on the amounts you mix. Flour and water essentially create "glue" in the bowl…and later glue in your gut!!  There is a reason that goo, glue and gluten sound so similar: that which sticks together, sticks together.

If you want to feel LIGHT& ENERGIZED, you''ll want to minimize gluey foods…or avoid them in certain seasons depending on your body type (dosha). There are three classic body types in Ayurveda and they are made from different combinations of the five elements.

Kapha body type is categorized as grounded, rooted and centered when in balance. Heavy, lethargic, dull, static when in excess. Think of the days when you are so tired that you feel "glued to the couch or bed". No energy to get up and do anything. Think of the post thanksgiving period - turkey and stuffing haze, when everyone either lays down for a nap or guzzles more coffee or sugar to feel that buzz.

Think you'll get energy from eating a turkey, ham, beef sandwich…think again!!
The sugars from wheat bread will put you into a mental stupor, and may cause "wheat belly" - inflammation of the small intestine. The lengthy digestive time pulls blood away from your extremities and into the stomach, spleen and intestines. You may want to curl up and have a nap.

So what do I eat when I want to feel energized without caffeine, or sugar or wheat or meat…
fruits, vegetables, fermented foods like miso or sauerkraut….or a great big green drink or smoothie…full of vitamins and minerals…and easy to digest.

So there you have it Panera!!
Take down your billboard and give folks the straight talk!!

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If you're READY to make a few small changes in your life, so that you can feel amazing, click here:
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In just four months, you'll feel younger,
look better and have more energy than ever.
I'll give you the straight talk.
I promise!

Hugs, Lynne