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Can You Change Your Brain?

5/1/2016

Between the craziness of the start of gardening season, and getting ready to launch a new website, I've been a bit overwhelmed lately, to say the least! I think it's time to revisit my meditation audios, which I have gotten out of the habit of using....

I discovered Holosync a few years ago, and went through the whole program over the course of about a year. I didn't necessarily experience all of the benefits that other users have reported, but I did find some real improvements in several areas through simply listening to the recordings every night.

One big change was that I became less of a procrastinator. This did take a bit of focus, but I found it much easier to change this habit than I had expected, and now I rarely procrastinate anymore - I don't even think about it - I just get stuff done!

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Bringing Home the Bacon: The Psychology of Shopping

4/24/2016

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As I was driving home the other day, the passenger's seat piled high with bags of rice noodles, soy and fish sauce, coconut milk, and other goodies from my quarterly trip to the Asian supermarket (stocking up for light summer Thai soups & curries!), I began reflecting on the peculiar pleasure that comes from shopping.

We all know it's fun to shop - heck, some even call it "retail therapy" it feels so good! Sure, there are some people who go overboard with it - even becoming "addicted" to shopping. (And I'm not making light of that at all - it can be a very dangerous problem that can get people into a lot of financial trouble.) And in some cases there are deeper psychological issues at work. But in general, we all just like to shop!

So why is that, exactly? What is it about spending money or buying "stuff" that gives us that little jolt, or "rush" if you will, of satisfaction?

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How Will You Change The World?

4/17/2016

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Sometimes it can seem like the world is too large (and messed up) for one person to ever really make a difference. War, famine, poverty, natural disasters - how are we really supposed to change anything - and should we even try?

The media bombards us with more bad news daily, until we start to feel like we don't even want to hear about the world's problems anymore - it's all too much to deal with.

But what if things really aren't as bad as we think? What if, instead of getting worse, going downhill, going "to hell in a handbasket," things are actually getting better? And what if it's up to each one of us, as individuals, innovators, thinkers, and doers, to make a difference each and every day, that adds up to a new and better world in the long run?

This is the subject of a really interesting book I'm currently reading, called "Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think."

While there are many parts of the book that I don't agree with (particularly on the topics of food and medicine, where the book seems to be leading in the direction of more automation, less personal attention, and more artificial foods made in a lab - ummm...yuck), there is no denying that a lot of progress is being made in a number of areas which can potentially solve many of the world's problems.

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The Only 2 Rules for Healthy Eating You Will Ever Need

3/27/2016

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It's a jungle out there....

When it comes to food and nutrition, that is.

With thousands of different fad diets, diet books, and nutritional guidelines, it can seem nearly impossible to figure out what you are really supposed to eat for good health.

Low-fat, low-carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, fat-free, Vegan, Paleo, organic, grass-fed, free-range - and that's just what's on the label!

Not to mention things like eating alkaline foods vs. acidic, whole foods vs. processed, or whether or not you should avoid GMO's. Some diet books even advocate eating certain combinations of food together - or not.... For example, some authors say you should only eat carbs with fat and protein, and others say you should never eat these things together!

Is it any wonder that we are becoming a nation that is completely neurotic about food?

Well, I'm here today to clear up all this confusion - once and for all. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may have heard my two rules for healthy eating before, but I don't think I've ever explained them fully, so today I'm going to do just that. Since I have touched on many related topics before, I will provide links below for further reading on those topics if you are interested.

Firstly, let me just say that I am not discounting any of the approaches mentioned above. I am more and more aware that everyone processes food differently, and what works for one person may not work for another. I know people who have been unhappy, miserable, and sick on a Vegan diet, and others who seem to do quite fine with it. Some people can't tolerate gluten, and others don't seem bothered by it. And so on.

However, I firmly believe that everyone can benefit from following the 2 simple rules for healthy eating that I have listed below. No matter what other dietary preferences or needs you may have, incorporating these 2 rules into your eating habits will bring you better health and well-being in the long run.

But this post is especially for those who are just confused and fed up with all of the conflicting information out there about what is healthy when it comes to food. If this is you, I give you permission to go ahead and throw out all your diet books! Don't pay any mind to the media attention to whatever fad diet comes along next. Don't worry about whether you should be eating more of this or less of that. Instead, just commit to eating by these 2 simple rules. Doing so will undoubtedly benefit your health in more ways than you can imagine.

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Why I Don't (Usually) Promote Products

1/17/2016

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If you've been reading this blog for some time, you may have noticed something....

I don't promote products. At least not often. I will occasionally write a review of a book or video that I found especially helpful and thought my readers might benefit from the information it contains. But if I do promote something, it's usually just that: Information to help you live a healthier, happier life. Yes, we have some products listed on our "Recommended Products" page, and throughout the website as well. (You may notice that many of those are also information products.)

I also don't promote a lot of products in my daily life. I don't talk about the products I use all the time - even the ones that work really well for me. Maybe I should do more of this, but I just don't feel right about being a walking billboard for products - no matter how natural and effective.

Why? The reason is simple - at least in my opinion...

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2015 Resolutions - Revisited

1/3/2016

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Happy New Year! Here we are on the brink of another exciting adventure - one called 2016!

I'm not sure why, but the New Year always used to make me sad when I was younger.... Maybe I was missing the past, rather than looking forward to the future?

Whatever the reason, in recent years, my outlook has changed dramatically, and I now find myself relishing the "blank slate" of a new year stretching out before me. This year, for some reason, I find myself extra excited! Maybe it's just the fact that the past couple of years have been so eventful, but I am greatly anticipating all that 2016 has in store for me, and I hope that you are as well!

With the start of the new year comes those inevitable New Year's Resolutions which so many of us make (and so often fail to keep). Last year, I shared a few of mine, as well as some tips for staying on track with yours. Recalling this, I thought it would be fun to revisit my resolutions for 2015, and see how well I fared!

Let's take a look...

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Does Your Life Set An Example?

12/20/2015

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It has been a while since I've done a spiritual or religion-related post, and I figured, hey, 'tis the season! In church last week, they were talking about the different kinds of examples set by various characters in one of Jesus' parables, and it got me thinking about the examples we all set for others through the way that we live.

Like it or not, those around us - especially children, but also others in our circle of influence - are impacted by our daily decisions in various ways. From the way we eat, to the cars we drive and where we spend our money, to the actions we take to reduce our environmental impact, we are setting an example of the kind of life we think is the right one - or at least, that is what those around us assume.

It is up to each of us to be aware of just what kind of example we are setting, and make conscious choices that lead to a life worthy of being emulated.

Sound like a tall order? It's really not. In fact, it's something that we all can - and should - aspire to. Here's how.

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Why You Should Never Go Shopping

12/6/2015

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I realize this is likely to be a controversial title in this season of holiday shopping excess! But if you truly want to get a handle on your finances and achieve real financial balance, the holidays are actually an excellent time to take a look at your spending and assess your priorities.

Where are you spending your money? Is the money you spend actually providing real value - that is, do the things you buy actually enrich your life, or are you just trying to "keep up with the Jones's"?

If you overspent this year on things you didn't really need (or even want all that much, now that you think about it), now is a good time to set up a spending plan or a budget for next year, keeping in mind your most important goals and priorities.

Here are 4 tips to spending wisely throughout the holidays and beyond.

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My 2015 Gratitude List (What Are You Thankful For?)

11/22/2015

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I've written before about the importance of gratitude for happiness and well-being - and even health. Indeed, many modern thinkers agree that gratitude is the key to abundance. Even Jesus said thanks before receiving!

As we near the end of the year, the Thanksgiving holiday gives us the perfect opportunity to look back over the past year and reflect on the things we are thankful for. This year has had its share of challenges, but I still appreciate all of the wonderful blessings I have received, and in the spirit of the season, here are 4 things I'm grateful for in 2015!

Please feel free to share your own "thanks-giving" below as well - we'd love to hear what you're thankful for this year!

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The Anti-Diet: How Intuitive Eating Can Make You Healthier & Happier

9/20/2015

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As I've mentioned before, one of the most important things you can do for your health is to learn to listen to your body. By doing so, not only will you learn a lot about what your body needs, but you will easily and even automatically begin to make healthier choices in many areas of your life.

One of the main areas that many of us struggle with in modern life as it relates to health is eating. We are constantly surrounded by unhealthy foods, which means that making healthy food choices takes conscious effort - it's not automatic anymore. There is also a lot of conflicting information out there about what "healthy" even means when it comes to eating. Should you avoid red meat? What about fat? Do you have to buy everything organic just to be healthy? Is vegan the way to go? Should you be eating gluten-free?

It's no wonder so many of us give up and spend most of our lives overweight or even obese!

But what if we could find a way to make it easy to choose what to eat, and completely change our love/hate relationship with food? What if we could relax in the knowledge that we actually can automatically choose the foods that our bodies need and want, without any guilt or stress?

If you've read my post mentioned above about listening to your body, you may know where I'm going with this, but even I did not realize there is actually a term for it.

It's called "intuitive eating," and it just may be the end of all diets, and the one way that we can finally turn our destructive relationship with food around once and for all.

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