1.31.14 A Winter's Tromp in the Wild Wild Woods

And how beautiful those wild wild woods were this beautiful grey, slightly blue winter's day.

We struggled through the underbrush of the woods, wild Raspberry catching hold to fur and coat alike. Winding invasive Bittersweet, small homes and tracks of activities , though with a 10 month old pup, anything you gaze at becomes of interest to them, and quickly dissapears in a volley of a million footprints all about. 

But down at the bottom of the foothill of the range, we came upon one of many deep deep ravines, and the glorious view of the Connecticut River's outwaters, as they lay below us. Home to geeze and duck  and turtle and so many more in summer, and the winter territory of our Coyote family come cold.

Winter, when all things are muted, quiet, resting.
Where all beauty is subtle, where wildlife is evident by the tracks and feeding visible. 

Where struggling through tangled underbrush, one may catch sight of small and larger animal homes, and the path left by the tiny coyote with their huge father meandering up the field. 

Where the Broadwing Hawk slowly circles far above, their silver-white underbelly glistening as, motionless, the currents carry them so high they finally are out of sight. 

And where, as we traipse out of the woods and coyote trail, and back up the wildlife covered conservation field, possibly two hundred Crow slowly pass by, as they do in winter, gathering together in late afternoon to make their way in that Southwesterly direction to their roost. 

As the sun slowly sets, the grey day becomes blue, pink and then golden, and as the pup contentedly crashes out back inside, winter's darkness finally falls.

 

1.31.14 Who Was That Wild Boy?

I wonder who it is that is in need of many tromps 

through the wild wild woods? 

Hmmm. 

Let me think for just a minute...

1.31.14 The Song of The Oak and The Beech

These two trees started as seeds ; grew, the Oak overcoming the Beech. 

But instead of the Beech dying, the oak grew around it... Do you see? They are both flourishing. I suppose the Beech will have to squeeze the Oak a bit? Who knows how the story will continue.
Trees, we always knew, have such awareness of their lives, their surroundings, their predators, threatening infestations, and each other.

Now science pretends surprise at the self same awareness most cultures for thousands of years have known.

Now with science's permission, we are all allowed to accept how complex other living things and species are.

Even if we have opposable thumbs, can shoot guns or use cell phones, fly in planes or cut trees down . It's true it's true it's true.

2.1.14 Well Hullo, River. Quite Some Time No See

Sandy Denny- 
'There's beauty in the silver singing river
There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky'

It was like picture taking day on the river. 

'Ok honey, hold still'.

 

In their luminescence ,

 stark against the slate blue winter river,

 shorn of leaf and bud- 

just beautiful .

Q: And they are....?

A: Not sure of their names. 

In Winter, beautiful creatures.

In summer, plants with leaves?

River Creatures?

Exquisite is all.

2,1,14 Constitutional Hydrotherapy- Why Would This Interest You? Well......

Constitutional Hydrotherapy is a simple home treatment , with a long respectable history, that utilizes hot and cold water applications to enable
- the hormonal system, -digestive system , 
-respiratory system, 
-immune system, 
-nervous system ,
-circulation and
-eliminative systems to slowly rebuild and rebalance
and can specifically target conditions.
The Seventh Day Adventists use variations at their hospitals very successfully for cancers, MS, advanced Arthritis, and many other conditions, which I witnessed staying at the hospital.
Then, often, people would feel better, stop eating well, stop gently exercising, stop doing their hydrotherapy, and have to return, sicker this time.all this I observed during my stay, with my 6 month old baby .

All you need is good quality water.
Supplies-
1. thick white flannel ( fabric store- used between tables and tablecloths) washed only with a natural detergent, and cut to size
Sizes needed:
-3 pads for abdomen
-One to wrap around feet
-One for the length of back
2. Bowl of ice water and wash cloth

The process itself takes about 20 minutes, after prep is done.

Directions-
A. Heat pads. I used to steam them in a canning pot. You can soak them in good quality heated water, wring them out, put in covered pot to retain heat.
B. With pads and ice water with washcloth within reach, lie down without clothing in bathtub ( easiest) or on bed or sofa, (with coverings available if not in bathtub) See? Tub is probably best.
C. Without burning skin with too hot pads ( some learning curve here)
-wrap cloth pad around feet, ( possibly place towel over to retain heat)
-place one behind back and lie back
-Place one on abdomen
-wring out ice water cloth, and dab on forehead until enough heat has been absorbed and, with cloth re-wetted, can be comfortably placed from one ear.. over forehead and eyes ... to other ear. Will feel divine.
D. Every 3 minutes, re-wet cold cloth, remove abdominal pad, wipe abdomen with ice water cloth, scream, and place new hot pad on abdomen.
E. Return cold cloth to head.
F. Abdomen will have 3 hot pad applications, each followed after 3 minutes by a wipe of ice water cloth.
G. Then, wipe back as best you can with re-wetted ice water cloth, and finally, stand in tub and pour ice water bowl over feet, screaming a bit again if you wish.
F. Dry all , put on warm docks , winter or summer , dress, and if possible rest a bit so your body can focus on responding to the dynamics that are now happening.

Personal note-
In my mid-twenties, after many health problems, and great overwork/ under self-care, I developed Endometriosis.
A woman's disease", it was little researched, and information doctors had was significantly faulty.
If I moved, I would have severe pain that lasted for days. If I did not move, I had significant pain.
I went from working 30 hours a week at a social service agency as a Drug Abuse Counselor , 20 hrs a week at a volunteer peer counseling center , and going to college full-time, to being disabled.

My doctor performed a laparoscopic surgery , and then advised me to take a medication that was taken off the market following year for being dangerous. Or have a complete hysterectomy. I went around interviewing some local women who had done this and still had terrible pain!
I then traveled three days a week for one year to see the famous Dr. So in Newton Massachusetts, a remarkable and well-known acupuncturist from China, and saw his nutritionists, becoming a macrobiotic. I became the first patient he ever gave up on.

I was then told by the doctors that if I could manage to get pregnant, which I probably would not , this would all be cured.

Alarmed, we got pregnant. The condition worsened. The beautiful baby was born. The condition was worse than ever.

Finally, I went to a Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Alabama, Yuchi Pines, for two weeks of hydrotherapy treatment.
I was treated by the famous Dr. Agatha Thrash, specialist in women 's diseases, author of one of the earliest natural foods cookbooks.
They provided and taught me constitutional hydrotherapy, and I learned how to eat the Seventh-day Adventist diet.

I returned home, and did hydrotherapy six days a week for one year.
In one month, all uterine fibroids were gone. In three months, all uterine cysts were gone. With treatments, the pain began to lessen a little bit. By six months, the pain had vanished. Digestive problems, hypoglycemia, chronic migraine and exhaustion resolved.
By one year, the endocrine system was completely rebalanced.

Dr. Thrash and her husband, Dr. Calvin Thrash, asked me to write and illustrate a pamphlet for them to distribute to others on how to do hydrotherapy on yourself at home.
It was my first experience with the significant possibilities of well-indicated natural healing methods .

http://truthquest2.com/hydrotherapy.htm

Disclaimer:

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products or this health education is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your informed integrative or holistic medical practitioner before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any products. Never consider using any supplement while pregnant, or even breast feeding, or anti-coagulants before being well informed. Consult your informed medical practitioner prior to any exercise, dietary , or supplemental use if you have a serious medical condition. It is your responsibility, and yours alone, to become a responsible, informed individual who thinks carefully before acting upon Health Education information.

2.2.14 Small Snowflakes Fall

Sometimes seems 

like a nice way

 to let go of cares 

and worries

 is to sit by a window,

 with a friend,

 watching the small snowflakes fall

2.3.14 Pregnancy and Safety - Anti-Inflammatories et al

If you're planning on getting pregnant, see if you can manage to settle your structural challenges ( frequent pain , headache, etc) before conceiving. There really are NO safe anti- inflammatories, OTC or herbal. Homeopathy, if you take the time to find the right remedy, can do it.

(www.abchomeopathy.com remedy finder)

Some of the blood cleansing herbs ( always listen to herbalist Susun Weed-Herbs for the Childbearing Year, the bible on the subject)
can slowly optimize eliminative organs... But not leap in and stop a headache. Acetamenophen gets to say that they are peachy because the burden of proof is on the government. The way acetamenophen is problematic is that it is one more liver challenge at who knows what time when your small one , already battling the pesticides in the grocery store or the exhaust on the street, really truly does not need another challenge .

Watch the issues JAMA reports- certainly with continued or even excessive use, these still point to the fact that acetamenophen is not cotton candy or applesauce. It is a medication - an over the counter medication . When would we consider taking ANY medication not absolutely necessary?

Challenges to our growing fetus has the capacity to make them more vulnerable to genetic predisposition. And then there is the timing - of WHAT that small vulnerable hardworking new person is creating at a moment when exposed to one thing it another .
If anyone noticed, we are entering an age where people who just used Ritalin for awhile years ago or an inhaler or anti-depressants for awhile, or birth control pills, are now being surprised in record numbers by very unusual offspring.
They are all around us; look at the stats.
I'm not even talking autism spectrum , but kids who have a tough time navigating the world . And talk to the parents - it's a tough road being the parent too.
NOONE thinks they will have that experience. Until they do.

If you 're pregnant and local , come in with a friend or partner for one session , and learn how to use Gwen 's Magic Oil and do a simple acupressure routine on each other to begin to align and settle your structure.
Never put your phone on your shoulder.
Never put a bag on your shoulder.
Please don't paint walls or be around painting.
Don't use cleansers.
Never sleep on your stomach. Minimize inflammatory foods so that you are less likely to get sick and in pain, or inflamed and in pain.
Acetamenophen is tough for the adult body. It fosters hypertension and high cholesterol , puts people at risk for cardiovascular problems .

Why would anyone think it would ever be okay for fetus ???

Relax. Relish this time .
If you're not pregnant but planning, start now avoiding copy machines and absolutely laser printers and stinky chemical filled shoe stores .

But also, simply think carefully and make careful choices.

Eh disclaimer 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products or this health education is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your informed integrative or holistic medical practitioner before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any products. Never consider using any supplement while pregnant, or even breast feeding, or anti-coagulants before being well informed. Consult your informed medical practitioner prior to any exercise, dietary , or supplemental use if you have a serious medical condition. It is your responsibility, and yours alone, to become a responsible, informed individual who thinks carefully before acting upon Health Education information.

2.4.14 Once Upon A Time You Had A Liver....

One of the most accessible things people can do for their liver is to eat ground up Milk Thistle seeds. In Apple sauce is delicious. And why, you may ask, would you do this? The answer is-it's affordable, and the impact on your health is huge.
Don't buy ground up milk thistle, or flax, for that matter. Both of them are pretty useless if they're not refrigerated or frozen immediately after grinding.
Use a coffee grinder.
Milk thistle seed is a seed. So it's closer to food than supplement.

You buy the seeds, grind them in your poor coffee grinder, and add a little pinch to some applesauce. You work up to maybe 2 teaspoons a day.

Milk thistle begins to recirculate through your bloodstream over and over again.
It's standing guard, protecting your liver from your medications, fumes, pesticides, chemicals, and every single day as it's protecting , it's fostering a healthier more rapid growth of new liver cells.
It's tough for livers. Baby livers. Delivers. Dog ,cat ,duck and horse livers.
There are so many human made contaminants in our world that our bodies genetically are not designed to break down into little tiny pieces and get out of our bodies.
Every bank kiosk. Every grocery store. The smell in a tire store ? A shoe store?

So they stay. You have no idea. And the portal, the exit strategy for your body for all of these-is the liver.what it processes well then goes into your bowel movements. Which is another story. 
When you go to natural food store and buy milk thistle seeds, it's just so that you can check them out. You get your applesauce.
When you find that it's tolerable, and you read a little bit about milk thistle, you can then order organic from Jeans Greens or Mountain Rose Herbs. Or anywhere else you want.
A pound often runs about 25 bucks, lasts you a really long time.
You can grind it all up ( don't get your coffee grinder's little engine too hot) and stick it in your freezer if you want.
Have an evening treat after dinner, of organic applesauce and milk thistle.
The expensive milk thistle you buy at the store in capsules-is the alcohol tincture, soaked back into the dry seats. It's fine. So is the tincture.
But the ground up milk thistle is far less expensive, and has a far wider range of powerful impact upon you.
So if you can, try out eating some in your applesauce as your evening treat.
But after you go to bed, it's the livers turn, out of the whole 24 hours of your day, 11 PM to 2 AM, it's Liver processing time. It begins to work. (It really likes you to be asleep during that time.)
And what it does is it sits there, working away, breaking down all the crap that you ran into during the day. Car exhaust, horrible oils in crap food, laserprinter toxins, medications, you name it.

So it's kind of nice to make your liver your friend.

Give it a chance. To balance your hormones, to help you live longer, to metabolize and get rid of toxins from your body. To prevent depression and fatigue frequent illness.

And if it's working well, your bloodstream is pretty darn clean, and then when it runs by your heart! And your kidneys! And that sore shoulder joint of yours, it cleans crap out of those places.
When your liver is challenged, which is way before it shows up on a test, (most livers are kind of challenged) it goes around your body like a stream full of crap.

Delivering that crap into your heart, your kidneys, that sore shoulder joint, anywhere that's a little murky and stuck in your body.
And then those places inflame, and get gooey, and begin having challenges.

Does that make sense?

There are many beautiful supplements herbs that have all different ways for supporting a liver.
Livers don't necessarily like cleanses. If you don't have too much junk in you, they can be very beneficial. But for many people, a cleanse, as opposed to doing something on an ongoing basis, is like getting kicked in the gut.

Milk thistle is the least expensive most food-like powerful protection that you can provide for your liver.

Does that make sense to you?
Good. Go check it out!

your poor coffee grinder, and add a little pinch to say applesauce. You got to work up to maybe 2 teaspoons a day.
Milk thistle begins to recirculate through your bloodstream over and over again.
It's standing guard, protecting your liver from your medications, fumes, pesticides, chemicals, and every single day as it's protecting , it's fostering a healthier more rapid growth of new liver cells.
It's tough for levers. Baby livers. Delivers. Dog ,cat ,duck and horse livers.
There are so many human made contaminants in our world that our bodies genetically are not designed to break down into little tiny pieces and get out of our bodies.
So they stay. You have no idea. And the portal, the exit strategy for your body for all of these-is the liver.
When you go to natural food store and buy milk thistle seeds, it's just so that you can check them out. When you find that it's tolerable, and you read a little bit about milk thistle, you can then order organic from Jeans Greens or Mountain Rose Herbs. Or anywhere else you want.
A pound often runs about 25 bucks, lasts you a really long time.
You can grind it all up ( don't get your coffee grinder's little engine too hot) and stick it in your freezer if you want. Have an evening treat after dinner, of organic applesauce and milk thistle.
The expensive milk thistle you buy at the store in capsules-is the alcohol tincture, soaked back into the dry seats. It's fine. So is the tincture.
But the ground up milk thistle is far less expensive, and has a far wider range of powerful impact upon you.
So if you can, try out eating some in your applesauce as your evening treat.
But after you go to bed, it's the livers turn, and of the whole 24 hours of your day, 11 PM to 2 AM, it's Liver processing time. It begins to work. It really likes you to be asleep during that time.
And what it does is it sits there, working away, breaking down all the crap that you Breuster ran into during the day. Car exhaust, horrible wills in crap food, laserprinter toxins, medications, you name it. So it's kind of nice to make your liver your friend.
Give it a chance. To balance your hormones, to hope you live longer, to metabolize and get rid of toxins from your body. To prevent depression and fatigue frequent illness.
And is working well, your bloodstream is pretty darn clean, and then when it runs by your heart! And your kidneys! And that sore shoulder joint of yours, it cleans crap out of those places. When your liver is challenge, which is way before it shows up on a test, most livers are kind of challenge, it goes around your body full of crap. Delivering that crap into your heart, your kidneys, that sure shoulder joint, anywhere that's a little murky and stuck in your body.
And then those places inflame, and get gooey, and begin having challenges.
Does that make sense?
There are many beautiful supplements herbs that were all different ways for supporting a liver.
Hers don't necessarily like cleanses. If you don't have too much junk in you, they can be very beneficial. But for many people, a cleanse, as opposed to doing something on an ongoing basis, is like getting kicked in the gut.
Milk thistle is the least expensive most food like powerful protection that you anything to do with your liver.

Does that make sense to you?
Go check it out!

Eh disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products or this health education is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your informed integrative or holistic medical practitioner before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any products. Never consider using any supplement while pregnant, or even breast feeding, or anti-coagulants before being well informed. Consult your informed medical practitioner prior to any exercise, dietary , or supplemental use if you have a serious medical condition. It is your responsibility, and yours alone, to become a responsible, informed individual who thinks carefully before acting upon Health Education information.

2.4.14 Stopping by The Kestrel Trust

                               

On my way to the office, had to stop by for a stroll at The Kestrel Trust. 

Morning Kestrel Trust. Aren't you beautiful today?

              

2.5.14 Constipation - Some Thoughts on Making Your Health and Longevity Smile

Constipation.

 Fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Cooked grains like short grain brown rice if they fit for you . 

WATER. I mean it. 

Magnesium Malate Chelate. ( has to have ALL those words on it. 

Inadequate Magnesium fosters constipation). 

Fish oil.
( inadequate EFA-essential fatty acids- fish, borage, flax - grind yourself ; don't buy ground. Worthless. Evening Primrose Oil. Fosters constipation).

 Belly massage -remember that post? 

Liquid bentonite clay. 

GENTLE fibers. Careful there. 

And then, here's some points . 

Your body is designed to have
....wait for it
.....3 large bowel movements a day. 
Yeah. I'm serious. 

No really, it's true. 

You have that much garbage you REALLY want to get rid of. 
Get OUT if your body. 

To prevent fouling up and aging of your
 heart 
and skin 
and eyes 
and ears 
and liver 
and breasts
 and colon
 and inflammation 
and pain 
and mobility 
and brain.

 There. 

So go poop. 

Make your longevity smile . 

2.6.14Clients Who Work In Offices At Desks - Some Support Ideas

Not every workplace is amenable to people stretching or, on your break, walking outside to breath clean ( hopefully) or at least more oxygen - rich air.

 
But both these things, done in small unobtrusiveincrements, can help ensure you ability to retain focus, your workplace satisfaction, and together with bringing in nourishing protein rich snacks for mid morning and mid afternoon , protect you from the allure of coffee , vending machines, someone 's leftover cake, donuts ! And all.

Just walk away, Renee. 

You may have to stretch in the bathroom. So be it. Do what you can so that
-you feel good about your job
- you eagerly look forward to your own delicious nutritious brain and energy supporting snacks
-your energy level is fueled so you don't slump and twist and set your neck and back and shoulders and arms up for pain and problems .

Stroll to that water cooler. 

Go walk to get some supplies. Get your work done, but break it up. 

And create little things to look forward to during your day. 

Find little relaxation apps and bring your phone and ear buds into the bathroom. Close your eyes and be in Aruba for 2 minutes. 

Stretch as well as you can. 

Then return to work, rejuvenated, and 

leave at the end of the day, not exhausted, coffee-ed up and junked up,
but feeling pretty good and good about yourself and your life. 

supportive little biddy apps for your phone

http://www.techlicious.com/guide/best-apps-and-sites-to-relax-and-destress/

http://m.artofliving.org/yoga-office

http://m.artofliving.org/yoga-office

2.5.14 If nature creates these, I myself would say anything is possible .

                                            

Early. Quiet. Save the sound of birds flying to feeders and back to trees, 

and the muted sound of snow as it falls and then lands. 

All that minuscule beauty ,

 those remarkable, intricate, completely unique flakes 

- piling up in mounds

- to be pushed through and shoveled and plowed. 

All made up of those small miracles we forget all about. 

Here are a photographer's collection of snowflake photos.

 If nature creates these,

 I myself would say anything is possible . 

Nature does this? All the time? Three internal patterns with opposing color patterns? Whew.

And who, may I ask, are you?

Seriously? Cylinder snowflakes? Wow.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/03/alexey-kljatov_n_4373888.html