I have been clearing my "space" ever since my daughter left for college last year. I have been getting ready for change, more change. I knew it was coming and I was preparing myself. All this time I was feeling very grateful for everything that has come into my life. My daughter, my work, my relationships. But I knew these were all going to change. Being in touch with my inner self was turning out to be a really good thing
How do I do this? I practice yoga. I practice being in the present moment. I believe that everything happens for a reason and there are no bad things, just change. The new wants to present itself to you, but not if you are so caught up in the old patterns of your life. Clearing your house of unused, unwanted and unneeded junk is a great first step. I recently sold a bureau that I've had in my house since I was married. I moved it at least three times to keep it with me over the course of 15 years. What was I thinking? After I helped the new owner carry it to her car and watched her drive off, I couldn't wait to see what my bedroom now "felt" like with that gone. WOW! Space is a wonderful thing.
I just cleared out more of my office stuff. I came upon some yoga therapy journals I had purchased many years ago......Wait a minute, I guess I should tell you what happened yesterday........
I own a small, local janitorial service. I've been in business for 20 years. A very good business. It helped me raise my child and allowed me time to practice and teach yoga and continue my spiritual quest. Living in a small town, word of mouth was my only way to advertise. Pretty soon I had more than enough contracts to keep me going. I'm good at what I do. I started hiring employees about 10 years ago. Being able to keep people employed and pay them a livable wage was very important to me. However, I could no longer physically keep up with the cleaning myself, so I relied more and more on my employees. When my daughter left for school, I most certainly questioned whether this is what I should continue doing? So I started to clear my space. My physical space. My house. Making room for the new. I had a little idea what was coming when the economy started going south. However it didn't affect me at all. I still had stable businesses. A bank doesn't go out of business, right? I was wrong. In the span of two days, I lost 2 of my biggest clients. It wasn't the loss of income that bothered me the most. Remember I was gearing up for this on so many more levels. It was the unprofessional attitude of these companies that hurt the most. I had to keep reminding myself of the benefits of living in a small town where "everyone knows your name." But that didn't matter. No, the bank didn't go out of business. But banks get bought by bigger banks. And those bigger banks, in bigger states, where no one knows your name, decided to cut costs. That makes perfect sense to me. Again, it wasn't about loosing the contracts, it was about my reaction to loosing the contracts. At the end of the day yesterday, I was exhausted. Tired from having to keep reminding myself to stay in the present moment. To just keep open to what is presenting itself here today. I'll keep you posted on what develops, but in the meantime, I wanted to share something I found today while cleaning out my office. It's the Ten Steps To Freedom, and they make all the sense in the world, when you start using them.
1. Choose to become conscious and learn from life experiences rather than demanding to be a winner or a loser.
2. As emotional reactions arise to life encounters, take them to the body first to feel them, because the body is a more basic and honest barometer of reality than the mind.
3. Breathe, feel, expand, and express emotions appropriately as a vehicle for learning about yourself.
4. After releasing some of the initial charge of the emotion, play it back and look at the situation more objectively, as a witness, noting your core pattern.
5. Notice that this core pattern is part of a set of conditioned responses that replay themselves throughout your life. Review this pattern of conditioning.
6. See clearly that these patterns of conditioning were always formed with a positive intention, such as receiving love, feeling accepted, or avoiding pain. Therefore, there is no absolute guilt or shame involved in any past action and we can begin to release the weight of the past, which is analogous to laying down the cross.
7. Since our repetitive painful experiences all had the intention of revealing joy and happiness, there must be a source of joy that is intrinsic to life. This joy must be more primary than all of the forms of conditioning superimposed by culture, society, and family. I now use all of life's experiences and my emotional reactions to those experiences to reveal that Self of natural joy beyond conditioning. I reorient my life values and intentions toward this innate happiness rather than seeking it primarily from the "external world".
8. Because this joy is not conditioned and limited to my individual personality, it is therefore limitless and universal. The true Self is thus limitless and universal, and there is not separation between myself and any other aspect of creation.
9. Feelings and emotions are therefore all expressions of the Unity, whether they appear initially positive or negative. Positive emotions are reflections of Unity. Negative and painful feelings are pointers toward Unity.
10. I rest in the wholeness of life in each moment with all of life's experiences as expressions and reflections of the Unity that I AM.
These are pretty intense. So take just one that resonates with you and keep rereading it until it sinks deep. Use it as your mantra.
I am open today to continue to feel........Have a great day!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
We've All Been Touched By Cancer...Somehow
In my family, it's an aunt and an uncle. My friends? Many....too many. I had my own scare once, many years ago. Fortunately turned out to be nothing. But not to me. It set me on a quest to figure out what I was missing, emotionally and physically. What else do I need to do to strengthen my body and mind?
I attended a movie last night, "Healing Cancer From Inside Out". The first part is about the numbers, the money and the ego involved with the "curing" of cancer. The second part is the "healing" of cancer. The presenter lost her mother to cancer and just found out her mother-in-law found lumps in her breast. I attended with a friend who had breast cancer. Is she cured? Is she healed? All we can do is stay on a healthy eating, exercise, and emotional track. Doing our best to keep our immune system healthy.
Below is part of an email sent out by Hippocrates Health Institute:
This information is currently circulating on the internet and is purportedly part of a report generated by scientists at Johns Hopkins. We aren't sure about the origin of this report, however, it does contain a lot of good information (much of which Hippocrates Health Institute has been teaching for years).
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.CANCER CELLS FEED ON:a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet , Equal , Spoonful , etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk, cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds and nuts help put the body into an alkaline environment. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. 12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup. 13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from eating meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6 , Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. 16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells
This is a lot of information regarding cancer and the treatment of cancer. It's everything I believe and more. What do you do now? Is most of this new to you? Some of it? What are you going to do now? Please, share this with your friends and family. Even if you believe they would never go for this, do it anyway. Sometimes just reading these sort of things can change something in people who sit on the fence.
What can you do today to start? It's a sunny day here. Is it there? The sun is an important source of Vitamin K. Walk somewhere. Not easy, I know, when it's cold where you are and you are not an outdoor cold weather person, like me. So what do I do? I walk up and dowm my inside stairs a few times. I do yoga (that's an inside activity). Take any kind of exercise class at the local gym. Most gyms now offer one day memberships. If you are walking outside, walk up a hill. The view from the top is great! Don't forget your water!
How about some juice this morning instead of that plate of pancakes? Juices prepared at home lack the added sugar and preservatives that store bought juices have. Soy, rice and nut milks...are all healthier, filled with protein and low in fat and calories, not to mention great taste. Lunch? Pick out anything green, something red, something orange and something purple. Yes, these are vegetables. Toss together with a dressing or just munch on. I love to add dried cranberries, raisins and nuts to my salad.
I attended a movie last night, "Healing Cancer From Inside Out". The first part is about the numbers, the money and the ego involved with the "curing" of cancer. The second part is the "healing" of cancer. The presenter lost her mother to cancer and just found out her mother-in-law found lumps in her breast. I attended with a friend who had breast cancer. Is she cured? Is she healed? All we can do is stay on a healthy eating, exercise, and emotional track. Doing our best to keep our immune system healthy.
Below is part of an email sent out by Hippocrates Health Institute:
This information is currently circulating on the internet and is purportedly part of a report generated by scientists at Johns Hopkins. We aren't sure about the origin of this report, however, it does contain a lot of good information (much of which Hippocrates Health Institute has been teaching for years).
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9 When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.CANCER CELLS FEED ON:a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet , Equal , Spoonful , etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk, cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds and nuts help put the body into an alkaline environment. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. 12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup. 13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from eating meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6 , Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. 16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells
This is a lot of information regarding cancer and the treatment of cancer. It's everything I believe and more. What do you do now? Is most of this new to you? Some of it? What are you going to do now? Please, share this with your friends and family. Even if you believe they would never go for this, do it anyway. Sometimes just reading these sort of things can change something in people who sit on the fence.
What can you do today to start? It's a sunny day here. Is it there? The sun is an important source of Vitamin K. Walk somewhere. Not easy, I know, when it's cold where you are and you are not an outdoor cold weather person, like me. So what do I do? I walk up and dowm my inside stairs a few times. I do yoga (that's an inside activity). Take any kind of exercise class at the local gym. Most gyms now offer one day memberships. If you are walking outside, walk up a hill. The view from the top is great! Don't forget your water!
How about some juice this morning instead of that plate of pancakes? Juices prepared at home lack the added sugar and preservatives that store bought juices have. Soy, rice and nut milks...are all healthier, filled with protein and low in fat and calories, not to mention great taste. Lunch? Pick out anything green, something red, something orange and something purple. Yes, these are vegetables. Toss together with a dressing or just munch on. I love to add dried cranberries, raisins and nuts to my salad.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Some Staples To Have On Hand For Your Living Food Lifestyle
Staple, a basic dietary item. In my life, it's not flour, rice or corn, it's almonds, dates, a sprout bag (ok, that's not food) and some sort of frozen fruit. As long as I have these few items, I can eat for a day or more. Of course, I have more than that in my kitchen, but I always have these items on hand and here are some great recipes for you to make with these items.
Nut Milk
--Two cups water in your blender----I use the Vitamix. The BlendTec works well also. I like my pulp as smooth as I can get it.
--One cup Raw almonds--they say raw almonds are getting hard to find. I still can find them in my local health food store. I actually just found them in a big box store, though they were not organic.
Put ingredients in your blender and blend until milky white and the almonds are well ground. Squeeze through a nut milk/sprouting bag into a container. The pulp can be stored in a separate container for up to a week in your fridge. I will use the milk the same day or one day later. Since this is fresh nut milk, it won't last long in your fridge. But this is easy enough to make every day. You can add more nuts and water or less nuts and water, depending on how much you want that day.
Here's what you can do with the milk and pulp.
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
Idea number 1: Cereal--2 tablespoons nut pulp. That's all I can have since too many nuts tend to upset my stomach. Add cut up banana, cinnamon, agave or honey, soaked raisins(these are quick, one hour or more), and any other fruit you have on hand or that you would like. I let the mixture set for a bit. This lets the honey absorb and makes it the consistency of oatmeal. Enjoy for any meal. Serve room temperature.
Idea number 2: All of the above plus add some cold nut milk.
Idea number 3: Nut pulp, finely diced apple, soaked raisins, cinnamon and honey/agave to taste. This is a great treat for the kids too! I just made this!
Idea number 4: Raw Chocolate Milkshake--2 cups nut milk. 1 Tablespoon raw cacao. 1 half frozen banana. 4 soaked dates(dates you can soak for a couple of hours or overnight). 1 Tablespoon agave or honey(optional). Place all ingredients in your Vitamix or blender of choice. Blend until smooth. Alternative ingredients to add into your shake: Soaked walnuts, blueberries, strawberries, coconut. Won't the kids love a chocolate milkshake that's HEALTHY!
What great ideas. Easy is my middle name. If I had a bigger kitchen with more counter space, I'd definitely purchase a dehydrater. But as you can see, with many staple ingredients that last on the shelf or in the fridge/freezer forever, you can make raw, healthy meals and treats in no time at all. And the best part? I made up these dishes. I didn't follow any specific recipe. It's what I've come to enjoy and when I figured out the tastes I liked and what my stomach could handle, the rest was cake! I mean, easy! Yes, I still love cake. I cannot deny that fact. Is it anyones birthday this week?
Have a great time experimenting with your food. I wish you this week...ease of preparing your meals and snacks and healthy digesting.
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
Nut Milk
--Two cups water in your blender----I use the Vitamix. The BlendTec works well also. I like my pulp as smooth as I can get it.
--One cup Raw almonds--they say raw almonds are getting hard to find. I still can find them in my local health food store. I actually just found them in a big box store, though they were not organic.
Put ingredients in your blender and blend until milky white and the almonds are well ground. Squeeze through a nut milk/sprouting bag into a container. The pulp can be stored in a separate container for up to a week in your fridge. I will use the milk the same day or one day later. Since this is fresh nut milk, it won't last long in your fridge. But this is easy enough to make every day. You can add more nuts and water or less nuts and water, depending on how much you want that day.
Here's what you can do with the milk and pulp.
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
Idea number 1: Cereal--2 tablespoons nut pulp. That's all I can have since too many nuts tend to upset my stomach. Add cut up banana, cinnamon, agave or honey, soaked raisins(these are quick, one hour or more), and any other fruit you have on hand or that you would like. I let the mixture set for a bit. This lets the honey absorb and makes it the consistency of oatmeal. Enjoy for any meal. Serve room temperature.
Idea number 2: All of the above plus add some cold nut milk.
Idea number 3: Nut pulp, finely diced apple, soaked raisins, cinnamon and honey/agave to taste. This is a great treat for the kids too! I just made this!
Idea number 4: Raw Chocolate Milkshake--2 cups nut milk. 1 Tablespoon raw cacao. 1 half frozen banana. 4 soaked dates(dates you can soak for a couple of hours or overnight). 1 Tablespoon agave or honey(optional). Place all ingredients in your Vitamix or blender of choice. Blend until smooth. Alternative ingredients to add into your shake: Soaked walnuts, blueberries, strawberries, coconut. Won't the kids love a chocolate milkshake that's HEALTHY!
What great ideas. Easy is my middle name. If I had a bigger kitchen with more counter space, I'd definitely purchase a dehydrater. But as you can see, with many staple ingredients that last on the shelf or in the fridge/freezer forever, you can make raw, healthy meals and treats in no time at all. And the best part? I made up these dishes. I didn't follow any specific recipe. It's what I've come to enjoy and when I figured out the tastes I liked and what my stomach could handle, the rest was cake! I mean, easy! Yes, I still love cake. I cannot deny that fact. Is it anyones birthday this week?
Have a great time experimenting with your food. I wish you this week...ease of preparing your meals and snacks and healthy digesting.
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
Friday, January 23, 2009
Feelings and What They Have To Do With Eating
No doubt about it....feeling your feelings is a big part of getting healthy. Healthy in the physical and healthy in the spiritual sense. My saying is "Just Feel It". When I was young I stopped eating to get attention. When I didn't get the attention, I overate. Then I just got lost in a sea of eating, not eating, stuffing emotions and denying emotions. There is a difference between stuffing and denying your emotions. Good luck figuring that one out. Experiencing my divorce over 15 year ago, was when I could officially say I realized I hadn't been feeling anything. Did I start feeling then? No way. There was a lot more to come before I could start feeling. But I did realize I wasn't feeling.
I've read a lot, processed a ton, and listened to all the raw foodies out there over the last 20 years. This I can now say, that there are more and more of us out there not afraid to admit we suffer from emotional eating. Yes, you can follow a raw lifestyle and still not be totally healed. C'mon, guys, none of us are perfect. It's only when we choose to deny our feelings to ourselves and to others, does it become a problem. This is a process. This is peeling the layers of an onion. There's always another layer.
When I cleaned out my kitchen of all processed and unhealthy items of food, I went 100% raw. Three months. I remember very clearly the first moment I actually "felt" that I didn't want a cookie. Not that I couldn't "have" a cookie. I didn't WANT one. Boy, was I mad. What? Not want a cookie? You love cookies, Donna. An interesting moment that was. My body was talking and not my head. But my head was angry. I vibrated for about three days with this. I couldn't stop shaking. I waited. I knew the real reason I was mad was about to come up. Yes, I processed something. That's another story on relationships. I thought at that time, "Great, I'm healed!" I couldn't have been more wrong. 40 years of holding in feelings and I was going to release them in three days?!? Yeah, right.
The feelings continue. What feeling is it though? Is it really about food or is it about me? Do I still eat cookies? Yes, I do. Sometimes more than two. But I'm listening to my inner voice a lot more. How do I do that? Lots of breathing. Lots of yoga, and some tears. I try to let the emotion wash over me before I eat. Not always. I still have food issues. Like an addict, I will always struggle with food issues. I do things to let myself know I'm loved. I hug my cat. I write these blogs. I take a nap. I give in to the stress of the moment and give up. I surrender to what is.
Stop being so hard on yourself. We are all human. Try being a "human being" and not a "human doing". As always, I wish you the best of health. Today I wish you good thoughts and the ability to feel them. There is change coming. Let it wash over you!
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
I've read a lot, processed a ton, and listened to all the raw foodies out there over the last 20 years. This I can now say, that there are more and more of us out there not afraid to admit we suffer from emotional eating. Yes, you can follow a raw lifestyle and still not be totally healed. C'mon, guys, none of us are perfect. It's only when we choose to deny our feelings to ourselves and to others, does it become a problem. This is a process. This is peeling the layers of an onion. There's always another layer.
When I cleaned out my kitchen of all processed and unhealthy items of food, I went 100% raw. Three months. I remember very clearly the first moment I actually "felt" that I didn't want a cookie. Not that I couldn't "have" a cookie. I didn't WANT one. Boy, was I mad. What? Not want a cookie? You love cookies, Donna. An interesting moment that was. My body was talking and not my head. But my head was angry. I vibrated for about three days with this. I couldn't stop shaking. I waited. I knew the real reason I was mad was about to come up. Yes, I processed something. That's another story on relationships. I thought at that time, "Great, I'm healed!" I couldn't have been more wrong. 40 years of holding in feelings and I was going to release them in three days?!? Yeah, right.
The feelings continue. What feeling is it though? Is it really about food or is it about me? Do I still eat cookies? Yes, I do. Sometimes more than two. But I'm listening to my inner voice a lot more. How do I do that? Lots of breathing. Lots of yoga, and some tears. I try to let the emotion wash over me before I eat. Not always. I still have food issues. Like an addict, I will always struggle with food issues. I do things to let myself know I'm loved. I hug my cat. I write these blogs. I take a nap. I give in to the stress of the moment and give up. I surrender to what is.
Stop being so hard on yourself. We are all human. Try being a "human being" and not a "human doing". As always, I wish you the best of health. Today I wish you good thoughts and the ability to feel them. There is change coming. Let it wash over you!
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
Have Yourself A Good Cry Today
My 96 year old grandmother just passed away. It's very interesting to watch how we all want to avoid the "break-down" and prove to ourselves that we can get through an emotional time without the tears. Or it could just not be the right time to cry. Even at 96, her death was unexpected, so most of us were just trying to get through the service and everything that had to be done. Once the adrenaline rush had dissipated, and we returned home, my daughter and I suffered through a 24 hour stomach bug. That's when the tears came and I was able to start to experience the grief and sadness of loss.
I rarely get sick and with the exhaustion of the week, I'm sure my defenses were quite depleted. Eating a high raw diet and not being home is difficult to say the least. Plus we are Italian, do I need to say more? I ate fruit and just one meal, but that was too much combined with the emotion of the week. After my daughter got better, it was my turn. I don't like being sick. Who does? Every muscle in my body ached. I couldn't walk, it hurt to move. When I decided to finally let go and let the "bug" win, I cried. I cried for all the times in my life when I hurt. I cried for my grandmother. I cried because I was in pain. I cried because it felt good to cry and I felt better after I did. I relaxed.
Why cry? Simple reasons.... a response to pain or for more complex reasons. Crying helps you become aware of emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, or grief. Holding in tears only allows those feelings to bury themselves inside your physical body. Eventually those feelings cause an overload of stress hormones and when levels get high, crying can release this and help you feel better. People cry after receiving happy news too. The feeling of powerlessness or the inability to influence what is happening can also lead to crying.
How you cry is a factor too in relieving stress and actually feeling better. There are the simple tears, the sobbing cry or the flat out wailing, beat on your pillow, cry. The emotional insight to your tears could be the deciding factor on whether your tears are being beneficial to your growth, personal and spiritual. For me, I've had times when the crying was just crying, and I got nothing out of it. But when the tears came like they did when I was sick, I know they were helping me heal. I could feel the stress I've held onto for so many years being let go of. When you cry and don't project that crying onto someone or something else, you can feel the sadness and grief on a deeper level. We all have sorrow. We need to release it. Sometimes, as during my grandmother's service, it's just not appropriate to wail. Tears? Absolutely.
Take the time today or tomorrow, or this weekend, to cry. I know when I'm in need of a good cry. I watch a sad movie, or a love story. That works! Then I take the time to "feel" my tears. To allow those tears to come from the depths of my pain. Then I go even deeper into the sadness, the grief. It's all the same. Sometimes the length of my crying is very short. It doesn't matter how long, as long as you are getting "in touch" with the emotions.
I rarely get sick and with the exhaustion of the week, I'm sure my defenses were quite depleted. Eating a high raw diet and not being home is difficult to say the least. Plus we are Italian, do I need to say more? I ate fruit and just one meal, but that was too much combined with the emotion of the week. After my daughter got better, it was my turn. I don't like being sick. Who does? Every muscle in my body ached. I couldn't walk, it hurt to move. When I decided to finally let go and let the "bug" win, I cried. I cried for all the times in my life when I hurt. I cried for my grandmother. I cried because I was in pain. I cried because it felt good to cry and I felt better after I did. I relaxed.
Why cry? Simple reasons.... a response to pain or for more complex reasons. Crying helps you become aware of emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, or grief. Holding in tears only allows those feelings to bury themselves inside your physical body. Eventually those feelings cause an overload of stress hormones and when levels get high, crying can release this and help you feel better. People cry after receiving happy news too. The feeling of powerlessness or the inability to influence what is happening can also lead to crying.
How you cry is a factor too in relieving stress and actually feeling better. There are the simple tears, the sobbing cry or the flat out wailing, beat on your pillow, cry. The emotional insight to your tears could be the deciding factor on whether your tears are being beneficial to your growth, personal and spiritual. For me, I've had times when the crying was just crying, and I got nothing out of it. But when the tears came like they did when I was sick, I know they were helping me heal. I could feel the stress I've held onto for so many years being let go of. When you cry and don't project that crying onto someone or something else, you can feel the sadness and grief on a deeper level. We all have sorrow. We need to release it. Sometimes, as during my grandmother's service, it's just not appropriate to wail. Tears? Absolutely.
Take the time today or tomorrow, or this weekend, to cry. I know when I'm in need of a good cry. I watch a sad movie, or a love story. That works! Then I take the time to "feel" my tears. To allow those tears to come from the depths of my pain. Then I go even deeper into the sadness, the grief. It's all the same. Sometimes the length of my crying is very short. It doesn't matter how long, as long as you are getting "in touch" with the emotions.
Every Day Is A New Day
It's that time of year again when everyone talks about resolutions. I was never a believer in these. Every night I make a resolution for the next day. Every morning I reaffirm that intention. The power of intention. If you think it, if you believe it....it will become reality.
Here are some ideas for you this morning(or afternoon or evening), it's never too late to set an intention. Before you start your exercise routine for the day, whether you take the stairs instead of the elevator or you work out at a gym, set an intention. What do you want to get out of your routine? How will you feel if you get what you want? Think about this for a minute. Let's say your intention is to get up each morning and stretch for at least 10 minutes tomorrow. If you do this, how will you feel after? That is your intention. Before I begin my yoga class, I set an intention. How do I want to be with myself during this class? How do I want to feel at the end of this class? How do I want to receive the rest of the day?
There is one big problem with setting resolutions as I see it. The guilt if I don't achieve what I set out to do. Guilt is not a healthy thing. I'm pretty sure all of you know this. "Guilt may reduce the ability of the immune system to fight off illness." Internal and external forces will cause "dis-ease" in the body. If I think negatively about my food intake, about my exercise or lack of exercise, it will affect my physical body. I find I can judge myself before I even eat something. I guess that's good....in a way. Now I can use that inner voice of judgment and turn it around.
Before starting to write this blog, I wanted something else to eat. I knew I wasn't hungry, I knew my body didn't want anything else, but still my mind was running away with this idea that I needed food, any food. I talked to myself. Asked myself questions about what I would feel like if I did eat something? I knew it wouldn't feel good. My stomach would hurt, either now or during the night. The intention I set this morning was to feel good all day and night. That intention made it much easier to listen to my body tonight, instead of my head. And yes, I'm still talking to myself tonight. There's a lot going on in my head tonight. I'm trying not to judge myself. Tonight I will set another intention for tomorrow. It may be the same as today, to just feel good. Yes, I could fail at this tonight, but tomorrow is a new day.
Here are some ideas for you this morning(or afternoon or evening), it's never too late to set an intention. Before you start your exercise routine for the day, whether you take the stairs instead of the elevator or you work out at a gym, set an intention. What do you want to get out of your routine? How will you feel if you get what you want? Think about this for a minute. Let's say your intention is to get up each morning and stretch for at least 10 minutes tomorrow. If you do this, how will you feel after? That is your intention. Before I begin my yoga class, I set an intention. How do I want to be with myself during this class? How do I want to feel at the end of this class? How do I want to receive the rest of the day?
There is one big problem with setting resolutions as I see it. The guilt if I don't achieve what I set out to do. Guilt is not a healthy thing. I'm pretty sure all of you know this. "Guilt may reduce the ability of the immune system to fight off illness." Internal and external forces will cause "dis-ease" in the body. If I think negatively about my food intake, about my exercise or lack of exercise, it will affect my physical body. I find I can judge myself before I even eat something. I guess that's good....in a way. Now I can use that inner voice of judgment and turn it around.
Before starting to write this blog, I wanted something else to eat. I knew I wasn't hungry, I knew my body didn't want anything else, but still my mind was running away with this idea that I needed food, any food. I talked to myself. Asked myself questions about what I would feel like if I did eat something? I knew it wouldn't feel good. My stomach would hurt, either now or during the night. The intention I set this morning was to feel good all day and night. That intention made it much easier to listen to my body tonight, instead of my head. And yes, I'm still talking to myself tonight. There's a lot going on in my head tonight. I'm trying not to judge myself. Tonight I will set another intention for tomorrow. It may be the same as today, to just feel good. Yes, I could fail at this tonight, but tomorrow is a new day.
Just Because It's Easy, Doesn't Mean It's Healthy
It's certainly easier to go for fast food, already cut up, already washed items while you're grocery shopping or looking for that quick lunch idea......BUT.... is that really the healthier choice?
Let's start with baby carrots. In whole carrots, most of the nutrition is contained in or just below the skin. In order to make baby carrots, this healthy portion is removed. Then the carrots are washed in chlorinated water and some are even dipped in a stronger chlorine solution to keep their looks once in your local store. If you believe labels, "baby carrots" are carrots harvested while the vegetables are still small. "Baby Cut Carrots" are made by the process explained above. Which would you rather on your table? Personally, I'll take organic whole carrots when I can get them. These you don't have to wash. If they aren't organic, wash and peel your carrots. Then you can eat or juice them.
Carrots are a great source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of pro-vitamin A carotenes. Antioxidant compounds help to protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and beta-carotene helps to protect good vision, especially night vision that affects most of us over the age of...ahem.....40. Carrots should be stored in a plastic or "green bag", or wrapped in a paper towel to reduce the amount of condensation. When storing in green bags, only store one type fruit or veggie per bag. If the carrots you buy have their tops attached, cut these before storing, as they will pull moisture from the carrot itself causing it to wilt prematurely.
What else can you do with those fresh, whole, organic carrots? Breakfast anyone?
CARROT DRINKS
Try these combinations in your juicer tomorrow morning.
Carrot and apple
Carrot, apple and celery
Carrot all by itself
CARROT AVOCADO DRESSING
1/2 avocado 1/2 cup celery juice
1 clove garlic 1/4 cup water, if needed
cayenne to taste 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup carrot juice 1/4 cup chopped scallion
Combine all ingredients except the scallion in your blender. Stir in the scallion and season to taste.
How about frozen wheatgrass? That's convenient, right? Ah, but not as healthy and nutritious as the real thing. Most of the wheatgrass grown for frozen juice or dried wheatgrass powders is grown outside on acres of land. It is also usually second cut wheatgrass too. To get optimum benefit from wheatgrass, you want baby grass, first cut grass. There is a lot to say about frozen vs. fresh that I just don't have the space for here. Make your own choice. You can grow your own wheatgrass. You don't have to settle for the easy way out.
Let's start with baby carrots. In whole carrots, most of the nutrition is contained in or just below the skin. In order to make baby carrots, this healthy portion is removed. Then the carrots are washed in chlorinated water and some are even dipped in a stronger chlorine solution to keep their looks once in your local store. If you believe labels, "baby carrots" are carrots harvested while the vegetables are still small. "Baby Cut Carrots" are made by the process explained above. Which would you rather on your table? Personally, I'll take organic whole carrots when I can get them. These you don't have to wash. If they aren't organic, wash and peel your carrots. Then you can eat or juice them.
Carrots are a great source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of pro-vitamin A carotenes. Antioxidant compounds help to protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and beta-carotene helps to protect good vision, especially night vision that affects most of us over the age of...ahem.....40. Carrots should be stored in a plastic or "green bag", or wrapped in a paper towel to reduce the amount of condensation. When storing in green bags, only store one type fruit or veggie per bag. If the carrots you buy have their tops attached, cut these before storing, as they will pull moisture from the carrot itself causing it to wilt prematurely.
What else can you do with those fresh, whole, organic carrots? Breakfast anyone?
CARROT DRINKS
Try these combinations in your juicer tomorrow morning.
Carrot and apple
Carrot, apple and celery
Carrot all by itself
CARROT AVOCADO DRESSING
1/2 avocado 1/2 cup celery juice
1 clove garlic 1/4 cup water, if needed
cayenne to taste 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup carrot juice 1/4 cup chopped scallion
Combine all ingredients except the scallion in your blender. Stir in the scallion and season to taste.
How about frozen wheatgrass? That's convenient, right? Ah, but not as healthy and nutritious as the real thing. Most of the wheatgrass grown for frozen juice or dried wheatgrass powders is grown outside on acres of land. It is also usually second cut wheatgrass too. To get optimum benefit from wheatgrass, you want baby grass, first cut grass. There is a lot to say about frozen vs. fresh that I just don't have the space for here. Make your own choice. You can grow your own wheatgrass. You don't have to settle for the easy way out.
This Tastes Just Like Coffee
What happens when you "go raw"? Below are some great answers to that question. I apologize in advance to whoever wrote these. I don't have the author, but I'm sure it was their intention to share. Because it's nice to share.
1. You Wake UP!
2. You become more sensitive (things feel much better or worse depending on what they are)
3. You get to hear your own voice more clearly
4. You start to be kinder to yourself and the world around you
5. You start to believe in a more "magical" way of living and being (because you can feel it running through your veins)
6. You feel more pain when things aren't a good fit for you (and don't use food to block that fact out)
7. You have more energy to take action
8. You are generally more positive and upbeat; you begin to believe (and witness) that anything is possible
9. You start to meet others like you and learn through what they have to say and what they have done that there is another way
10. You begin to feel brave enough and vital enough to take the action required to make some big changes, if required, in order to be true to you
Ok, you are asking yourself, what does this have to do with coffee? Because this next raw green smoothie recipe tastes just like coffee!!!! I discovered this by accident. Most of my raw treats are by accident or found by adding or subtracting something from a recipe. You just have to let go of that fear of being wrong or not being worthy of feeling good. So, here's that recipe:
Uncoffee Smoothie
Handful of collard greens
Handful of spinach
One frozen banana
1 1/2 cup water
One shot of flax oil
3 frozen strawberries
Throw it all in your Vitamix or BlendTec and enjoy
Here's another one that tastes like those Orange frozen drinks you find at fairs.
Raw Orange Smoothie
1 1/2 cup almond milk....here's what I do for this. Take about a cup of raw almonds and about 1and 1/2 cups of water and put in your blender. Blend until it breaks down the almonds(it will become white, like milk). Drain the milk through your mesh bag. Save the nut pulp for a great substitute for morning cereal, and put the nut milk back in the blender.
The juice of two oranges (or if you are using a Vitamix or BlendTec....THE WHOLE ORANGE)
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
That's it. How simple, right? All for you to get started on a living food journey that's all your own. It's really about your journey. What's your journey look like? I am not, by any means, 100% raw. There are days when all I do eat is raw. I always manage to get in some sort of smoothie in the morning. If there's enough, I'll drink through the day. That fills me up. Then I have something cooked for dinner. It's a small portion of cooked food. The more cooked I eat, the worse I feel. That's where I am at this moment. I'm working on number 6 from the list above right now. We're really not that different. Me and you. The journey up the mountain is different for everyone. The view from the top is the same! I take a lot of small steps. Sometimes I'm pushed to make a large step forward, but that's only with a lot of prior warning.
To end my entry today, here's that recipe I promised for Halva:
1 1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup raw tahini (I just grind sesame seeds)
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon carob powder
Place almonds in your food processor until ground. Add tahini, honey and vanilla and process thoroughly. Put 1/2 of the mixture in a bowl and set aside. Add carob to remainder and process. From here, either roll both parts together into a ball, form to a pie plate or eat right out of the food processor. Now that's what I love about my raw food!
Be happy and healthy.
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
1. You Wake UP!
2. You become more sensitive (things feel much better or worse depending on what they are)
3. You get to hear your own voice more clearly
4. You start to be kinder to yourself and the world around you
5. You start to believe in a more "magical" way of living and being (because you can feel it running through your veins)
6. You feel more pain when things aren't a good fit for you (and don't use food to block that fact out)
7. You have more energy to take action
8. You are generally more positive and upbeat; you begin to believe (and witness) that anything is possible
9. You start to meet others like you and learn through what they have to say and what they have done that there is another way
10. You begin to feel brave enough and vital enough to take the action required to make some big changes, if required, in order to be true to you
Ok, you are asking yourself, what does this have to do with coffee? Because this next raw green smoothie recipe tastes just like coffee!!!! I discovered this by accident. Most of my raw treats are by accident or found by adding or subtracting something from a recipe. You just have to let go of that fear of being wrong or not being worthy of feeling good. So, here's that recipe:
Uncoffee Smoothie
Handful of collard greens
Handful of spinach
One frozen banana
1 1/2 cup water
One shot of flax oil
3 frozen strawberries
Throw it all in your Vitamix or BlendTec and enjoy
Here's another one that tastes like those Orange frozen drinks you find at fairs.
Raw Orange Smoothie
1 1/2 cup almond milk....here's what I do for this. Take about a cup of raw almonds and about 1and 1/2 cups of water and put in your blender. Blend until it breaks down the almonds(it will become white, like milk). Drain the milk through your mesh bag. Save the nut pulp for a great substitute for morning cereal, and put the nut milk back in the blender.
The juice of two oranges (or if you are using a Vitamix or BlendTec....THE WHOLE ORANGE)
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
That's it. How simple, right? All for you to get started on a living food journey that's all your own. It's really about your journey. What's your journey look like? I am not, by any means, 100% raw. There are days when all I do eat is raw. I always manage to get in some sort of smoothie in the morning. If there's enough, I'll drink through the day. That fills me up. Then I have something cooked for dinner. It's a small portion of cooked food. The more cooked I eat, the worse I feel. That's where I am at this moment. I'm working on number 6 from the list above right now. We're really not that different. Me and you. The journey up the mountain is different for everyone. The view from the top is the same! I take a lot of small steps. Sometimes I'm pushed to make a large step forward, but that's only with a lot of prior warning.
To end my entry today, here's that recipe I promised for Halva:
1 1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup raw tahini (I just grind sesame seeds)
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon carob powder
Place almonds in your food processor until ground. Add tahini, honey and vanilla and process thoroughly. Put 1/2 of the mixture in a bowl and set aside. Add carob to remainder and process. From here, either roll both parts together into a ball, form to a pie plate or eat right out of the food processor. Now that's what I love about my raw food!
Be happy and healthy.
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
Less Is More...REALLY!
The saying "Less is more" means that when something is understated or done in a low-key manner it is much more effective. Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, furniture designer and architect, is often associated with the phrase and a proponent of simplicity and clarity leading to good design. Let's first get out of the way when less is definitely NOT more....like love, kindness and gratitude.
Seven years ago I was just about half way into a month long yoga teacher training. Breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of a wonderful buffet line of healthy food options. I was practicing yoga about 5 hours a day and participating in experiential workshops the rest of the day. So why was I feeling bloated and most certainly not healthy? Not to mention, my physical body was saying "stop working me so hard"! I made an appointment with a wonderful body healer and his words to me were "Stop eating so much". What? Don't I have to eat three meals a day? "Try this", he said, "Instead of a tray, two plates, and fork, knife and spoon, just take a small bowl and one utensil". So I believe I put people in front of me that I'm meant to learn from and I took his advice. And yes, you guessed it, it worked. I felt 100% better in no time. My first experience with "less is more". The less I ate, the more my body could use its energy to help me get through this very long month of yoga and learning. I not only ate less, I ate slower, allowing my body to digest, assimilate and eliminate to its optimum efficiency.
I'll explain why this works. Eating less allows your body to spend less energy digesting food and more energy healing. It's what your body wants to do...HEAL ITSELF! Taking this one step further, digesting cooked food demands much more energy than the digestion of raw food. Raw foods contain enzymes which aid in digestion, giving the body's own enzymes a better chance to regulate the body's metabolic processes. Cooked foods deplete these enzymes, making digestion more difficult, which could lead to toxic build up in the body, obesity and chronic disease. Raw food is not only good for physical body healing, but also for emotional body healing. Having that extra energy gave me time and clarity to hear my own voice. It wasn't always a kind voice, that voice inside my head. But at least now I could hear it and do something about it.
I'm a very bland raw foodist. Simple and less is what's best and what works for me. I do eat some cooked food, but I don't need or want as much as I used to. And when I start to feel bad, physically or emotionally, the first thing I look at is what I'm eating.
Another lesson I learned at my month long training was the one of silence. An extreme example in "less is more." At anytime you could choose to spend the day in silence. There's not enough space here to explain to you what happens when you do not speak.
I use "less is more" often during the course of my day. I ask you to try it too the next time you are having a "discussion" with a loved one or with yourself.
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
Seven years ago I was just about half way into a month long yoga teacher training. Breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of a wonderful buffet line of healthy food options. I was practicing yoga about 5 hours a day and participating in experiential workshops the rest of the day. So why was I feeling bloated and most certainly not healthy? Not to mention, my physical body was saying "stop working me so hard"! I made an appointment with a wonderful body healer and his words to me were "Stop eating so much". What? Don't I have to eat three meals a day? "Try this", he said, "Instead of a tray, two plates, and fork, knife and spoon, just take a small bowl and one utensil". So I believe I put people in front of me that I'm meant to learn from and I took his advice. And yes, you guessed it, it worked. I felt 100% better in no time. My first experience with "less is more". The less I ate, the more my body could use its energy to help me get through this very long month of yoga and learning. I not only ate less, I ate slower, allowing my body to digest, assimilate and eliminate to its optimum efficiency.
I'll explain why this works. Eating less allows your body to spend less energy digesting food and more energy healing. It's what your body wants to do...HEAL ITSELF! Taking this one step further, digesting cooked food demands much more energy than the digestion of raw food. Raw foods contain enzymes which aid in digestion, giving the body's own enzymes a better chance to regulate the body's metabolic processes. Cooked foods deplete these enzymes, making digestion more difficult, which could lead to toxic build up in the body, obesity and chronic disease. Raw food is not only good for physical body healing, but also for emotional body healing. Having that extra energy gave me time and clarity to hear my own voice. It wasn't always a kind voice, that voice inside my head. But at least now I could hear it and do something about it.
I'm a very bland raw foodist. Simple and less is what's best and what works for me. I do eat some cooked food, but I don't need or want as much as I used to. And when I start to feel bad, physically or emotionally, the first thing I look at is what I'm eating.
Another lesson I learned at my month long training was the one of silence. An extreme example in "less is more." At anytime you could choose to spend the day in silence. There's not enough space here to explain to you what happens when you do not speak.
I use "less is more" often during the course of my day. I ask you to try it too the next time you are having a "discussion" with a loved one or with yourself.
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
How Do You Take Care Of Yourself?
A good question right? I'm not just talking about excercise or eating right. I mean pampering yourself. Gentle yoga, breathing, a great bubble bath, sitting in front of the fire, meditating, singing, dancing. How about we take a moment to just breathe? Sit upright, plant both your feet on the earth, and place your hands, palms up, on your legs. Close your eyes. (C'mon, this will only take a moment...turn your phone off, take a five minute break from your busy life) Bring your attention to your belly and how the belly rises and falls with each breath. Relax your jaw, soften your eyes and allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears. Start to bring your breath into your lungs. Belly then lungs expand with the inhale and lungs then belly deflate with the exhale. Do this a few times and just keep your awareness on your breath. Try to keep a wave like motion with each breath. Now you can start to lengthen your exhale and let out a sigh when you do. Open your mouth and let out a long sigh. AAAAAAAAAA. That's nice. Now that you've read HOW to do this....go ahead and do it. When you are done, notice how you feel. Then go ahead and get back to whatever you were doing. You took five minutes to pamper yourself.
We are human beings...not human doings. How can we stop doing and start being? Well, obviously we have to continue doing things. There's our work, our children, our pets, the daily chores, to name a few. In these days of upheaval and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to take care of yourself. This could just mean doing the above breathing exercise a couple times a day. Eventually this exercise becomes part of your daily life. Breathing will open your heart and slow you down, putting you right into the present moment.
Slowing down......let's start here. Yoga was a good start for me. My first few years of practice I was your "type A" yoga student. Moving fast through what the instructor asked us to do and definitely NOT breathing. In my quest to "do" everything right, I was actually hurting myself and was most certainly NOT in the present moment. Only when I woke up one morning and couldn't move my neck, did I realize something was wrong with my way of thinking regarding the well being of my physical body. This took me on a long journey through many types of healing modalities from accupuncture to x-rays. It eventually led me to some great body work and to the raw food lifestyle. And to practicing a more gentle form of yoga. Now my yoga practice is more about what my body wants and not what my mind or the instructor wants.
What can you do today to start pampering yourself? How about these ideas:
Cooking your evening meal during the day in a crock pot saves time. Instead of slaving in the kitchen at night, take a few moments to do your breathing. This will give your body the time to let go of the day, which will give you a clearer mind when it comes to choosing what and how much your body needs to eat.
I have only a very small space in my house to lay out my yoga blanket. But I do this as many mornings as I can. I also do some yoga before I even get up. Set your alarm for just 10 minutes earlier and stay under the covers. Breathe, stretch....and don't forget to make sound on your exhale.
At night, I love my heated neck warmer. Relieves the tension of the day. I just close my eyes and put on some great soothing music.
I live in the northeast, where winter brings many sunless days. On the days the sun is in the sky, I put myself right in its path. Sitting in my window or laying on the floor to absorb the rays.
What are you going to do today that's just for you? How are you going to slow down during this very busy time of the year? I am sending you light and love.......
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
We are human beings...not human doings. How can we stop doing and start being? Well, obviously we have to continue doing things. There's our work, our children, our pets, the daily chores, to name a few. In these days of upheaval and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to take care of yourself. This could just mean doing the above breathing exercise a couple times a day. Eventually this exercise becomes part of your daily life. Breathing will open your heart and slow you down, putting you right into the present moment.
Slowing down......let's start here. Yoga was a good start for me. My first few years of practice I was your "type A" yoga student. Moving fast through what the instructor asked us to do and definitely NOT breathing. In my quest to "do" everything right, I was actually hurting myself and was most certainly NOT in the present moment. Only when I woke up one morning and couldn't move my neck, did I realize something was wrong with my way of thinking regarding the well being of my physical body. This took me on a long journey through many types of healing modalities from accupuncture to x-rays. It eventually led me to some great body work and to the raw food lifestyle. And to practicing a more gentle form of yoga. Now my yoga practice is more about what my body wants and not what my mind or the instructor wants.
What can you do today to start pampering yourself? How about these ideas:
Cooking your evening meal during the day in a crock pot saves time. Instead of slaving in the kitchen at night, take a few moments to do your breathing. This will give your body the time to let go of the day, which will give you a clearer mind when it comes to choosing what and how much your body needs to eat.
I have only a very small space in my house to lay out my yoga blanket. But I do this as many mornings as I can. I also do some yoga before I even get up. Set your alarm for just 10 minutes earlier and stay under the covers. Breathe, stretch....and don't forget to make sound on your exhale.
At night, I love my heated neck warmer. Relieves the tension of the day. I just close my eyes and put on some great soothing music.
I live in the northeast, where winter brings many sunless days. On the days the sun is in the sky, I put myself right in its path. Sitting in my window or laying on the floor to absorb the rays.
What are you going to do today that's just for you? How are you going to slow down during this very busy time of the year? I am sending you light and love.......
Donna Bergonzi-Boyle
Choices
We make many choices in the course of our lives. When I decided to get pregnant, I made the choice to become a vegetarian. I thought that was the right choice for my baby. It turned out to also be the right choice for me. My daughter was born 18 years ago. At that time there weren't a lot of choices or places to turn that supported my beliefs. I didn't want to give her dairy and I didn't want to give her meat. I'll never forget at each visit to the pediatrician when the doctor would ask her if she was drinking milk and eating meat and my little girl would just nod her head. Then we'd have a good laugh in the car. There's more than one way to get your vitamins and nutrients! She was rarely sick and she was growing in all ways. I made choices. I made mashed bananas and mashed vegetables. I purchased the expensive, organic baby food at the local health food store. As she grew, I made other choices.
We live in a town without fast food. I am thankful for that. I took as much as I could in the car with me for road trips. Eventually we'd have to stop at a restaurant or fast food chain. Again, the choices there were minimal. Today there are more choices . And now there's much more support for kids and making healthy choices every day for yourself and your children.
How do you make the choice to eat healthier? It starts with asking for just that...And then listening. At a yoga retreat many years ago, I sat down to a silent breakfast. I asked my body what it needed to eat. I walked through the food line and put only what my body needed on my plate. How did I know? I listened. I sat and thanked all the hands that came into contact with the food on my plate. I took one small bite. I put the fork down. I chewed until it was liquid in my mouth. And I did that again and again until I was finished. I took the time to slow down.
Two years ago I made the choice to delve into a raw food lifestyle. The internet has put in front of us a wealth of knowledge. We make choices every day. Lately my choices come more from my body than my mind. I wake up grateful for the gifts that will appear in my life that day. Does it always work? Nope...it doesn't. That's where the choice of feeling guilty or not comes into play. I choose to drink my greens. I choose to eat smaller amounts. Since my transition to more living foods, I need less food. I feel the best I've ever felt. Do I eat this way 100% of the time? No, I don't. And that's my choice.
Yesterday I visited a friend at his farm. He was kind enough to let me go home with a bag full of his root veggies and swiss chard. Yes, that's right....it's Dec 6th in Vermont and he's still growing greens! I'm writing this with a green smoothie by my side. I put in my Vitamix the following ingredients:
1-2 cups water
Two big handfuls of fresh organic swiss chard
Small amount of parsley
One frozen banana
One cup of frozen raspberries
Every part of my mind this morning wanted to eat something that my body didn't want. I took deep breaths and I made the choice to drink what I knew would make me feel better. Ultimately it really is about feeling better. Body and soul. I will be thinking about you today making the right choice for your body. I’ve come a long way and I’m still learning. Here’s to the choices we make and may they be the right ones for each of us.
Donna, I chose that, Bergonzi-Boyle
We live in a town without fast food. I am thankful for that. I took as much as I could in the car with me for road trips. Eventually we'd have to stop at a restaurant or fast food chain. Again, the choices there were minimal. Today there are more choices . And now there's much more support for kids and making healthy choices every day for yourself and your children.
How do you make the choice to eat healthier? It starts with asking for just that...And then listening. At a yoga retreat many years ago, I sat down to a silent breakfast. I asked my body what it needed to eat. I walked through the food line and put only what my body needed on my plate. How did I know? I listened. I sat and thanked all the hands that came into contact with the food on my plate. I took one small bite. I put the fork down. I chewed until it was liquid in my mouth. And I did that again and again until I was finished. I took the time to slow down.
Two years ago I made the choice to delve into a raw food lifestyle. The internet has put in front of us a wealth of knowledge. We make choices every day. Lately my choices come more from my body than my mind. I wake up grateful for the gifts that will appear in my life that day. Does it always work? Nope...it doesn't. That's where the choice of feeling guilty or not comes into play. I choose to drink my greens. I choose to eat smaller amounts. Since my transition to more living foods, I need less food. I feel the best I've ever felt. Do I eat this way 100% of the time? No, I don't. And that's my choice.
Yesterday I visited a friend at his farm. He was kind enough to let me go home with a bag full of his root veggies and swiss chard. Yes, that's right....it's Dec 6th in Vermont and he's still growing greens! I'm writing this with a green smoothie by my side. I put in my Vitamix the following ingredients:
1-2 cups water
Two big handfuls of fresh organic swiss chard
Small amount of parsley
One frozen banana
One cup of frozen raspberries
Every part of my mind this morning wanted to eat something that my body didn't want. I took deep breaths and I made the choice to drink what I knew would make me feel better. Ultimately it really is about feeling better. Body and soul. I will be thinking about you today making the right choice for your body. I’ve come a long way and I’m still learning. Here’s to the choices we make and may they be the right ones for each of us.
Donna, I chose that, Bergonzi-Boyle
To Juice Or Not To Juice
Oh, who am I kidding. There’s only one answer here. JUICE!!!
Ghandi said, “Chew your drink and drink your food.” What does that mean? Very simple, take the time to liquefy your food before swallowing, and swish your drink around before swallowing. Liquid is the way to go for assimilation and elimination.
The only question I ask myself in the morning is this… “Should I use my Champion juicer or my Vitamix today?” Or use my own teeth! I first started seriously juicing over two years ago. When I went “raw” and bought my Champion, I juiced anything I could get my hands on. Fruits, veggies….mixing whatever I wanted. My teenager loved taking different colored concoctions to school. Her friends would always ask, “Did you buy that”? Here’s one of those drinks:
Veggie/Fruit Drink
Four carrots
Two apples
If your produce is organic, you don’t have to peel, but it’s a good idea to peel non-organic produce. I don’t even core the apple. Put all ingredients through your juicer and pour into your drink container and take it to work or school. You can add anything else to this drink for your own taste. How about some ginger or lemon? Or how about this for the holidays? Cranberries, apples and grapes. Throw them by the handful into your juicer.
We used our juicer every morning. Then my friend gave me “Green For Life”, by Victoria Boutenko. She says this about green smoothies… “Blended green smoothies are a simple and delicious way of accessing the healing properties of greens. Whether you eat a raw food, vegan, vegetarian or mainstream American diet, regularly drinking green smoothies can significantly improve your health.”
Ok, now I’m onto something. I had never heard of these and I was really getting tired of the whole breakfast drama. Out came the Vitamix and in went the kale and fruit. That was it! Kale, water and fruit. Whatever fruit I had on hand. My daughter didn’t try these right away. I waited patiently till one day she said, “I’ll try those things now.” And so she did and is still drinking them today. We were getting more green in our diet than we were eating cooked or in our salads! Kale, spinach, collards….any green. Here’s one of my favorite green smoothie recipes:
Two handfuls of any green on hand. Spinach is a good starter.
1-2 cups of water
Three strawberries
One banana
Teaspoon Flax oil or crushed flax seed
Place all in your blender. I use the Vitamix. It whips it up quickly and there’s no pulp. I also use frozen fruit or ice cubes to keep the drink cool.
I felt good knowing that if I couldn’t control everything she ate during the course of the day, that at least I was sending her out of the house with something that to me…was better than the conventional breakfast I grew up with. And how easy and convenient! I love green smoothies. I always have frozen fruit in the freezer, and some sort of green in the fridge. Summer was great for heading out to the garden and juicing all the leaves of the veggies that were growing. Yum!
There’s one warning here: Drinking green smoothies every day can lead to more energy, a better night’s sleep, weight loss, less cravings for cooked or unhealthy processed foods, and an overall clearer picture of life. Not to mention more cravings for green smoothies. check out www.877myjuicer.com for your juicing needs!
Donna, yep I juiced that, Bergonzi-Boyle
Ghandi said, “Chew your drink and drink your food.” What does that mean? Very simple, take the time to liquefy your food before swallowing, and swish your drink around before swallowing. Liquid is the way to go for assimilation and elimination.
The only question I ask myself in the morning is this… “Should I use my Champion juicer or my Vitamix today?” Or use my own teeth! I first started seriously juicing over two years ago. When I went “raw” and bought my Champion, I juiced anything I could get my hands on. Fruits, veggies….mixing whatever I wanted. My teenager loved taking different colored concoctions to school. Her friends would always ask, “Did you buy that”? Here’s one of those drinks:
Veggie/Fruit Drink
Four carrots
Two apples
If your produce is organic, you don’t have to peel, but it’s a good idea to peel non-organic produce. I don’t even core the apple. Put all ingredients through your juicer and pour into your drink container and take it to work or school. You can add anything else to this drink for your own taste. How about some ginger or lemon? Or how about this for the holidays? Cranberries, apples and grapes. Throw them by the handful into your juicer.
We used our juicer every morning. Then my friend gave me “Green For Life”, by Victoria Boutenko. She says this about green smoothies… “Blended green smoothies are a simple and delicious way of accessing the healing properties of greens. Whether you eat a raw food, vegan, vegetarian or mainstream American diet, regularly drinking green smoothies can significantly improve your health.”
Ok, now I’m onto something. I had never heard of these and I was really getting tired of the whole breakfast drama. Out came the Vitamix and in went the kale and fruit. That was it! Kale, water and fruit. Whatever fruit I had on hand. My daughter didn’t try these right away. I waited patiently till one day she said, “I’ll try those things now.” And so she did and is still drinking them today. We were getting more green in our diet than we were eating cooked or in our salads! Kale, spinach, collards….any green. Here’s one of my favorite green smoothie recipes:
Two handfuls of any green on hand. Spinach is a good starter.
1-2 cups of water
Three strawberries
One banana
Teaspoon Flax oil or crushed flax seed
Place all in your blender. I use the Vitamix. It whips it up quickly and there’s no pulp. I also use frozen fruit or ice cubes to keep the drink cool.
I felt good knowing that if I couldn’t control everything she ate during the course of the day, that at least I was sending her out of the house with something that to me…was better than the conventional breakfast I grew up with. And how easy and convenient! I love green smoothies. I always have frozen fruit in the freezer, and some sort of green in the fridge. Summer was great for heading out to the garden and juicing all the leaves of the veggies that were growing. Yum!
There’s one warning here: Drinking green smoothies every day can lead to more energy, a better night’s sleep, weight loss, less cravings for cooked or unhealthy processed foods, and an overall clearer picture of life. Not to mention more cravings for green smoothies. check out www.877myjuicer.com for your juicing needs!
Donna, yep I juiced that, Bergonzi-Boyle
Sprouting...It Really Is That Easy
Webster’s defines the word sprouting as the following: to grow, spring up, or come forth, to send out new growth: cause to develop. When a recipe calls for “sprouted almonds”, that means soaking in water for at least a few hours. You won’t see a tail in that time from an almond. However, there are some seed and bean that you will see that cute little tail spring forth. Sprouting is waking the seed or bean up. It also means soaking the bean over night and then rinsing said seed or bean, until it grows a tail. Some tails are longer than others. Proteins, enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients activate with sprouting. Beans are a time-honored way to get plenty of protein with low fat, high fiber and no cholesterol. Steve Meyerowitz says, “Sprouts are a veritable vitamin factory.”
Today I am letting you in on one of the secrets of a living food lifestyle. It really is easy! There’s minimal prep time except if you have to sprout something. However, it does require a commitment. A commitment to be happy and healthy! Didn’t you hear the news about the key to the door of happiness? There isn’t a key! The door’s not locked!
Yesterday I stopped in to see my good friend Sarah. She was preparing Halva, the raw version. I believe it took a total of 15 minutes and that included a call from her husband and the time it took for us to taste it. Let me be honest with you (I seem to do that a lot), it was fabulous. I’ll be making it this weekend and will share that recipe in another episode.
How about that sprouting lesson? Today it is sprouted bean mix. I like adzuki, mung, green and red lentil and fenugreek. All these make one interesting blend of flavors. Here’s how easy it is. Take a handful, a cup (however much you want), of all your beans (a little less of the fenugreek), place in a mason jar, glass bowl or your sprouter. Soak overnight. Rinse and drain in the morning into your sprout bag or leave in your sprouter. I use a sprout bag or the Biosta Sprouter. With the sprout bag you can rinse through it and leave in a colander to drain in the sink. With the Biosta, fill the top layer with water and then it drains itself through the next two layers, rinsing the other layers as it drains. Then for two or three days, rinse and allow to drain at least 2 times a day, more if you are home. Too much sunlight and they can wilt and die. Once you see the tail spring forth, or you taste it and it’s soft enough for you, go ahead and eat it! You can place this mix on your salad, on a sandwich with avocado and lettuce, in your guacamole, in your green drink, or by the handful. Great for travel or in the office for that snack at your desk. And it’s living food! Living food is filled and surrounded by energy. By eating living food you are absorbing that energy field. You are reaping tremendous health benefits. This mix will last in the refrigerator a week or more. You can rinse again if the mix starts to get slimy.
Adzuki beans contain protease inhibitors which discourage the development of cancerous cells. Fenugreek is used as a digestive aid. This sprout could reduce inflammation. Lentils are great substitutes for meat and when combined with a leafy green, they are better absorbed by the body. Mung are rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium.
Again, I ask you…..What are you waiting for? Another good thing about dry seed and bean? They will outlast you! Store in the fridge or freezer.
Happy living trails to you. check out 877myjuicer.com for your sprouting needs
Donna, yep I sprouted that, Bergonzi-Boyle
Today I am letting you in on one of the secrets of a living food lifestyle. It really is easy! There’s minimal prep time except if you have to sprout something. However, it does require a commitment. A commitment to be happy and healthy! Didn’t you hear the news about the key to the door of happiness? There isn’t a key! The door’s not locked!
Yesterday I stopped in to see my good friend Sarah. She was preparing Halva, the raw version. I believe it took a total of 15 minutes and that included a call from her husband and the time it took for us to taste it. Let me be honest with you (I seem to do that a lot), it was fabulous. I’ll be making it this weekend and will share that recipe in another episode.
How about that sprouting lesson? Today it is sprouted bean mix. I like adzuki, mung, green and red lentil and fenugreek. All these make one interesting blend of flavors. Here’s how easy it is. Take a handful, a cup (however much you want), of all your beans (a little less of the fenugreek), place in a mason jar, glass bowl or your sprouter. Soak overnight. Rinse and drain in the morning into your sprout bag or leave in your sprouter. I use a sprout bag or the Biosta Sprouter. With the sprout bag you can rinse through it and leave in a colander to drain in the sink. With the Biosta, fill the top layer with water and then it drains itself through the next two layers, rinsing the other layers as it drains. Then for two or three days, rinse and allow to drain at least 2 times a day, more if you are home. Too much sunlight and they can wilt and die. Once you see the tail spring forth, or you taste it and it’s soft enough for you, go ahead and eat it! You can place this mix on your salad, on a sandwich with avocado and lettuce, in your guacamole, in your green drink, or by the handful. Great for travel or in the office for that snack at your desk. And it’s living food! Living food is filled and surrounded by energy. By eating living food you are absorbing that energy field. You are reaping tremendous health benefits. This mix will last in the refrigerator a week or more. You can rinse again if the mix starts to get slimy.
Adzuki beans contain protease inhibitors which discourage the development of cancerous cells. Fenugreek is used as a digestive aid. This sprout could reduce inflammation. Lentils are great substitutes for meat and when combined with a leafy green, they are better absorbed by the body. Mung are rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium.
Again, I ask you…..What are you waiting for? Another good thing about dry seed and bean? They will outlast you! Store in the fridge or freezer.
Happy living trails to you. check out 877myjuicer.com for your sprouting needs
Donna, yep I sprouted that, Bergonzi-Boyle
I Grow Grass and Sprouts!
What? You grow grass? Isn’t that illegal? Common words I hear when I tell people that I’ve been growing grass for the last 15 years. They start to walk away from me when I tell them my Dad turned me on to it!
I first saw that beautiful grass at The Optimum Health Institute in CA. My parents were working there and my brother Michael had just started there too. He designed and built the greenhouse along with my Dad, and also built up his reputation as being one of the master wheatgrass growers in the country. A greenhouse filled with grass and sprouts is a site to behold. The energy, the oxygen, the green! Just breathe and be healed! Why do we hold our breath? I have been a practitioner of yoga for over 15 years and I know why. Breathing takes you into the present moment. You cannot be in the present moment without the willingness to feel hurt. That is a tough statement to comprehend, let alone “feel”. But I’ll go into that in another excerpt. Let’s get back to growing grass….
I watched and listened to my Dad and brother. “When is my turn”? I continued to ask myself that. I knew I would get there someday. With their advice I was able to grow grass in my small apartment some 15 years ago. Then there was a time I just didn’t have it in me to grow but wanted to drink wheatgrass juice, so I ordered it online. I never knew when they harvested it. It just didn’t taste like what I was used to. I would occasionally be at a juice café and order a shot. And again, I’d say, “Is this what these people think wheatgrass juice is supposed to taste like”? Ok, that’s enough of this…..it’s time to start another business. My reasons? I wanted fresh cut, organic wheatgrass juice every day and I figured if I did, then someone else out there does too. It’s easy enough. I have my Dad and my brother, right? And Michael even has a DVD with all the directions for growing wheatgrass and sprouts! I can do this!
For a year I grew wheatgrass and sprouts and delivered an exceptional product to as many customers as I could. Now I grow on my kitchen counter. I grow on my dining room table. I grow and sprout wherever I can, as much as I can. Sprouting seed and growing wheatgrass may take some time to figure out. Your environment has a lot to do with all the problems you may encounter. I’ve learned that airflow is the biggest issue surrounding the mold problem. Living in the northeast is challenging to say the least. I now grow pea shoots in my sprouter. No soil! I know, that’s crazy. Don’t tell my brother.
I can’t live without my sprouter, sprout bag, my colander, my green bags(to keep all my produce fresh longer), and some great trays for growing my sprouts and wheatgrass. I keep a kitchen stocked with seed and a library stocked with books about sprouts and live food. Because of the size of my kitchen and winter being upon us, I grow one thing at a time. But there is no reason, with all the new sprouters and tray holders out there, that you can’t grow more than one sprout. The hardest part is just getting started. Sprout one thing at a time at first. Get really good at it and then start something else. The theory behind sprouting and growing is basically the same with a lot of seed and bean. The principals are the same too. Keep good air circulation, don’t let the seed dry out, and keep it out of too much direct sunlight (sounds like the directions on how to keep a gremlin)! Wheatgrass is baby grass. It needs to be nurtured. And for goodness sake, keep your grass away from the pets! You’ll have to grow a separate tray for them. My cat loves to chew it right out of the tray. I also juice it for him and give it to him in a dropper. He loves it! I’ve seen a dog totally tear a tray of wheatgrass apart, like it was catnip. What a treat for them! And during the long winter months, when dogs can’t get outside to chew grass, this is the perfect substitute for them. Wheatgrass juice, it’s not just for humans! Keep on growing, folks! Check out my friend's site for juicers and all you need!
www.877myjuicer.com
I first saw that beautiful grass at The Optimum Health Institute in CA. My parents were working there and my brother Michael had just started there too. He designed and built the greenhouse along with my Dad, and also built up his reputation as being one of the master wheatgrass growers in the country. A greenhouse filled with grass and sprouts is a site to behold. The energy, the oxygen, the green! Just breathe and be healed! Why do we hold our breath? I have been a practitioner of yoga for over 15 years and I know why. Breathing takes you into the present moment. You cannot be in the present moment without the willingness to feel hurt. That is a tough statement to comprehend, let alone “feel”. But I’ll go into that in another excerpt. Let’s get back to growing grass….
I watched and listened to my Dad and brother. “When is my turn”? I continued to ask myself that. I knew I would get there someday. With their advice I was able to grow grass in my small apartment some 15 years ago. Then there was a time I just didn’t have it in me to grow but wanted to drink wheatgrass juice, so I ordered it online. I never knew when they harvested it. It just didn’t taste like what I was used to. I would occasionally be at a juice café and order a shot. And again, I’d say, “Is this what these people think wheatgrass juice is supposed to taste like”? Ok, that’s enough of this…..it’s time to start another business. My reasons? I wanted fresh cut, organic wheatgrass juice every day and I figured if I did, then someone else out there does too. It’s easy enough. I have my Dad and my brother, right? And Michael even has a DVD with all the directions for growing wheatgrass and sprouts! I can do this!
For a year I grew wheatgrass and sprouts and delivered an exceptional product to as many customers as I could. Now I grow on my kitchen counter. I grow on my dining room table. I grow and sprout wherever I can, as much as I can. Sprouting seed and growing wheatgrass may take some time to figure out. Your environment has a lot to do with all the problems you may encounter. I’ve learned that airflow is the biggest issue surrounding the mold problem. Living in the northeast is challenging to say the least. I now grow pea shoots in my sprouter. No soil! I know, that’s crazy. Don’t tell my brother.
I can’t live without my sprouter, sprout bag, my colander, my green bags(to keep all my produce fresh longer), and some great trays for growing my sprouts and wheatgrass. I keep a kitchen stocked with seed and a library stocked with books about sprouts and live food. Because of the size of my kitchen and winter being upon us, I grow one thing at a time. But there is no reason, with all the new sprouters and tray holders out there, that you can’t grow more than one sprout. The hardest part is just getting started. Sprout one thing at a time at first. Get really good at it and then start something else. The theory behind sprouting and growing is basically the same with a lot of seed and bean. The principals are the same too. Keep good air circulation, don’t let the seed dry out, and keep it out of too much direct sunlight (sounds like the directions on how to keep a gremlin)! Wheatgrass is baby grass. It needs to be nurtured. And for goodness sake, keep your grass away from the pets! You’ll have to grow a separate tray for them. My cat loves to chew it right out of the tray. I also juice it for him and give it to him in a dropper. He loves it! I’ve seen a dog totally tear a tray of wheatgrass apart, like it was catnip. What a treat for them! And during the long winter months, when dogs can’t get outside to chew grass, this is the perfect substitute for them. Wheatgrass juice, it’s not just for humans! Keep on growing, folks! Check out my friend's site for juicers and all you need!
www.877myjuicer.com
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Don't Just Do It....FEEL IT
Don't Just Do It... Feel It!
That's my motto these days. What I've been coming to realize is this, I was doing many things in my life, but I wasn't “feeling them”. I can't tell you the exact moment I actually started feeling, but it was around 4 years ago. Once you unlock your feelings, there's really no stopping them. When that proverbial Pandora's box opens, you can't close it. Some try, but I'm not here to talk about those people. I was one of those people. I'm here to talk about me. Feelings aren't good all the time. Sometimes feeling the feeling hurts like heck.
You see, there's good news and bad news about to unlock the door of happiness. Bad news is…there isn't a key. Good news? The door isn't locked! Just open it, folks. Once you've opened it, you really need to start walking through it. Keep on walking to wherever the path leads you. Continually going toward what feels better, whether geographically, with our work or passions, or with individuals, is a good and true guide. We need to be still, sit still, be in the now, and allow that where we are is truly heaven on earth. Heaven is in the stillness. Moving from an ego or intellect and analytical mind, takes us away from heaven. Living in pure simplicity and acceptance moves us forward.
I am not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to share with you just a little of what happened to me and where I am now. Take whatever resonates with you. Absorb it. Digest it. Eliminate what doesn't work for you and assimilate what does (notice how I can turn any conversation into one about food?).
Long story short……here goes…
Around 13 years ago, I started my journey with yoga. I can still hear my therapist's voice, “You should try yoga”. If I believed in regrets, I would have only one… I wish I had kept a journal my whole life. If I could give you one piece of advice that you would actually follow(because, really, each person has their own path to follow), that advice would be to journal every day.
In 1986, my parents moved to California to work at Optimum Health Institute(see their journey). That was when my journey with wheatgrass started. I was 25. I took in whatever my father talked about. From tachyon beads to Chinese healing lamps. He was on the cutting edge of new age healing back then (He still is. Now it's the hyperbaric chamber). I didn't follow any program. I had days when I could drink wheatgrass juice and other days when I just couldn't even look at it. I was still eating the standard American diet. When I decided to get pregnant(1990), I switched to a vegetarian diet. I started yoga after my marriage ended in 1993. I began to teach yoga in 2001. When I started to face some physical challenges about 3 years ago, I started to rethink my type A personality. I tried everything from acupuncture to x-rays. It got better for a bit, but I eventually would end up back at square one.
Brian Clement, the director at Hippocrates Health Institute(my parents and brother were now working there), stopped off in Vermont on one of his speaking tours. I thought about everything he said, but I never experienced it, never felt it. Two years later, September 2006, he makes another trip to Vermont. Ok, now I got it. The next day I started a raw, living food lifestyle. I immediately felt better. Ok, I thought, there's got to be something to this. In the winter of 2007, I watched The Secret, as so many of us have. I realized I'd been living with the power of intention my whole life. I owned two very successful businesses, had a great daughter and wonderful friends. But that's not everything if you are not happy inside. I'm learning more every day how to do that.
In February of 2007, I visited my brother(Michael is the master wheatgrass grower at Hippocrates) in Florida. I'd been thinking about starting a business with wheatgrass for over 10 years. After talking with him and my parents a little more, the idea was hatched. So here we are in the present. I sold my yoga studio to pay full attention to my new baby, Whole Life Greens. My friend of 20 years became my business partner(we both have known we would be working together one day). I've been eating a high raw diet for over a year and feel the best I've ever felt emotionally and physically. This is the best time of my life.
Certainly, there is a lot more to this story. Feel free to email me with any questions you have. I wish you the best in your journey. Remember, don't just do what I do, feel it for yourself. The internet has put in front of us a wealth of knowledge. What resonates with you?
That's my motto these days. What I've been coming to realize is this, I was doing many things in my life, but I wasn't “feeling them”. I can't tell you the exact moment I actually started feeling, but it was around 4 years ago. Once you unlock your feelings, there's really no stopping them. When that proverbial Pandora's box opens, you can't close it. Some try, but I'm not here to talk about those people. I was one of those people. I'm here to talk about me. Feelings aren't good all the time. Sometimes feeling the feeling hurts like heck.
You see, there's good news and bad news about to unlock the door of happiness. Bad news is…there isn't a key. Good news? The door isn't locked! Just open it, folks. Once you've opened it, you really need to start walking through it. Keep on walking to wherever the path leads you. Continually going toward what feels better, whether geographically, with our work or passions, or with individuals, is a good and true guide. We need to be still, sit still, be in the now, and allow that where we are is truly heaven on earth. Heaven is in the stillness. Moving from an ego or intellect and analytical mind, takes us away from heaven. Living in pure simplicity and acceptance moves us forward.
I am not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to share with you just a little of what happened to me and where I am now. Take whatever resonates with you. Absorb it. Digest it. Eliminate what doesn't work for you and assimilate what does (notice how I can turn any conversation into one about food?).
Long story short……here goes…
Around 13 years ago, I started my journey with yoga. I can still hear my therapist's voice, “You should try yoga”. If I believed in regrets, I would have only one… I wish I had kept a journal my whole life. If I could give you one piece of advice that you would actually follow(because, really, each person has their own path to follow), that advice would be to journal every day.
In 1986, my parents moved to California to work at Optimum Health Institute(see their journey). That was when my journey with wheatgrass started. I was 25. I took in whatever my father talked about. From tachyon beads to Chinese healing lamps. He was on the cutting edge of new age healing back then (He still is. Now it's the hyperbaric chamber). I didn't follow any program. I had days when I could drink wheatgrass juice and other days when I just couldn't even look at it. I was still eating the standard American diet. When I decided to get pregnant(1990), I switched to a vegetarian diet. I started yoga after my marriage ended in 1993. I began to teach yoga in 2001. When I started to face some physical challenges about 3 years ago, I started to rethink my type A personality. I tried everything from acupuncture to x-rays. It got better for a bit, but I eventually would end up back at square one.
Brian Clement, the director at Hippocrates Health Institute(my parents and brother were now working there), stopped off in Vermont on one of his speaking tours. I thought about everything he said, but I never experienced it, never felt it. Two years later, September 2006, he makes another trip to Vermont. Ok, now I got it. The next day I started a raw, living food lifestyle. I immediately felt better. Ok, I thought, there's got to be something to this. In the winter of 2007, I watched The Secret, as so many of us have. I realized I'd been living with the power of intention my whole life. I owned two very successful businesses, had a great daughter and wonderful friends. But that's not everything if you are not happy inside. I'm learning more every day how to do that.
In February of 2007, I visited my brother(Michael is the master wheatgrass grower at Hippocrates) in Florida. I'd been thinking about starting a business with wheatgrass for over 10 years. After talking with him and my parents a little more, the idea was hatched. So here we are in the present. I sold my yoga studio to pay full attention to my new baby, Whole Life Greens. My friend of 20 years became my business partner(we both have known we would be working together one day). I've been eating a high raw diet for over a year and feel the best I've ever felt emotionally and physically. This is the best time of my life.
Certainly, there is a lot more to this story. Feel free to email me with any questions you have. I wish you the best in your journey. Remember, don't just do what I do, feel it for yourself. The internet has put in front of us a wealth of knowledge. What resonates with you?
A Small View Into What Makes Me...ME
My parent's journey with wheatgrass and raw foods started in 1985. My Dad had been a general contractor for 40 years. Dad (Moose), was 54 yrs old, 5'11" and weighed 222lbs (I grew up on a standard american diet(SAD), and at this point, both my parents were still eating that way). His father had been diagnosed with hardening of the arteries and diabetes, was a smoker, and died at the age of 63. Moose was at the doctor's every couple of weeks. He was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol and was taking anti-depressants. His general feeling, while working 8-10 hour days living in Florida in the construction business, was one of sluggishness and lack of life. His doctors were concerned, but Moose was unable to turn around his health.
Since Moose was not improving with traditional medicine, my sister, Joelene Bergonzi, asked both my parents to come to California to Hippocrates Health Institute in Lemon Grove, outside of San Diego (now called the Optimum Health Institute), to learn more about holistic healing and the use of raw foods and wheat grass. The institute was founded by Raychel Solomon, who, at the time, was related to Joelene by marriage.
Raychel started her journey at 67 yrs of age when she read Eydie Mae Hunsberger's book, "How I Conquered Cancer Naturally." At this time, Raychel wanted to help her friends who were challenged by cancer. She was led to Ann Wigmore, who was one of the first to promote the use of wheatgrass for bodily healing. (To read more about Ann Wigmore, visit http://www.annwigmore.org/index.html) After connecting with Ann Wigmore's program, she started Hippocrates West in 1976. Later she changed the name to Optimum Health Institute, a non- profit organization (Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida did not exist at this time).
After their own introduction to Hippocrates, Moose and Jeanette decide to take a major step in their own healing journey. They chose to try the program in Lemon Grove in November of 1986. Moose was going to stay for two weeks and my Mom for one. The program consisted of fasting, wheatgrass juice, raw food, enemas every day, and classes on holistic health. After the first three days (which required juice fasting), my Dad had had enough and wanted out. It was a very radical change to their lives. On the fourth day, he met a woman who told him her story. And just like so many of us who have been transformed by the power of another's story, Moose decided to stay.
At this time in the story, I have to tell you the journey of this woman that helped my Dad with his choice. She was so transformed herself by the program, that she came back with her husband. Her husband had weighed over 300 lbs, was diagnosed with depression and high blood pressure, and his doctor's had given him six months to live. His insurance carrier chose to send him to California to take the program at Hippocrates (I know, hard to believe in 1986). After the three week program, he lost over 40 lbs. They both had a new lease on life.
Moose was now convinced. Both my parents continued with the fasting and made it through the first week. After my Mom left, Dad volunteered to work with the maintenance department at the institute. He continued to eat raw food, drink wheatgrass juice and do implants and enemas. After the second week, he bought a juicer, a trampoline, and set up to bring the program home with him. He lost 12 pounds in two weeks, stopped taking anti-depressants, and in less than two months, his cholesterol was down along with his weight. Three months later, he weighed 175 pounds. After being back in Florida few weeks, Raychel offered Moose a job at the institute in California. The decision was made--they moved out to California. Dad worked in Maintenance and Mom worked in the office. They stayed for 16 years, during which he was made general manager. They stayed on a maintenance program and they were always looking for new ways to heal and spread the word.
My parents' experience influenced the rest of our family. I used tachyon beads, the TDP healing lamp and many other products my parents introduced me to--with, of course, wheatgrass juice and all its healing benefits, food combining and the power of living foods. It took me awhile to turn to living foods, but I eventually made it. (My story is another book.)
After 16 years, Jeanette and Moose retired and moved back to Florida. They were offered a job at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach where my brother, Michael Bergonzi, was already employed as the Greenhouse Manager, and is presently still working.
From 1990-1998, Michael also worked at Optimum in California. He was the Office Manager and then moved on to Wheatgrass Department Manager and Public Relations Coordinator. Michael Bergonzi is a master wheatgrass grower and has been quoted in Steve Meyerowitz's book “Wheatgrass, Nature's Finest Medicine”. Michael has been very active in helping us start this business. His experience and knowledge in sprouting and wheatgrass have been, and will continue to be, instrumental to us.
Since Moose was not improving with traditional medicine, my sister, Joelene Bergonzi, asked both my parents to come to California to Hippocrates Health Institute in Lemon Grove, outside of San Diego (now called the Optimum Health Institute), to learn more about holistic healing and the use of raw foods and wheat grass. The institute was founded by Raychel Solomon, who, at the time, was related to Joelene by marriage.
Raychel started her journey at 67 yrs of age when she read Eydie Mae Hunsberger's book, "How I Conquered Cancer Naturally." At this time, Raychel wanted to help her friends who were challenged by cancer. She was led to Ann Wigmore, who was one of the first to promote the use of wheatgrass for bodily healing. (To read more about Ann Wigmore, visit http://www.annwigmore.org/index.html) After connecting with Ann Wigmore's program, she started Hippocrates West in 1976. Later she changed the name to Optimum Health Institute, a non- profit organization (Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida did not exist at this time).
After their own introduction to Hippocrates, Moose and Jeanette decide to take a major step in their own healing journey. They chose to try the program in Lemon Grove in November of 1986. Moose was going to stay for two weeks and my Mom for one. The program consisted of fasting, wheatgrass juice, raw food, enemas every day, and classes on holistic health. After the first three days (which required juice fasting), my Dad had had enough and wanted out. It was a very radical change to their lives. On the fourth day, he met a woman who told him her story. And just like so many of us who have been transformed by the power of another's story, Moose decided to stay.
At this time in the story, I have to tell you the journey of this woman that helped my Dad with his choice. She was so transformed herself by the program, that she came back with her husband. Her husband had weighed over 300 lbs, was diagnosed with depression and high blood pressure, and his doctor's had given him six months to live. His insurance carrier chose to send him to California to take the program at Hippocrates (I know, hard to believe in 1986). After the three week program, he lost over 40 lbs. They both had a new lease on life.
Moose was now convinced. Both my parents continued with the fasting and made it through the first week. After my Mom left, Dad volunteered to work with the maintenance department at the institute. He continued to eat raw food, drink wheatgrass juice and do implants and enemas. After the second week, he bought a juicer, a trampoline, and set up to bring the program home with him. He lost 12 pounds in two weeks, stopped taking anti-depressants, and in less than two months, his cholesterol was down along with his weight. Three months later, he weighed 175 pounds. After being back in Florida few weeks, Raychel offered Moose a job at the institute in California. The decision was made--they moved out to California. Dad worked in Maintenance and Mom worked in the office. They stayed for 16 years, during which he was made general manager. They stayed on a maintenance program and they were always looking for new ways to heal and spread the word.
My parents' experience influenced the rest of our family. I used tachyon beads, the TDP healing lamp and many other products my parents introduced me to--with, of course, wheatgrass juice and all its healing benefits, food combining and the power of living foods. It took me awhile to turn to living foods, but I eventually made it. (My story is another book.)
After 16 years, Jeanette and Moose retired and moved back to Florida. They were offered a job at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach where my brother, Michael Bergonzi, was already employed as the Greenhouse Manager, and is presently still working.
From 1990-1998, Michael also worked at Optimum in California. He was the Office Manager and then moved on to Wheatgrass Department Manager and Public Relations Coordinator. Michael Bergonzi is a master wheatgrass grower and has been quoted in Steve Meyerowitz's book “Wheatgrass, Nature's Finest Medicine”. Michael has been very active in helping us start this business. His experience and knowledge in sprouting and wheatgrass have been, and will continue to be, instrumental to us.
I'd Rather Juice My Grass(Wheatgrass)
If you’ve never heard of wheatgrass juice, you’re not alone. Don’t underestimate the healing properties of wheatgrass and wheatgrass juice. Growing wheatgrass in my apartment and drinking wheatgrass juice, may have saved my life when carbon monoxide leaked inside due to an improperly installed gas heater. Drinking wheatgrass for maintenance also helped me expel a chemical that I’d been using for way too many years AND a poultice I made from the pulp of wheatgrass cured my six month old daughter of the croup overnight!
I credit my parents for starting me on my journey with wheatgrass and living food. Over 20 years ago, they both checked into Optimum Health Institute in CA and changed the direction of their lives as well as mine. They started working there along with my brother and later moved on to Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, where my brother Michael is now a Master Wheatgrass Grower and manages their greenhouse.
While visiting my parents in CA at Optimum, my 6 month old daughter came down with a horrible cough. My Mom suggested a poultice. This was 17 years ago and I knew about wheatgrass juice, but not what I could do with the pulp. Sure, why not. So we put a poultice made of wheatgrass pulp dipped in the juice, directly on her chest. And yes, you guessed it, the next morning she was free of her cough completely. I wish I could say, at that moment, I was totally hooked on wheatgrass and living food. It took me a few more years. I was vegetarian at that time and was juicing wheatgrass and attempting to grow it in my house.
My first juicer was an electric Miracle Juicer. I took it right off the kitchen counter of my parent’s house. (Hey, I wasn’t the only one. My sister and brother stole the next two)! It was what I used for many years. Wheatgrass was the only thing I was juicing at the time. I grew it in my small apartment and did the best I could. Some days I could drink it and others I just couldn’t get it down. I drank it for maintenance….I drank it for healing. And I continued to make poultices. But I was still working on emotional issues and I was avoiding turning to a living food lifestyle.
Fifteen years later, because of my connections with Hippocrates Health Institute, I was fortunate to have the director, Brian Clement, come to speak in my small town in Vermont. I certainly listened, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. So I continued to juice wheatgrass. Not finding the space or time to grow it, I ordered it online. I drank it for 4 months straight, feeling better and better. Then one day I just couldn’t get it past my lips. I called my parents. My Mom, said “Just drink it any way you can get it down.” My Dad said, “It’s all emotional.” He was absolutely right. The emotion that I wanted to “share” with my Dad at that moment, convinced me even more to at least attempt a living food lifestyIe. I certainly had come to a point in my life where conventional treatments weren’t working anymore. So again, Brian Clement came for a visit. And this time I heard it.
The next day I emptied my kitchen cabinets and started juicing and eating more living food. I was now eating better than I had my whole life. I still have that Miracle juicer and I brought out my Vitamix (I hadn’t used it since I bought it years ago) and I purchased a Champion Juicer, a food processor and a spiral slicer. I juiced every fruit and green I could get my hands on. I made green smoothies. I made raw ice cream, raw treats, raw foods. I was hooked.
A year later, when I started growing wheatgrass in my business, I purchased the Manual Healthy Juicer for wheatgrass and greens. With my manual Healthy Juicer, I could juice up to 100 shots for tasting at our local Health Expo without getting tired. If you don’t want to wake up the family with the sound of an electric juicer, this is the one for you. They’ll wake up to the smell of fresh squeezed wheat grass.
Don’t hesitate getting started growing your own wheat grass. Growing grass is one of those things you just have to start doing. It may take a couple of tries to get it right, but you will get it right. Don’t forget about making a poultice. Placing it on everything from your gums to your toes, is just another way to heal using wheatgrass. The pulp can be used on any skin irritation, from rashes to warts, scars to ingrown toenails. Think drawing out toxins, think oxygen, think alive, think GREEN! Again, don’t underestimate it. Try it for yourself.
Donna, Yep, I really juiced that, Bergonzi-Boyle
I credit my parents for starting me on my journey with wheatgrass and living food. Over 20 years ago, they both checked into Optimum Health Institute in CA and changed the direction of their lives as well as mine. They started working there along with my brother and later moved on to Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, where my brother Michael is now a Master Wheatgrass Grower and manages their greenhouse.
While visiting my parents in CA at Optimum, my 6 month old daughter came down with a horrible cough. My Mom suggested a poultice. This was 17 years ago and I knew about wheatgrass juice, but not what I could do with the pulp. Sure, why not. So we put a poultice made of wheatgrass pulp dipped in the juice, directly on her chest. And yes, you guessed it, the next morning she was free of her cough completely. I wish I could say, at that moment, I was totally hooked on wheatgrass and living food. It took me a few more years. I was vegetarian at that time and was juicing wheatgrass and attempting to grow it in my house.
My first juicer was an electric Miracle Juicer. I took it right off the kitchen counter of my parent’s house. (Hey, I wasn’t the only one. My sister and brother stole the next two)! It was what I used for many years. Wheatgrass was the only thing I was juicing at the time. I grew it in my small apartment and did the best I could. Some days I could drink it and others I just couldn’t get it down. I drank it for maintenance….I drank it for healing. And I continued to make poultices. But I was still working on emotional issues and I was avoiding turning to a living food lifestyle.
Fifteen years later, because of my connections with Hippocrates Health Institute, I was fortunate to have the director, Brian Clement, come to speak in my small town in Vermont. I certainly listened, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. So I continued to juice wheatgrass. Not finding the space or time to grow it, I ordered it online. I drank it for 4 months straight, feeling better and better. Then one day I just couldn’t get it past my lips. I called my parents. My Mom, said “Just drink it any way you can get it down.” My Dad said, “It’s all emotional.” He was absolutely right. The emotion that I wanted to “share” with my Dad at that moment, convinced me even more to at least attempt a living food lifestyIe. I certainly had come to a point in my life where conventional treatments weren’t working anymore. So again, Brian Clement came for a visit. And this time I heard it.
The next day I emptied my kitchen cabinets and started juicing and eating more living food. I was now eating better than I had my whole life. I still have that Miracle juicer and I brought out my Vitamix (I hadn’t used it since I bought it years ago) and I purchased a Champion Juicer, a food processor and a spiral slicer. I juiced every fruit and green I could get my hands on. I made green smoothies. I made raw ice cream, raw treats, raw foods. I was hooked.
A year later, when I started growing wheatgrass in my business, I purchased the Manual Healthy Juicer for wheatgrass and greens. With my manual Healthy Juicer, I could juice up to 100 shots for tasting at our local Health Expo without getting tired. If you don’t want to wake up the family with the sound of an electric juicer, this is the one for you. They’ll wake up to the smell of fresh squeezed wheat grass.
Don’t hesitate getting started growing your own wheat grass. Growing grass is one of those things you just have to start doing. It may take a couple of tries to get it right, but you will get it right. Don’t forget about making a poultice. Placing it on everything from your gums to your toes, is just another way to heal using wheatgrass. The pulp can be used on any skin irritation, from rashes to warts, scars to ingrown toenails. Think drawing out toxins, think oxygen, think alive, think GREEN! Again, don’t underestimate it. Try it for yourself.
Donna, Yep, I really juiced that, Bergonzi-Boyle
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