Artist in Me

I might not paint a picture or create a magnificent sculpture, but I've realized there is an artist in me. My artistic expression is putting together outfits, decorating, arranging flowers, taking pictures, or just enjoying anything aesthetically pleasing. Window shopping can be fun and being in a naturally beautiful setting is thrilling. Making something in my home more interesting and artistically pleasing is such a simple little pleasure. I find that I love being surrounding by beauty, and I appreciate that artistic expression at a whole new level. The older I get the more I realize how much there is to enjoy, and the importance of giving myself the time and permission to truly experience it all. Gone is the self-sacrificing martyr that was afraid to really let myself enjoy what is available to me. I no longer believe it is worldly to enjoy anything that is artistically pleasing and expressive for me. 

God Bless the USA

I just spent an amazing two weeks in Egypt, Israel, and Jordan with Kev and all of our kids and two of our daughter-in-laws seeing two wonders of the world and walking where Jesus walked. We saw and did some incredible things, but I have to say, however, that I have a new appreciation for the bathrooms in the USA. We are spoiled. Coming home and using a clean bathroom with an ample supply of toilet paper seemed like a new wonder of the world and is something I hope I won't take for granted again. If I start not being as appreciative as I should be then I will plan another trip overseas. It's a small sacrifice to keep me grateful.

Name Dropping

I love the Relief Society session for General Conference, especially since my good friend Carole Stephens was one of the speakers. Our husbands served in the Utah Legislature for 9 years together and Carole became one of my dearest friends. Since our husbands served side by side in leadership, Carole and I also spent a lot of time together and the four of us became great friends. I love Carole and cherish the time we spent at meetings, events, dinners, and traveling together. I have to say that I saw Carole up close and personal laughing and crying together, and she is as sweet and wonderful as she seems. Kind of surprising that she would hang out with rif-raf like me, huh?

One story I wanted to share about Carole that made a lasting impression on me. While on a business trip with our husbands and while the guys were in meetings, Carole and I took a little tour into Amish Country. On our tour was a sweet lady traveling alone that was blind. Carole took it upon herself to be this lady's personal guide staying at her side the entire time. She is a remarkable woman and I am so grateful for those years we spent so much time together and for her wonderful example. No big surprise to me that this cute and sweet lady is now helping direct the largest women's organization in the world.  

Where to Turn for Peace

I have watched people go through hard times. I have watched those that turn to some sort of medication whether it be prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, food, shopping, facebook, etc. Personally my comfort of choice for boredom is shopping, food, or pinterest, which actually combines the two. However, what I have found when I have gone through hard things is that there is really no lasting comfort or peace in anything besides getting on my knees and praying for help, praying for peace. It is the only real comfort. It is the only real solution. Anything else used in place of can ultimately end in a unhealthy dependence on the substance or activity because it really doesn't truly bring peace, it just numbs and then we keep on having to numb with greater and greater amounts of it until it becomes an addiction. It is happening a lot to people.

Akaline Breakfast

Here is my trustee Vitamix filled with fruits and vegetables and greek yogurt that I mix in the morning and drink for breakfast and then for my 3 pm snack. I pack in almost all of the highly alkaline foods--cucumbers, kale, spinach, parsley, and broccoli and add some carrots and fruit such as fresh pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, etc. It looks weird but tastes wonderful. Even my 9-year-old granddaughter was surprised how good it is and she wanted more. Since this picture, I have started to add even more of the green stuff.  I have been doing it for a couple of weeks and I can't believe what a difference it has made.  My hair is growing faster. I am about ready for that Farrah Fawcett style I wanted years ago. Well not exactly, but it is growing faster than usual and I feel great and have lost weight and inches and most importantly lost the craving for most of the unhealthy stuff. Well, almost.  Just goes to show that it is better to yes to the healthy stuff and then there isn't room or need for the unhealthy.

Word of Wisdom

Since I am into preventative medicine, I have found great guidance for good health in what we Mormons call the Word of Wisdom. Most of the time the don'ts of this commandment are accentuated more than what we should be eating more of.

Recently I realized that I often had an acid taste in my mouth when I woke up in the morning signifying to me that my diet had been unhealthy the day before. I have since been more committed to making sure I am eating a diet lower in acid foods and therefore I have been concentrating on eating more of the high alkaline foods.  I have found that the foods that have a lot of acid are the very foods that the Word of Wisdom tells us to avoid altogether or eat sparingly--meat, tea, coffee, and alcohol; and the foods containing more alkaline content are fruits and vegetables and whole grains which the Word of Wisdom encourages us to eat. (I just need to clarify that my unhealthy days didn't include the tea, coffee, and alcohol. Luckily I was indoctrinated years ago to avoid those, but now I am finally understanding that it wasn't because I would be a bad person if I indulged, but that it simply wasn't good for my health.)

As I focus on what I should be eating more of, I have found that I automatically want less of the unhealthy foods such as sugar and artificial sweeteners, which are also highly acidic. Not only am I losing body fat but I feel so good and energetic. The promise of "run and not be weary" from the Word of Wisdom is true. Also, it has been found that disease and illness thrives in an acidic body but cannot live in alkaline one, so now I will be better at staying well. For me, health care isn't something Obama has to be in charge of because it is up to me to take care of my own health, and so I will follow the Word of Wisdom with a new focus on eating more of what is good for me. Tomorrow I will post about some things I am eating that have made such a difference for me.

Holistic Medicine & Religion

What is Holistic Medicine?

"Holistic medicine is the art and science of healing that addresses care of the whole person - body, mind, and spirit. The practice of holistic medicine integrates conventional and complementary therapies to promote optimal health, and prevent and treat disease by addressing contributing factors. Holistic healthcare practitioners strive to meet the patient with grace, kindness, acceptance, and spirit without condition, as love is life’s most powerful healer.

"In practice, this means that each person is seen as a unique individual, rather than an example of a particular disease. Disease is understood to be the result of physical, emotional, spiritual, social and environmental imbalance. Healing, therefore, takes place naturally when these aspects of life are brought into proper balance. The role of the practitioner is as guide, mentor and role model; the patient must do the work - changing lifestyle, beliefs and old habits in order to facilitate healing. All appropriate methods may be used, from medication to meditation."

I am a Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and my religion is also a holistic practice for me. It incorporates all aspects of the whole person promoting not just spirituality, but a focus on taking good care of the body, striving to always be learning especially by studying and teaching, and being connected in a social network in which we take care of each other. Finally it emphasizes a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who are full of grace, kindness, acceptance, and love; and offers the ultimate healing through the Atonement at the same time encouraging us to do our part.