What is this new buzzword all about? Inflammation is your body’s way of protecting itself from infection, illness, or injury.   So even though we associate inflammation with negative response in the body, our bodies are actually doing exactly what they should be….. it’s a response.   So there are two types of inflammation, acute and chronic, and they are easily differentiated.    Acute inflammation is like stubbing your toe or breaking your ankle, or getting a rash after brushing up against poison ivy.   It is a short term event, usually characterized by five signs.   They are pain, redness, lack of mobility,

People don’t change very easily. That’s a fact. Seriously.   It’s the statement I get the most.  “I know I should be doing better, but I really love eating cheese.”   Other regular statements include:   Sugar is the hardest thing in the world to give up.  I love ice cream.   How could I NOT eat that? I would change my diet, but my husband (or wife) won’t eat that stuff. I don’t think diet has anything to do with it. My doctor told me I can just take this medication instead.  If I had a dollar for every time someone said

For me, May is the month of planting.   I get over the moon excited to get my plants and my seeds in the ground.   I have prepared by growing out my tomato plants on a light table, in trays, and now they are ready to go!   I have beautiful seeds, bursting with life, ready to go into the ground.   To me, the seeds are very special.  I save them year over year and plant them dutifully and happily each year.   But people often ask me why they are special— and why I grow them.   So I want to share some

I have been a large scale gardener/small scale farmer for ten years now.  Growing my own food is integral to my health, and is invaluable to every human on this planet.   Having access to fresh, delicious and organic foods is the most important thing you can do to regain your health.   But after saying that countless times, I invariably hear “yes but I have a black thumb.”   So what to do?  The reason people struggle with learning to garden is just that, they haven’t learned YET.   It is a series of steps to mastery, and it is the same as

The high season of the garden is upon us.   Summer.   It is the divine appearance of luscious fruits and vegetables that make summer absolute perfection.   Just thinking of that classic watermelon scent is creating a smile on my lips.    For those who do not know me yet, this is my passion.   Above is a picture of one section of my garden.   It will always be at least a little different from year to year, but it will always be full of organic vegetables, ready for eating or for preserving.   On my acre plot here in the lovely community of

The results of studies show much promise  CBD oil is gaining more and more attention in the fight against cancer. I want to speak directly about hemp, which is fully legal in all states, as are all products derived from hemp.  CBD oil from hemp and CBD oil from marijuana are basically the same products, except that CBD oil from hemp is naturally low in THC and does not share the psychotropic qualities of marijuana.  This is what makes CBD products legal in every state. There is a very interesting link between hemp, cannabanoids and cancer.  As I share with

It seems CBD oil has captivated the public. But is it safe? First and foremost, I want to spell out the differences to you between marijuana and CBD oil.  Marijuana is the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant.  CBD is short for a compound called cannabidiol.   It can be extracted from the same plant as marijuana, or from hemp which is another type of cannabis plant.  Hemp has many uses, and was grown since colonial times for the making of ropes and other types of cordage.   It was banned in the US but has since been legalized again.  

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, it is really important to take a close look at diet.  Many, many studies have shown that a healthier diet high in plant-based foods with fewer animal products promotes overall health. We also know that this diet style helps to prevent cancer.  But these healthier diet choices can also help cancer patients feel better and help them better tolerate cancer treatments. There are also specific reasons these diets are useful for cancer patients, as evidenced in studies. For example, studies have shown that dietary animal fat can negatively impact cancer survival rates. If

When you or someone you love receives the news that he or she has cancer, it turns your world upside down.  No doubt.  Of course I have had it in my family and so many of us are touched by this illness.   I recently found out a friend of mine has breast cancer, so it put me into action.   We are asked to make very fast decisions about many aspects of our health, so since I teach lifestyle change, let’s talk about some things you can do immediately to support yourself or your loved one.    Our Emotions, Our Daily

I read a very interesting study that identifies blame as the main reason for failure to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  And what was particularly thought-provoking to me was that the blame was happening on both sides.  Blame leads to negativity all around, so it stands to reason if someone makes a bad choice, it is human nature to reconcile that choice.   So playing the victim and creating tension around the problem is a big reason diets fail. Eliminate blame by finding the root cause As a health coach, I tend to look at it in a little

The reason we have such a hard time with follow through is actually— other people!   I have often heard that we are really a culmination of our five closest friends.   The people we hang out with, be it friends or family, are the ones we are most influenced by.  It makes sense.  But what happens when we want to try something new or different?  Well they either come with you or they don’t. Change can seem like a threat sometimes. As we all know, it’s not uncommon for the people we love to be unsupportive.  Quite often we feel like

Sandalwood is all about the senses. Now to me this is luxury.   Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil is extremely expensive.   But this is one of those times where I say “I’m worth it!”   Have you used it before?   It carries a rich, warm scent that immediately grounds me and makes me feel, well, very special.   It smells luxurious and the oil is brown and thick  and it just glides over the skin. As you can see, hawaiian sandalwood has many uses and is very restorative to the skin especially.   But what I love the most about sandalwood is the scent.   It

I am very bad at being sick. I have often prided myself in my ability to avoid getting sick.   But then it happened.   First my husband, then my son and then my daughter and I were the last to succumb to some sort of cold.    So this post is all about relieving some pain and annoyance, and I use essential oils for that very purpose.   I am whiny and complaining and oils seem to shorten my sick time and help relieve congestion– so here’s how this goes in my house. Eucalyptus for diffusing and steam Inhalation So these are

The queen and the king– the rulers of everything.   I love period dramas and historical fiction.   I am fascinated by the regimented rules of cultures gone by.   And I am so grateful things are so different now.   Wherever we are in life– we are here for a reason.   Have you thought about the fact that you are indeed the creator of your present circumstances?   It is a wonderful blessing to know that we can create our realities, and we are in charge of our lives, even if it doesn’t seem like it– even if it seems like things happen beyond

What card are you going to play?  Your cards are your list of attributes.   First thing.   Write down three things you love about yourself.   Can you do it?   Are you that amazing?   Absolutely!!!  Do you believe it?   Doesn’t matter right now in this moment.   Do it anyway.  Start there. How many days can you sustain it?  There are plenty of reasons we can find out there to destroy ourselves, for our inner speak to tell us we are not good enough.   It is easy to love others but difficult to love ourselves it seems. What excuse do you conjure up?

You see, I have a book that I write from each day.   I take the next word on the list and create.   Well the word that fell into my notebook was dove.  How poignant that is considering that mourning, grief, and painful change has been on my mind.   I haven’t figured out how to balance it all yet; how to live without someone so unexpectedly. But that’s not exactly where I am going today.   I still need more threshing out time to work on that grief.   An important correlation comes with that grief today though, and that is the lost

What’s your determination, your purpose, your mission?  Deep down, what do you wish for?  Are you living it or are you stuck?  Did you give up on it, thinking it was not possible?  All these questions.  Why do we not value or believe in ourselves to know we can live what we thirst for? It all comes down to thoughts. All of us have automatic thoughts.  They are with us daily.   They were programmed into us from our observations as young children.   Most of the time we don’t even realize they are there.  They influence every decision we make.  The

Mortal is a captivating word. It is highly intellectual.  We go through life knowing that we have a finite end, but of course, not knowing when.   We hear the cliche adages but really take them to heart. “Make the most of every day because today might be your last.” I went to a powerful memorial service for a very long time friend.   He was 46 years old.   He DID live his life to the fullest   He always went with gusto– with life– into every day.  It almost seemed like he breathed life into every one of us that were touched

What is your message? What comes back to us?  It resounds.   It confirms.  It reiterates.  But not always.  It’s the end of our statement.  It’s one word shouted emphatically and then returned to us.  What are you shouting out to the world?  What are you receiving back from it?  I used to believe that events just happened to me, that if I did what I was “supposed to do”, that the rest was just chance.  Or was I receiving what I was shouting?  ” I’m following all the rules!  I’m a good little girl!  I deserve to be rewarded. ”

Sadness happens to the best of us.  Melancholy describes us at times in our lives.  It denotes a feeling of more than sadness.  It has layers.  To me, melancholy is a thinking feeling.   It’s the one that sticks to us because we choose not to let it go.  Whatever hurt we endured is something we belong to. So how do we eliminate that tenacious feeling?  Start to question.  Why do you feel this way?  What are you holding on to?  Think about the fact that you actually choose this feeling.  It’s the thought, the memory of the an event that

Silhouette is the dark outline of someone or something against a light background.  Isn’t that what we know about people?  It’s an outline, a general description of someone.  I’ve been thinking about our perceptions.  The way we perceive someone or something is our reality.  Each person is unique and each of us has a different perception of each individual.   Also, what is interesting about silhouette?   It changes depending on our body posture.  The right side of the face is different from the left.  We can choose infinite body poses and we can look different in every moment.  And that is

Failure is our greatest teacher. Why do we always need to steel ourselves against failure?  It seems that we as a culture have eschewed failure, as if it’s the worst thing that can happen.  I actually believe it’s the best.  The gift of failure is a lesson.  I had to learn this early on.   In my development as a classical musician, failure was the only way I could learn the instrument.  How CAN you learn without failure?  We have no experience, we have no trust in the process without failure. We all see successes without the work. Social media and

When I was a kid I loved shadows.  I would play with mine and imagine all sorts of things.   In the evenings I grew very tall.   I could show up and tower over everyone else.  “How did you get so tall, Mary?”  Or I could watch it disappear in the noon sun, being the squatty carnival mirror then into nothing.  I loved running with my shadow, riding my bike– I always felt I had a story for my shadow. So what happens to our imaginations when we grow up?  Why is it that we all forget how to play?  I

We run across many different choices– crossroads in our lives, and it’s all about our beliefs and experiences that shape our choices.  We all have to make hard choices in our lives.   So do we make these decisions from the head or from the heart?  Which would be more accurate?   This seems to be a common debate today.  I am a woman.   I live from the heart.   I believe that is where the truth emanates from. The head can convince you of anything.  Quite often it’s our heads that talk our hearts out of a decision.  When we become tuned

Rim of the world.   A precipice.  A dead end.  A decision.  Do I try another way or do I give up?  So often we decide to give up out of frustration.  But what happens when you decide to step off that rim?  Fly or walk a different path.  Change your direction; change your perspective.  Excitement.   Frustration turns to excitement.  All of a sudden you’ve made a choice to go a different direction and you are full  of new possibility. Are you frustrated? Are you stuck in a problem right now?   Are you frustrated?  Feeling like a dead end?  The emotion