Praise Your Child - Part 2

HIP, HIP HURRAY - BINGO - MAGNIFICENT - MARVELOUS - TERRIFIC - YOU'RE IMPORTANT - PHENOMENAL - YOU'RE SENSATIONAL - SUPER WORK - CREATIVE JOB - SUPER JOB - FANTASTIC JOB - EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE - YOU'RE A REAL TROOPER - YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE - YOU ARE EXCITING - YOU LEARNED IT RIGHT - WHAT AN IMAGINATION - WHAT A GOOD LISTENER - YOU ARE FUN - YOU'RE GROWING UP - YOU TRIED HARD - YOU CARE - BEAUTIFUL SHARING - OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE - YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND - I TRUST YOU - YOU'RE IMPORTANT - YOU MEAN A LOT TO ME - YOU MAKE ME HAPPY - YOU BELONG - YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND - YOU MAKE ME LAUGH - YOU BRIGHTEN MY DAY - I RESPECT YOU - YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME - THAT'S CORRECT - YOU'RE PERFECT - AWESOME - A+ JOB - YOU'RE A-OK MY BUDDY - YOU MADE MY DAY - THAT'S THE BEST - A BIG HUG - A BIG KISS - I LOVE YOU!

Keep this list handy to review. I don't think the need to hear these phrases ever goes away - use them on your grown children too. When they feel better about themselves, they will pass that great feeling on to others too. Give of yourself, it will return ten fold.

Hugs,
Gin

Praise Your Child

Tonight, as I was looking for a blueberry bread recipe, I came across a flyer of 101 ways to praise a child. I remember when my girls were young I would sometimes lose sight of their beauty, humor, gifts, just how wonderful they were. My focus was on the messes they were making or what they were doing wrong. It does take effort for a parent to be positive and raise positive children, but, with practice it does become easier. Begin with a smile, give them your undivided attention, and here are some phrases to use...

WOW - WAY TO GO - SUPER - YOU'RE SPECIAL - OUTSTANDING - EXCELLENT - GREAT - GOOD - NEAT - WELL DONE - REMARKABLE - I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT - I'M PROUD OF YOU - FANTASTIC - SUPER STAR - NICE WORK - LOOKING GOOD - YOU'RE ON TOP OF IT - BEAUTIFUL - NOW YOU'RE FLYING - YOU'RE CATCHING ON - NOW YOU'VE GOT IT - YOU'RE INCREDIBLE - BRAVO - YOU'RE FANTASTIC - HURRAY FOR YOU - YOU'RE ON TARGET - YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY - HOW NICE - HOW SMART - GOOD JOB - THAT'S INCREDIBLE - HOT DOG - DYNAMITE - YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL - YOU'RE UNIQUE - NOTHING CAN STOP YOU NOW - GOOD FOR YOU - I LIKE YOU - YOU'RE A WINNER - REMARKABLE JOB - BEAUTIFUL WORK - SPECTACULAR - YOU'RE SPECTACULAR - YOU'RE DARLING - YOU'RE PRECIOUS - GREAT DISCOVERY - YOU'VE DISCOVERED THE SECRET - YOU FIGURED IT OUT - FANTASTIC JOB...

Author Unknown

Try some new phrases and stay tuned for part two tomorrow...

Hugs,
Gin

Did You Know...

When you exercise, toxins are excreted from your body through your respiration and sweat - and through urination. So, to maximize your health daily, or while exercising - drink your water to help facilitate this process!!! Help your body take care of itself. The same applies for losing weight - you lose weight the same way. We take in toxins daily through the air we breathe, the non-organic food we eat, the chemicals we are exposed to...so be sure you exercise daily and take in organic, nutritionally dense foods. Find an activity you love and move it!

Hugs,
Gin

Humor

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

This is so funny that it will boggle your mind. And, you will keep trying it at least 50 more times to see if you can outsmart your foot. But you can't!!!

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand...Your foot will change direction!!!

I told you so...And there is nothing you can do about it. Make sure you pass this on to your friends...They won't be able to believe it either!!!

Author unknown

Hugs,
Gin

Gratitude List - Cranked Up!

Now that you have the powerful concept of a gratitude list under your belt, you may take it one step further to being thankful for things you want - as if they have already happened! Notice how you feel when you write your list. You should be feeling great and excited! Remember, the beauty is in the journey - not only in the end result.

Example:
Thank you for my healing.
I'm so grateful for that great score on my exam.
I'm so grateful for the 5 pounds I lost.
Thank you that I am eating more nutritionally dense foods.

Go wild being grateful!

Hugs,
Gin

Gratitude List

One of the fastest ways to change negative energy to positive energy is to make a gratitude list. If you are able, write it down! If not, like when you are driving or working at your desk, just think or say out loud what you are grateful for. Your energy will definitely shift...only put on your list what you are grateful for - not what you should be grateful for. Be honest with yourself! Do a daily gratitude list, preferably in the morning because this helps you focus your day - you can even do a "gratitude run", a "gratitude walk" in the morning! When your feelings and energy improve...your life will too!

Hugs,
Gin

P.S. Example - Tonight I am grateful for the vet that helped our kitty, Chipotle for dinner, the funny TV show I watched earlier, my children who are compassionate to animals...you get the idea - go for it!

Gratitude...Appreciation...Thankful

Whatever you call it - gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness...just participate! Be grateful for what you have, where you live, the wonderful people in your life, your car, your beautiful yard...keep the list going. When you have a spare moment in traffic, rather than getting upset and crabbing about traffic, be grateful for your car and what is around you, the sky, the trees, the beautiful music on your radio...you get the picture. Remember, what you give your attention to is what you attract. If you are constantly complaining and noticing the negative and lack in your life - guess what you are going to get more of...don't go there! Make sure your glass is half full, not half empty. So, this week when you are standing in line, on "hold", waiting for an appointment, take your thoughts into the gratitude gear and see what happens in the rest of your life!!!

Hugs,
Gin

Stress Relievers

Last night, as I was preparing to write my blog, a storm blew up and our area was under a tornado warning --- which means a tornado has been sighted in the area. Well, as a child, I remember the "Palm Sunday" tornado which passed through a neighboring community and the widespread devastation in it's wake. So...since then I have become highly stress when these warnings, complete with air sirens blaring in our community, are issued. Luckily, some friends (who live in homes without a basement) stopped by to storm watch on TV and on the front and back porch. Only our geckos spent a couple of hours in the basement - the cat and her 4 kittens, and the dog remained upstairs with us and oblivious of the ominous storm.

What works for me in a stressful situation:

1. Breathe deeply. Next time you are stressed, take a moment to NOTICE if your breathing is shallow. Breathe in, through your nose for 5 counts, and hold that breath for 4 counts. Exhale through your mouth for 4 counts. Repeat 2-3 times and whenever you feel yourself breathing shallow and tensing up. (Try not to breathe in through your mouth because it activates the flight/fright reaction in your body.)

2. Monitor your thoughts. What exactly is going through your mind? Last night, was I thinking of Dorthy's house in the Wizard of Oz, my house spinning in the air...or being swept away by the tornado that was near? NO. Remind yourself to choose another thought. I decided not to let my thoughts spiral into the horrors of "what if." I decided to stay alert and aware of the weather conditions, review if I had done all I could to prepare, (ex. flashlights, radio) and then stay relaxed. All my worrying would have absolutely no effect on the weather outcome.

3. Be grateful for all you have, family, home, job, health - - - just keep going with all the things you can think of that you are grateful for, it is calming.

Good luck de-stressing! The breathing exercises are great every day - don't just wait for a tornado bearing down on your area to breathe and relax!

Hugs,
Gin

Move your body!

Your body was designed to move...so find some activities you enjoy. Make a list of things you used to do as a kid - alone, with friends or family. Then, ask yourself why did I stop? Do you need reasons to resurrect your childlike love for movement? Exercise increases oxygen to your body and more importantly, your brain...uh, that's a good thing! Remember like the movie Legally Blonde, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. " It's true! It also takes care of stress hormones, helps release toxins through increased respiration and sweating. More important, if you have children, what are you teaching them? You need to set an example so they love movement. Dance to the stereo. Take dancing lessons. Walk, hike, walk a 5K with friends or if you are a seasoned walker - try the Avon 3 day walk and challenge some friends to do that with you. Love yourself enough to move your body, and be an inspiration for those you love.

Hugs,
Gin

Got Juice?

When you are thinking of juice - think live vegetable juice. Fresh, raw juice is alive with nutrients and enzymes that your body can easily use. When you drink your veggies the nutrients reach the cellular level. The reason you want to drink live, raw vegetable juice vs. canned or processed juices is because the canned and processed juice has been pastuerized at high temperatures and all the live enzymes have been destroyed and the juice cannot properly nourish your body. If you are considering the purchase of a juicing machine, opt for the auger type juicer, not the centrifugal spinning type, as it introduces excess oxygen into the juice and promotes oxidation. With some of the auger type juicers, you will also be able to make wheat grass juice, and that would be a plus if you are in need of intense nutrition or healing. Your body is a wonderful machine, give it the nutrition it needs for optimum health and performance!

Hugs,
Gin

Healthy substitutions

This week as you are writing your grocery list and checking your pantry, think if you can be substituting a healthier brand for that item. For example, I love Fig Newtons, but instead I buy Fig Newmans; if you need baking powder, make sure you replace it with aluminum free baking powder; if you need toothpaste, choose a non-flouride natural product. It is so much easier to replace products as you run out than discarding the contents of your pantry! Ouch! Don't forget to buy substitutes for your cleaning products too! I love Mrs. Meyer brand cleaning products. Good luck with your substitutions!

Hugs,
Gin

Make your "Someday" TODAY!

Have you ever told yourself "Someday I will..." STOP! Everyday is a someday! Your "someday" is today - so make it count! Don't wait any longer to make a committment to better mental health! Let go of some of the perpetual chore guilt that accumulates. It is as if the guilt we carry is like our computer screen with minimized windows running at the bottom of our screen...the house isn't clean enough...there are more errands to run...I can't read every book I want to... Give yourself permission to close out those guilty thought windows in the computer of your mind. Clean out the garbage!! Make some tough decisions on what you can humanly do - then let the rest go! You will be amazed at how your stress level will go down. Now, that is a good thing!! When we have too many things going on in our head - we tend to lose signt of the people around us and just what is important in our lives. So make some difficult decisions and say "NO" more often. Love yourself and your family enough to just do it! What's really more important than your health? Without your health - you can't go after your dreams.

If you always say "someday..." that "someday" will never come.

Hugs,
Gin

Kids change everything

After the birth of my second daughter, I took a trip to see my cousin and his wife, they also had a newborn. We were a crazy pair of women - two newborns and two other children about age 3. While visiting, my cousin had the framed poem Babies Don't Keep on the wall. At first reading, my life was changed. I went from being a bit obsessed about how neat and clean my house had to be - to relax, you now have children...it is a new phase of life. I realized, no matter what, I'll never have "enough" time - like before children, the house will never be pristine (with the freshly vacuumed carpet nap undisturbed). So in that moment I decided to go with the flow! I put my children high on my priority list and now we have treasured memories of time spent together doing everyday chores, crafts, reading, etc. - all the things they cherish today and talk about at length. The more secure, safe, and loving the early environment, the more confident and outgoing the children grow up to be. Your time and attention are priceless! Both need to be doled out as needed. Yes, the dust and cleaning will wait years until you (or your children) have (or make) the time to clean and organize - OR, you could catch up the crazy way I did and move two times in two years!!! (Purging "stuff" is liberating!) Here is the last paragraph of the poem...

The cleaning and scrubbing
can wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up,
as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs.
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Hugs,
Gin

Love

"Those who are the hardest to love, need it the most."
- Socrates, The Peaceful Warrior (2006)

Hugs,
Gin

Grocery shopping...yikes!

Before I knew better, I used to go up and down each aisle in the grocery store - then I knew I was done shopping and headed for the checkout. Now, I shop the perimeter of the store, where the FRESH food is located. OK, the liquor portion of my grocery store is on the perimeter too...anyway...trips to the grocery store don't always have to be a lengthy chore!

• know where the organic products are located
• keep meals simple
  
• make a list - it is frustrating to forget an ingredient
  
• don't shop hungry (especially with hungry children!!!)
• know the ingredients you need
• keep the shopping for the items located in the center of the store for a longer visit

My grocery store carries organic products. I know where most of them are located. I usually stock up on organic tomato sauce, organic garbanzo beans (for hummus, yum!), organic broth, and other staples on longer visits.

So the moral to this story - fresh food is better for you and your family. Learn to make those quick stops for an evening meal, or for enough fresh food for two days. Gone are the days of shopping once a week for food - you are eating mostly dead (no enzymes) and processed food all week. Shop the perimeter of the store - fresh organic fruits and veggies, grab a hunk of organic protein, and throw together a quick meal!

Love your body enough to eat FRESH FOODS!!!

Hugs,
Gin

What are you teaching?

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Adams

Teachers are not only the ones employed in the teaching profession...we are all teachers...all the time. What are you choosing to teach others? With adults, we are able to teach not only by our actions, but also by what we say. With the younger ages it is pretty much "monkey see, monkey do." I can attest to this fact because of the results within my family...I felt the responsibility early. Take the time to teach someone, your children or your grandchildren to -

• love life
• laugh often
• love their bodies
• save money
• help others
• be compassionate
• recycle
• eat organic
• manners
  
• smile
• enjoy music
• appreciate art
• create!
• respect others
• cook food from scratch
• how to set a table
  
• turn off the TV
• play ball
  
• sit in silence
• knit or crochet
  
• play board games
• sew on a button
• fish
  
• read a map
• count back change (without the answer appearing on a cash register!)
• have great penmanship
  
• read the classics
  

The gift of self is a gift that keeps on giving. Teach and enjoy being taught!

Hugs,
Gin

John Wooden, Basketball Coach

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable."
- John Wooden, Head Coach

My local radio station interviewed coach John Wooden, retired Basketball Coach. I remember watching him (on TV) coach while at UCLA, he was quite a winning machine, coaching greats like Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. I'm not sure how old he is now, but to me, he hasn't lost the ability to motivate. There I was in my car enthused by what he was saying about life and ready to be coached! What a guy. I looked him up on Wikipedia and he is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1961) and as a coach (1973). He is widely considered the greatest Basketball coach with an unsurpassed 10 NCAA National Championship wins while at UCLA.

This will keep life focused for you...This is John Wooden's Seven Point Creed, given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:

• Be true to yourself.
• Make each day your masterpiece.
• Help others.
• Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
• Make friendship a fine art.
• Build a shelter against a rainy day.
• Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Hugs,
Gin

P.S. Keep your focus, don't get lost in the distractions!

Remember to eat your veggies!

When you hear that phrase - who comes to mind? HA! We all have someone in our past who said to us "Eat your veggies!" Yes, eat them, but eat them as "living" foods rather than "dead" foods.

What's the difference you ask? A living food has not been cooked above 112 degrees and still has vital living enzymes intact that will help digest that food in your stomach and enzymes to nourish your body. Cooking food beyond that temperature devitalizes food and diminishes the nutrients still available. Ideally, 2/3 of your serving plate should contain "live" food whether it be 1/3 raw and 1/3 lightly steamed, then the other 1/3 could be a protein.

So, consider lightly steaming your organic veggies, and eating more organic raw salads. Your body will thank you.

Hugs,
Gin

P.S. Chew your food well...ahhh yes, that is another topic...

My frozen dinner...

"Take good care of your future because that's where you're going to spend the rest of your life." - K. Kettering

When I need a quick dinner, I keep a couple of frozen dinners in my freezer. (I minimize my daily microwave oven usage and splurge using it on a frozen dinner.) So, as I was eating my dinner - I began to read the back of the box and recalled why I chose this product in the first place. On the back of my Amy's Cheese Lasagna it says No GMO's - NO Bioengineered Ingredients and almost every ingredient is organic. Oh yes, I think it tastes great too! YUM!!!

Read the labels on what you are buying. Be careful of what you are putting into your body...and what type of corporation you are supporting with your hard earned money! There are so many healthy products to substitute for the items we are accustomed to putting on our grocery list. One good place to start is your local health food store, they will be happy to give you information and suggestions - some stores even have food sampling days...mine does, and I ink that in my calendar each month!

Also, I don't want to hear any gripes about the cost of organic products either, you know the saying - garbage in, garbage out? You will pay now or pay later with poor health and doctor/hospital bills. Why are we so reluctant to pay a little more for a healthier product now, that is better for our bodies, better for the environment, and better for the future of the next generation? Beats me, because I am committed to making a positive difference in this world!

What is your difference going to be?

Hugs,
Gin

Today is a holiday

Today is a holiday here...it's the 4th of July!!! Happy 4th!!!

Hugs,
Gin

See the big picture...

We can learn to read the messages our bodies send us through aches, pain, and illness. Don't ignore these "messages!" They will only get louder and more serious as they progress. In your learning process you will discover that lifestyle changes also encompasses the physical, emotional, spiritual and social connections between disease, illness, and health. Nurture your curiosity to learn about your body to deal effectively with your current health challenges and achieve a new level of whole body wellness.

The main focus should always be placed on wellness and health, rather than disease and illness. (What you focus on will manifest.) Think of yourself as a whole and try to get to the root of the problem. Don't be satisfied only looking at symptoms, once symptoms appear the imbalance has been there for a length of time. Your body naturally wants to heal once balance is restored - help the rebalance move along by developing your own plan of self-care. Who knows you better than YOU! Empower yourself!

Life has a pattern. Illness also reveals a pattern - old patterns that are no longer working...well your body is calling for a change. Here is the place for that old saying - insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Symptoms, disease, and life problems are a direct expression of how you are living your life. What is your path in life? Are you following your passion - or have you veered far off course? Isn't it time to lead a healthier more fulfilling life?

Ponder this - what are your life patterns that aren't working?

Hugs,
Gin

Listen to your body...

Have you ever been physically tired...so tired that your brain doesn't want to work either? That's me, right now! I am going to listen to my body's cry for sleep. Listening to your body is a good thing. Good night. Hope you take time out to do the same for yourself.

Hugs,
Gin

Think...ORGANIC Lawn Service

"Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his co-called scientific knowledge."
- Thomas Edison

Lawns...if you think about it, lawns without weeds - - - not natural. Through chemical management, we have made them the 'norm'.

Anyway, you might want to re-think that chemical lawn service you have employed, and change to an organic lawn service.

Why?

• the average lawn uses 6x the hazardous chemicals that a conventional farmer would use per acre of field- yikes!
• if just 10% of us would go organic, over 1/2 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides would be kept from entering the environment
• when the lawn is sprayed and your children then go play on that lawn, the neurotoxins enter their bodies - your children are not done developing yet - so this means they could have problems with the development of their brain or nervous system
• organophosphates (like Diazanon insecticide) work by targeting and disrupting the nervous sytem - our system is not much different...
• the Journal of National Cancer Institute reported in 1991 that with only one application of a chemical lawn treatment, dogs had a 130% increased risk for lymphoma! just think what that could do to humans!
  
• just think what you are bringing into your home on your shoes...what then collects on your carpet...then the whole family lays on the carpet - HOW DISGUSTING!
  
• it takes under 45 seconds for whatever is applied on your skin to be carried by the bloodstream and reach every major organ in your body (this would be great to do with your kids - take a slice from a clove of garlic and put it either between your toes or on the bottom of your foot and you will taste the garlic in your mouth, have a breath mint ready!)
• your pet is also bringing in toxins on their feet to spread throughout the house, or jumping onto and walking on the family'l beds, not to mention what they ingest from licking their paws!
  
• the neurotoxins in the lawn chemicals may be contributing to childhood learning disorders

If you are not already using an organic lawn service, give it some thought. Organic lawn services are safe for your children, pets, and are environmentally friendly!

When you know better, you do better.
- Maya Angelou

Hugs,
Gin