What simple step can you take to relieve stress, lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, and enjoy an overall feeling of well being? Laugh more. There is even evidence that laughter makes the heart grow stronger. Michael Miller, M.D., F.A.C.C., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland says, “We don’t know yet why laughing protects the heart but we know that mental stress is associated with impairment of the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. This can cause a series of inflammatory reactions that lead to fat and cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries and ultimately to a heart attack.” Elbert Hubbard said “Do not take life too seriously; you will never get out of it alive.” Maybe the phrase “I died laughing” should be changed to “I died because I didn’t laugh.”

To read the rest of this article go to:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/humor-laughing-your-way-to-health/

A recent article from ABC News indicates that flaxseed is one of the top 7 foods that help fight fat.  1. High Fiber Granola Bar. 2. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water, so if you weight 120 pounds, drink 60 ounces of water.  3. Salmon.  4.  Cinnamon.  5.  Hot Sauce.  6. Flaxseed.  7. Nuts, just make sure you whatever you eat, you eat it in moderation.   So, if you have made a new goal to work out harder this year and lose the weight you want to, these suggestions could help. 

To read the rest of this article go to: www.abcactionnews.com/content/taking_action_for_you/health/story/Seven-foods-that-fight-fat/xot8pja9oE63x0-s9Co7nw.cspx

Don't forget, our flaxseed crackers have 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed in a 1 oz cracker.

This pesto recipe looks great.  Try it out and let me know what you think.

HOMEMADE PESTO with FLAXSEED.

Ingredients: (4 Servings)

1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Parmesan, Grated
1/3 cup Flaxseeds, Ground
1 clove Garlic
Salt & Fresh ground pepper to taste

Blanch basil leaves (5-10 seconds), and transfer to an ice bath. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Place basil, parmesan, garlic, and flaxseed in a blender. Blend until fine; adjust seasoning with S/P.

I believe having a happy heart is one of the challenges we all face living in this world today. It is so easy to get pulled into a depressive state if one is not very careful. But can having a bad or stressful attitude really effect your physical heart? Yes! There is such a difference between having an excited heart and a heart that is stressed out. Stress hormones attack the heart muscle and can cause major damage. I unfortunately was born with a heart that has the challenge of working with two valves that do not funtion correctly. I have to be very careful of the effects of stress in my life. So what can we do to protect our hearts? Number one.. Don't hold on to worry. Find a way to make changes in your life and get rid of what ever is causing the stress. Set aside some time each day to make a plan to make changes in your life. If you are around people who are abusive, either in work or home life, make a change. It doesn't have to be a big one at first. Maybe just writing down what the negatives are in your life could be your first step. Then start working on one little step at a time to make the needed changes. Eat Right! Are you getting 5 -9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day? These foods are full of atioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Inflammation is the bodies response to damage. If the inflammation becomes chronic we experience free radical damage, also known as oxidative stress. The more we can do to lesson the damage of infammation the better off our bodies will be. We need to get enough fatty acids. Our hearts use fatty acids for fuel and actually need good fats to stay healthy. But what kind of fat? Omega-3 fatty acids are essential. What are good sources? Flax and hemp seeds, nuts like walnuts and macadamia nuts are very good sources. Other good fats for the heart are coconut oil, whole raw milk and butter from grass fed organically raised cows. The fats to stay away from are shortening, margarine, and processed vegetable oils. What are some good supplements to take if you have heart challenges? Co-Q10 will help reduce blood pressure, aids in recovery from heart attacks, reduces heart inflammation, and improves energy production in the heart muscle. L- Carnitine can improve oxygenation and energy function in the heart by transporting the fatty acids to be metabolized for the engergy in the mitochondria. Magnesium helps to prevent muscle spasms by helping the blood vessels to relax properly and helps lower blood pressure.

Take care of yourself by eating right and getting away from situations in your life that are wrong for you. Making small changes today will add up to big changes in your future. Namaste, Kathy
 

I having been thinking a lot lately about how many people I know who are stressed out right now over jobs or health problems, really just life in general. What can we do when times get very stressful? I though I would write a few things that have helped me. LIVE MORE SIMPLY. Eat more simple foods. Make more juices, eat more salads. CUT DOWN MEAT CONSUMPTION. When you eat meat that has been butchered at a meat plant, you are eating the stress hormones that go into the muscle of the animal as it is waiting to be killed. Have you noticed the stress level in general of those around you? Could this be part of the problem? We have a very angry nation to live with. STOP WATCHING ALL THE NEWS! Do you really need to know about the man who killed five people on the other side of the world? I wish they would come out with a news that was more positive. MAKE SOMETHING WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. Get back to using your hands to create something. Make a wooden toy for a child you know is needy. Start crotcheting or knitting again. Make someone you love some pajamas. GO FOR A WALK. Go with one of your friends who are not an "Eyore". You know the kind I mean, you love them so much, but they only want to talk about the negative things in life. I have found that worrying about things for days and hours on time accomplishes NOTHING. Taking time to plan out an hour or so to brainstorm a problem and figure out some concrete things one can do to make a change in the situation, works. Then go on with your life and do something good and worthwhile. Read a book to a child. Hold a happy baby or a baby that you can make happy. Take a little one outside and lay on your stomach in the grass and look at what lies in between all the green. Lay on your backs and look at the trees or the clouds. You used to do those things when you were little. You still can. WATCH A FUNNY MOVIE. It has to be funny, not scary! I love the old Muppet Shows:) GET ENOUGH SLEEP! If you are having a hard time sleeping, go to a health food store near you and pick up some Melitonin or a Valerian supplement. If you don't sleep things will continually get worse. Please, make your time to plan instead of worry. Go out and do something worthwhile for someone else or yourself. Take care of you. You are more important than you know to those around you. Let us try as a society to live more gently and be more gentle with ourselves and all of the beings around us. Namaste, Kathy
 

A new article was just released about the lignans found in flaxseed. “Lignans are a phytoestrogen, or plant estrogen, with antioxidant and other beneficial properties. They’re found only in plant sources, with flaxseeds being the strongest source, and they’re currently being studied for their potential cancer-fighting and cancer-prevention properties.”   To read the facts about flaxseed lignans go to: www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp. 

Just wanted to share one of my favorite thoughts, but I don't know who wrote it.

If I Were you What Would I do?

Most putts don't drop.  Most beef is tough.  Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration.  Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.  Life is like an old-time rail journey - delays, side tracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautifull vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.  The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

I thought I would give you a few tips on getting started making a change in the way you eat.  Number one- Read, read, and read some more.  Educate yourself.  It's easy if you have access to a computer.  There are a number of wonderful raw food sites.  Just type in Raw Foods in your search engine.  Two-  Do not buy anything that is processed and take it home.  If it is not in your home it is much harder to eat junk.  If we want to be healthy, we must buy healthy food.  Any food that is as close to how it was put on the Earth is best.  Of course you do want to soak things like nuts overnight, then drain and rinse them so they will be must easier for you to digest.  I like to put mine in the dehydrator for a day or so, so they can get crispy again.  Three-  Prepare some things in advance for when you are really hungry.  You want to have food on hand that you can just grab and eat.  Fruit, soaked nuts, vegies that are already cut up and ready to eat.  Oh and don't forget Krackers!  I love our Salsa Kracker with avacado or the Apple Kracker with peanut butter and honey.  My favorite are the Savory Krackers.  I like to load those up with everything!    Be prepared to go through some cleansing if you are switching from the SAD Diet ( Standard American Diet ).  Some detoxing will start right away and sometimes you won't feel super great when those toxins are coming out of your system.  But the day will come when you will feel lighter.  Sometimes it feels like my body is vibrating with energy.  You can feel it everywhere.  You will get there.  It is such a better way to live.  It is so sad to me to see people I love who buy foods that are costing them a lot of money but even more than that, it is costing them their health and happiness.  In the end it will be costing them a lot in medical care.  So try and buy more heathy food each week and before you know it, you will be bringing home just the good stuff!  Namaste, Kathy

Thanks to another study the results suggest that patients who are going to receive radiotherapy may be better off incorporating some flaxseed flour in their diet because flaxseed lignans seem to be protective against damages from radiation.  To read the rest of this article go to: foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/Agri_amp_Environ_41/120408352008_Flaxseed_may_protect_against_radiation_harm.shtml
 

Healthy Living. What does it entail actually? To be truly healthy means different things to different people . Healthy living, to me, means peace of mind, and peace of body. I was sitting on my couch, looking out my big windows at the snow softly falling to the ground. A lovely, warm fire was burning in my old fireplace, crackling and popping as a good fire will. In my hand I held a warm cup of Tecccino with just a touch of raw sugar and a dallop of fresh raw milk. You know the kind of milk that has the cream still lying lazily on top. The snow was falling so silently and softly to the ground. I love the quiet that comes with falling snow. It is such a soft quiet. Like an old quilt you have had for many years. A quilt that has been washed many times and is now so soft and comforting. Memories come when you sit quietly and watch the snow fall. It is wonderful to stop sometimes and just enjoy the quiet and think about whatever you want to think about. One of my favorite books is Henry David Thoreau’s, Walden; Or, Life in the Woods. If you haven’t read it in a while, I would suggest that you pick it up again and treat yourself to some tranquil reading time. A peaceful mind alone in nature is a wonderful treasure.
Thoreau writes, “Yet I experienced sometimes the most sweet and tender, the most innocent and encouraging society may be found in any natural object, even for the poor misanthrope and most melancholy man. There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of Nature and has his senses still. “ But can you quiet your mind? Is the stress of your life forever pushing to the forefront of your brain for attention? Is this something you can take care of if you will but only use stronger force to push the thoughts away? What if you knew that the stress you were constantly battling could be made much easier to deal with, with proper dense nutrition? Can “un-peace” of mind come from something you are lacking nutritionally?
Nutritional research has shown that a person who is lacking nutritional nutrients to the brain will exhibit more symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety. So what can we make sure we are eating in order for our brains to get the nutrition they need to function properly? Of particular importance to the health of the brain and nervous system are sulfur containing amino acids- methionine, cystiene, and cystine _ found most plentifully in sesame seeds, and eggs. Also minerals like chloride, which is essential to proper growth and function of the brain, which growth science has proven now extends to old age. The most important source of chloride is sea salt. Zinc is critical for brain function, thankfully our crackers have a lot of pumpkin seeds which are an excellent source of this important mineral. Current research on omega-3 fatty acids has shown how necessary fatty acids are for proper function of the brain. And of course finding a food source that is as close to how nature has made it, will make it easier to find and absorb these essential nutrients for the brain and body. Don’t forget fresh air and exercise! Happy New Year! Kathy