5 skills to help keep you from continually doing dumb things.

My friend Jimmy and his wife are doing great things. They are making great strides in helping people overcome addictions and other troubles in their life. 


They are offering hope, help and healing for the many struggles we have in life.   Check it out by clicking the links below.  



Jimmy and Shelly website

Jimmy and shelly's webinar

In this webinar you will learn 5 steps to an effective change plan in other words; 5 skills that you can use to keep from doing the same stupid stuff over and over again.

Blessings to you all
Happy Momma

Seek Him this Christmas

It is that time of year again where I go off on a rant about Christmas and how society has lost focus as to what it is all about.  You can read my previous posts by clicking the links below



Avoid the Holiday insanity


Am I a Grinch because I don't participate in Elf on the Shelf


Getting Christ back in Christmas



I have a desire to go off and rant and rave about Santa, snowmen, and elves, and how people tend to focus on these things instead of Jesus, but I have done enough of that in the past.

This year I would simply encourage you to put up a Manger, Crèche, or Nativity.

We have made it a point over the last few years to look for other believers and to keep our eyes out for baby Jesus.  Kids naturally have a keen eye for Santa he is everywhere, but we are changing that at our house. We make it a game to see who can find baby Jesus first.

                         We spend the season seeking HIM.


It is a simple thing that has made a big difference in how we celebrate. It keeps Christ at the forefront of our minds during the season. It changes our thoughts and actions. This year, I didn't even mention it.  It is now natural for the kids to seek him and be watching for him.

May you be inspired to change how you think about Christmas, may you feel the love of Christ this season is my prayer for each of you. 

Happy Momma









P.S.
Here are some of my favorite nativity sets





                                                                                     

                                                 Willow Tree Nativity Set





                                                         

                                                      Melissa & Doug Nativity Set



                                                     
                                         Teak Isle Christmas Outdoor Nativity Set, Yard Nativity Scene





                                                 
                                    Little People Christmas Story Nativity with Lights and Sounds



                                                   
  Nativity Scene (Fits On 8x20 Frame Or Piece Of Wood) wall saying vinyl lettering art   decal quote sticker home decal





                                                          
                 12-Piece Woodland Inspirations Driftwood Christmas Nativity Figure Set





                                                        
                       Fontanini by Roman Classic Holy Family Nativity Set, 3-Piece, 5-Inch Each












Please note: the above links are affiliate links. You can read the full disclosure by clicking on the privacy policy tab at the top of our webpage.

Feeding the mind

Multi-tasking---friend or foe?

 

There are times when we must multi task, but to make it a way of life is absurd (spoken from a woman who used to live that absurd life).  Women are notorious for multi-tasking and for many, it is an addiction and a way of life. There was a time I thought that multitasking was a way that I was supposed to live. It was the surefire way to get to ahead and obtain the American dream.  I had come to believe that to be successful in life you had to have a great ability to multi-task. I was pretty good at it, but not near as good as my sisters and others that I used to compare myself to.  I was driving myself crazy trying to keep up.

 

I'll let you in on a little secret. The most successful people in life Do not multi-task. In fact they are the exact opposite, they are notorious for being obsessed with and focused on only one thing. Those who are truly successful know one of the secrets to success in life is that you get what you think about most of the time.  If you are thinking about twenty things at once, which are you thinking about most? None of them. You have to have a main target that you are shooting. Shooting at 15 different targets at the same time (even if you hit one or two) does not make you a great archer, but yet this is what we are doing when we multi-task.       

 

 

I was so much into believing in multitasking as a way of life yet my husband didn't get it.  I used to get so upset at him and what I called his one-track mind.  He was totally opposite. He would get focused on one thing and I could not get his attention to shift with me. He would focus on that one thing until he got it, or finished it (which would sometimes take days or weeks). I got tired of hearing him talk about this one thing. It would make me crazy.  He would be working on a project and ask me to come help and I would say, " Just a minute let me finish A, B, and C first."  I would hurry and finish reading the page in my book, switch the laundry over and feed the cat on the way out the door to help him on his project. I would help for a while, but my mind would be wondering when we I could leave because I would remember six other things that I wanted to get done before dinner, what was I going to make for dinner? I would excuse myself from helping him and be back to doing all the things that I thought needed to happen.

This pattern was a trouble for us because  his love language happens to be quality time. I found myself not spending quality time with him because I was too busy multitasking to get accomplish all the things I wanted to do to show him that I loved him.  When I was spending time with him I was absent because my mind was always going over what the next six projects were going to be. It was not working for us. I was becoming great at multitasking but I was failing at being the good mother and wife I wanted to be.  On the outside I looked like I could do it all, but on the inside I was feeling crushed, overwhelmed, and exhausted by it all. I  felt like was screwing up everything in a big way.  This was not the way I wanted my life to be.

I would get so tired trying to do it all.  I was spending my time spinning my wheels trying to do everything but not doing any of it well, in fact I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get out of the messes I created by not paying attention to the important things. I am making big efforts to have a focus and quit juggling everything.  I am happier now that I have learned to juggle only the important things.  I have found that taking time for the little moments really makes a difference.  It is better to live in the moment rather than waste the time thinking about what the next moment brings. I have quit driving my life about at a hundred miles an hour. I have learned to slow down and enjoy life and enjoy the people I am living with.

 

 

It has not always been easy. In the beginning I would spend time trying to be in the moment with my children and wondering if there was something that would be more productive.  I could not find the joy in just being with someone and not having three other projects all going  on or lined up to do next. I have learned that time spent really engaged in knowing someone is not time wasted. It has been a journey for us all.  My family is much happier when I live in the moment with them, when I show up, look up and pay attention to what is going on around me.  They are beginning to know that they are important to me, it shows through my actions when I engage with them. It is even harder now in our busy world, but it is important to slow down and take part in your own life. You have the ability to make your world whatever it is you want, you just have to decide what is important and let the rest go.

 

The rewards are great for those who concentrate on living life 

 

 

 

 

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN.

 Leave a comment below on how you are engaging with the world around you

 

 

 

Here are links to the 5 love languages books by Gary Chapman They are wonderful books. I highly recommend them as a great reference for any family. They also make a great wedding gift.  

 

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts




The 5 Love Languages of Children
The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers New Edition: The Secret to Loving Teens Effectively


Note the above links are affiliate links. This just means that by clicking you are allowing us to refer you to Amazon to buy the product. Doing so helps us to continue the work here at life less hurried. You can read the full disclosure by clicking the privacy policy tab at the top of the page. Thank you.  

Why I choose to live a life less hurried.

Thank you for coming and learning here at my blog. I choose this platform because I truly believe in it. I write and teach people here as I live it. The things I choose to write about are a part of my life.  I choose to write about living a slow life because of it's importance to our continuation as a society. Having real survival skills and knowledge I believe, are key to our existence. We are becoming a society that has forgotten how to live life. We have forgotten our roots.



A number of years ago in the early 90's I read a short little story by  E.M. Forester called the Machine stops


                                                         The Machine Stops




You can obtain a copy from Amazon by clicking the link.

This book written in the 1909 this short science fiction novel tells a chilling story of life on earth in the future. Here is a review taken from the website manybooks.net  It explains the basics premise of the book better than I could "The Machine Stops is a short science fiction story. It describes a world in which almost all humans have lost the ability to live on the surface of the Earth. Each individual lives in isolation in a 'cell', with all bodily and spiritual needs met by the omnipotent, global Machine. Most humans welcome this development, as they are skeptical and fearful of first-hand experience. People forget that humans created the Machine, and treat it as a mystical entity whose needs supersede their own. Those who do not accept the deity of the Machine are viewed as 'unmechanical' and are threatened with "Homelessness". Eventually, the Machine apocalyptically collapses, and the civilization of the Machine comes to an end"

Even now as I think back to the feelings I had reading that book, they stick with me. I thought to myself, how sad that a society has gotten so far off to have forgotten their roots, that they became so dependent upon this thing.  It instilled in me a desire to stick to my roots and not let something like this happen to me. One thing in particular that sticks with me all these years is the part of the story when the main character begins to question the machine. He asks the question, what happens if the machine fails? To which the reply is, the founders have made the machine to fix itself. You don't need to worry, but he does.  As the  story progresses the machine starts having troubles and no one has the knowledge of how the machine even works, let alone the skills to fix it. All of a sudden they are rushing about trying to gain back that knowledge that had been lost, but it was too late. It is a story worth reading. It is short and can be easily read in a day.  Read it and see the shocking parallels between the picture he paints and the reality going on around us today.

For me I want to live life. I want to be able to teach my children to live well, this can only be done when we slow the pace and take the time to really engage with them. Because we slow down at our house it is easier to find the opportunities to grow our children's character to create a better person in them. Families that are too busy  let these things get left by the wayside because there is not time to deal with it. In those busy lives the children are left to obtain and pick up the character traits taught elsewhere in life. They don't seem to get the lessons of honesty, kindness etc. that should be taught. To often we leave our children to be taught in the streets of the internet, gaming, and social media.  They are being taught to be dishonest, greedy, and self serving and so on. It is not sustainable for life. It is not what I want for me and my family therefore I choose a different path. I choose the road less traveled. I choose to live a slower paced life, and in doing so, I find that I have more life to give.

In order to remind myself of these things, I have placed on my bathroom wall where I can review it every day a poster I have made, it looks something like this.

L  love, laughter
I   intellect, industry
F  family fun, fortune
E  education, excitement, energy
More Abundant

May you find inspiration to design your life the way you desire. May it be a life full of the good  things. This is our hope here at life less hurried.

Here at life less hurried I will continue to post on getting back to our roots. I have started another blog that deals with the teaching of the children  and building of character. You can read more at Disciple walk, She walks with Christ 


P.S. For those of you who prefer to read on a tablet as opposed to the paper copy I have included a link to the kindle version of the book The machine stops. Whatever version you choose, be sure to read it. It is well worth the reading.






 

Junk out, good food in part 4 Keeping a food journal

In case you missed it
part 1
Part 2 cravings
Part 3 emotional/social eaters


In part 3 we reviewed the emotional and social eater.  It is hard to eat healthy when our brains have created such an emotional bond with junk food and we begin to believe that we can't live without it. Those bonds can be very strong. Breaking those bonds begins with being aware.  Food journaling can be so very insightful as to what is going on with your life and food. It makes us very aware of what we are eating and the reasons behind it.  It is a good place to start.


If you have never done a food journal it is a great time to start one.  It is quite simple. It does not have to be complex.  It can be as simple as carrying a small notebook in your purse or briefcase and keeping some notes. There are web pages where you can download and print forms that can help you track food intake. There are also many apps that can help you track your food intake on your smart phone. Whether you choose the old standard notebook, a printable from a web page, or track it with an app on your smart phone, you need to start. It is important to know where you are in order to form a  good game plan to get yourself on track for great health. 

There are a few items that are key to your success with a food journal

                                                                                     Photos in this post come from Bing images

Key 1:   Be honest.  You have to record every thing that you put into your body. Those candies that you ate as you passed the receptionist desk. The three bites you stole from your spouse's or child's plate at dinner. That glug of milk you drank right from the carton. Yes, you have to write it all down, and you have to be honest. If you ate a whole package of cookies do not write down one cookie. Three bowls of cereal in the morning is different than one. You get the idea. If you are going to change it you have to be truthful with yourself.  It can be overwhelming and even painful to look at your food intake in this way, but it is well worth it in the end.

Key 2:  Write it down as you go. It is rather difficult to recall everything you ate during the day in one fell swoop.  It is too easy to forget those little things like those mentioned above. I know a person who actually set a timer to go off every three hours. When the timer went off she would recall the past 3 hours and write it down. It worked for them. For me, I would take an inventory after each meal, and before bedtime. I would write what I ate for that meal and I would recall back to the previous meal being aware of what had happened in between meals. It was enlightening for me as I was a snacker. I would snack and not really be aware of how many snacks I was snitching until I started tracking.  

Key 3: Record your feelings as well as what you ate.  This is especially helpful for the emotional eater. You can learn even more if you record what you are feeling before, and after you eat. This was key for me to fight the emotional cravings. I was able to make correlations between food and my emotional state. While journaling  I was able to identify the habits and break many of them.

Key 4: Be Consistent. If you only record what you eat on the days you are "being good" and ignore the days you are on a binge, it does you no good. Likewise, if you record the weekdays and forget to record the weekends you are missing out on key information. Consistently monitor your food intake for two solid weeks. This will give you a good baseline for where you are.


Once you have a food journal in hand you can begin to go over the data. Start looking for patterns. For example you may notice that you eat more fatty food when feeling stressed. You may notice that when around your family you make good choices, but co-workers are influencing you to the negative, or  maybe it is the other way around. You may notice that you frequent the refrigerator right after getting home from work, or that you snack while waiting for dinner to be on the table. You may find when you eat a large breakfast you tend to skip lunch and then hit the vending machine later in the day. Or it could be that when you eat a sugary breakfast you get a mid morning slump when your blood sugar drops. Two weeks of data should reveal some of these things.

Once you analyze the data, form a good game plan. You  begin to see where your traps are. You can avoid those traps once you are aware. You can form new, better habits. You can get a buddy on board with you. Become aware and make changes for the better.

For me two weeks of tracking gave me plenty to work with. I made some changes and began a journey of better health. During that year that I lost nearly a hundred pounds I did several rounds of journaling. Every couple of months I would journal for another two weeks. It was interesting to see the changes. I was able to see what was working and what was not. I was able to tweak the game plan and was amazed to watch as new patterns emerged.  As Doctor Phil often says, "You can't change what you don't acknowledge".   Find out where you are and what needs to change.

Try it, keep a food journal for two weeks. It may be the best thing you ever did for yourself.


 Here are a few resources that may be of help to get you started.

50 plus food tracking apps

Printable food journal pages

food journaling tips

 

This post shared as part of real food Wednesday

Amazon has many different food journals for sale including one for kids. I have included links below for your convenience.




,, ,,,

this post contains affiliate links you can see the full disclosure by clicking the privacy policy tab at the top of the page.

Essential rest. Suggestions for better and more restorative sleep

Sleep is essential for life, yet life for so many does not include adequate amounts of sleep. So many of us her in the U.S. are too busy living life that we forget this simple thing that is key to that life we are trying to live.  In an article from the Huffington post it was suggested that Sleep is "a third pillar" of life right along with diet and exercise.  My Mother had some real health issues last year. The first recommendation was sleep. Without real restorative sleep our bodies and brains can't function nor repair themselves. YES, SLEEP IS VITAL TO HEALTH.

                                                                                                   Photo courtesy of Bing images

How do you know if you are getting enough sleep?
Here is a link to an article that does a great job explaining it. It includes a handy chart that shows sleep recommendations for all ages.
how much sleep do I need?
Each person is different; for example, my husband needs more sleep than I do. This article gives you a place to start. So, you already know that you need more sleep, where do you go? Here are some ideas to help improve the quantity and quality of your sleep.

What can you do to improve your sleep habits?

1. Regular bedtime is a must.  It used to be that everyone had a regular bedtime especially children. I was recently reading an article about  the parenting skills we have lost in recent years. One of those is a regular bedtime. We are living in a world  much like New York, the city that never sleeps;  our families are falling asleep late into the night, usually to the light and sounds of the television or movies. It is not healthy. Sleep is essential for our growing children.  We often try to give them so much in life and yet skimp on such simple essentials as this.
 
2. A bedtime routine is very helpful. A bedtime routine tells your body that it is time to start winding down and preparing for sleep. If you just decide, "Ok time for bed." and then jump right into bed your brain and body have a hard time keeping up. It sets your body up for confusion.  A bedtime routine does not have to be long and complicated.  It really only  should take a few minutes. It can be as easy and shutting down everything electronic, brushing your teeth, and having a little drink. Reading a bedtime story used to be common place and has been replaced with TV and internet among other things, yet it works. All that is needed is something to signal your brain that it is time to sleep. This sounds to simple to be effective, but it is amazing how it works

3. Check out your sleeping environment.   A key to a good night sleep may be hidden in your sleeping environment. Some things to consider:
    
a . Temperature.  Temperature can really affect a persons ability to sleep. For most people, an ideal temperature is between 68 and 72 Fahrenheit.  Hot or cold, either one can have an effect on sleeping. Try an experiment; change the normal temperature for a few nights and see what happens. Some people swear that this little tip alone has changed their lives. As an added note, many of the newer mattresses and pillows that are made of memory foam can hold body heat thus disrupting some peoples sleep.

b.  Lighting. For some people even the littlest bit of light can be disruptive to sleep. The red or green glow from electronic devices or even an alarm clock can be enough to disturb some people. There are many that are unaware of this fact. Once discovered, the problem can be resolved.  In these cases a darkening shade or a sleep mask may be in order.


c. Sound. Whether it be the constant hum of the fridge, the furnace kicking on, or the neighbor who slams his car door as he leaves for work in the early morning hours. These sounds can have an effect on certain people. Some people sleep well to the constant background sounds. These people do well with a fan running, or a noise box that creates sounds. Babies are notorious for falling asleep to "white noise" Or going asleep in the car with the constant hum of the engine.  Some people are disturbed when the sounds around them change. For example when the furnace kicks on or the neighbor slams a car door. Having a constant sound can drown out those noises. Some people just do well to wear ear plugs. Whatever the case, being aware of these things allows us to make some changes and avoid expensive drugs or therapy that come along with the conventional treatments for  insomnia.


d. Mood. The mood of your bedroom can affect the way you sleep. If you bedroom is used for many other things than sleep there can be an energy that resides there displacing the relaxing sleep energy that should prevail.  Notice how the energy in your home differs from room to room. The main gathering place and the kitchen seem to have different energy than other rooms in the house. The color choices on your wall, and even some of the décor in your bedroom may affect your sleeping patterns. Check it out, become aware and see what happens. Simple things can make a huge difference.



4. Find your sleeping position. This was key for me. Once I discovered my sleeping position it put me in a much better place. I used to toss and turn, sometimes for hours trying to get comfortable and get my brain to relax.  Now this, along with some Yoga during my bedtime routine I am able to get to sleep fast. I don't waste hours trying to get some sleep.  I get into bed and do some Yoga stretches to relax. Then when I am relaxed, I turn over  and assume my sleeping position. This signals my brain that it is sleeping time. I am grateful for the advice  given to me to find a sleeping position. 

5. Eating and drinking before bedtime.  Throw out the old notion that eating and drinking before bedtime is bad for you. For some, drinking before bedtime can change their body temperature and help them get to sleep. Some people need that drink to keep from waking up thirsty. I have a daughter that wakes up thirsty if she doesn't get enough water before sleep. The simple act of drinking before bedtime has saved her from nighttime waking.  Eating sugary sodas, juices, or cookies and ice cream before bedtime might be a bad idea, and caffeine is a stimulant and therefore should be avoided at bedtime.

I got sucked into the notion that eating at night was bad. When I threw that to the wind  and began eating at night, I noticed that I slept better. I observed that when I would eat about 45 minutes to an hour before bedtime that I was able to relax and sleep much better. I noticed that I was sleeping longer and deeper.  I  was reminded of a book I read many years ago. The book was entitled "Potatoes not Prozac" by  Kathleen DesMaisons.  The book is about controlling blood sugar and how diet effects your mood. It was brought up in the book that a potato with the skin eaten before bedtime was helpful in maintaining good mental health.  From what I remembered, it had to do with the starch in the potato getting into your body quickly being a "fast carb" and raising your glucose levels and the amount of serotonin in your brain. The Skin of the potato digested more slowly and therefore is considered a "slow carb" digesting slower and thus stabilizing your blood sugar through the night.

When I started studying about sleep habits and sleep cycles. One thing that caught my attention was the fact that our bodies go through a repair cycle early on in the night. Later on, in the early morning hours the brain goes through a restoration/ repair cycle. If the brain does not have fuel enough to go through the repair cycle it can wake us up often asking for food.  In the past I would wake up early in the morning hours and could not get back to sleep. I would sometimes eat and that would help, yet I would feel guilty for eating in the night, or I would just be angry that I was awake so early and could not sleep. It was a bad cycle and one that I see so many facing.

I was able to put it all together and realized that If I ate a "slow carb" and a "fast carb" together  before bedtime I was able to sleep more soundly and in the early morning hours my brain had the nutrition it needed from the "slow carb" to repair itself. I was finally able to get to sleep and stay asleep.  It can be as simple as that baked potato. I often enjoy a slice of whole grain bread with a bit of jam. Grandma may have been right when she suggested a glass of milk before bedtime.  The sugars in the milk digest quickly raising your serotonin levels which turn to melatonin and help you to sleep.  The proteins in the milk digest slower and act as a slow carb thus providing your brain with the nutrition needed during the repair stage especially if it is whole milk providing the brain with the essential fat it needs.   

I would suggest that if you are having troubles sleeping that you become aware and  take inventory of what is going on in your life and take a look at some of the habits you have and  see if there are some little changes that could make a big difference in your sleep cycles.

For more info check out some of these resources.

UCLA sleep center

Better life.com

National sleep foundation

Here is to better sleeping for you and your family

Am I a Grinch because I do not participate in Elf on the shelf?

Once again I am faced with the challenge of making sure that my kids get the message that Christ is the center of Christmas. This year is especially challenging as everyone seems to be talking and doing "Elf on the Shelf."  

It seems that every year Christ gets pushed further and further out of the picture. People have replaced their nativity sets with Santa, reindeer, snowmen, and elves. Nativity sets adorning front yards (even at churches) have been replaced with these other symbols of Christmas. Schools can no longer teach about the true meaning of Christmas. The only place to really teach this is in the home (and a bit in church).  Society may be pushing Christ out of Christmas, but not at my house.  

We usually leave most of the Santa Clause and other things to Society. It is hard to avoid it. Everywhere we go people ask the children, "What do you want Santa to bring you?" or, "Are you being good for Mom so that Santa can come this year?" I do not bring it up, only if the children do. I do not make a big deal about it, but I do make a big deal about Christ at Christmas. We do not only read the token story on Christmas eve. We talk of his birth, we talk of him his life his ministry often, not just on Christmas eve but all through the year. At Christmas we get a real treat we get to fully celebrate his life and ministry. It makes me so happy. He is truly the guest of honor at his own birthday celebration.  The Nativity sets adorn the house. They are the crowning jewels of our décor.

I will make it a point to teach my children of the real miracle of Christmas. It does not lie in Santa bringing toys, or a magic elf that wakes up and causes troubles while you sleep. The miracle happens in the quiet moments when we realize that Christ is our Savior. At our home we make sure that the entire season is about him. It is in the songs that we sing, it is in the things we talk about. We talk about the symbols of Christmas, from the star, to the candy canes.  I make sure to talk about these things to my children and make that the focus of our joyous celebration. I have also slowed  down my Christmas activities the last few years. We keep the season extremely simple so that we have time to enjoy the sights an sounds of the season.


When people ask if we are doing Elf on the shelf I just smile and say no. There is no need for me to do that. There is no need for me to glorify yet another part of Christmas that seems to push out Christ. People seem to get offended that I am not playing into Christmas fun and they accuse me of ruining Christmas for the children.  "We do it for the children" they cry. They find a lot of fun and  joy in creating yet another "magical moment." They thrill in seeing the children's faces when they "believe" that the Elf or Santa are real. It is fine, and I do enjoy hearing my children whisper to one another about if Santa is real or not. It is one of the simple Christmas joys. I have slowed down enough that I can enjoy those moments, but on the other hand.....


People have accused me of being a Grinch and a scrooge because I am not willing to go to extremely great lengths to expound my children's belief in Santa and Elves. "Elf on the shelf is so much fun", they  cry at me. "Your children are missing out on the fun!"  "You have to have a picture with Santa each year!"  I do not! I will not! This is not who I am nor what I stand for. CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT CHRIST; and I will always make sure it is the focus of our Christmas, I will go to great lengths to share with my children a testimony of Christ. It is far more satisfying to see the look on a child's face when he or she realize that Jesus Christ lives and is their Savior, as opposed to when they believe that Santa or an Elf are real. This is real, true, Christmas joy. This is what Christmas is all about. Realizing that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he has given us a wonderful gift. It is not elves, Santa, reindeer, snowmen, etc. It is about a miracle that happened far away in Bethlehem and a knowledge that our Savior Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I will always go to great lengths to ensure that my children know that this is the meaning of Christmas. So go ahead, call me a Grinch or a Scrooge because I do not follow the traditions of society. Society does not seem to care anymore about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; but I do, and that is what I will teach my family about Christmas.  So go ahead and choose for yourself what traditions you want for you and your family;  But as for me and my house we will serve the lord.  Joshua 24:15

healing, more than just symptom relief

Wow! what a journey it has been that last couple of years.  I was having several symptoms and issues. I was not feeling quite right. I went to see a doctor. When I called to make an appointment they asked, "what are your symptoms?" When I blurted out seven or eight things, I was told to pick the top three because there was not time to address all of my issues in one visit. I was told that the doctor would address the top three things and then we could make subsequent appointments to address the remaining issues. I attended the appointment and was told that two of the issues were not really anything to worry about was given a prescription to help with the third issue and sent on my way.  I felt that I was just a face in the crowd dismissed with,  "you are getting older, it is all a normal part of aging. Come back and we will find some prescriptions for the other items on your list" Following this experience and others, I did not return to that doctor nor to traditional healthcare.

Traditional healthcare has gotten out of hand. It is all about management of symptoms. Healing is not really  in our medical vocabulary. management of symptom is the main focus of attention.  It is all about what symptom can we manage with this drug or that drug. There are very few doctors that look for the underlying cause of symptoms and actually try to heal and get rid of the symptoms rather than manage them.  It has become a game of what symptom do you have? Let's see what pill we have for that?  Healthcare workers  have become pill pushers to the max.  We cannot blame the doctors, nurses and health care workers. they have been trained that way by the drug companies and society itself. 

Our society has come to believe that a drug "Band-Aid" is enough. Cover up the symptoms and it will heal on its own. Getting to the root rather than covering up symptom after symptom is crucial, yet that is not the way we are trained to think about it.  There is an old Chinese proverb that says "For acute pain and symptoms treat the branch, for chronic conditions treat the root"  We are treating everything at the branch level. There are very few that are looking for the root cause.  It takes time and energy to find the root, and it usually requires change.  So often it seems easier to slap on a bandage and hope for the best. Change is not easy.

So often we are resistant to change. We go to the doctor and think to ourselves, "I hope he doesn't tell me that I have to lose weight, or eat better; I know that already,  I just want him to  give me something to feel better."  I went in wanting to feel better. The answer that I was aging normally and that I could come back often to the doctor and get prescriptions to manage my symptoms was not acceptable to me. I did not want to come back again and be told that it was normal aging.  I did not see it working for others. I saw more pain and more pills.  It was a path I did not want to be on.   I chose a different path.  I started to research my symptoms.  I invested some time and energy into finding out what was going on with me.  I made myself priority for a short while.  

 I came to the conclusion that I had a thyroid issue. I had seen it with so many others. Go to the doctor get on thyroid meds for life. That was not acceptable to me.  I just felt that it was not the answer. Sure the drugs would help for a while, but I did not want to be just another number in the crowd. I did not want to be on a drug for life. I started on some natural things. They helped but I still felt that it was not enough.  Although it was natural, it was still  just symptom relief. I needed to know what the real trouble was. My body was not working properly  and I wanted to know why! I got upset about it.  In a process of learning and discovery, I  found that my Adrenal glands were fatigued from taking over for the thyroid, and that my mineral levels were low, and so on. The more I dug, the more I discovered that there were big troubles brewing waiting to show new signs and symptoms.  My body was failing and I wanted to know why. I needed to find out what the trouble was.

 I have kept on digging, learning. I have become my own health advocate. I now know that the root of so many of the problems and symptoms that are showing up in my life are due to my digestive system being out of sorts.  (It was not normal aging and not perimenupausal symptoms like people were trying to tell me). My digestion has been out of sorts since early childhood and became more out of sorts after having three babies close together.  I feel that many of the things now showing up in my life are due to the fact that I have not been getting the nutrients out of my food. My body is starving for nutrients.
  
I HAVE FOUND AND EXPOSED MY ROOT TROUBLE, NOW ON TO THE HEALING.

 It is a process.  There are many changes to be made. I am well on my way I have made some great dietary strides I am eating better but it is not as effective as it should be because I am digesting only a small portion of it. Once I get to where I am digesting better my body will have what it needs to heal.


 What about you?  Are you becoming your best health advocate or just going with the system?
What is the root of your troubles?  Are you on a path to great health?  leave a comment below so that we can all learn together.
 images courtesy of Bing images 

Are you lost without Google?

We are so dependent upon our electronic devices. Some of our young people  (and even adults) would love to have their devices permanently attached. It is crazy to think that we have become so addicted and dependent upon such things. If I was a teacher of the young people I would love to do an experiment; assign them to do a report with one requirement; it would be a report to be done  without the use of the Internet. They would be required to find the information the old fashioned way,  like going to the library and actually researching it out. It would be really interesting to see. I suppose I would see blank stares. Some would be shocked, "No Internet, how the ------?"

I am reminded of an episode of Star trek the next generation. It was a disaster situation, The medical staff has many people to treat.  They were treating a broken bone and the bone knitter was out of order. The staff was at a loss as to what to do without the use of the equipment that they were so dependent upon.  The Chief Medical Officer said, "Use a splint" To which was returned blank stares. She then had to explain the idea behind using a splint to heal a bone. Are we in the same type of situation?

We are so overwhelmed by the information out there.And our smart phones are making us dumb.We no longer remember  phone numbers or anything important for that matter. We rely heavily on our smart phones.  On several occasions I have heard "I don't remember what it is called; but Google it and you will be able to find it."  "Just Google it" is becoming a way of life. For example, When was the last time you cracked open a phone book to look for a phone number? Some of you are thinking, "Phone book?" Yes, phone book they still exist.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft images

I was reading an interesting article today (see the link below). It was about how It would take only a second for a nuclear bomb to be detonated high over the United States. It would send out an electromagnetic pulse that would render all our electronic gadgets useless. It would wipe out the infrastructure that we all depend upon. Many would be helpless. As a generation so dependent upon electricity and gadgets that do it all for us it would be devastating.

How self sufficient are you? Could you survive without a phone, the Internet, or electricity?  In this situation we would be back to basic living in an instant. It could be months or years before power was restored. Can you cook without a microwave or stove? How would you keep warm in the winter without a furnace working? Do you have any skills to survive and are you teaching them to your children? What would you do in this situation?    Don't think it can happen to you? check out a post from modern homesteaders A soldiers perspective.


The  link to above mentioned article is below
blackout for the nation

Be still and rest

The art of being still/quiet is something that is being lost. We are bodies in motion and we tend to be in motion all the time. We are constantly going even in our sleep. Our young people are experiencing sleep issues. Many young people are even texting in their sleep. As adults we are not getting enough restful sleep. So many experience sleep apnea. I see it on Facebook. I find many of my friends online making comments like this "can't sleep again, Why am I awake, sleep, I need sleep" and on it goes. Many can overcome sleep/resting issues simply by changing a few behaviors. 

 Meditation and Yoga have been key for me. I find that the resting part of yoga is nearly as important than the yoga poses themselves. I am beginning to understand the wisdom that was given by the Lord in Exodus 23:12 "Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day though shalt rest"  Rest is an essential state of being. Our bodies and brains are not made to go, go, go all the time. It is so not healthy for us. Many other cultures still have a rest period as part of everyday life and culture, but here in America we all seem to live the life of "New York the city that never sleeps".  It is becoming the United States a nation that never sleeps.

I have found that turning off all the distractions and taking a few minutes to get ready to sleep is very helpful. A regular bedtime routine is really important. I have found a few minutes  of deep breathing and relaxation really helps me to get into sleep mode. I have also found a sleep position.  After I breathe and relax a few minutes I put my body in that sleeping position my brain says "OK time to sleep now".

Photo courtesy of public domain image

They are just little things that make a big difference. It eliminates the tossing and turning for hours. I love that I can get to sleep alot sooner. I used to get in bed and my brain would start up I would spend over an hour thinking  about all the things that I missed doing during the day. Then I would go into a state of "oh I wish I could sleep, come on sleep brain". I would routinely spend two hours or more trying to fall asleep. I have found that a few minutes spent in quiet/ still time will save me hours of sleeplessness and I feel more rested. 

Resting our brains and bodies on a regular basis is super important to our well being. If you want to be more productive at work, before you get that afternoon slump take five to ten minutes and close your eyes, take some deep breaths and regain your focus. If you can get out into the sun and let the light "recharge" you it is even better.  It is more effective than fighting off that afternoon slump. It is invigorating and once again, a few minutes spent in quiet time will save hours in the long run. 

Now it is your turn, how to you find rest and repair for your body and soul? Leave a comment below for others to be inspired.