Welcome! This is a way for me to share about my experiences as they relate to myself, family, health, compassionate cooking, baking and yoga. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 28, 2016

What The Heck Is Sole?

I am feeling energized this morning as I've implemented the Ayurvedic practice of Sole. Pronounced SO-Lay, Sole is purified water that is saturated with Himalayan Pink Salt. The water gets saturated to the point that it cannot naturally hold any additional salt. 
Does this sound conflicting with reports regarding salt? So how, and why, would people do this? Well, first and foremost you DO NOT use table salt, which has been bleached and stripped of the minerals and elements that are good for us. You use a pure salt, such as Himalayan Pink Salt. Sea Salt is also beneficial, but with ocean contamination on the rise, when making Sole, I prefer to use Himalayan which comes from the Mountains, generally far from industrialization and, therefore, less toxins :).
Himalayan Salt contains 80+ minerals and elements that our bodies need. What else does Sole do? 
  • Helps to rehydrate the body after it has used energy and water during sleep to repair our cells.  
  • Helps nerve cell communication throughout the body.  
  • Helps to rebalance electrolytes in the body (which is why nerve cell communication is enhanced).  
  • Due to natural rebalancing, sleep begins to improve.  
  • Stabilizes blood sugar.  
  • Promotes clearer skin, healthy hair and nails.  
  • Helps to reduce allergic reactions due to it's natural anti-histamine effect.  
  • Reduces/eliminates muscle cramps.  
  • Boosts energy and mood.  
  • Increase bone health, which stands to reasons with all those natural minerals!
  • Reduces/prevents vein problems (i.e., varicose veins).  
  • Improves digestion, which in turn can have an added bonus of promoting weight loss.
  • Often can reduce blood pressure.
  • Due to it's natural anti-bacterial makeup, helps to detoxify the body.
Holy smokes! Where has this stuff been all my life?!! This is absolutely one of the easiest, and cheapest, ways to rebalance and promote health throughout my body. If you want to try it for yourself this is what you do…

  1. Get a glass jar with a glass, or plastic (BPA free), lid. Do not use metal, as it can interfere with ionization. The ions are what makes the whole process good for you. Don't worry, I won't go into a science lesson here. If you are interested in the whole ion, electron, proton process visit this cool site I've used for my kids, okay, and myself too ;).
  2. Purchase pure himalayan salt from a reliable source. Check a natural food store, Amazon (read reviews) or Salt Works. I happen to live by a salt cave that gets high quality, food grade, salt chunks.
  3. Fill jar with pure, filtered water, making sure it covers the salt. If using grain instead of salt chunks be sure it covers the salt several inches above the grains. Close with lid, give it a shake and leave it overnight.
  4. The next morning, get a fresh glass of filtered water. Do not shake or mix the sole, add only a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (remember, no metal utensils) of the Sole (salt mixture) to your fresh water, and drink. Be sure to drink this before eating or drinking anything else to allow the body full opportunity to assimilate the benefits.
That's it, how easy it that? Add water to the himalayan salt, set overnight, done. Because himalayan salt is anti-bacterial and anti-viral, the leftover Sole will keep indefinitely. You'll just want to add more salt and/or water as the mixture gets low.  

If using salt grains, and the next morning they have all dissolved, then add more grains to the water until there are grains that sink to the bottom. When you see grains sink to the bottom, and are no longer getting dissolved, then the Sole is at the proper level. Remember, Sole is created because the water can longer absorb the salt added to it, meaning, the water contains enough salt. The extra at the bottom is fine to leave and is a good indicator to you that the water is at the proper salt to water ratio.

The water really does not taste the same as when you've been at the ocean and swallowed a mouthful of salt water. Of course if you took a swig from the whole jar of Sole, that probably would taste the same as a mouthful of ocean water. It's an interesting experiment to perform to notice the slight weight difference of fresh plain water vs. the water with the teaspoon of Sole added. It is really hard to describe, it has a slight salt taste, but the water actually feels more weighty, or full bodied than plain water. You do the experiment for yourself and you'll see what I mean.

I don't think that water has much taste, but if it bothers you, when adding the teaspoon of Sole to your fresh water, also try adding a few drops of fresh lemon juice to your glass and see if that helps. 

If you give Sole a go, be sure to share your experience and what you think about it. If nothing else, you'll know that your body is getting lots of minerals! If you find you just can't stomach the taste, get creative in figuring out ways to add a tsp. (that's all you'll need, trust me), to your favorite dishes. I love adding it to rice, roasted veggies, soups, etc.

I am a firm believer in doing what makes my body naturally feel better. If I add, or eliminate something, I take notice how I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. For me, noticing how I feel is a key indicator if it is or isn't beneficial, and a deciding factor if I want to keep doing it. A great example of this is gluten and refined sugar. They send my auto-immune disorders into a frenzy, so I don't particularly need a doctor or test to tell me otherwise, but that is a whole other blog post that I'll save for another day ;).

*Please note, I am not a doctor or Ayurvedic Practitioner. If you have concerns for yourself, then by all means, check with your healthcare professional before implementing into your routine.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

1,2,3 = A Happier Me

This weekend was our first book club meeting.  The book we tackled was The Happiness Project.  Let me tell you, I definitely recommend reading this book.   Not because it regurgitates an exact list that you need to follow to ensure your happiness, because, let's face it, any book that does that is full of BS.  So why then?  Because this book makes you think about YOUR life, and YOUR happiness, and YOUR project.  The key to reading any book like this is to remember, it's not a one size fits all.  There is no, I did A, B and C, so now I can check them off and be happy for the rest of my life.  It is a continuous journey.

Does that last statement sound ominous or too hard?  Well, for myself, doing all the things that seem easier never really brings me any kind of lasting happiness.  Instant gratification may seem easier, but the crap that I am left to deal with afterwards is actually a lot of work.  For instance, I eat fairly healthy, but do allow myself treats once in awhile. The times in the past that I would eat junk repeatedly may have seemed easier in the moment, but then I was left feeling like #$@&.  My arthritis would act up, I was grumpy, then those around me became grumpy, so then I felt guilty, which then caused even more horrible physical, emotional and mental feelings and symptoms.  Now, those once in awhile treats of a sweet or greasy food are just that, a treat, instead of a habit or convenience.  Eating and preparing healthier options may seem like work for some, but for me, the payoff is so much better.  In reality, my awareness and proactive efforts of my health does, in fact, bring me happiness.

After reading the book and discussing it with others I found that, although I may not have resonated with everything she said and did, I was able to begin thinking about what my project would look like.  I guess, in a sense, I had already begun my project at the beginning of the year when my family started our gratitude jars.  So, yes, that is where I am beginning my project.  I don't think I'm taking a shortcut by going back to something already started because the gratitude jars are an ongoing project that lasts the entire year.  In the book, the author tackles lots of ideas and goals.  I decided my project needed to be simpler, so that I didn't feel overwhelmed, and to increase the chances of me sticking to it and creating those lasting life habits.  Remember, most importantly, this is MY project.  This isn't what yours has to look like.  It's just a place to get the wheels turning, for you to think about what you may want for YOUR project.  Ready for phase 1, 2 and 3?  Here we go…

Phase 1: Gratitude

First up in the gratitude department was the gratitude jars (GJ).  I don't even remember where I had seen the idea, probably Pinterest or something.  Anyway, it is an ingenious concept that reminds me to appreciate all the good and abundance that already surrounds me.  The last few years our family has done vision boards, which are also fun and inspirational, but the GJ seemed like a new way to practice gratitude on a more consistent level.  My oldest got all of the supplies, jars and decorations (for us to make our jars unique to each of us).  Each day we write a simple sentence or word that expresses the good in our life, then place it in the jar.  That's it, it takes only seconds. The best part is that it causes us to think about the good, instead of reflecting on the negative. This has been especially helpful on days that seemed not particularly pleasant.  Here's the payoff, it creates a new habit of looking for the positive, and at the end of the year we get to read each slip of paper to remind us.  As I continue with each new gratitude item, I keep the items I have already implemented so that my gratitude muscles keep growing. The next gratitude item I recently added is to appreciate how much better I feel when I get enough sleep.  This one I just started, so I will keep you posted on my efforts!


Phase 2: Organization

This is something that I started at the beginning of the year.  Notice I said started because, just like the gratitude jars, this will be an ongoing goal.  Clutter is inevitable for most of us.  There's that spot on the floor that clothes always get dropped, or that drawer in the kitchen that odds and ends find their way to, or my all time nemesis, the counter that acts as the drop off for everyone's stuff.  In a family of 5, plus LOTS of animals, clutter abounds.   Organization can seem like a daunting goal in my project so I decided that instead of trying to do it all at once, and feel completely stressed out, I would break it down into smaller organization projects (OP).   It's no secret, I love being in the kitchen.  So, you guessed it, that was my first OP.   This took several days because I broke down which areas of the kitchen to do each day.  I want to stick with it, attempting to do the entire kitchen in one day would have been too much, and too frustrating.  Day one and two, I organized the spices, moving them to a drawer for easy viewing and access.  Day three and four was the cabinet that contained oils, vinegars, super foods powders, flours, etc.  Day five and six was our pantry, where all the extra and duplicate items are stored.  I took a break for a few days, then went on to where the cookbooks and dishes are kept.  I am not done yet, but already it feels soooooo much better.  Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, it has taken away many frustrating moments of trying to find or dig something out that was buried.  Once I feel satisfied with the kitchen area, I plan on moving to closets.  For sanity sake, I will be saving my youngest child's room for last ;).

Phase 3: Be Tiffany

This last phase is a big one in creating more happiness in my life, and ultimately, for those I interact with.  A key phrase that resonated deeply with me throughout The Happiness Project was to Be Gretchen (the author).  Such a simple statement, but can encompass so much.  I am a people pleaser and nurturer by habit, and it often brings me great pleasure to make others happy.  However, it also can bring tremendous stress and pressure at times. Sometimes, when asked or looked to for help, I didn't really want to do it, but felt I had to.  When this occurs, instead of being happy, I was irritated, which creates this unpleasant cycle of reactions.  If I did something I really didn't want to just to please someone else I felt annoyed, I would be short with responses and agitated overall.  This, of course, was readable to that person, who then felt irritated with my reaction.  So the whole experience ended with bitter feelings instead of happiness for anyone.  I did something I didn't want to in order to please someone else, but instead only made them feel bad too, kind of defeats that entire purpose I did it for, right?  Over the past few years I have been making sure to take time for myself, and to be okay with that, which is a hard thing to do when you're not used to doing that.  Taking this one step further to create true inner peace is to put into practice those two simple words - Be Tiffany.  I am bringing more awareness into whether I truly want to do something or not.  This isn't selfish because it is causing me to be honest with myself which, in turn, allows me to be more authentic to those around me. If I can't, or don't want to, do something I now will nicely decline, refer them to someone or something else better suited, or ask them to choose another time for me to help.  I realize there may be times where people take offense, this is even more so with close family and friends who have been used to me dropping what I am doing to help them instead, but that will be par for the course.  I value my health and happiness, so this is an important part of my project that I intend to continue, they will get used to it :).

I am excited with my happiness project and goals.  Since this is MY happiness project, I may decide to add additional goals in over time, but for now, I will focus on my three phase plan.  I already am feeling positive shifts in my well being so I know it is working for me.  Hopefully my project efforts will have a domino effect, in that, if I am genuinely happier, those around me will be too.

Monday, February 1, 2016

What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?!


It has been in the last few years that I have come to the realization that I did not know who I was, what I wanted to do, what value I possessed, and the many blessings I already had been given.  The dreams I had when I was younger was to either be a veterinarian or a lawyer.  While I respect veterinarians, I knew my love for animals was too great, so vet school was out.  Moving forward, I received a Bachelors in Criminal Justice, with the thought, next step, law school.  While in college, I got married, and 18 months later, we had our first beautiful baby girl.  Now that I was in the adult world, with responsibilities, after college I needed to get a job.  I began working in the office at a nearby automotive facility.  

Where did this leave my law school dream?  Here's the recap, I was a wife, mother, working full time, and attending law school in the evening.  I was exhausted.  I know, I know, lots of people do this, and bravo for them, I, on the other hand, decided that law school would always be there, but my children's youth would not.  Instead, I decided I would focus on becoming a manager at the facility I worked at.   With my husband and I both in automotive management, it made moving a little easier.  After a few years, we picked up our now family of four, plus several fur babies (that is always a given in case you haven't already noticed ;)), and moved to Kentucky.

Great, now what?  Well, I worked for several more years as a Materials Manager, had another little princess, and rescued more fur babies.  I was living the perfect life, right? WRONG!  As I said, I have always felt a strong connection to animals, nature, and the Universe as a whole, problem was, I didn't know what to do about it.

Although I loved the people I worked with, after our third child, it was harder and harder for me to leave her at day care.  I wanted so badly to be with my children.  By the time I got home, cooked dinner and gave baths, I really only had about 30 minutes to an hour of quality time with them, and that was if I didn't get a call from work.  Let's be realistic, there is no 9-5 when it comes to being a manager in automotive, you are on call 24/7.

Well, the Universe has a way of giving you what you ask for, positive or negative.  With the looming possibility of the plant I worked in closing, I knew had to make a decision.  Do I go looking for another facility, or do I start looking into something that resonated more deeply with me?

Again, thank you Universe, my mom told me about a yoga teacher training program.   I had been practicing yoga for many years already, and knew how good it felt physically and mentally, so I gave it some serious thought.  After saying good-bye to automotive, I was now focusing on my family with better intention.  I was still a manager, really people, being a stay at home mom is a full time job in itself, and let's remember, there is no paycheck.  I was happy being with my girls, but I still felt like I was supposed to be doing more.  I decided I wanted to try this teacher training thing.  Needless to say, I was hooked.

It was through this program that I really started to gain a better understanding of what I wanted for myself, my family, and what I wanted to be able to offer others.  This was it, this is what I was born, this time around, to do!  After nearly a year, I received my Yoga Teacher Certification.  Before that was done, I was also in a program to learn more about vegan nutrition.  From there, I completed Certification in Vegan Nutrition, became a Certified Health Coach through IIN, received Certification as a Y12SR leader, and became a Reiki Master.  The best part about all of these programs was that it still allowed me time with my family, and I was able to share it with them too.  Going through a life changing journey is an amazing process, but when those around you can also learn why your are doing it, and apply some of those tools for themselves, it makes it even more incredible.

So where does this leave me?  It has been through all of this growth, and self discovery, that I have been able to heal physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  I was able to forgive myself for not being perfect, for making mistakes, acknowledging that I deserve to love myself and those around me.  It is through of all of this that I opened Bright From The Heart Yoga & Wellness in 2011 so that I could share with others, and hopefully, they can learn valuable tools and apply them at whatever time in their life they need them.  My dream now is for wellness to be a family business.  All three of my children have gone through Reiki I & II training, and my older two are completing their programs to become Certified Yoga Teachers as well.

My journey is far from over, I have much to share, as well as much more to learn.  The difference today, versus 20 years ago, is that I feel an immense sense of love, gratitude and joy in each day.  Am I all grown up now?  No, but I'm getting there :).