Daily Gratitude 2009-2013 Countdown To Thanksgiving

2013

*I am thankful to have good people in my life. This makes such a difference-their/your perspective, inspiration, and support has blessed me immensely over the decades and I am very grateful.

 * As I crawl into my warm, safe, & comfortable bed I am aware of how blessed I am. 1 in 50 children in this country are homeless (2009 study by National Center on Family Homelessness) of which 44% are sleeping outside tonight; I can only imagine the stress their parents feel (puts it in perspective when I think I'm experiencing stress).

*Although we all may not be happy with all of our gov't all of the time, I am thankful to be living in 1 of the 20 least corrupt countries (USA came in 19th).   (With the degree of corruption inversely correlating to the pace at which a country makes economic and social progress, I am thankful for the good in what we have.)

*Today I'm thankful for bright sunshine, extra sleep, to have retained power (am hoping the 145,000 in Seattle area who lost it in yesterday's wind storm regain it today) and the beauty that the autumn foliage is providing us. (From subtle to stunning, these fall colors are gorgeous!)

*I am thankful for windows~ they keep the warmth in, the cold out, and allow us to view the natural beauty of the outdoors around us in comfort.

* The introvert in me is thankful for breathing room.  Kirkland =4,523 people / per sqr mile, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) = 72,000 people / psm

* I am thankful for Wi-Fi (and the flexibility it provides), for streaming of music (I’ve learned of and am enjoying so many artists and songs I might otherwise not know of), and for solar lighting (helps us and our pets in the dark).

* I am thankful that our bodies are designed to be self-healing. Thank you, immune system, for being on the job.

* I am thankful for the eggs that I am cooking for brunch (and the chickens, farmers, truckers,& grocers who made them possible for me to have). With 1 in every 6.7 Americans on food stamps, I feel so fortunate to have nutritious food.

* Today I am thankful for job interviews, cell phones (felt great to hear a friend's laughter), chiropractors (the relief they provide), & recycling.

* I am thankful to be warm and dry, and to have running water, a closet of clothes, a refrigerator, my toothbrush, and stability~ basics that those amidst natural disasters and those living in developing nations consider to be luxuries.

* I am thankful for Excel & the efficiencies it brought us. (Can you imagine doing all these calculations manually?)

* I am very thankful that those of us in No. America are free to choose & practice our own spiritual beliefs *and that we didn't have to spend 65 cold & damp days crossing an ocean to obtain these freedoms).

* It's easy to be generous when you have enough.  It's true & beautiful generosity when your compassion for others results in your giving to those in more dire need when you yourself do not have enough."  Helen Mosher (who's concerned and generous heart consistently astounded me).

* I am very thankful to be plenty warm: for affordable gas heat that quickly heats up my cottage, for double-pane windows that help retain the heat, and for warm clothes and bedding.

2012

* I am thankful for honesty in others.  In my recent overwhelm I lost my wallet last Sunday.  On Thurs got a phone call- someone had found it and when I picked it up everything was still in it; even the cash!

* I am thankful for the extra hour we gained last night when we set our clocks back- most of us are so in need of more sleep.

* I am thankful for the electricity which is heating my home in this moment, making my tea water, playing music for me, etc... something that many of our counterparts on the east coast tonight (including my cousins in NY & NJ) are without.  I'm wishing all those affected by the storm, warmth and a dry place to sleep.

* I am thankful for kindness- and the difference it has made in each of our lives.

 * I am thankful to have a job.  Those 15 months between PivotLink and Visible Tech (Dec '08 - Mar '10) brought me more depth of compassion for those who want to work, and are doing their part to land a job.  A steady paycheck is a great blessing!

 * I am thankful for outstanding sibling teamwork- makes things so much easier, more fun, and strengthens the heart strings.

 * I am thankful to have health insurance (especially in light of my clumsiness) and the peace of mind it provides (48M Americans do not, 1 illness could wipe out their assets).

 * I am thankful for the unconditional love that pets give us.

 * I am thankful to have easy access to nutrition and the funds to buy these foods which nourish my body.  56 million children are stunted due to lack of nourishment.  I'm encouraged with the progress of this Millennium Goal of the U.N.'s that is being made.

* As I'm looking at my yard of leaves to rake today I'm thankful to have my own patch of dirt.  Avg lawn size in USA = 2624 sqr ft, in Germany = 656, and in Asia = less than 500 sqr ft. 

* I am thankful for when we can trust others- regardless of how well we know them.

* I am thankful for short work weeks, for family to give thanks with tomorrow, and for the love and support of friends!

 

2011

·  I am thankful for friends.

·  I am so thankful for my warm, safe, and cozy bed (22.8K people in WA State are sleeping outside or in a vehicle tonight)

·  I am thankful to have enough food in my stomach and still have additional food in my fridge & pantry. (In 2010 14.5%, which is aprx 1 in 7, U.S.A. households went hungry- we can change this.)

·  I am thankful for how supportive those I'm close to are. Their support and encouragement have kept me going.

·  I am thankful for transportation. My car affords me the freedom & flexibility to go wherever & whenever I want to go (and my home is just yards from a bus stop). Only 8.9% of our world's adults own a car- many of the rest only imagine having either or both efficient mass transit & car ownership.

·  I am thankful for good-natured humor. Hearing 2 dear friends laugh last night while we were together made my heart feel good, & being amused by my brother's wit in our car ride today lightened me up.

·  I am thankful for my home. I cherish each foot of the 700 sqr feet of it and feel so good living here. (The avg residential space per American = 742 s.ft, for those living in E.U. countries = 387, avg for those in developing nations = less than 160.)

·  I am thankful for a a job offer. And, I am especially thankful for the dear friends and family who prayed this into formation.

·  I am thankful that I have enough to share & still cover my immediate needs. (1 in every 6.25 Americans are now living below the poverty line. Source = U.S. Census Bureau report.) 

·  I am grateful for the many freedoms we have in the U.S.A.- and to those who held the vision of these freedoms and sacrificed to make them possible for us.

·  I am thankful for computers, software, & the significant efficiencies they have afforded us over the last 3+ decades.

·  I am thankful for the amount of "youth" I currently have. Being around those who are in their 80s snaps me into the awareness that I should appreciate how good I have it now (am fully mobile, independent, am mostly pain-free, etc...- ways of being that we'll long for 30 years from now).

* I am thankful for natural medicine.

 * I am thankful for good memories (of fun times with friends). Memories are ours to always have- they make us feel good, put matters into perspective, & stay with us to warm our hearts whenever we choose to recall them.

 * I am thankful for the eyeglasses that enabled me to drive home through the dark tonight. Corrective lenses have equipped so many to have productive lives! 1B+ people in developing nations need eyewear yet are without. 50% of children in African institutions for blind could read if they had glasses.

 * I am thankful for forgiveness~ for the graciousness of friends who've forgiven me when I've fallen short and for the space in me freed up when I've completely let go of the shortfallings of others.

  

2010  

* I am thankful for people who care and who are virtuous.

* I am thankful for humor and its ability to dissipate intended hostility.

* Today I'm thankful that my work is indoors, and..... that this monsoon is creating plenty of hydro-electricity for us to keep electricity costs down (67% of the PNW's electricity comes from hydro-power).

* I am thankful for weekends! (With the standard min. work hours for those in factories & mines in England at 11-16 hrs/day in a 6 day work week, English law was revised in 1847 to be only 10 hrs/day minimum if you were a child or a woman. France rolled their labor law back to “only”12 hrs/day in a 6 day work wk in 1848.) In the USA the Adamson Act in 1916 reduced the min hour day for railroad workers to 8 hrs with additional pay for o.t. I’m grateful that our generation has freedom for more work/life balance and more choices- I’m working this weekend, but it’s by my choice and very thankful to have a good job!

* I am thankful for the technology which allowed me to work from home today & yesterday amidst the snow. In the snowfall of 1989, I put on (downhill) rock skis and pushed myself 7 miles into the office (Physio). 

* I am so thankful that we can just turn a dial on our walls & heat instantly blasts into our homes! It must have been a chilly 64 days crossing the Atlantic in the Mayflower & then landing in MA in December of 1620 (more than ½ of them died within the first year). That’s serious determination to have freedom of spiritual beliefs & expression.

 

2009

·  I am grateful that every day is a new opportunity for betterment.

·  I am thankful for humor: good-natured wit, belly-laughs which rejuvenate, and upbeat antics. I am grateful for the affect that (positive and playful) humor can have upon a moment!

·  I am thankful for my education. (I smile at knowing the % of primary school aged children who are attending school has improved from 78.7% in 1990 to 84.5% as of 2006.)

·  I am thankful for dancing.

·  I am thankful for the rain we've been having- it likely means a good season for skiers & snowboarders and that we'll be spared water-rationing this summer.

·  I am thankful for my cozy home. (Aprx half the world's population now lives in cities or towns. 1 in every 3 of these urban dwellers lives in slum conditions- 2008 World Bank Report.)

·  In this month of gratitude I am reflecting on my thankfulness for our freedoms- to choose our spiritual beliefs, our political perspectives, who we are close to, how we spend our time each day.... and to be able to choose and choose again (even "the little things") throughout our lives.

·  I am thankful for internet access! We are among the 25.6% of the world’s population who has access to the world-wide web. I have especially appreciated it for connecting with others, for its help in my job search, for having info at our fingertips, and I smile at how it has helped my parents & their siblings to be in daily contact.

·  I am thankful for the green pieces of paper in my wallet. (80% of the world lives on less than $10/day, 50% on less than $2/day, and 28% on less than $1/day.)

·  On this Veterans Day (originating as Armistice Day in 1919) I am thankful for all those who have served. (My Dad, all his brothers, and all of my Mom's brothers served in WW2- my dear Uncle Alfred was in the 1st group of POW's captured, taken from Guam to a concentration camp in Asia, we're so thankful he's still with us & loving life!)

·  I am thankful for music.

·  I am thankful for reading and for books. (I am enthused that the percentage of adults who can both read & write has improved from 69% in 1980 to 79% in 2000, & is estimated to be 83% by 2010.)

·  I am thankful for hope.

·  I am thankful for my health! Today I go to a memorial service for a friend and tomorrow for a former co-worker (cancer took both); such sad reminders to me of how precious health is and to value & rejoice in whatever level of health it is that we each currently have.

·  I am thankful to be living in the NW.

·  I am thankful (& enthused) that the Nov/Dec issue of The Well Being Journal contains 2 articles I wrote. I wish vibrant health for everyone!

·  I am thankful to have the likelihood of more decades to love life ahead for me. The average (global) life expectancy at birth in 1955 was just 48 years; in 1995 it was 65 years; in 2025 it will reach 73 years and is estimated that no country will have an average life expectancy of less than 50 years. (Source = World Health Org.)

·  I am thankful to have been born to loving parents who were faithful to my brothers and me, as well as to each other.

·  I am thankful for my neighbors- caring, cool, fun, and helpful, they’ve been among the blessings I’ve enjoyed of living in this ‘hood for 12 years.

·  I am thankful that most of us (at least those who are on Facebook and reading this) have enough to eat. I am thankful for nourishment, for loved ones to celebrate holidays with, and for the many blessings that each day brings.

·  I am thankful that I have the capacity to make a difference.

·  Thanksgiving Day: I am thankful for so much to be thankful for! I wish you each a joyous celebration of a holiday defined as the expressing, emoting, & exuding of thankfulness for that which you value. 

 

Daily Thankfulness Project

 

“I’m thankful for pumpkin soy lattes!” a friend posted on Facebook.  It was early November 2009- I was unemployed, the weather was dreary, and I was feeling down.  As I looked at this friend’s post I wondered why she was so cheerful- she too, was unemployed and had less than I did.  The simple joy behind her post moved me to smile.  

While we all know that “it’s good” to be thankful and to count our blessings, have you ever wondered how doing so affects us?  Do we actually experience more enjoyment in our lives when we embody a sense of gratitude?

Looking around and reminding ourselves of the many reasons we have to be thankful, moves our awareness to the present moment.  It’s so easy to get caught up in “I will be happy when ______” type of thinking, yet doing so robs us of enjoying the current moment.  Instead of choosing to be happy now, “I will be happy when” thinking just puts off our happiness- which is ironically the very thing we are ultimately longing for.  Being thankful for what we already have enables us to come from a sense of appreciation rather than focusing on getting away from the gap that is between what we have and what we want.

Einstein said that when he gave thanks he focused on why he was thankful.   “I am thankful to have ________ in my life because it/they are blessing me in _____ (these ways)____.”    He listed not just the items he was thankful for, but how they benefitted him and why these benefits mattered to him.  (A modern example is “I am thankful for my car because it safely, reliably, and efficiently transports me to places that I need to go and to see friends.”  Do you feel how stating why you’re thankful puts the focus on the difference the car makes in your life rather than on the hunk of metal? )  Phrasing what we are thankful for in this manner brings the feeling of thankfulness even more deeply into our hearts. 

Instead of framing your thankfulness from the perspective of “It’s a good thing I have this because it’d really be a grind if I didn’t”, which is focusing on what it would be like not to have it, try instead focusing on the benefits of what you are thankful for such as “it makes my life so much easier and more efficient which frees up more time for me to do the things that I enjoy”.  When you see those in need, instead of thinking “I am sure glad I’m not them” (and perhaps giving out of guilt) instead try “I desire for them to experience more comfort, I know that I am so blessed and from my richness I contribute and support them to be doing better."  The difference is subtle, but important because with the latter your focus is on appreciation and your compassion will feel freer.

On that drizzly morning I decided to try a “daily thankfulness project” on Facebook.  On each day until the Thanksgiving holiday I would post something I was thankful for and invite my friends to join me in doing so.  Since we are using Facebook to connect, learning what our friends are thankful for brings us closer to them.  Each morning upon rising I’d rush to my laptop to see a series of posts “I am thankful for my furnace!”, “I am thankful for hot water!”, “I am thankful to have a job!”, and each post had me smiling more fully.

Imagine if those Mayflower Pilgrims could glimpse into the future and see us with our dials on our walls that burst out heat, our handheld devices that allow us to talk with friends who are far away, female adults voting in elections, and our walking into stores that offer an array of foods we can select.  They would be in awe of what is every-day life for us.  

What are you thankful for and how has it made a difference in your life?

Hydrate For Health

We all know we should “drink plenty of water” but how much is enough and why? What happens if we don’t drink enough water?

The ingestion of water nourishes our cells. Without an ample ongoing intake of water our cells become dehydrated, malfunction, and eventually die resulting initially in bodily discomfort and eventually in pain or disease. New cells are created when an existing cell divides itself into two cells. Each new cell requires that 75% or more of its volume be of water. If there isn’t enough water available cells can’t make new cells which at a minimum, causes premature aging. The cell membrane is a complex mechanism (involving a “moat-like” layer of water within it) that is responsible for allowing nutrients into the cell and excreting wastes out from it. The functioning of a cell’s membrane is completely dependent on the presence of water so if you’re not drinking enough water your cells can become malnourished and toxic.

Proteins (peptides strung together) and enzymes (a type of protein) regulate all functions within the body. In order to do so they require a minimum level of hydration. The transport system which delivers neurotransmitters to nerve endings can’t function without adequate water resulting in symptoms ranging from lack of articulate speech to not appropriately recognizing the warning of pain signals. Our lumbar discs are de-prioritized early in the water-rationing process therefore an ongoing lack of adequate water intake can exacerbate back pain. In prolonged dehydration our brain cells shrink and die.

Vasopressin is a hormone synthesized from peptides in the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary which is released into both the bloodstream and the brain in order to regulate the flow of water according to a rationing and distribution system which prioritizes the most important bodily functions. Dehydration releases additional vasopressin however alcohol, even amidst dehydration, suppresses vasopressin’s release from the pituitary gland. This prevents the body from being as strategic as it otherwise could be in how it regulates and retains its water such that crucial cells, like those of the brain, heart, and lungs, receive less water amidst dehydration than they would if the dehydration were not alcohol induced. For each glass of alcohol that you drink chase it with a glass of water.

Retaining excess sodium is one of the last resorts the body uses to hang on to its water. Hypertension may follow.

Histamine is a neurotransmitter which assists in the regulation and distribution of water within the body. It also is involved in the body’s defense systems against bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and other foreign agents, however when too much histamine is released these defense systems can become hyper-vigilant and asthma and allergies result. Lack of water concentrates the blood and when concentrated blood reaches the lungs local histamine is produced (asthmatics have an increased level of histamine within their lung tissue).The result can be bronchial constriction. When dehydrated the body releases an exaggerated amount of histamine however animal studies have shown that histamine production can normalize after just four weeks of increased daily water intake.

The pancreas is responsible for the production of an alkalizing bicarbonate-containing watery liquid which is emptied into the duodenum to neutralize acid coming from the stomach. The pancreas prioritizes this bicarbonate over making and secreting insulin if there is a lack of available water to make and secrete enough of both. When insulin secretion is inhibited many bodily functions are disrupted since most cells are dependent upon insulin. Chronic dehydration can result in both indigestion and a propensity for diabetes.

Water is required for genomic processes involving D.N.A. and R.N.A., and when there is dehydration our genetic materials can become damaged. The result is the “coding” done by these nucleic acids can be incorrect resulting in mutations that are inferior. To compound matters, dehydration causes a severe depletion of the amino acid tryptophan which is what the body uses to correct any detectible errors in the D.N.A. replication process making tryptophan essential in the prevention of cancer.

Our thirst sensation decreases as we age and/or if we have an ongoing history of not being fully and consistently hydrated. Some confuse their feeling of thirst for hunger, resulting in weight gain since the body can’t effectively process or utilize food when in a dehydrated state. Over time, as we drink an appropriate amount of water, our thirst sensation will restore itself.

If any of the above has motivated you to ensure you ingest enough water, you can do so by drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces each day. Since water neutralizes your digestive juices, be sure to space your water consumption apart from food. I recommend not ingesting more than 6 ounces of liquid up to 15 minutes prior to and up to an hour after, a meal.

Make it easy to drink enough water by filling up a few water containers and have them with you during your day. Over time you may find that you feel better, that your thinking is clearer, and that you have more energy than you used to.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com

Genetically Modified Foods

“Frankenstein food”, as G.M.F.’s are sometimes referred to, are foods made with genetically modified organisms. They are most commonly soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola, although other agricultural foods, ranging from alfalfa to zucchini, now also contain a genetically modified organism. The Institute For Responsible Technology estimates that as of 2009, 60-70% of food on American grocery store shelves have some amount of a G.M.O. within them. Should you care?

A genetically modified organism is the result of taking a gene from one species and inserting it into another species. Genes are short sequences of D.N.A. (D.N.A. contain the genetic instructions that control how a living system functions.) When these G.M. organisms are inserted into a food they alter the D.N.A. of the food. The crucial question of “Does ingesting a food which has had its D.N.A. tampered with affect the functioning of human D.N.A., and if so are the effects harmful?” is one which remains unanswered.

Because living organisms have natural barriers to protect themselves against the introduction of D.N.A. from a different species, genetic engineers force the D.N.A. from one organism into another. Different G.M. foods have different genes inserted in different ways. Some of the methods for insertion include:
• Using viruses or bacteria to "infect" cells with the new DNA.
• Coating DNA onto tiny metal pellets, and firing it with a special gun into the cells.

G.M. corn and cotton are engineered to produce a toxin (the Bt bacterium) inside every cell which acts like a pesticide such that when a bug bites into the plant the poison kills the bug. Unfortunately, unlike when a pesticide is sprayed on a crop, this form of pesticide remains within the cells of the corn and cotton, and according to a 2004 report, is a much stronger dose of the toxin than the spray form is. Bt cotton (produced by St. Louis-based Monsanto) was the only genetically modified item that India has allowed to be grown and sold (introduced in 2002). Eighteen-hundred sheep and an uncounted number of goats in four villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh (southeastern India) died after grazing on these G.M. cotton bushes. Without a proven cause and effect a small follow up study was done in 2005 by the Deccan Development Society (Hyderabad, India) and they reported that all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days yet the sheep in the control group who grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy. (Incidentally, Indian farmers report growing Bt cotton to be at least 10% less profitable than natural cotton, and this does not factor in the root rot problem- which was 2% in the first year of growing Bt cotton and an average of 40% the fifth year, nor the cost of livestock death. The only components of the equation were the price of the seeds and pesticides, and the resulting cotton yield. Bt cotton requires 20% more water than non-G.M. cotton.)

Monsanto, most known for the production of “Agent Orange”, has the most to gain from G.M. foods as they are the world’s largest provider of both seeds (90% of soy, 70% of cotton, and 65% of corn seeds) and pesticides. Biotech seeds are much more expensive and unlike standard seeds, must be purchased anew every year. Monsanto has not always acted ethically in developing nations and an example includes its 2005 agreement to pay $1.5M in penalties for the admitted violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when it bribed Indonesian government officials and concealed the payments as consulting fees.

Hope Shand of the Erosion, Technology & Concentration Group (grains and seeds) stated in 2008 “We have yet to see genetically modified food that is cheaper, more nutritious or tastes better" and "Biotech seeds have not been shown to be scientifically or socially useful". In light of this, why eat G.M.F.’s when (in this country) we have choices?

The increase in food allergies, asthma, diabetes, reproductive limitations, and autism in the U.S.A. over the last decade have caused some to wonder if there is an association of some sort with the increase in the production and sale of G.M. foods (which were introduced on a large scale in the U.S.A. in 1996). As of July 2009 there has only been one human study published. It was with a group of only seven volunteers and the results showed three of the seven had a genetic transfer of the D.N.A. of the G.M. soy they ingested.

An example of a possible correlation between human health and ingested G.M.F.’s is when G.M.O. soy was introduced in the U.K., reported allergic reactions to soy went up by 50% (this 1998 study was done by the York Nutritional Laboratory). (G.M. soy has up to seven times more tripsin inhibitor which is a known allergen.) According to the 2004 Netherwood study, the gene inserted into G.M. soy transfers into the D.N.A. of the bacteria living inside of the human intestinal tract where it continues to affect the terrain- in other words the ongoing presence of the G.M.O. produces proteins inside of us and we don’t yet know the consequences of their presence.

On May 19th of 2009 the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a moratorium on G.M. foods, for education of the public of their risks, for long-term independent studies of their effects on humans, and for required labeling. (Labeling of G.M. crops, although not currently required in the U.S.A., has been required in the European Union countries since 2003, as well as other nations such as Japan and Australia, and now the E.U. is in the process of requiring that meat, eggs, and dairy products coming from G.M. crop-fed livestock be labeled as such). The A.A.E.M.’s paper states “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food.” and “Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation associated with asthma, allergy, and Inflammation”. (The A.A.E.M., founded in 1965, is an international organization of physicians and medical professionals. It states its mission is to expand the knowledge of interactions between humans and their environment as relevant to total health.)

It’s very difficult to isolate G.M. crops due to outcrossing (seeds from G.M. crops mixing with neighboring conventional or organic crops, carried there by the wind). The contamination of non-G.M.O. crops has brought the need for inspection which has contributed to rising food costs.

The biggest issue with G.M.O. containing foods is not what we know, but what we don’t yet know. Why risk your genes?

In 1990 P.L.U. (price look-up) codes were introduced on produce labels. They indicate the type of produce as well as other relevant information from which grocery store check-out systems match a price. If you don’t know if what you’re about to buy is genetically modified or not, examine the P.L.U. code:
• A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's G.M..

You can also download a comprehensive consumer buying guide from the Institute For Responsible Technology in this link: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/DocumentFiles/144.pdf

Copyright Amy Mosher 2009
http://www.LifeLifeWellInfo.com

Tea, Coffee, or Minerals?: It's All In The Timing

Drinking tea or coffee with your meals can limit how much iron (needed for red blood cells) and zinc (needed for immunity) you absorb from the food you’re eating and from the supplements you take with your meals. This is because tea and coffee contain caffeine and tannins.

Coffee has more caffeine than tea and (true) teas have more tannins than coffee. Aside from water, tea is the world’s most popular beverage (green being the most common).

What differentiates the categories of tea is their degree of oxidation (this is the process in which the tea leaf interacts with oxygen and turns dark). Black tea is oxidized, oolong tea is semi-oxidized, and green tea is not oxidized. All true teas come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis (“tea bush”) and since it’s the process, not the leaves, which determine the category of tea, the same plant can produce all 3 categories of tea. Rooibus, nicknamed “red tea”, is a tisane rather than a tea, and comes from the leaves of an African legume bush. Red tea contains no tannins or caffeine. Herbal tea isn’t technically a tea either, rather it is made by steeping flowers, roots, leaves, or bark from any plant other than the tea bush.

Tannins are polyphenols (plant-derived antioxidants). Tannins have positive contributions, such as inhibiting the growth of dental plaque, but they inhibit absorption of iron, calcium, and zinc and due to binding with proteins, they decrease one’s ability to digest and assimilate protein. Note that tannins only inhibit the non-heme (plant-derived) form of iron, not the heme form (most iron supplements are plant-derived). Since vitamin C helps to neutralize tannins’ effect on iron absorption adding lemon juice to tea will reduce the negative effect of tannins upon iron absorption (or you could add orange juice to your morning meal). Although rooibos contains a small amount of tannin, the amount is so low that it does not affect the absorption of iron

Caffeine may reduce the absorption of manganese, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins. According to the 2002 study by Tufts University coffee can inhibit iron absorption by as much as 87% if consumed with or up to an hour after a meal.

The estimated caffeine content of coffees and teas are:
Double espresso (2 oz) = 45-100 mg
Brewed coffee (8 oz) = 60-120 mg
Instant coffee (8 oz) = 70 mg
Decaf coffee (8 oz) = 1-5 mg
Black tea (8 oz) = 45 mg
Oolong tea (8 oz) = 30 mg
Green tea (8 oz) = 20 mg
White tea (8 oz) = 15 mg
Rooibus (8 oz) = 0 mg
Herbal infusions (8 oz) = 0 mg

In no way does this mean that you should forgo your coffee or tea (unless you choose to for other reasons). What you should do is avoid drinking anything with caffeine or tannins for at least 30 minutes after eating or taking mineral supplements (and waiting for a full hour will make sure you get the most nutrition from your meals). Use organic coffees and teas to avoid ingesting pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.

Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher

Women And The Right To Vote

Amidst the 2008 election activity I was having a conversation with my next door neighbor (who moved here from Sweden). He was asking me questions to try to understand how our country’s campaign and election process came to be the way it is today. This got me thinking about when women gained the right to vote in various countries. 

Below is when our ancestors and counterparts around the world gained this right- a right which our generation can’t imagine not having. 

1893 New Zealand 

1902 Australia 

1906 Finland (was a duchy of Russia at the time) 

1913 Norway 

1915 Denmark, Iceland 

1917 Canada (province of Ontario in 1884, by 1917 the rest of Canadian women except for Quebec who followed in 1940 and “First Canadians”, Native Indians, in 1960) 

1918 Austria, Russia, Germany, Poland (first woman elected to Parliament in 1919) 

1919 Netherlands (yet first woman elected to a political office was in 1917) 

1920 U.S.A. 

1921 Sweden 

1924 Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan 

1926 Turkey 

1928 England, Ireland 

1931 Spain 

1944 France (first extended to Parisian women in 1871, later revoked) 

1945 Italy 

1946 Algeria 

1947 Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina 

1949 China 

1950 India, Haiti 

1963 Morocco, Iran 

1971 Switzerland 

1976 Portugal 

1994 South Africa (for black women, was 1930 for white women) 

2005 Kuwait 

2008 Bhutan 

Source = Grolier Encyclopedia 

In the U.S.A. the petitioning and demonstrating formalized in 1756 and it took 164 years of insistence and protests (some enduring imprisonment and torture) to gain this right. 

In Lebanon today only women with proof of an elementary school education are allowed to vote (yet voting is mandatory for men of any educational level). In the United Arab Emirates and Brunei (a sultanate) neither gender is allowed to vote, although the E.A.E. has announced this may change in 2010. 

Only 2 countries today allow men to vote but not women: Saudi Arabia and the Vatican City (where the only election is that of the Papal Conclave, wherein only male candidates can run for the position of Cardinal). 

I was touched by the CBS interview of a 106 year old American Catholic nun living in Rome. Sister Cecilia Gaudette was 18 years old and living in New Hampshire when American women gained the right to vote. 

Although the online absentee ballot form’s date of birth field only went back to 1905, she persisted by sending in her identification, determined to contribute her vote in this presidential election. 

My own aunt is a Dominican nun in New York. At age 88, she is 1 of the youngest of the Queen of Rosary Convent residents. Remembering their childhood years when women were not allowed what the United Nations has categorized as a “basic human right”, these 100 or so nuns, equipped in walkers, wheelchairs, and whatever it took, waited in the rain to board several city buses to go experience the gratification of putting their ballots in the box at the poll. 

Thank you to the women who came before us who made our voting right possible! 

Copyright 2008 Amy Mosher

Your Health As Your Most Important Investment

Did you know that the word “wealth” comes from the Old English words “weal” (well-being) and “th” (condition) which taken together means “the condition of well-being”? Many of us associate good health (mental, emotional, and physical) with the term “well being” and perhaps the early English considered health to be one of their most valued assets.

Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School, and Ohio University teamed up to conduct research on the correlation between illness and bankruptcy. When their 2001 report showed that half filed due to illness rather than financial profligacy, and that 68% of those who filed had health insurance, I wondered how many of us cultivate good health as a key component of our strategy for future decades and accordingly pay as much attention to building long term optimization of our bodies as we do our 401K’s? Recently the study reported 62.1% of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical. Think you’re immune? The study additionally reported the mean age was 44.9 years, 60.3% had attended college, and 66.4% were home owners. More than 75% had health insurance yet were overwhelmed by medical debt.

While we all want to be healthy because we’ll feel better being so, when viewed in an economic light it is compelling to prioritize our health. Just as you wouldn’t pour inferior fuel into the gas tank of a car and think it will serve you well for years to come, what you put into our body can directly impact how much you’ll enjoy (or not) being in it later and what percentage of your finances you’ll need to spend on it.

As professionals we often go to great lengths to excel in our fields, sometimes working late (dinner being whatever is in the vending machine) and gulping down caffeine to keep going. We prioritize our job performance- yet how can we also prioritize our health, given that we’ll still be living in our bodies long after we have left the jobs we are in?

Nourishing food and beverage choices are one way of showing yourself respect. If you purchased an expensive race horse you wouldn’t give him/her a bucket of fries and a diet cola. Of course you wouldn’t, because you revere the horse and desire good performance from your investment. Don’t you deserve this same level of regard for your “lap through life”? You approach the projects of your career strategically- with a comprehensive and long term vision in mind you develop a methodical plan to purposefully deliver your intended results. Isn’t your biggest and most important project really yourself?
In your eating choices consistency counts more than occasional volume because your cells are continually replacing themselves and they build with what nutrients are available at the time each new cell is constructed. If you’d like some health tips, such as suggestions for easy substitutions to increase your nutrition, click here. By being strategic in how you care for your body over several decades you set yourself up for the best chance of enjoying good physical, mental, emotional, and financial health in your later years.

copyright 2009 Amy Mosher http://www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com

Stomach Acid: Most People Have Too Little, Not Too Much

Often what is mistakenly interpreted as too much stomach acid is actually a lack of it. Hydrochloric acid tends to decrease with age. On average, a 40 year old will have 15% less HCL than they had at age 25, and by 65 they have 85% less. Hydrochloric acid can be supplemented. In capsule form it is generally paired with either betaine or with the amino acid glutamic acid. If you supplement take H.C.L. only with meals or you will feel an intense burning in your stomach.
When there is not enough hydrochloric acid to activate pepsin protein can’t be broken down into amino acids. (Proteins are chains of amino acids). Of the 20 standard amino acids, 8 are categorized as “essential” meaning the body cannot make these on its own. When protein isn’t digested properly due to lack of H.C.L., a person can become deficient in any of these eight amino acids. Our body uses amino acids to make digestive enzymes and the mineral carriers that transport alkalizing materials to the rest of the body. It becomes a vicious circle: less digestion results in less assimilation of the needed raw materials to keep the body pH balanced, which results in even less digestion.
In chemical terms, minerals need an electrical charge to be absorbed and H.C.L. provides this electrical charge. Magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, several other trace minerals, as well as vitamins B6 and B12, are not well absorbed when there is not enough H.C.L. production by the stomach. Malnutrition then results.
When the stomach makes hydrochloric acid it also makes the off-setting base which is sodium bicarbonate. The body splits salt into hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate so that the production of each molecule is evenly in proportion. The H.C.L. is used by the stomach and the sodium bicarbonate goes into the bloodstream to bind to acids. Any sodium bicarbonate that is leftover is routed to the adrenal glands, the liver, and the pancreas to be in reserve should the body take in a sudden dose of an acid. Therefore a lack of H.C.L. production causes a lack of bicarbonate production which results in a lack of alkalizing reserves to prevent acids from piling up in the tissues.
The mast cells of the stomach secrete histamine, which is made from the amino acid histidine. A lack of hydrochloric acid prevents the conversion of histidine into histamine. Histamine is involved in immune response and acts like a neurotransmitter. Without an appropriate level of histamine, our body’s immune signals can become confused, mistaking proteins for allergens, developing auto-immunity against its own cells, and failing to tackle invading microbes.
A reduction in gastric acid secretion negatively affects subsequent enzymatic reactions, which occur in later stages of digestion. Bile, which has had its alkalinizing properties robbed and is instead acidic, will hamper enzyme activity. Even worse, bile can switch these enzymes into harmful agents, as well as interfere with the function of the ileo-cecal valve (which connects the small and the large intestine).
The Heidelberg test is the method used to measure the ability of one’s stomach to produce H.C.L. Getting a stomach to return to full H.C.L. production is much more difficult and lengthy than avoiding what ceased the production in the first place.
Compromised digestion, due to a lack of H.C.L. and enzymes, results in a fermentation of carbohydrates, putrefaction of proteins, and rancidity of fats and oils, all of which adds to internal acidity. Dealing with these substances requires effort by other bodily processes and places a burden on your entire system.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
The above is an excerpt from my book "Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality". You can view the 1st 2 chapters (for free) on line at http://www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com and download the book (comes with free audio version).

Why Traveling Can Feed Your Inner Spirit

At a time of rising oil prices, economic downturn, and international unrest, what might be the value proposition to exporting yourself overseas for a vacation? The following are just a few of the reasons you might consider rewarding yourself with a cross-cultural trip:

• Expand your experiences: You’ll undergo endeavors that are quite different from your everyday life.
• Gain awareness: You’ll observe how our counterparts in other nations live.
• You will be forever changed: You’ll see new things and when you return, you’ll see the familiar things in your life in a new way.

Last year, 75% of those who went on nature, adventure or cultural trips were women. Women are seeking meaningful experiences with their vacation hours and there are a multitude of options available.

Before traveling internationally, it’s important to consider what you’d like to get out of the vacation:
• Relaxation?
• To be active?
• Cultural education?
• Site seeing?
All of the above and more can often be combined in one trip, so establish an itinerary (or verify the one a tour offers) to provide you the right mix of what you’re after. You may be interested in folding in some volunteerism (for which you may be able to write off a portion of your trip on your taxes). Conferences, theme trips, and learning expeditions provide the safety of groups and often allow for time on your own to explore the sites that most interest you.

Having traveled through 40 countries on 6 continents in the last 16 years, I encourage you to experience the unique confidence gained from navigating through lands in which the best thing you brought with you was your ingenuity. Some recommendations include:
• Get a good guide book in advance (don’t rely on a tour guide to let you know the interesting points of what you’ll be seeing, he or she might not cover the aspects that are of intrigue to you).
• Dress conservatively if in non-Western countries. In addition to avoiding sending a wrong message, your clothing will depict respect for the culture and people whom you’ll be visiting.
• Learn at least 3 words in the host language, they will go a long way:
o Hello (or good day)
o Please (or excuse me)
o Thank you

Your new perspective will be the best souvenir you brought home. Bon voyage!
Copyright 2008 Amy Mosher written for http://www.careerwomaninc.com/blog/?p=96

How To Avoid "Traveler's Tummy"

http://www.spiritquestworld.net/?p=983

pH, Health, & Minerals: How They Affect Each Other

Minerals are co-enzymes which help vitamins and other nutrients to function, and are responsible for most actions within and around our cells. There are 90+ known minerals (thus far) for human health. The minerals you ingest affect your pH and your pH affects your ability to assimilate minerals.

Minerals have different pH levels at which they can be assimilated into the body. Minerals on the lower end of the atomic scale, such as sodium and magnesium, can be assimilated in a wider pH range. Minerals higher up on the scale, such as zinc and copper, require a narrower pH range in order to be assimilated by the body. Iodine, which is a major factor in thyroid health, is high up on the atomic scale and requires near perfect pH for its assimilation into the body.

What this means is that without an adequate supply of minerals you can't balance your pH, and without a balanced pH you won't be able to assimilate some key minerals. The answer? Test your salivary pH regularly and start with a good blood test to analyze the status of your various mineral levels.

To read more on how pH affects health and what minerals have to do with this check out my book "Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality" downloadable at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/

Body Mind Spirit: What Leading M.D.'s Have To Say

I have been fascinated with the connection between mind and body for most of my life. Below are quotes by leading medical authorities in the U.S.A. For more info please see my book at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/


“The brain and body communicate using a flood of chemical messengers that hook up to receptors on the surface membranes of our cells, and our very thoughts, moods, and attitudes have a significant impact on which chemical messengers are sent and how they are received.” “These neurotransmitters translate our every fleeting thought, reaction, and emotion- conscious or unconscious- into physiological changes.” “By causing the release of neuropeptides, which communicate directly with every cell in our bodies, our moods and attitudes become incarnate.” “Feelings and thoughts seem intangible but produce a cascade of cellular action, telling each of our cells when to divide, which genes to turn on and when, to make more of this protein or less of that one.” “We are not only what we eat, but what we think.”
Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. (founding president of Bastyr University)

“You can’t afford prejudice, dislike, hatred, resentment, greed, or ignorance (the failure to accept truth or facts). Fear, anger, guilt, anxiety, depression, pessimism, prejudice, hatred, resentment and greed sap or zap our health. What are the antidotes? Joy, laughter, happiness, serenity, peacefulness, optimism, forgiveness, patience, tolerance, compassion, and love- a desire to do good and help others. These attributes of the spirit enhance health and well-being. They build beta endorphins, the feel-good natural narcotics, D.H.E.A. and immune competency. The key to good health is attitude, that is, one’s belief in the ultimate goodness of the universe.”
Norman Sheally, M.D., Ph.D. (neurosurgeon)

“Your body has a remarkable capacity to begin healing itself if you give it a chance to do so. Loneliness, depression, and isolation increase mortality by 3 – 7 times. Anything that creates a sense of connection, community, and love is healing. Meditation, compassion, and service are in a sense the most selfish things we can do because they create intimacy and create healing.”
Dean Ornish, M.D. (clinical professor of medicine at University of California, private practice is with coronary artery disease)

“Research supports that guided imagery can help people cope with allergies, and reduce allergy symptoms, office visits, and medication usage in many cases.”
American Academy of Allergies, Asthma, & Immunology

“Deep healing involves awakening and nurturing yourself at your most essential levels, that is, at those levels we sometimes describe as ‘unconscious’….Our self-talk is a powerful inner mechanism through which we can make dramatic changes in our lives. It can affect every part of our being—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. As such, I consider this kind of inner talk to be one of the key tools we need to develop for deep healing.”
Emmett Miller, M.D. (founder and medical director of the Cancer Support and Education Center)

“It's paying attention to heart wisdom, feelings, not living a role, but having a unique, authentic life, having something to contribute, finding time to love and laugh. All these things are qualities of survivors.”
Bernie Siegel, M.D. (surgeon and oncologist)

“By getting very clear about whether they really want to live and why they want to live, patients often find previously unknown reserves of energy and strength which can be extremely valuable on their journey through cancer.” “Fully honor and embrace your spiritual essence. It is not only the source of the love, joy, and fulfillment that we all seek, but of physical healing as well. Seek this through meditation, prayer, reflection, time in nature, and sharing with loved ones. Remember that just as your body, mind, and heart need attention, so does your spirit.”
Jeremy Geffen, M.D. (director of integrative oncology at Caring4Cancer, and 1999 and 2000 advisor to United States Congress on cancer care)

“Regardless of what supplements you take and what kind of exercise you do, when all is said and done it is your attitude, your beliefs, and your daily thought patterns that have the most profound effect on your health.”
Christiane Northrup, M.D. (obgyn)

Makes you think, doesn't it? http://www.livelifewellinfo.com