WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR BODY?

What we put in our bodies can actually promote positive energy or negative energy in how our bodies relate and respond to whatever it is we are giving it. 

We all know that processed foods are junk and can have a diverse affect on your health and long-term well-being.  Processed foods may even cause death.  The food and lifestyle choices we make can have a diverse affect not only directly to your health but on the environment as a whole.  (Cattle ranching/factory farming/pollution/waste).

Thinking about just the food you consumed, ask yourself, how has this food affected your body and mind?  Did you drink enough water?  Have you consumed enough vegetables, fruits, beans and seeds to give your body the vitamins and minerals required to ensure you have sufficient energy for your daily activities?  Are you feeding your body carcinogens that promote cancer in your body or feeding it fresh and organic foods that decrease your cancer risks?

What fast-food chains (McDonald’s/Burger King/KFC/Wendy’s/Tim Horton’s) promote:

• increased risk of diabetes, heart attack and high blood pressure.
• animal cruelty.
• pollution (water and air).
• deforestation (for factory farms/cattle ranches/pig farms).
• excessive landfill waste from garbage that can’t be recycled.
• low wages for employees but huge profits for shareholders and CEO’s.
• bankruptcy for local farmers who can’t compete with BIG corporations.

What other things can have a diverse affect on your body?

• pharmaceutical drugs
• excessive alcohol
• lack of exercise
• breathing polluted air
• over-the-counter drugs (allergy, sinus, headache, and all other medications for minor ailments) ***many of these medications can be stopped with proper diet and nutrition***
• excessive recreational drug use

When we are armed with the right information and really listen to our bodies, we can have tremendous and positive effect on bodies both physically and mentally.  Try this experiment….remove all ‘white’ foods from your diet – sugar, flour, bread, pasta and notice how your body feels (after the withdrawals of course).  If you have sinus infection or allergies, remove milk from your diet and substitute it with rice/soy or almond milk.  Migraines and high blood pressure???  Remove meat from your diet for a month and notice what happens.

We have all been bombarded with lies and misconceptions about what our bodies require.  These lies and misconceptions mostly come from companies who are dependent upon our lack of knowledge and education.  As a matter-of-fact, these companies (Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Neilson, KFC, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, etc) they profit from our distractions and our unwillingness to education ourselves.  These BIG corporations work with governments to ensure their agendas are being met by pushing legislation that benefits these corporations.  Think about it – if people are not becoming sick, how can pharmaceutical companies make money, how will hospitals treat the sick, how will insurance companies deny their clients health claims?  By being vigilant and proactive in our health, we not only benefit ourselves but our environment, the local economy, small businesses, local farmers, animals, our environment and our planet.  By NOT being distracted, we can also hold our governments and corporations accountable for the damage they are doing to us and to our planet.

I’m sure most of us prefer a life free of genetically modified food, meat that isn’t pumped with steroids and antibiotics, vegetables and fruits without damaging pesticides, water that is clean and air that we can breathe.  That is not reality right now because we are not demanding these rights.  Is it not time to clear your mind and body of all the toxins and distractions that these corporations and our governments are feeding us?  Would it not be great to finally live an authentic life without the influence of poisonous foods and drugs?  Isn’t it time that we cleanse our bodies and minds?  When we remove the slave mentality that our governments and big corporations have instilled in us, we become better people, better communities and a better world.  All you have to do is start with your food.

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!

 

IF I WERE A POLITICIAN…..

What reputation do our politicians have?  I can only speak of Canada and the United States because it is the policies of these countries that I hear most about.  Politicians in our continent are engaged in scandals that would make a celebrity blush.  There are stories of greed, sex scandals, politicians getting kickbacks from big corporation, the lack of accountability, over-spending, war and not working for the individuals who hired them.  I know what I elected my politicians for, and it wasn’t to bail out banks, allow oil companies to drill the earth dry, allow developers to destroy the earth’s natural resources at an alarming rate and to keep people oppressed, depressed and paranoid.

So – what would I do as a policy maker?  Great question with a simple answer.

1.  I would focus on legislation that would help those who are suffering because of out-dated policies that just do not work.  I would work very hard to garner the publics trust by REALLY listening to their needs.  I know that people who have money don’t need as much help as those that do – it’s really simple and that easy.

2.  You want jobs – I would  give incentives to companies that find sustainable alternatives to those things that contribute to climate change.  I would demand solar, wind and other sustainable ways to find climate change.  I demand that car companies to stop making automobiles that leave a carbon footprint and use ‘dirty oil’ and, I would ask them to make them affordable.

3.  Religion and politics don’t mix.  I would ensure that my policies were based on the greater good of the people and not because of certain religious beliefs.  God doesn’t run a country – the people do.  If you want to pray, you can pray at your church, synagogue, mosque and house.  There is no place for religion in politics.

4.  Everyone receives that same health care……people shouldn’t be dying because they can’t afford medicine that can save their lives.  I would also ask doctors to promote preventative care – such as proper diet, nutrition, exercise and natural ways to cure ailments before they prescribe pharmaceuticals.

5.  I would ensure that BIG OIL stop drilling immediately.  This will make people realize that THERE ARE other ways to power the provide us with power that do not have such a negative impact on our earth.

6.  I would protect existing forests, lakes, oceans and rivers.

7.  I would ban guns – unless you were in the military, you would not own or have a gun.  This would include police.

8.  No hunting – Why do we have so many animals on the endangered species list?  We lack respect for our environment, the planet and the animals that were here long before us.  We are crowding into their space and they become displaced.

9.  Everyone would have the same opportunity in terms of education.  It would be affordable and everyone would be taught the same.  It would be mandatory to include meditation, proper nutrition and essential life skills (what is a mortgage, the proper use of credit cards, how to invest, how to save money) as part of the curriculum.

10.  I would ensure that no-one travels to places that are advertised in travel companies as “10 Places to see before they disappear” – they include:  Glacier National Park, Galapagos Islands, The Great Barrier Reef, The Dead Sea, The Alps, Madagascar, The Congo Basin.  The only way you would be able to travel to these places is to help in their sustainability.  Here is a link as to why I would ban travel to these places:  http://dailyinfographic.com/10-places-to-see-before-theyre-gone-infographic

11.  I would promote a culture that understands the implications of over-population.  I would encourage the use of contraceptives and give incentives to parents who adopt children rather than having them.

12.  Committing a crime against an animal would have the same implications as if you were committing the same crime on a human.  A life is a life.

13.  The debate on abortion would end.  Politics has no business on any women’s right to choose what she does to her body.

14.  I would allow and give incentives to developers who focus on building sustainable communities – communes, organic gardens, community living, local farming, etc.

15.  Ban the use of pesticides and genetically modified foods (unless the GMO’s have had long-term and positive studies). 

If other politicians decide they can’t handle these policies that all people would benefit from – I would ask them to leave my government.  We are living in a moment of history were debates and talk must stop and we must take action.  It is time to seriously look at new ideas and politicians must stop creating legislation based on what and how they can benefit from.  It is time that the people hold their politicians accountable for their actions – this has worked in other countries, we must make it work here.  I am confident that positive change will come – especially if our leaders are thinking for the greater good of the planet and its inhabitants and not the “almighty dollar”.

Together we can make the world a more positive one!

PLACEBO EFFECT vs NOCEBO EFFECT

Most of us have an understanding or awareness of what the “placebo effect” but for those of you that do not….the “placebo effect” is the heal-inducing effect patients in clinical trials experience when they believe they are getting a new drug or surgery but are actually getting fake treatment.  In contrast, there is the “nocebo effect” which has the opposite effect the “placebo effect” has.  If patients are told that a drug will cause severe side-effects, they may experience them or if a doctor indicate a certain surgery or medication will not work – the patient will believe this to be true.  These effects have been proven time and time again.  We all understand the basics of negative and positive behaviour or thought…..when you think bad thoughts – something bad usually happens, this holds true for positive thoughts and intentions.

I do my best not to take any medications (cold, flu, sinus, headache..etc), including antibiotics – I don’t have a desire to put something into my body that can potentially cause me more harm from taking it/them.  I prefer the holistic approach or the more natural remedies for whatever is ailing me.  I sometimes even meditate to heal my body after an illness or for preventative measures.   During my meditation – I imagine my body filling with the healing energies of white light and imagine that white light flowing through my body, into my organs and bones.  Once the white light passes through all of my body, I release the energy into the universe from my crown chakra (the top of the head).  My second step in my ‘healing’ meditation is to imagine all my wonderful and healthy cells overpowering or destroying the cells that cause sickness and disease.

Many people are mentally defeated when they are told that they have a life-threatening disease and give up almost immediately.  I believe that if you seek alternative methods of healing that the mind and body will respond positively.  Being proactive and taking initiative with our health issues is not only our doctor’s responsibility, it is ours.  If our doctors do not encourage us to seek alternative methods to healing, then it is possible that you may need a new health care professional.

Dr. Lissa Rankin appeared on a Ted Talks episode in which she discusses both the “placebo” and “nocebo” effects in greater detail.  She also talks about the need for doctors to be more compassionate and caring when dealing with their clients.  Her insight and passion about health care is something I have rarely seen in doctor’s offices, health care clinics or even in hospitals.   Side note:  The state of health care in Canada is becoming increasingly challenging for both patients and health care providers – but that is a topic for another post.

Please visit Dr. Lissa Rankin’s website for some great health care information and be sure to check out her Ted Talks episode (both links provided).

http://lissarankin.com/ 

Together, we can make the world a more positive one!