Health and Healing, Lessons Learned from Friends and Animals

I began writing this blog last saturday.  I took the time to contemplate it's content, which is why I have waited a week to post. It is my hope that someone will learn something new and start their own journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Good morning my readers,

It is a cold and rainy spring, Saturday morning.  It definitely evokes a writer to put pen to paper.  My home office overlooks the beautiful, majestic and old maple trees that line my street.  They are in full bloom right now and I so enjoy their luscious green color.  As I contemplate what my writing will be focused on today, awaiting inspiration, my mind wanders to the lessons I have learned from friends and animals about health and healing.

As most of my blog readers know, my cat Ben recently died of cancer and ever since then, I have had a very strong urge to eat even better than I have before and to understand why he developed cancer.  Was it the food I fed him? the stress of his sister Creep dying right after the house fire?, his brother Baileys alpha personality? something in our home environment? or was it something that I will never quite figure out?  Why do we have so much cancer in our world today? Everytime you turn around some knows someone that is suffering or dying from it and animals are getting sicker at younger ages.

Quite frankly I want to hear more about the wonderful food we now have available to us all year round, the thousands upon thousands of healthy recipes you can get on your computer, your IPhone, the people are accomplishing great things with their bodies at ages we never dreamed possible before! What about those 90 year old people who are running races and lifting weights and feeling the best they have ever felt?  I want to hear about the stories of animals that have been healed and what the healthiest foods are for them and how to keep them in their best shape.

I have always loved exercise,eating well and looking the best I possibly can.  Its been a passion of mine ever since I can remember. But now, more than ever before, eating "clean" and healthy is calling me. My mother is a cancer survivor and has been diagnosed with Celiac's.  My dad had high cholesterol and heart issues but has since been a total convert to supplements, ordering beef from an organic farm and eating lots of vegetables and fruits and juicing.  He is totally off his high cholesterol and heart medicine.  My dad is a pretty tenacious guy.  He had six stents put in his heart and was out pulling dry wall down not two weeks later! 

I have been very lucky as I am a very healthy woman who's only health issue is perimenopause and psoriasis.  I am stronger then I have ever been due to a committment I made to employ a personal trainer two years ago this month.  I lift weights three days a week and do some form of cardio 30-45 minutes, five days a week.

I came to study health and healing when my former husband and I are were trying to have a baby.  Diagnosed with infertility and suffering severe PMS symptoms in my thirties drove me to find ways to help my body become pain free and to heal itself.  During that same period, I met a dear friend and her husband who were vegetarian and avid students of alternative medicine. This was the start of a journey that would grip my curiosity and send me down paths I never dreamed over the last twenty years.

I have studied amazing, human holistic teachers such as Dr. Christiane Northrup http://www.drnorthrup.com/ Louise Hay, http://www.louisehay.com/, Wayne Dyer, http://www.drwaynedyer.com/, Deepak Chopra, http://www.deepakchopra.com/ and Andrew Weil, http://www.drweil.com ,Caroline Myss, http://www.myss.com/ and so many others .

My cats vets stand as my teachers in homeopathic and energy medicine. They are
Dr. Alisa Koenig DMV, located in East Aurora, NY, Dr. Donald Hamilton, DMV, in New Mexico and Dr. Cynthia Lankenau, DVM in Colden, NY. 

Recently, I have been following two amazing websites of women who I truly admire for their committment to health. Tosca Reno, http://toscareno.com/ and Kris Carr, http://crazysexylife.com/.
They are women who have embraced health at every level, physical, spiritual, mental.

What have I learned? What can I share with you so that you can begin to ask some of your own questions, answer some that you have pondered or simply be enlightened by some new bit of information?

Answer:  I have learned more than I can share on one blog! Hahahaha!

So perhaps what I can begin with is to talk about Lessons Learned from my 90 year old friend Marquerite with whom I spent precious moments with during my days in Holland, NY.

Rainbow Hugs

So, I was driving home this evening after a lovely warm, family and friend filled birthday party for my good friends daughter.  It had been raining and cloudy all day. The feeling in the air was more fall like than spring.  As I was driving, I was thinking to myself how much I wished I had a special someone to share my life with and how nice it would be to snuggle under the covers with them on this damp and chilly evening. My heart felt a bit saddened.  I seldom feel lonely, but for whatever reason, tonight was one of those occassions where I really wanted to have someone to come home to. 

It was just then, that the sun came out from underneath the clouds and low and behold, there was a rainbow.  I hadn't seen a rainbow in so long.  It was almost as if God himself was telling me that he was right beside me and I truly was not alone. I was so grateful that the roads were very light this evening, it gave me an opportunity to just keeping looking at that rainbow in hopes that I would committ its beauty to memory.

The love of friends, the love of family, the love of God who quietly lets you know he is near.  And I will sleep peacefully knowing that All is Well!

Kimberley

Be Happy! Dance!

Love your Life! Everyday in everyway.  No matter what the circumstance, find something to be happy about today. 

There are so many things in life to celebrate and be joyful about.  Life is fragile and can be over in seconds.

Live your life to the fullest, every minute of every hour.  Cherish that chance meeting with friends you haven't seen in years, the sun that comes up everyday without any work on our part, the birds that sing, our animals that love us unconditionally, our family who loves us despite our shortcomings.

Over the last few weeks there has been so much mention of illness surrounding me that it has made me just want to jump up and dance and be so very grateful for the good health that I have and to strive everyday to be a better person than I was the day before.

Find something, anything to be grateful for and that makes you happy today.  Turn on the radio, watch a youtube video - get up dance and celebrate the life that is you!  I know I will be!

Kimberley

Exercise, a power packed word!

Exercise.  An eight letter word that is packed with such amazing benefits!  Why do we resist it so much when it feels so good?

In my life, exercise has been my friend.  It has helped my broken heart to heal on many occassions.

It has given me motivation. When I discovered I could actually see my body changing and those muscles in those arms, I knew I could do anything if I set my mind to it!

It has given me the courage to continue on.

It has made me stronger.  Stronger physically and stronger mentally. 

It has made me hopeful.  Hopeful that all really is well and that the world is really a great place to be in.

It has introduced me to new friends.

It has given me the energy to live a more vibrant life.

It has allowed me to eat that extra cookie when I feel like eating it!

It gives me the knowing that I can always push myself to do more than I believe I am capable of!

I encourage everyone to find an exercise they love and stick with it! And when you have mastered that one, find a new one and change it up! Your body and mind will love you for it! 

Kimberley

Women, our beautiful selves

I popped into the grocery store today after a rigourous workout on the bike, clocking 9 miles and a high resistance level.  I was very proud that I made the gym a priority on a beautiful 90 degree day in Buffalo, NY.  My legs were throbbing and for the very first time, I dared to wear those yoga, type, boy shorts. 

I thought to myself, do I dare go into the grocery store looking like this?  I had a workout jacket in the car, so I thought why not.  I was proud of my very toned and muscular legs that I have earned with rigourous five day a week workouts. I put the jacket on and in I went.

I didn't have much time as my nephew was helping with yard work and I was picking up some things to serve him lunch.  I ran through the produce isle gathering lettuce and tomatoes, then onto the deli counter, trying not to be aware if anyone was looking at me strangely with those boy shorts on!

I grabbed a number at the counter.  Even though it was a beautiful day, it was still very busy at the grocery store.  It is always packed on a sunday and the deli area was no exception. As I stood there waiting my turn, I heard a woman giggling.  I turned my head to see this very little person, scantily clothed in a black dress, that barely covered her "glutes" with five inch sexy gator heels on.  Her hair, brunette with some blonde highlights. She couldn't have been more than a size two at best!  As if that wasn't bad enough!  She was holding a waffle sundae from Cold Stone Creamery! She stood next to her boyfriend who was wearing a casual red and black plaid shirt over tan shorts with flip flops who apparently was ordering some deli meats.

Yes, did I just want to shoot her? Absolutely! Here I was on a blistering hot day, working my own "glutes" on a bike at the gym and she is going to Cold Stone Creamery! I couldn't help myself, I leaned over to the man standing next to me at the counter that was intently starring at her, (what man wouldn't?) and said " I hate her!" He laughed and I laughed too.

Just then, my eyes went to another beautiful woman, waiting at the deli counter. She was blonde, a bright smile, small framed as well , but wearing a navy blue and white hankerchief like casual shirt over long grey shorts and flip flops. One child in the front seat of a large cart, the other child in the back of the cart in a car seat, with groceries surrounding him. 

I smiled at her, walked toward her and told her how beautiful her children were.  She thanked me, appearing a little frazzled.  She shared with me that he husband is out of town most of the time and that her children are adopted and that she didn't bear them.  I quietly looked at this woman of natural beauty and said " you bore them from your heart."  She smiled. 

Pondering three very different woman standing at the deli counter, it reminded me of how very different we all are, yet how precious and beautiful we are in our own ways.  The seductive youth, the natural love of a mother, resonating through her face, and the strength of woman determined to be as fit and toned as she can be.

Kimberley

Clean Eating and Sage advice from Holland, NY

Spring is in the air and summer will soon be upon us.  That means all the wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables will be available at the grocery stores and local farmers markets. I always look forward to visiting the markets with all the delectable smells and the variety of color, the fresh flowers that the growers bring with them.  Perhaps one of my most favorite parts about the local markets are the growers themselves. I love to spend the time to chat with them and get to know their unique ways of farming and get to know them as people. 

This is also a great time to focus on getting our eating habits back on track and feeding our bodies the very best food!  I know we hear it everywhere, but with our very busy lives do we really make feeding our bodies healthy foods a priority?  I know for me this will be a renewed focus over the next few weeks and months to come. 

"Clean eating" seems to be a new phrase these days, so I have taken the time to investigate what the intention is.  Clean eating is nothing more than a focus on eating foods that strengthen and sustain our physical selves.  Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, fats that are the "good fats" and a certain amount of dairy.  No sugar! That's the hardest for me.  I can do without the pasta (which took me about a year of withdrawal, I only have it once in awhile now), I can pass on the white bread and white rice. But! I have the hardest time passing on sugar in my coffee and cookie every few days!

I learned long ago from two wonderfully wise women, who I met when living in Holland,NY, that moderation is the key to living a healthy life.  These women were in their mid to late 80's when I met them and they grew up when people cooked with lard!  These women were healthy and vibrant, going to church every sunday, involved in bridge, garden and book clubs.  The one woman who was approaching 90 still drove a car and visited those who were "shut-ins."  She is still one of my life mentors!  I will never forget her. 

So, as all of us in the year 2012 focus on clean eating, exercising and healthy lives, I ask us all to ponder the wisdom of these ladies.

More to come on these wonderful women in the following days of my blog.  I feel that you my readers, will fall in love with them just as I have!




Love and Light,
  Kimberley

Moving On with Your Life...





There are moments in time that we just know that its time to "move on." Life has its own way of moving us forward, even when we don't want to.  We reluctantly go, kicking and screaming.  Not wanting to walk away from our comfort zone.

Whatever you comfort zone is: your current job that you have been in for years, the weight you have been carrying around that feels like a huge burden, the relationship you just know isn't working for you

The signs come, sometimes big, sometimes by small whispers.  But they do come!  I encourage you my readers to listen, listen closely.

Make the decision to change your life!  You don't have to live trapped under that weight, in that relationship , in that job that you absolutely hate.  Make the decision.  You have choices.  We all do.  It's up to us and only us to take a different road.