Supplements a must?

Natural whole, unprocessed foods are our best source of nutrients. Unfortunately our soil isn't what it used to be providing us with essentially all our needs. So this is the main source of nutrition, between the decline of nutrient in soil, eating too much processed foods (fast food, many vegan alternatives, processed meats like hot does, etc). We now have to make sure we have enough vitamins and minerals. The environment is also a factor, in which we need more micronutirents to combat the negative effects.

Therefore the growing need for supplementation. It is to be used as a supplement, not the main source. Ultimately if we all could work a garden, grow our food and eat that, we would be in a good place. Making sure we rotate the crops and land. There is a source of farming called bio-organic farming that replaces the vitamins and mineral into the soil. But most of us, including myself, do not have the willingness to accomplish that. So even those who eat organic foods, needs a little more due tot he quality of the soil.

In comes the rescue of the supplement!! Thank goodness there is an alternative for us to have the full benefits of nutrients like our forefathers and foremothers. We do not have to be held under the thumb of stripped land, environmental pollutants or our own laziness/inability to grow food. Take action and supplement; whether your meals are well-planned or rushed, with the additional nutrients you can have optimal living. It is the lack of minerals mainly but also vitamins that can be the underlying cause of many diseases.

It is better to prevent than to cure something later. If you know measurement, keep in mind that one ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, that's 16 to 1, keep the odds in your favor.

Bad boys, bad boys

Image result for blow upEmotionally speaking, there are some bad boys and bad girls.  I'm not talking about children who are still developing and often times just model our behavior, no I'm referring to adults; the ones with bad behavior.  They are so wound up that when there's a slight, sometimes the simplest of slights, they blow up.  At you.  You know when the what and how is coming out of their mouth, doesn't match the situation.  At all.

What do you do?

Do you join them in the depth of emotional waters that they are having a hard time navigating?

Simplest thing to do is "do not engage".  I know it can be tempting to not look weak in front of the other/s or be runned over or whatever else the ego tries to make it out to be.  But that is truly where the reaction, not response will be coming from.

Instead, I offer, for you to go higher.  Go into your heart, pull out as much compassion as you can muster and respond from there.  The response may look like silence.  It may look like acknowledgement of the person's frustrations like "this seems to be giving you a hard time" or "blah, blah must be really frustrating to you, how can I help."  It may be you saying excuse me and walking away.  It can be you listening attentively and holding the space for them to release.

Whatever you choose, just don't swim in the emotional waters with them.  Help bring them to shore and know that they are hurt being who hasn't finished working on themselves.  Hurt being hurt, they are not inherently bad, just in need of compassion and love.  Also know your limits and show compassion and love to yourself also!


Be Compassion!

Tea Time


As the weather starts to cool (or even before it does in many parts of the states now), it is an excellent time of year to start adding warmth to your body and always to your life. Herbal teas are not only medicinal, but highly enjoyable. Some countries make tea time a special ritual with deliberate movements, gestures and people.  

Even if you are not apart of a culture that has a ritual for tea, you can create one that will serve you well.  Taking time to be mindful while making a cup of tea can help de-stress and add moments of peace to your life.  Being mindful is simply being present with everything that you do.  So with tea, if using a tea bag or loose herbs, like the picture; when putting it in the water do it thoughtfully.Focus only on what you're doing. Watch the color infuse into the water. Smell the aroma that is wafting off. Put your hands on the cup and feel the heat. Allow yourself to seep into the process as the herb seeps into the water. 

As you take a sip of the tea, let the flavors dance on your tongue. See how many you can identify, play with it, become one with it as it becomes one with you. When you put it down, listen to the sound that the cup makes on the table, or the saucer. Use as many senses as you can.You can think about those who made it possible for the tea to come to you, and send them a blessing.The growers, the packers,the movers, the sellers. Because of them you were able to have this moment. The more you practice this the easier it becomes. Being in the moment turns five to ten minutes into an hour. So do yourself a favor, take some time and enjoy some tea!


Some suggestions: 

  • For a sweet taste use hibiscus or rooibos
  • To calm use chamomile or lemonbalm
  • To stimulate your digestion use peppermint or ginger 
  • Personal favorite (one of them)- Good Earth sweet & spicey simply for the taste
Yogi Tea and Traditional Medicinal brands has great options for herbal tea that is already in a bag.  You can visit your local health food store for loose herbs or pick it from your garden.  Go into the whole process of purchase with the anticipation of the enjoyment that it will provide you.  The mindful journey can start early.  You can create your own ritual with it by incorporating that time to do anything sacred, reading, praying or just being.  

Relish your tea time and the delight that it brings.  No matter how busy the schedule, make time for you.

Cheers!

The Day of The Mother



Image result for mother's dayThis Mother's Day, I found myself reflecting on what mother's day really was.  In other years, I wanted a break, some time alone.  This year, I clearly wanted to be with my children, for without them I would not be a mother.  Then I thought about the gifts, how commercialized almost every holiday is in America.  Buy flowers, jewelry, just buy, buy, buy. 

I personally love items that are handmade or something that took time and thought to execute; it lets me know that someone took time to think about me, consider what I like and projecting love.  Well love is what I see when well-crafted words or a perfect card, a rock that was searched for, a book empty or full, a collage, scrapbook, massage, etc...  Retreat days, spa gift certificates, all those are my little slice of heaven, but is that what mother's day is about?


Image result for STILL A momMaybe it's a time for remembrance. Remembering all our ancestors along our feminine line, honoring what they went through, their sacrifices, their wisdom, their deferred dreams, their love and lessons.

Maybe it's a time of self-nurturing, bringing out that mother within, regardless of your gender.  Pulling out resources that we didn't even know we had.  Loving ourselves like Clair Cosby, Alice Brady, Mother Theresa and Amma love others. Providing the nurture, support and acceptance that we crave, that a mother can represent to ourselves.  For us by us.  

Image result for still a mom pinMaybe it's honoring our own experiences as mothers, not over-judging ourselves knowing that we are still mothers even if our children didn't come through our wombs.  Even if our children has transitioned, you never stop being a mother.  even for those of us who had to make hard decisions, that's what being a mother is all about.


Maybe it's a time to reflect on the many wonders of having a child or children.  What we learn by mothering another.  How we can apply those lessons to various parts of our lives.  The parts of us that were unknown until a child opened it up, the well of love that was untapped before. The ways we make ourselves better to be an example of all the beauty we want in our children's lives; the things we do for them that we have to learn to do for ourselves.

Whatever the reason, whatever way you choose to honor Mother's Day, it is all valid and it is very necessary to focus on more than once a year.  Maybe we can have mother's day once a month, even once a week!  Something to think about, we have the freedom to create our own traditions.


Honor thy Mother 



Busting The Dam(n) of Fear

Fear has a way of stopping us from doing things that may be necessary.  There are instances of fear in which we have no choice, regardless of what we are feeling, it is going to happen....like birth and death.  You can hold onto a baby but so long, if you are scared of labor, you just have to prepare because it's coming and you can't stop it.

The same goes with the aspect of growth.  When we are called to grow, to go to the next level of our life, it can invoke fear, lots of fear.  But what are we afraid of?  Change is the only constant in life, everything changes, everything changes us.  The real fear doesn't lie in change itself because we've had countless experiences with it. Starting from being in our mother's wombs to breathing air with our little lungs.  No, the fear is in the unknown.  The mind stuff we make up because we just don't know what will be.

Scared of what might be in the dark, scared of what might come to light.

So we try to "hold on" and keep things the same.  Which doesn't work either, it leaves us feeling stuck or antsy because we know that there is somewhere else, something else we need to be.  Another level, another place, another space of beingness.  What would it look like?  How will it feel?  Who will you be?  When is the "right" time?  Exactly where will you be?  It's all unknown until you get there, but it usually better than where you are.  Yes, better.  I'm talking about the times you KNOW something has to change, when you know that a move needs to made, when you feel that impulse of creativity & challenge.  When you are teetering on the edge of old and new.    When you stay where you are, trying to figure out where you're going to be and the unease grows.  When it's move with the motion so you don't have to be pushed by pain.  

Go with movement, a universal law (everything in flux, it's a physics thing) and take that leap. Jump, Let Go 

Remember, we usually end in a better place, looking back like "what was I afraid of" or "why did I take so long to do that". Allow yourself to be pulled by the dream, pulled forward by the vision, pulled into beauty.  Pulled into a knowing that all is well, pulled into Divine Order.  
Just jump......Grow.  

Go forward regardless.  Fear can be a mindtrip, so let your mind know, you're moving forward. Move now, feel the fear later (if it still comes). That's how you beat it, simply don't buy into it, don't let it stop your momentum.  You are not alone, we are all in this together, running, jumping or moseying along.  We were all made to grow.

Spring Clean, Inside and Out

New flowers blooming
on a bush
Spring is the time of year in which the energy is renewed and we tend to look around with fresh eyes.  Those eyes see things that we went blind to before, the increase of the sun helps us get the energy to start renewing our environment.

After the hibernating period of winter, we see the potential for new life in the buds, spring green leaves growing on the trees, flowers and grass again!  The brightness is inspiring and we use this energy to do the big "Spring Clean".  We dust, lift, wipe, clean cracks, windows, wash, set out new drapes, etc... we go to work on our home, cars & office.  But what if this spring we took that extra burst of energy and applied it to a big spring clean inside of us.  I hear your grumblings of "oh a cleanse, another detox, guess I need to lose a few pounds..."; no this is NOT YOUR AVERAGE DETOX, this is about all the other ways in which we need to cleanse.  Our thoughts, our negative habits, patterns & energy.  Negative emotions, mind clutter, etc...  We can look at ourselves internally &

Detox the Chaos


 I know that it can be hard to see ourselves, that why we use different things as mirrors.  The people in our lives, the things about them that stick out the most are reflections of us in some way.  We can become really conscious about our thoughts, emotions and actions, filter out what we don't like and release it.

Sometimes doing the work by ourselves becomes hard and we give up, so a supportive 21-day program was created to help guide the internal work.  There are tools and techniques to help filter out the negative thoughts, emotions and habits that we can hold onto.  There will be guidelines and techniques to implement a more positive, peace producing state of being, thus creating inner balance emotionally and mentally which also helps to open up physically.  There will be specific targets for the physical body throughout the program.

You will finish feeling renewed like those fresh drapes and sparkly rooms, with all the promise of the spring green leaves on a fruit tree.

How it would work:

  • It's a virtual program that utilizes conference calling and live videos weekly, so you do not have to travel to join
  • There's a shortened one on one session with Dr. Dean to find your custom supportive remedy
  • Time for questions to be asked and answers 
  • Support from others going through the same thing in their own way
  • Quick daily prompted work & reminders
  • We all have varying schedules and the program will work with all.  Remember that what we put into something is what we get out.  


JOIN HERE

Investment $250
Supplements separate
Uncovering The Peace Within....... Priceless

Pre-Diabetes

There is a common misconception that dis-ease "runs in a family"...especially when it comes to diabetes. I have personally seen 7-8 family members die of complications of diabetes. It is not hereditary, there isn't a known gene that says you will have diabetes, and if they do find one with the genomics project, it has to be expressed for you to have the ailment.

The reason it seems to "run in the family" is because those members tend to do the same things...follow family recipes, have similar sedentary lifestyles, carb or sugar load and think the same thoughts among other things. Here's the simplest thing to do if it is prevalent in your family: Do something different!

Image result for pre-diabetes

Life continually gives us a chance to make different choices, it's up to us to take that opportunity.  There is a condition called pre-diabetes, when you are on the verge of becoming diabetic and fortunately can make changes so it never fully expresses.  In the age of the SAD (Standard American Diet) lifestyle we are seeing type II Diabetes run rapid among adults and children alike.  This, like any other dis-ease really deserves and need a multifaceted approach to address the issues, treat or prevent diabetes.

1.  Address Movement - Incorporating activity is paramount.  You can hire a trainer, buy some exercise DVDs, join a fitness class or any such thing.  You can also simply walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator on purpose, park further out in the lot - not trolling for a spot by the door, take multiple after-meal-walks in a day, peruse your neighborhood.  Play more, ride a bike, roller blade, run a race/marathon.  Entertain children.  Just make it apart of your life, keep moving and grow the movements.


2.  Address Nutrition - This is variable depending on what you are doing but overall eat whole grains, decrease or eliminate processed foods, eat 5 small meals a day, eliminate white foods (flour, sugar, potato) eat a hearty breakfast, eliminate softdrinks, decrease alcohol (it turns into sugar) and learn about the body's natural insulin- how and why it works.  Consult a Naturopath or nutritionist for a complete individualized plan.

3.  Add botanical medicine & Nutritional Supplementation - Before insulin and other drugs, diabetes was treated with plants.  Gymnema helps to regulate blood glucose (400mg a day); Allium cepa & Allium sativum (onion & garlic) with the extra benefit of lowering blood pressure; Momordica charantia (bitter melon) the fresh juice and extract of the unripe fruit lowers blood sugar.  There is also chromium that facilitates glucose uptake into cells and improves glucose tolerance (at least 200ug a day).  Most if not all of these things can be found in a local health food store or your nearest Whole Foods Market.   

4.  Address Energy/ Add Affirmation- According to Louise Hay the energy/thought behind diabetes is longing for what might have been.  No sweetness left in life.  Even if you do not think you agree, I would ask that you reflect on it and see if it is there in any aspect in your life.  Afterwards say this affirmation:  "This moment is filled with joy.  I now choose to experience the sweetness of today."  Write it on a note card, take it with you, post-it to a mirror, say it every time you walk into the bathroom or put it on the refrigerator or cabinet where you keep the junk food; say the affirmation before grabbing something.  As fully as you can sit in the moment, breathe in the words, be the words.  This may look like the simplest tool but it is the most powerful.  This is where change happens, infuse it into your energyfield and the rest will fall into place.  It will become easier to make better choices, to commit to something different because the real need has been fed.  

With the incorporation of the above you may feel the sweetness of movement; taste the sweetness in vegetables & bitter chocolate; experience the sweetness of the ritual of caring for yourself and sink into the sweetness of your life.  Not all sweets are bad!!

Be Different, Live Sweet!    



For more information about an individualized nutrition or supplementation plan email me at DeanWellness@gmail.com

Healing Music

Image result for healing musicSound is important, it triggers memory, emotions, thoughts.... it can change our frequency. The vibrations coming from the music we select to listen to can elevate or depress our moods, by speeding up or slowing down the rate we are vibrating. Everything vibrates, it's energy; slowly vibrating objects appear solid; the ones vibrating at a faster rate appear less dense, like water going from ice to steam. In that sense music can heal us, hitting certain frequencies for the ailment.


Here are a couple of my favorite albums, that seems to vibe at a higher frequency:
  • India.Arie: All 3 albums, especially Testimony Vol 1: Life & Relationships
  • R. Carlos Nakai - In Beauty, We Return
  • John Coltrane - The Very Best of John Coltrane
  • Bob Marley - The Box Kit, and if just one album: Legend
  • Will Calhoun - Native Lands
Of course this list can go on, these are those that I felt a personal healing connection to myself, for where my frequency was. Check out your music and notice which ones you turn to when healing is needed, feel free to add to the list.

In Health, Be Peace

New Beginnings

New year, new steps.  Lots of changes are continuing, the question is "how easily can you flow with change?".  Not to move against it but with it.  Learning lessons and incorporating them into your life, into your work, into your family and friends.  How to take that first tentative step without knowing where you are going to land....stepping any way to ???  Your new beginning, again maybe, cycles tend to repeat but each time you enter what appears to be the same thing, it's at another level.  Each new beginning is a deepening process that refines, adds dimension and more vibrant colors to a lesson that we have learnt or are learning.
These times are requiring a level of trust (faith in action) and faith (trust in action) that we may not have fully utilized before.

Here are some simple practices that can be done to help navigate when things feel a little shaky; like the ground may not be there when you step:

  • deep abdominal breathes
  • mindful activities - be it having a cup of tea, preparing a meal, washing, etc... let it be done with an intentional conscious focus on that action, that moment, put your whole self into it and enjoy the movements/temperature/surroundings
  • affirmations - create a positive spin on whatever the thought is in a sentence and repeat
  • dance it out - or walk, some form of physical activity that is engaging and encompassing to shake that energy from your body
  • write it out 
  • reconnect spiritually
  • breathe again
Unease happens, use one and more of the above and anything else that helps (besides addictions), be gentle with yourself and remember that it is a practice.  Micheal Jordan is who he is because he was willing to put in the practice.

Each moment is a new beginning.....
Until next time, Embrace it!