Start Your Day with Water with Lemons

Hi All,

Happy Sunday!  What a great day!  No reason, other than it's a good day to be alive and to just to be.  It's Memorial Day weekend here in the USA - where we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  It also kicks off the summer season and we typically enjoy a 3 day weekend and get together with family and friends.  It's a good weekend to be grateful for many things.  We're having a little BBQ tomorrow afternoon.  Whatever you're doing - be present - and enjoy each moment.

So this morning I was poking around Pinterest, looking at the "pins" under a search topic of holistic health.  One of the first things that pops up is a picture of a glass of lemons in water, with a headline "20 Reasons to Start your day with Lemon Water."  Well, that got my attention because I know how healthy lemon water is, I enjoy it regularly - and don't know as much as I'd like about it.  So I'm going to share the 20 reasons with you here today.

The info is from an article from the web site titled, "LA Healthy Living."  I'm not an advocate for the site or know anything about it, but it seems like a good post that I'd like to share.

20 Unbelievable Reasons To Start Your Day With Water and Lemon

1. Water with lemon provides the body with electrolytes which hydrate your body. As lemons contain good amount of electrolytes such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.
2. Water with lemon is good for the joints, reducing pain in the joints and muscles.
3. Warm water with lemon helps digestion as lemon contains citric acid. It interacts with other enzymes and acids which easily stimulate the secretion of gastric juice and digestion.
4. The liver produces more enzymes from water with lemon than from any other food.
5. Water with lemon cleanses the liver. Lemon juice stimulates the liver to release toxins.
6. Water with Lemon helps fight infections of the respiratory tract, sore throats and inflammation of the tonsils. This is due to the anti-inflammatory properties of lemon.
7. Warm water with lemon helps regulate natural bowel movement.
8. Water with lemon is indispensable for the normal work of metabolism. Since lemon is a powerful antioxidant, it protects the body from free radicals and strengthens the immune system.
9. Water with lemon aids in proper functioning of the nervous system (as lemon  has a high content of potassium). Depression and anxiety are often the result of low levels of potassium in the blood. The nervous system needs a sufficient amount of potassium to ensure sustainable signals to the heart.
10. Water with lemon cleanses blood, blood vessels and arteries.
11. Water with lemon can help lower blood pressure.  A daily intake of one lemon can reduce high blood pressure by 10%.
12. Water with lemon creates an alkalizing effect in the body. Even if you drink it immediately before a meal,  it can help your body maintain a higher level of pH. The higher the pH, the more your body is able to fight diseases.
13. Water with lemon is good for the skin. Vitamin C in lemon, improves our skin by rejuvenating the body.  Drinking water with lemon regularly (every morning) will improve the condition of your skin.
14. Water with lemon  helps to dilute uric acid, the built up of which leads to pain in the joints and gout.
15. Water with lemon is beneficial for pregnant women. Since lemons are loaded with Vitamin C, it acts as an adaptogen helping the body cope with viruses such as colds.  Furthermore, vitamin C helps the formation of bone tissue of the unborn baby. At the same time, due to the high content of potassium, a mixture of water with lemon helps forming cells of the brain and nervous system of the baby.

1. Water with lemon relieves heartburn. For this, mix a teaspoon of lemon juice in half a glass of water.
2. Water with lemon helps dissolve gallstones,  kidney stones, pancreatic stones, and calcium deposits.
3. Water with lemon helps with weight loss.  Lemons contain pectin fiber, which helps suppress hunger cravings. Studies have proven  people with a better alkaline diet have lost weight faster.
4. Water with lemon helps with tooth pain and gingivitis.
5. Water with lemon prevents cancer. This is due to the fact that lemons are a highly alkaline food. Multiple studies have found that cancer cannot thrive in an alkaline environment.

 How and when to drink water with lemon:

For this purpose, use warm purified or spring water. Take half a Cup of warm water without sugar and squeeze in there at least half of lemon or lime. Better to use a special juicer (to get the most juice with minimal effort). You can also use lemon essential oil.  (where to find)

You need to drink water with lemon first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Some recommend a drink of water one hour before meals for maximum results.

So, when life gives you a bunch of lemons, make water with lemons.  ------- end of material from LA Healthy Living web site.

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There you have it - 20 reasons to drink lemon water to start your day - or any time.  I like to take a pitcher of water and slice half a lemon and put the slices in the water.  Then I drink the lemon infused water the next couple days.  Then I use the other half.  I know lemon water is  cleansing to organs and very healthy and supplies vitamins and nutrients.

Enjoy your weekend, enjoy the lemon water and enjoy each moment.  Do a good turn for someone this weekend...for no reason.  Try it out - see how it makes you feel.

Blessings to all,

Tom

Holistic Therapy Solutions - Massage and holistic therapies

www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

My on-line art and design portfolio

www.behance.net/tk-art

Digital Painting with "Painter" software

Hi All,

How's your week starting off?  I hope well.  Things are moving right along here.  Keeping busy - a little bit of everything.  Summers starting off nicely here in Phoenix.  It's been in the low 100s and 90s recently.  Warming up!

Some of what's been keeping me a little busy - I've been working on more artwork for my friend, Towanda Allen.  She's been writing books and working on workshops for Mother and Daughter empowerment and enrichment.  The first piece I did a while back was the "Brave" artwork.

Digital Artwork for Towanda Allen's empowerment workshops.

That was a fun piece, and I knew she wanted more soon.  As promised, she came back recently with a request for a book cover design.  The book is a kids leadership development journal that she's written called, "I'm a Leader for a Great Tomorrow - Inspirational Journal for the Next Generation of Leaders."  She's finished writing it and working with a publisher now.

Painting/Design for bookcover for Towanda's kids leadership journal

The direction I got was - "here's the title - it's for boys and girls, let me know if there's an image that comes to you."  I thought about it for a bit and what came to me was clear and quick - an abstract painterly style painting.  Something a bit adventurous, but not in the traditional sense.  Above is the image.

I've been wanting to work with the program, Painter, for a while now.  I do play with it on my own, but I wanted to do some complete works with it, in a painterly style.  This was the perfect project for Painter.  I've worked with it off and on over the years, even when I was still in graphic arts in the Air Force.  It's fun and really simulates artistic media well.  You can use oils, acrylic paint, airbrush, pencil, marker, chalk, pastels, etc - all simulated thru this computer graphics software. (I think Corel is the company that owns/sells Painter now).

Painting/Design for Towanda Allen

I also did a second image - I like it and it's different from the first, but I didn't really like it for this project.  Well, as things often work out, Towanda loved it and wanted it...for the Mother/Daughter workshop.  Awesome!  So, I put some text on it, as seen below.

Painting with text - for Towanda Allen's workshops and promotional materials.

Towanda did like the abstract for the cover and below is a version with text for the cover.  I like the idea of having the translucent text box - so the text reads well and you can still see the art.  It works for my design sensibilities.

Book cover with text.

So that's it.  Since then, another friend wants a book cover also and I'm working on a painting/design for it in Painter also.  More to come on that.  You can check out Towanda's web site for info on her workshops, books, her blog-talk radio show and more.
www.TowandaMAllen.com

Enjoy every moment - be present - suit up, show up, and live it.  Make it a great day - choose to have a great day, even if you're doing a job you don't want, or whatever you're doing...it's a choice you make.
And of course - be good to each other.

Peace,

Tom

Hitchhikers (Spiritual) Guide to the Universe

Hi All,

How's it going out there?  Not bad here - another week has begun.  I had a good weekend - celebrated Mothers Day with my beautiful wife, Sue and our family, and watched the movie, "12 Years a Slave" as well.  Wow - an incredible film about a sad chapter in the history of the USA.  I recommend it, if you're up for it.  Well - after a great weekend - it's back to work - and that's a good thing too.

So...I'm going to be giving a talk on the 21st of May here in Phoenix.  It's full title is, "Hitchhikers (Spiritual) Guide to the Universe - or - 8 Spiritual Principles for a Happier Life."  Yes - that's a really long title with a pretty big claim.  So let me expand on this a little.

While I was still in school a couple years ago, I was in a 'writing for business' class.  One of the things we discussed was writing books.  After kicking the idea around a little, the idea came to me and I sat down and put together an outline for a book.  The outline included the 8 principles and some other actions as well, to help you live a better/happier life.  Then I let it sit in the notebook while I finished school and started my business, and became busy - until recently, when it came to me, that I should share this info.  I've had some doubts and nerves about it, but the bigger part of me knows I should do this.

What is it that makes me qualified to write this book or give this talk?  I grew up in a wonderful family with no abuse or disfunction.  My folks are loving people and I had plenty of religious training; yet, I still had my ups and downs in life.  No fault of anyone and no judgement - I just felt like I needed to do some looking around...for some answers that I just didn't have.  I wanted peace and serenity at work, at home, and most of all, in my head.  Thus, after years of reading, experience, and other sources...I bring to you, the things that work for me. They're universal spiritual principles, applicable to all, and not religious.  So here's a taste...

Principle #2 - Be Present - It's said that being in the past lends itself to depression and having too many thoughts of the future can lead to anxiety.  Be present, right here, and right now.  It takes practice.  It's not always easy - but by just being mindful and enjoying this very moment (whatever I'm doing - even if I'm at work), I can enjoy what I'm doing and be more peaceful and at ease.

So many times in my life I've spent way too much time in past or present.  Beating myself up for mistakes I've made, or thinking about how I should've handles something, and on and on.  Other times I'd be thinking about scenarios that I may face in the future, and what I'd do, or worrying or strategizing about some outcome that I was attached to, and how I wanted things to go, what I'd do....blah, blah, blah...  Here's the honest truth - none of that helps anyone, in any way!  It didn't help me.  So I had to learn a different way of looking at things - and to bring myself back to the present moment.  Now there's more I could expand about on this and will on the 21st - I hope you'll join me then.

I'm not saying that a person shouldn't pay their bills, or put money away for emergencies or retirement.  However - excessive planning and being attached to elaborate plans without any flexibility, is a pretty good plan for disappointment.  As they say - Life happens and many times the best laid plans are disrupted by one roadblock or another.  Do your part and let go of the outcome.  Be present...don't worry about tomorrow, it will come soon enough.

So I'll discuss Being Present, Love, an Attitude of Gratitude, Expectations, and the rest on Wednesday the 21st of May.  I'm presenting in the classroom at a friend (Ginger Hay's), business, Healing Heart Creations.  Located at 2432 W. Peoria Ave, Bld 10, Suite 1180, Phoenix, AZ 85029.  Cost - love donation.

I'm not saying I've mastered these principles completely, and that I'm perfect at them all the time.  What I do know is that when I incorporate these principles in my daily life, I have more peace of mind, serenity, satisfaction....my life is pretty good.  Also - when I'm not peaceful and serene - I can look at what I'm doing or not doing and quickly realize what I'm doing and what I need to do to feel better.  It works for me and who knows, some of this may be helpful for you.

Be good...and stay present.

Peace,

Tom

Holistic Therapy Solutions - www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

Healing Heart Creations - http://www.healingheartcreations.com/

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Problems Meditating?

Hi All - I found this blog article on a website called, Meditation Oasis.  www.MeditationOasis.com.  It's got some good ideas that can benefit you if you're having difficulty meditating.  Check it out...good stuff.  By the way - Have a great day.  

Keys to easy, effortless meditation…

There are all sorts of reasons that people find it hard to meditate. On this page, we discuss some of the common ones and what to do to make meditation easier. If you have been trying to meditate on your own or trying the meditations we suggest and are experiencing difficulty, these explanations should help.

We support styles of meditation which are simple, natural and easy to do. Our hope is that meditation will create greater peace, relaxation, ease and naturalness in your life. The suggestions on this page are in keeping with our approach.

Problems with thoughts in meditation

This is probably the most common challenge people have with meditation. They feel they are unable to quiet the mind and keep out thoughts. “My mind just won’t stop its chatter.” “I can’t stay focused on meditation.”
Solution: The key is to stop resisting thoughts and trying to make them go away. Thoughts are a part of meditation. They are a natural activity in the mind. Although meditation can be a way to experience inner silence, this comes about not by eliminating thoughts but by becoming aware of the silence that is naturally present in the mind along with the thoughts. When we stop resisting what is naturally happening, we experience calmness and peace. (Read more about thoughts in meditation.)

Restlessness

Often people find it’s hard to sit still for meditation. It doesn’t take long to start thinking of all the things you could be doing, or to feel restless like you want to get up.
Solution: Restlessness can arise as the body “unwinds”. When we sit to meditate, it’s as if we’ve spent the day in a moving car. Once we stop and rest, it feels as if our body is still moving. It takes time for the body to settle down and feel at rest. Meditating is like shifting gears in a car — you shift into neutral and the engine takes a while to slow down and come to idle. Continue meditating, allowing yourself to be aware of the sensation of restlessness in the body. You can continue with the meditation practice, such as watching the breath, during this time, or if the restlessness is extremely intense you can give your attention fully to the sensation of restlessness. Notice exactly how it feels in your body — where you feel it, and what the sensation is like. As you allow yourself to experience the restlessness, it will eventually settle down.

Being uncomfortable with our feelings

Sometimes during meditation, we may be uncomfortable with some of the feelings that arise. This might take the form of a strong emotion or a physical sensation in the body. When the mind is no longer caught up in its outer-directed focus and the usual distractions of the day, we can become aware of feelings that have been under the surface. You may feel tempted to stop meditating, or start to resist these feelings, making meditation a struggle.
Solution: The key to achieving a state of deep relaxation, is to learn to stop resisting certain feelings and be present to “what is”. Thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations come and go continuously in the natural flow of life. Left to flow by themselves, they will pass through. Simply allow these feelings to be present, not trying to push them out, but also not following the mind’s stories about them. If an emotion is so strong that it’s overpowering, allow the awareness to be easily with that emotion. Notice its location in the body, and let the awareness be with the physical sensations associated with the emotion until the emotion diminishes. Let go of the meaning the mind gives to the emotion.

Occasionally in meditation, something can come to awareness that is particularly difficult, such as a repressed memory from the past or a realization about something we need to change in our lives. In this case, it may be helpful to get some support, such as counseling to help deal with the issues that arise.

Disappointment that “good experiences” aren’t always there

Every time we meditate our experiences will be different, depending on our ever-changing physical and emotional states, as well as life circumstances. It is important to understand that our experiences will change, as we will tend to form expectations based on our previous experience. Naturally we like some meditative experiences better than others, and may feel disappointed if we meditate and don’t have those experiences.

There are no good or bad experiences in meditation. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Meditation is about “letting go” and trusting the natural flow of life. It is important to remember that the goal of these meditations is not to have special experiences, but to become more at ease with whatever arises. By meditating regularly and following these guidelines, ease in meditation will grow and this will translate into greater ease in living — the ability to flow with whatever life brings.

Sitting in an uncomfortable posture

Often people have the idea that they have to sit in a certain posture for effective meditation, and yet they find it is impossible to do so comfortably. If you are physically uncomfortable this will dominate your awareness and it will be impossible to relax.
Solution: For sitting meditations, it is best to sit with the spine erect, but not to strain in any way. Sit in a way which is natural and puts you at ease. For most people, sitting with back support and with the feet flat on the floor works best.

Holistic Nutrition - healthy dinner

Hi All,

Wow - it's been getting busy around here.  I haven't had much time to sit down and write the blog.  It's definitely good to be busy and I do what I can, and let go of the rest.

One of the things I do in my business, Holistic Therapy Solutions, is hypnotherapy.  I also have some holistic nutrition background.  So a while back I started a group that combines both. The focus is on helping people make permanent lifestyle changes; eating in moderation and exercising more.  There's also nutritional information to help people make informed decisions around food.

There are two aspects to making these changes.  First, a person has to have the desire to make the change and then we can reinforce and assist with solidifying the changes thru the use of hypnosis where we can "re-train" the subconscious.

One thing I enjoy about the Holistic Weight Management with Hypnosis Group, is that it really gets me focusing on holistic nutrition again, and lately I've been more focused on the info and putting it into action in my own life.

Last night I put together a very healthy and nutrient dense dinner for Sue and I.  I started by picking up a couple of pieces of Wild Caught Salmon.  They were beautiful, deep rich red colored Salmon steaks.

Wild caught Salmon, or just Wild Salmon is an amazingly healthy food to eat.  It's an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which is needed by all of us.  It's rich in protein, tryptophan, vitamin B3 and B12, magnesium, phosphorus and many more.

Why Wild Salmon and not farm raised?  Wild is very nutrient dense in the ways I've just described.  The farm raised are rich in Omega 6 fatty acids which is not healthy for the human body.  It will help raise your LDL cholesterol (not good).  The farm raised is not as full of protein and nutrients either.  If you can, choose the Wild Salmon - it will be labeled as such.

The Wild Salmon is rich in the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  Why is that good?  It reduces inflammation in the body, keeps blood from excessive clotting, and helps to maintain fluidity of our cell's membranes in the body.

The rest of dinner included some organic baby spinach, tomatos, olives and mozzarella cheese.  I topped it off with a vinagrete dressing.  The veggies and cheese have plenty of vitamins and nutrients as well.

I feel like the more I research and learn about holistic nutrition, the better choices I make...at least I make informed choices.  You don't have to have expensive or organic food to be healthy, but locally grown organic food is the most nutrient dense, so it's good to try to make choices including nutrient dense food if you can.  Farmers markets are a great place to get local produce.

I hope all of you had a good week and are moving in to a great weekend.  Do great things out there and be good to one another.

Peace

Tom

The Holistic Weight Management Group with Hypnosis meets at Beyond Today Co., in Phoenix.
We meet on Thursdays from 5:30-7.  It's a supportive group with the nutrition info and a group hypnotherapy session every week.  Price: $15 each week...come join us if you feel like this would benefit you.
www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com