View June 2008 Newsletter in PDF format
Welcome everyone to my very first newsletter! I am very excited about this new phase in my life. Actually, when giving it some thought, the word that best suits how I feel is passionate. If you have had a chance to read my section “About Angela”, on my website then you know a little about my journey to Now! This newsletter is to give you the latest and greatest information on my current findings that I have given me “ahhh” moments. As well, any new health and fitness related ‘tid bits’ that I can conjure up, I will share with you on this newsletter. This also includes my current recipes that have been tried and tested by the MacDonald Clan. I hope you find this insightful and full of interesting information that you can share with friends and family alike!
Yours in Health,
Angela.
A New Earth
Everyone that I talk with lately knows that I have been spending some quality time with Eckhart Tolle’s book titled “A New Earth”. What I don’t get a chance to discuss is the constant “Ahhh” moments that I have not only reading this wonderful book but also hearing the discussions that Oprah and Eckhart have on Skipe. Although the class is currently over, you can still download the chapter discussions through the following link: http://www.oprah.com/spiritself/oss/ss_oss_archive.jhtml So on page 200 in chapter 7 entitled “Finding who you truly are” Eckhart talks about the Zen Master Hakuin who was accused of being the father of a teenager’s baby. He was asked by the parents to look after this baby for a year. He did without question or judgment or any rhetorical comments to the family. In this passage which I find particularly interesting is that the Zen Master responds to all falsehoods and truths the exactly same way. It states: “To him there is only this moment, and this moment is as it is. Events are not personalized. His is nobody’s victim. He is so completely at one with what happens that what happens has no power over him anymore. Only if you resist what happens are you at the mercy of what happens, and the world will determine your happiness and unhappiness.”
Now why do I find this passage so important? Well this week I had a situation arise that I couldn’t release. I found myself mulling over it constantly and taking it on personally. I found that it was creating anxiety in my body and I was carrying a weight around. What I realized after constant meditation and discussions was that I am trying to master the feeling of “not being enough”. It’s easy to say you are going to not take it on “this time” but what I realized is this feeling that I have stems back to childhood or maybe further back. I was allowing the event or comment to have power over me and ultimately I was letting it determine my happiness. How crazy is that! When I finally addressed it today, it was a release because I stayed very present in the moment and didn’t personalize it. I walked away feeling like the next time a situation like this arises and I find myself feeling the anxiety, it won’t be so bad! So my advice on hearing criticism, the proverbial comment that you always hear is “take it with a pinch of salt” but from the Zen Master’s journey learn to only have this moment. Stay in the moment where past and future cannot enter. When you do that, whatever is bothering you, will have no power.
New Finds!
I was having a chat with my girlfriend who is currently living in Germany with her husband and two beautiful girls. She was the one that told me about Agave Nectar and I did some research to find out more about why it’s better than sugar. The agave plant is edible. The flowers, the leaves, the stalks and the sap (called honey water). (Davidson 1999) Agave Nectar is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico. It is sweeter than honey and less viscous(thick). Agave nectar consists primarily of fructose and glucose. There is significant concern about the health effects of fructose and as such Agave has a fructose content much higher than corn syrup. What is so interesting about Agave Nectar however is that its glycemic index and glycemic load are apparently lower than most if not all other natural sweeteners on the market. What that means is, the lower the glycemic index the slower the body breaks down the carbohydrates to the blood stream. This also means slower rates of digestion and adsorption of the sugars and starches in the foods and may also indicate greater extraction from the liver. A lower glycemic index is often thought to equate a lower insulin demand, better long-term blood glucose control and a reduction in blood lipids.
“When using Agave Nectar, use 1/3 cup of Agave Nectar to every 1 cup of sugar in the original recipe.”
For more information check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrup
Recipe of the Month!
So here is a muffin recipe that my kids absolutely love! It contains “Agave Nectar” so I am really okay with them eating as many as they can handle. I hope you enjoy these as much as the MacDonald Clan! 2 cups Buttermilk
2 cups Bran Flakes
(Cereal)
1/3 cup Agave Nectar
1/3 cup Apple Sauce
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
2 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour or flour of your choice
¼ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 ¼ cup Mixed Berries (Frozen or Fresh)
Mix Wet with Dry then fold in Mixed Berries
Cook for 14 minutes on convection at 400 oC
Hydration and the Body
This morning while I was teaching a Muscle Class the conversation came up about my age. I had many shocked faces after telling them. I did however say that my secret is water! But actually there is a little more to this story. Did you know that even though you drink lots of water you may not be absorbing it? What! You mean I can actually be drinking those 6 to 8 oz glasses a day and not be taking it in? One of the most common priorities that come up in a BodyTalk session is Hydration. Here are the facts on water.
“Many people think of water as merely a solvent, and a means for transportation of other substances in the body. However, water is vital to energy production in the cells, overall metabolism and neurotransmission. Many parts of the brain draw their energy from water as the nerve transmissions occur through charged minerals called cations.” So what does this mean? It is important to realize that many people have a condition that stops them from having a fully hydrated body. When this happens chronic pain occurs with some illnesses like arthritis. What’s even greater is that people will see a significant change in their skin a month or two after a session as their skin rehydrates and becomes more youthful in appearance. Who would have thought of that!
Last Thoughts!
For all those sports minded people, you’d be interested to know that BodyTalk has been used during competitions to improve stamina, energy, focus and pain threshold. It’s amazing just how many athletes are finding benefits to having BodyTalk sessions.
If you think something is of particular importance that you would like to “pay forward”, please send your comments and information to "angela at forwellness.ca"
References! Tolle, Eckhart, The New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. Plume, USA, September 2006.
Veltheim, J., The Body Talk SystemTM, Module 1, Sixth Edition, PaRama LLC., Sarasota Florida, February 2001.