Flash of White

Why I'm Tired but Happy, and You're Off the Hook!

2011-03-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

This week I've completely overhauled my understanding of the world and my place in it. Yes, that's right; literally overnight--it was a very long night--I shifted my own paradigm! It was one of those bulky, awkward ones that's so old no one sells parts or service for it anymore, so I thought, "What the heck? I'm upgrading!" A long week filled with many emotions and dramas had brought me to the blessed point at which some of my unexamined (and apparently unstable) underpinnings were shaking loose. (Please note: I can't recommend this process for its entertainment value.)

At any rate, in turns out that (forgive the computing metaphor) a virus in my operating system was running a program called "in order for people to like me, I have to be nice." Wow. Then I got to thinking about what "nice" really means, because the word has always had connotations for me (at least in my conscious, waking mind) of insipidness, dullness, and passivity. I looked it up in the dictionary, and sure enough, the Old English meaning of "nice" is "stupid" and "ignorant." Hah! So there it was in print, confirmation that my compulsion for being nice in all situations was not such a noble or worthy thing.

Having come to this conclusion, I made the massive intuitive leap (remember, it's about 3 in the morning at this point) that perhaps I don't have to spend so much energy on MAKING everyone like me by being stupid and ignorant, i.e., playing small to make everyone feel better about themselves. In fact, my tired brain continued, what if I actually honored my own needs and wants BEFORE I raced to anticipate and fulfill the wants and needs of others? Then what would happen? Would the Entire Known Universe (EKU) grind to a halt because I gave up my role as General Manager?

The next step in this feverish process came as I gave some thought to the word "kind" and how different its meaning is from "nice." Kind means, more or less, "affectionate and loving." "Well, that's exactly how I imagine and hope God/Spirit/Source loves me," I thought, "and what would happen if I truly accepted that love and passed it on in the form of kindness to my fellow Earthlings, rather than niceness, which actually harms me and others by propagating that mind-virus?"

I have to tell you, this was earth-shattering stuff for me. I bet many of you have been through this very same process (though hopefully not in the wee hours of the morning) and are transformed by the vision of a world in which each of us is in charge of our own happiness, and others are off the hook! What a concept.

I wish that our public schools and our society in general would stop telling us to "be nice," "play nice," and many other permutations of the same thing--all day, every day. What I hear now, since that late-night/early-morning insight, is "Be obedient, ignore your own needs, sit down, and shut up." Well, guess what? To quote the fabulous character Howard Beale in the 1976 film Network, I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" Now, I believe there's a healthy anger in that statement. We NEED to be angry at what we're seeing in the world, in our chaotic, hyperdrive lives, and in our own turbulent, worry-worn minds. Does that anger need to poison us? No! Can it serve to activate in us the motivation, drive, and desire to get healthy in our bodies and minds so we don't have to rely on the very authorities and agencies that want us to quiet down and go away? Yes!

Are you with me? OK! Now, having got all revolutionary on your a--, let's look at kindness as a new paradigm to install in our operating systems as individuals and as a race. Let's stand up, take back our power, and look upon everyone with affection and love, realizing--as I believe God/Spirit/Source looks upon us--that despite all outward appearances, each of us, from the FDA commissioner to the drug CEOs to government officials at all levels, is doing what he or she thinks is best to move the human race forward, given our own level of understanding and set of tools. If each of us can say to ourselves, no matter what others are doing, "My happiness depends on myself. You're off the hook!" I think that would be REAL kindness and a giant leap forward in our evolution as a species. Thanks for reading!

My Cat Eats Glass

2010-07-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have a cat named Jack. He's a good cat. He's also a major pain in the ass. Jack and I have a love/hate relationship because his favorite game is to make me mad by doing things that he knows are bad for him and my few nice possessions. Jack loves watching me get all upset when I find him tiptoeing on the edge of the upstairs balcony or casually hanging half off the cabinets that are 15 feet above a tile floor.

So it shouldn't have surprised me yesterday when Jack ate a chunk of broken glass. Yes, you read that right--he ate sharp, broken glass. Apparently, while I was out Jack and his (comparatively normal) brother Birdie had been playing with several glass bracelets I had left on top of my jewelry box. I guess one of them fell onto the bathroom floor and shattered. When I came home, I REALLY had to use the bathroom, so I raced in there, only noticing too late (if you get my drift) that I had narrowly managed to avoid stepping on a number of glass shards.

As I sat there puzzling over why there was broken glass on my bathroom floor, Jack runs into the bathroom, right in my line of sight, and starts pushing around the biggest, sharpest glass chunk with his paw. Now, at this point, I became concerned that Jack might cut his paw, so I said, "Jack, quit it!" in my best scaring-Jack-away-from-the-dangerous-thing voice.

But to my astonishment, Jack not only refused to leave the glass chunk alone, he quickly picked it up in his mouth and with what I would swear was a look of triumph, swallowed it and ran out of the bathroom licking his lips.

So of course I panicked and called my awesome holistic vet friend Ruth Corbo, who advised me to pour hydrogen peroxide down the stupid cat's gullet until he threw up. That was a really fun time, let me tell you. One shredded bath towel, a punctured shin (mine), and 6 tablespoons of H3O later, all I had was a burping, offended-looking cat with a foamy mouth.

Jack seems to be fine so far, but please send him your prayers and good wishes. He's on his own now. But this whole thing has got me thinking--how many of us have Jacks in our lives? How many of us have husbands, wives, partners, older children, parents, etc. who will look you right in the eye before swallowing the dietary equivalent of broken glass and then run off gleefully, laughing at you over their shoulders?

They know (at least on some level) that they're harming themselves and worrying you. They KNOW they're going to feel like crap and possibly even (like my stupid cat) experience some serious health consequences. But they do it anyway. Why? Because you told them, pleaded with them, bullied them, and prayed for them not to.

For those increasing numbers of you who are waking up to the massive importance (and rewards) of good diet and lifestyle (not only for extending our lifespans but raising quality of life), may I make a suggestion based on years of experience with an intractable, stubborn, willfully ignorant guy? I used to think of him as a "health butt"--the opposite of my "health nut." Here it is... Wait for it... Give up! Stop, cease, desist with all the talk of things not being healthy. Stop even with the eye-rolling, hand-wringing, and snide comments.

All you can do is the best YOU can do. All you can do is serve as a good example for others. Shine forth in your health and spirit and allow those who are ready to ask you what you're doing to be so healthy and happy.

There's nothing you can do for those who are not ready to feel good in their bodies and minds except love them unconditionally. There's a reason, which may seem completely insane to you, that they won't give up The Bad Thing(s) They Do. It might be overeating, drinking too much, eating at Chuck E. Cheese 5 times a week, chugging Diet Pepsi all day, sleeping only whenever there's absolutely nothing else to do or sleeping all day, playing video games for 16 hours at a time, whatever.

I have the distinct impression that if I hadn't yelled "Jack, stop it!," my stupid cat would have quickly lost interest in the glass chunk and walked away, rather than eating it. Do you see what I mean? So, if you have an adult Jack in your life (kids are a whole other subject and require different techniques under age 13 or so), see what happens when you allow him to abuse himself without making "helpful" comments all the time. You might notice some interesting things, like furtive, sideways glances ("What's she going to do if I order the Triple Dog with Cheese Bratwurst Combo at Costco?); plaintive, probing questions like "Are you all right?"; and even the desperate "Whatsa matter, don't you care about me any more?!"

To which we respond/reply, respectively: 1. Ignore and cheerfully order your dark-green salad with chicken and dressing on the side; 2. "Yes, I'm great, how are you?" (in a neutral voice with a smile); and 3) "Of course I do, what do you mean?"

See how that goes with the Jacks in your life, and let me know what happens! It's hard enough to keep ourselves healthy and happy without also feeling like you have to drag someone else along. Drop it, take care of yourself, and if your Jack wants to find out how to live a long, healthy, happy life like you're doing, he will! Until then, all you can do is love them, wish them the best, and continue on your path to wellness.

Blessings,
Amanda

Monavie and the Great Acai Caper of 2010

2010-06-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hiho, NHA friends, I felt compelled to repeat a comment (OK, a rant) that I posted on GreenSmoothieGirl this morning in response to a man's question about whether he should get into the Monavie MLM (multi-level marketing) business. He asked whether Monavie is a good product, and for those of you who know me, you'll know that I immediately had to don my flowing red Health Crusader Girl cape and get to work. If you know anyone selling Monavie or if you use it or sell it yourself, please consider the following:

"David, please skip the Monavie–-both for your own personal consumption and as a potential seller of this overpriced scam. I see people everywhere selling it and had a new customer recently asked me if I thought it was worth the $300+ a month her family was spending on it (!!!). While someone new to natural health with a very toxic system might initially see benefits from its few minerals and nutrients, Monavie is basically VERY expensive grape juice with a few highly processed/heated/pesticide-laden tropical fruits thrown in–-in amounts that Monavie won’t reveal, even on their own web site! I don’t know about you, but I won’t buy or consume ANYTHING whose manufacturer won’t tell me exactly what’s in it. What are they afraid of?

Also, it contains sodium benzoate, a very health-damaging preservative. On Google, one affiliate claimed an ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) value of “over 1,000,” as though this were some kind of miracle. In contrast, my favorite antioxidant, by Health Force (Acai Resveratrol Ultimate ORAC Antioxidant Extreme), contains 3,955 ORAC per two caps, and there are 240 caps in the bottle (that’s more than 1 million ORAC per bottle!). It costs about $55. and will last you anywhere from 1-6 months, depending on how much you want to take. Plus, there are no preservatives or excipients of any kind.

Please do yourself (and your potential customers) a favor and kick Monavie to the curb where it belongs. The only good thing it has going for it is strong marketing, and it’s ripping people off in a BIG way. Feel free to quote me. I own the Natural Health Allegiance (www.nha4u.com) and my job is to educate people on these issues. I couldn’t pass this one up, as I don’t like to see people spend tons of money on poor products and then they end up thinking, when they don’t get results, that 'health food' doesn’t work so they might as well resume their McDonald’s habit. Be well and get educated! Do your research!"

As I said, NHA friends, please pass this on to anyone you know who has fallen victim to the Monavie scam. Monavie is a prime example of how we, as seekers of good health at all stages of the learning process, need to watch out for each other. It's great that Monavie sellers and consumers are interested in getting healthy naturally, but they need to take the next step: read the ingredients (especially the "Other Ingredients" on every label) in your products and look them up! That's the best advice I can give you. There are predators out there. Just because it's called "health food" doesn't mean it's good for you! As I encouraged David, please do your research! Go online or call the NHA at 888-315-2518 for assistance in determining good products from those that will waste your money and potentially damage your health.

Many blessings to you,
Amanda

Breaking News: Yahoo announces Americans Are "Over-Treated, Over-Medicated."

2010-06-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Gee, really? Shocking news! But I suppose I'm grateful that a major mainstream news outlet like Yahoo is getting the word out that conventional medical treatment may not be the miracle cure-all we've been sold on. I posted a comment on the story and thought I'd share it with my faithful NHA Blog readers. Please let me know what you think! At last check, my post had received 6 positive and 2 negative reviews, among over a thousand responses to the article. Great to see all the dialogue inspired on this important topic.

Here's what I wrote:
This is an important article because it highlights the astonishing greed and arrogance that are the mainstays of our current medical system. Good for Yahoo on publishing something out of the mainstream. It's increasingly urgent that more of us become aware that if you fall ill and place your faith in the hands of the medical establishment, your experience will often be a nightmare of extortion, toxicity, misery, and fear. Even if your illness appears to be "cured" initially by these horrific treatments, they themselves will cause more cancer and trauma that will emerge later as another ailment, launching you into the tragic cycle so many of us have experienced and witnessed. Unfortunately, the article does not go far enough. What we all need to become aware of is that in the vast majority of cases, nutrition and lifestyle issues lead to and cause the diseases of which we are so frightened. WE have the power to heal ourselves through raw foods, correct supplementation, a strong spiritual practice, and exercise. WE are responsible for our own health. However, not everyone is ready for this information. I've personally witnessed a breast cancer patient refuse a powerfully healing green drink because she didn't like the taste--right before going off to poison her poor body with radiation and chemotherapy prior to having a breast removed! We MUST change our attitudes, surrendering the powerless, victim mindset in which the doctor/daddy tells us what to do. It's time for us to take back our power as human beings, be brave, and acknowledge that our health is our responsibility alone. Only then will the human race (and Americans in particular) become again the dynamic, powerful force that we once were. Take back your health! Don't let the doctors bully you! Know that there are incredibly effective natural alternatives to what the government, doctors, and FDA try to push on you when you're frightened and vulnerable. Go online or ask a friend to help, but be discerning and calm. There are also predators online hoping to snag you, so you have to do your research thoroughly. The resources are there--you just have to be open and brave! We can do this!"

Meanwhile, I found an article on Alternet.org this morning about how more than 100,000 Americans die each year from taking their medications correctly! Have we lost our minds??? That's twice as many as die in car accidents everyday, or 270 people.

Take back your health!

Blessings,
Amanda

Natural News article tweaks me

2010-06-18T10:26:00.001-07:00

Well, I got up this morning and, as is my habit, I checked my email first thing to see what's going on in the world. One of the highlights is always Mike Adams' NaturalNews newsletter, and I was interested to see an article there titled "Top Whole Food Multivitamin Supplements." Cool, I thought, I wonder what Mike has to say? Turns out his excellent staff writer, Ethan Huff, wrote the article, so I got right into it (http://www.naturalnews.com/029021_multivitamins_whole_foods.html).

I was dismayed, but not surprised, to find that NaturalNews is endorsing Megafood, New Chapter, and Garden of Life multivitamins. We do carry some items from these companies in our store (shop.nha4u.com), but only as "starter" brands for those who are just making the transition to whole-food supplements. Here's why:

I agree that these are better products than what you might get at Costco or Walmart, and definitely a step in the right direction in terms of getting whole food nutrition. However, as we become more aware of what we're putting into our bodies and as our health improves as a result, it's important to continue refining that awareness.

Although I respect these companies and their products, reading their labels' "Other Ingredients" reveals that they often use such products as "magnesium stearate," "vegetable lubricant," "stearic acid," "lac resin," "microcrystalline cellulose," and gelatin--just like the cheap drugstore brands!

Those of us on the path to health are aware that magnesium stearate, a commonly used excipient (also known as a "flow agent") in cheap supplements that keeps ingredients from sticking to pill-making machinery, is hydrogenated, free radical-laden oil. It's in the supplements as a machine lube, not for your health! The MSDS even lists it as dangerous for factory workers to be exposed to, and yet they want you to eat it every time you take your vitamin? Also, you may not be aware that the innocuous- (and even healthy-) sounding "vegetable lubricant" and "stearic acid," while not as noxious, impede the dissipation and absorption of the very nutrients you just paid a lot of money for. Lac resin, or shellac, is the excretion of a beetle and is used to make a shiny coat on vitamin tablets. Gelatin is the gooey substance left over from boiling down animal hooves, noses, and ears and is used to make capsules. Microcrystalline cellulose is a polymer or plastic for coating the pills, and likewise inhibits absorption.

So while I applaud the companies mentioned in this article for using whole foods in their formulas, it's very important to continue refining our knowledge and awareness of what we're ingesting and to encourage these companies to find ways to deliver their great formulas in ways that will allow our bodies actually to absorb them.

You might want to look at the Synergy Company, Health Force, Gaia, Paradise, and Ultra Laboratories if you're ready to move to the next level of health. Believe me, it makes a huge difference when your body is able to fully use all the nutrition you're paying good money for! I personally have switched from the Megafood Women Over 40 One Daily, which uses "vegetable lubricant," to the Synergy Company's VitaSynergy for Women. Synergy and the other companies I mentioned are absolutely committed to using no excipients or artificial ingredients at all and are at the cutting edge of nutritional supplements in our world today.

My feeling is that if you're going to pay more for a good supplement, you ought to find one that your body can actually absorb! New Chapter, Garden of Life, and Megafood are aware of these "Other Ingredient" issues, but I know for a fact that they are resistant to changing them because of cost and mechanical considerations.

Educate yourself about the "Other Ingredients" and put pressure on your favorite supplement makers to update their manufacturing processes. If Health Force, Synergy, Ultra Labs, Gaia, Paradise, and others can do it, so can Megafood, New Chapter, and Garden of Life. The excipient-free brands I mention here don't even charge more (in fact, sometimes less), so there's really no excuse to continue using (or ingesting) excipients. Take back your health!