The Body Defined is on Twitter

The Body Defined is now on Twitter. If you'd like to get little tidbits now and then follow me at www.twitter.com/thebodydefined. Some tweets you are likely to see include: tips on diet and exercise, inspirational quotes, useful gadgets and links to relevant news articles and research findings. I'll still be posting longer stories and articles here too.

Hike Wildwood is Back!

Summer sessions for the Conejo Recreation and Park District begin next week. I am offering 3 classes this summer. Please come join me!

Fitness Walks at Wildwood Park - Tuesdays at 8:15 AM (45 min) 6 wks -Fitness Walks are for beginning to intermediate hikers who like to get out and explore. We hike through various trails at Wildwood Park, past waterfalls, over the mesa, through the chaparral and along the creeks. You can't find a better way to get moving in the morning!

Hiker's Bootcamp at Wildwood Park - Thursdays at 8:15 AM (1 hr) & Saturdays at 8:00 AM (1 hr) 6 wks -Hiker's Bootcamp is for the more adventurous, active individual. These hour long sessions traverse Wildwood's scenic beauty and incorporate resistance training. You will get a fantastic, challenging workout outdoors. What could be better?

Don't forget to register at www.crpd.org!

Ageless Wisdom

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio:

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written"

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of whom God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

The Energy of Breath

What is the simplest, easiest thing that you can do everyday to BE GOOD to YOURSELF? You wouldn't believe me if I told you. The absolute best thing you can do for yourself everyday is to breathe. Simple, right? You are already doing it.

Prana, or energy in Ayurvedic traditions, is built through the breath. Biologically speaking, your breath - the transport of oxygen, allows for the breakdown of ATP. Literally, your breath creates energy. Not only does your breath create energy, it removes toxins from your body. Transporting CO2 and other metabolic biproducts out through the lungs. Deep breathing also soothes our nervous system, creating a natural sense of calm and relaxation.

Diaphragmatic breathing, the most cleansing sort of breathing, is what we do naturally. Diaphragmatic breathing is the rhythm that we automatically take when at rest. Have you ever watched someone sleep? If you pay attention, you will see his or her belly rise and fall. The rise and fall you notice is the expanse of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle the spans the bottom of your rib cage and actually pulls your lungs down, allowing for more air to fill them.

Make a habit to practice taking 10 deep breaths a day. It is a fantastic way to wake-up, energized and refreshed. It is also a great way go to sleep, clearing your mind as you drift-off into peaceful dreams. Here is how:

Take a quite minute for yourself. Relax on the bed, seated in a chair or standing weight evenly distributed in both legs. Set the intent to follow your breath. Inhale slowly and smoothly. Feel the breath enter through your nose, down your throat and into your lungs. Feel your lungs and your belly expand. Hold your breath for a second or two at the end of your inhale. Now slowly exhale, releasing your breath. Notice your belly and lungs drift inward as you exhale. Feel the breath exit your lungs, through your throat and out your nose. Pause for a second or two before your next breath.

If you would like to calm and quite your mind, turn your breath into a mediation. As you begin, focus on inhaling light or energy. Imagine it expanding through your lungs, into your body and all the way out to your fingers and toes. As you exhale, imagine any negative thoughts, energy or products coming from your fingers and toes, through your body and lungs, exiting out your mouth. Perhaps you will visualize your breath as a dark or smokey color as it exits your body.

You should never feel uncomfortable. Don't hold your breath for prolonged periods. Try to match each inhale to each exhale, creating a smooth rhythm. The more your practice, the easier it becomes and you'll find you naturally kick over into this form of breathing in or before stressful situations, during your workouts and as you drift off to sleep.

So, do you think you can manage 10 deep breaths a day? Thought so.

t

Food, Inc. Trailer

Here is some food for though. Food, Inc. is another documentary that reiterates some of Charlotte Gerson's argument for changing the traditional American diet. While I have yet to see this movie, it is released June 12th, I am certain that it is worth watching.

Talking with Charlotte Gerson

As some of you may know, I have been spending this week down at the Baja Nutri Center in Tiajuana with a client of mine, Denise, who is battling metastatic breast cancer in her pancreas. (If you'd like to learn more about our time down here, please visit gottafriend.blogspot.com.) I thought today, however, that I'd post a little something of our visit with Charlotte Gerson, daughter of Max Gerson - the founder of the Gerson Therapy.
A gracious host, Charlotte spent time explaining the Gerson Therapy, different approaches to cancer treatment - successes and failures. What I found most compelling during her talk was her view on the phosphorus/sodium balance in diet. According to Charlotte, to maintain a healthy, healing blood pH of 7.4, we must consume a diet 90% potassium to 10% sodium. Unfortunately with our cooking processes and our copious use of salt, we have reversed the percentage of sodium and potassium in our systems. As you may know, enzymes, vitamins and minerals are often broken down through heating or washed away by water in our cooking methods.
Charlotte states that most Americans have a blood pH of 6.8 which leads to "tissue death syndrome". Oxygen cannot be effectively bonded and transported to the tissues. This syndrome promotes an environment where cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disease, heart disease and various other maladies flourish. To give you an idea, a blood pH of 6.4 is considered terminal. Your cells are dying because of the acidity of your blood.
When our blood pH is acidic, oxygen is not present for metabolism so our bodies must rely on fermentation metabolism. This form of metabolism promotes cell growth and division but, according to Charlotte, does not allow for cells to differentiate and fulfill their function. Fruits contain the best ratio of potassium to sodium, vegetables are next. Charlotte recommends the following fruits: cherries, apricots, peaches, grapes, and apples.
I will continue to look into fermentation metabolism, as well as other information Charolotte presented and keep you posted. In the meantime you can find out more in her book, Healing the Gerson Way by Charlotte Gerson.
Until the next time,
t

Coming into your own

While I am not particularly religious, I thought that this was a great insight. I hope you enjoy -

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. (Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.)

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson

The Beautiful Truth - The world's simplest cure for cancer

The failure of the American diet has been a prevalent theme within my personal and professional studies, from my graduate studies professor spending a entire class on childhood obesity rates in the United States to my mother's battle with cancer. Last night I watched "The Beautiful Truth - The world's simplest cure for cancer" a documentary on the Gerson Therapy. This film follows a 15 year old boys quest to find scientific evidence on the curative properties of a raw, vegan diet and juicing as advocated by Dr. Max Gerson.

While I am not a huge fan of the commentary (a gentlemen describes a 15 year old boys journey, thoughts and emotions), the information within the film is thought provoking. Initially, I was drawn to the film because my mom followed the Gerson Therapy during her battle with cancer. I am quite familiar with the principles behind the therapy which include detoxifying the body and rebuilding the body's natural defenses to cancer and other onslaughts. More over, I feel that a raw, vegan diet which the Gerson Therapy advocates gave my mother an additional 15 years after her diagnosis.

Because of my mom's own struggle, I am aware that Dr. Max Gerson battled for many years with the American Medical Association and the Federal Drug Administration to provide services in the United States. I also know how difficult it was for my mother to find alternatives to main stream chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In fact, her naturopathic physician in Seattle was shut down many times by state regulatory institutions for practicing "quackery". Some how, he always managed to return to practice. (As an aside, my mom's traditional oncologist began incorporating Gerson principles and complimentary treatments after my mom's miraculous recovery.)

The information provided in this documentary on food toxicity - through refined sugars and additives - is startling, as is the complicity of many major food industry corporations in willfully incorporating dangerous additives to their products. While any statement of such magnitude must be regarded with a critical eye, this documentary does raise questions.

Dr. Max Gerson and his associates are not alone in their commentary on diet. John Robbins heir to the Basket and Robbins empire has been expounding the virtues of a healthier diet and has become one of "the leading experts on the dietary link to the environment and health". He has written several books including "Diet for a New America" and "The Food Revolution" which I highly recommend. Another noteworthy contributor is Dr. Joel Furhman who wrote "Fasting and Eating for Health" in which he describes curing heart disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and headaches among other ailments with a raw, vegan diet and fasting.

I encourage you to watching this film, read the books listed above or others and educate yourself. Seek out additional information. Make your evaluation. Find your own truth.

More information is available at www.thebeautifultruthmovie.com and www.gerson.org.

Amp up your Walk

If you have been doing the same workout for the last few weeks, it is time to change things up. Amping up your walk is perfect if you are short on time and in need of some change. It only takes small changes to make a big difference in your workout. You don't even need to spend more time. If you don't mind doing something different along the street, you can make a big impact on your workout.

Here a few simple ideas to incorporate during your walk. Make sure to warm up for a few minutes. You can do a set of one of the exercises listed below in between every 5 minutes of your walk:

walking lunges

standing squats

step up on the curb

heel lifts on the curb

wall push-ups or even on the ground

Bring a band, wrap it around a tree, lamp post or street sign and you can do: 

rows 

standing squats with rows

cross your hearts

reverse rows

flys

front arm raises

Get creative. You can add just about anything to your walk. Use your body weight, playground equipment, stairs, benches, wall, and posts. Incorporating resistance exercises in the middle of your walk will increase your workout intensity. Remember to keep changing it up. Your body only changes when you challenge it. You won't believe the difference it will make.

So get out there!

t

If you would like more information, feel free to email me at thebodydefined@gmail.com or call to set up a free consultation 805.298.2011.

Hike Wildwood

Come hike Wildwood with me! Wildwood Nature Reserve, located at the end of Avenida de los Arboles, is a beautiful park with two waterfalls, dozens of trails and marvelous outlooks throughout the park. It is one of my favorite places in the Conjeo Valley. I am offering two classes during the Spring session through the Conejo Recreation and Park District.

I am excited to introduce the first Hiker's Bootcamp at Wildwood Park this session. This class meets on Thursday mornings at 9:30 AM or Saturday mornings at 9 AM and is for the more adventurous hiker. Hiker's Bootcamp will be a fast paced hike to get your heart rate up and then I'll throw in various exercises to help tone up your body. You will be in fantastic shape for the summer.

For the less adventurous type who just want to get out and about, the Tuesday morning class Beginning Fitness Walks is perfect for you. You will get a chance to explore the park, meet new friends and reconnect with nature. Most importantly, you will get a great workout while you are at it.

Registration is now open at www.crpd.org. Classes begin Tuesday, March 24th!

See you on the trails,

t

You Gotta Friend - The Janice M. Anderson Foundation

As a way to reach out to the community, honor the memory of my mother and meet with a great group of women, I am launching You Gotta Friend - The Janice M. Anderson Foundation this month. My objectives for You Gotta Friend are, first and foremost, to establish supportive and nurturing friendships and, secondly, to reach out to others within the community looking for access to alternative or complimentary therapies.

You can find out more at gottafriend.blogspot.com

Valentine's Day isn't just for couples

It is another one of those Valentine's Days that, although I am in a relationship, I am alone. For those of you who don't have a partner to share the most celebrated romantic day of the year, I want to remind you that it can be looked at as a day to celebrate love in any form. This includes loving yourself and the wonderful creature that you are.

Love is a powerful healer. During an energetic healing, I focus on the energy of love to cleanse and heal. The relationship during any energetic exchange is not exclusive. It is a dance between me, the client and the universe. By offering love and acceptance to my client, I am offering the same to myself. By focusing on healing my own wounds, I heal that of others. I change and the world changes. As Mahatma Ghandi said, "Be the change you'd like to see in the world." 

Today, on Saint Valentine's Day, I offer you a short meditation on love. Here is a gift that you can give to yourself today. So take a minute, find a quite spot and read through the following:

Sit up, let your shoulders relax and close your eyes.

Let your mind come to focus on love. Perhaps it is a memory of something that you love deeply or a time that you really felt and accepted love. Remember that feeling.

As you sit, imagine a soft rain landing on your head. As it gently lands on your body, it begins to wash away anything that is not light. The rain continues to wash your head, your throat, your chest and down your arms, through your trunk, your stomach and back, down your thighs, to your knees and all the way out your feet. This rain carries all those things that are not love and light to the earth where this energy is recycled. 

Your body is a radiating light now. 

Now go to your heart center, your heart chakra. The color for the heart chakra is green or pink. Choose the color that best suites you. Imagine pink or green light emanating from your heart chakra. This light is that feeling of love that you brought into focus at the beginning of this meditation. It extends through your body in all directions, through your throat and head, down through your shoulders and arms. This beautiful light travels through your chest and abdomen into your legs and feet. You now are radiating beautiful pink or green light.

Now imagine this light that is radiating from your heart center to expand out to the universe. Spend a few moments here with just the sound of your breathing. If you chose, you may repeat to yourself, "I am love. I love and I am loved." 

Here is the center of your being. Remember you can always return here, you can always be here. It is your place of centeredness and peace.

Continue to focus on your breath for a few more moments longer. 

Begin bringing awareness back to your body. Feel your entire body. Wiggle your toes and fingers. When you are ready, gently open your eyes.

If you are interested in finding out more on energetic healing, visit my website at www.thebodydefined.com.

May you have a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with love and light,

t

Beginnings

One of my favorite quotes is "Be good to yourself because nobody else has the power to make you happy" by George Michaels and it is the essence of what I hope this blog will be. This is the beginning of remembering. The beginning of remembering what makes us happy, what fills our spirit. Sometimes the smallest of gifts make the greatest impact. I feel one of the greatest gifts you can give is one to yourself. 

Our lives are ruled by our work, our family, and our obligations. We forget to take time for ourselves, to honor who we are. When we don't take time for ourselves, we become stressed out, short tempered, irritable. On a deeper level, we may recognize that we feel unappreciated, unrecognized or even violated which in turn leads to resentment and anger. 

If we are mindful of the actions we take to honor ourselves, the simplest of things give us pleasure, bring us happiness.  It may be reading a favorite book, taking a bath by candlelight, sitting in a garden when you drink your morning coffee or remembering to take 10 deep breaths before entering a difficult situation. We must become our best-friends, our greatest allies, and the source of our own love and happiness.

Becoming mindful of what we offer ourselves is essential. By taking time to love and honor our spirit, we offer this gift to the world. This gift impacts not only your relationship with yourself but it impacts everyone with whom you interact. You may have a little more patience, a little more love, a little more time to offer. By taking time for yourself, you just gave yourself and in turn, the world, a hug. If nothing else, I hope that this blog reminds you to take time out of your day to honor who you are.

So, take time for yourself, be good to yourself, and create your own happiness. 

I'll be talking to you soon.

t