healthy – Michelle Berry

What are your values?

Question: What are your values? I have made two lists here. Pick five from each and write about your personal values. How do these values play out in your life? How do these values drive you to make decisions? What are your personal priorities? How does your personality shape your personal values?

List 1: Equality (equal opportunity for all), Inner Harmony (at peace with myself), Social Power (control over others, dominance), Pleasure (gratification of desires), Freedom (freedom of action and thought), A Spiritual Life (emphasis on spiritual not material matters), Sense of Belonging (feeling that others care about me), Social Order (stability of society), An Exciting Life (stimulating experiences), Meaning in Life (a purpose in life), Politeness (courtesy, good manners), Wealth (material possessions, money), National Security (protection of my nation from enemies), Self Respect (belief in one’s own worth), Reciprocation of Favors (avoidance of indebtedness), Creativity (uniqueness, imagination), A World At Peace (free of war and conflict), Respect for Tradition (preservation of time-honored customs), Mature Love (deep emotional and spiritual intimacy), Self-Discipline (self-restraint, resistance to temptation), Privacy (safety for loved ones), Social Recognition (respect, approval by others), Unity with Nature (fitting into nature), A Varied Life (filled with challenge, novelty and change), Wisdom (a mature understanding of life), Authority (the right to lead or command), True Friendship (close, supportive friends), A World of Beauty (beauty of nature and the arts), Social Justice (correcting injustice, care for the weak).

List 2: Independent (self-reliant, self-sufficient), Moderate (avoiding extremes of feeling and action), Loyal (faithful to my friends, group), Ambitious (hard-working, aspiring), Broadminded (tolerant of different ideas and beliefs), Humble (modest, self-effacing), Daring (seeking adventure, risk), Protecting the Environment (preserving nature), Influential (having an impact on people and events), Honoring of Parents and Elders (showing respect), Choosing Own Goals (selecting own purposes), Healthy (not being sick physically or mentally), Capable (competent, effective, efficient), Accepting my Portion in Life (submitting to life’s circumstances), Honest (genuine, sincere), Preserving My Public Image (protecting my “face”), Obedient (dutiful, meeting obligations), Intelligent (logical, thinking), Helpful (working for the welfare of others), Enjoying Life (enjoying food, sex, leisure, ect.), Devout (holding to religious faith and belief), Responsible (dependable, reliable), Curious (interested in everything, exploring), Forgiving (willing to pardon others), Successful (achieving goals), Clean (neat, tidy), Self-Indulgent (doing pleasant things)

I will think about my list and you think about yours!

Cheers and many blessings!

Michelle

Believe you can, and you can.

Although it is disappointing that California did not pass prop 37 as well as how some of our local elections turned out both with candidates and propositions that were voted on. I found it interesting throughout the election process that it was not so much about the candidates but how we see choose to see them. I think that many people give too much power to elected officials. There is no way that an official can make everyone happy and make the right decision for everyone as we are all unique individuals in unique situations. Today is a good day to look inside of ourselves and take responsibility for our own well-being and not count on others for our individual happiness & content, wealth and worth. Letting go of negative thoughts will help us to clear the air to make better decisions in our daily life and be happier more productive people.

Believe you can, and you can. Belief is one of the most powerful of problem dissolvers. When you believe that a difficulty can be overcome, you are more than halfway to victory over it already. ~Norman Vincent Peale

We create our own reality and meditation is key in helping us to deepen and understand the sacred and mystical forces of life. As we meditate we clear away the information overload that we have burdened ourselves with. As we clear away this burden we start to gain new perspectives on stressful situations and how to manage our stress. This is because meditation helps increase our self-awareness by focusing on the present and reducing negative emotions. Including those emotions and thoughts that have to do with this weeks electoral process.

For those of you who are new to meditation, the Chopra Center periodically has free guided Meditation Challenges. They also have available Meditations you can do at anytime!

Peace and love,

Michelle

Living Cereal with Almond Milk

Most mornings I wake up, have a glass of water with sole and iodine and then sometimes I will eat this cereal concoction, and a little later I’ll have a mid-morning snack of a juice or smoothie to keep me going until lunch. Then at lunch I usually have a BIG salad and some miso soup.

To start out, I cut up half an apple, cranberries, and some sprouted buckwheats that I dehydrated with cinnamon spice (I like to always have some on hand because they are a lot like rice krispies), next I like to add some raw trail mix with cacao nibs, raw cashews, golden raisins, goji berries, and mulberries, I also like to add homemade almond mylk and coconut flakes. The combination is great!

Almond mylk is naturally sweet, versatile and alkaline.

Soak 1 cup of raw almonds overnight (I add half of a vanilla bean to the soak water). The next morning, rinse and drain your almonds and place in a blender with four cups of filtered water. Blend until ingredients are smooth. Pour into a strainer to separate the remaining pulp. You may use the pulp again for a lighter mylk. Place almond mylk back in blender and add a pinch of sea salt, a few dates, and the soaked vanilla bean for flavor. Blend and serve.

The Real Deal About Cow’s Milk, is that it isn’t good for you!

1. Modern commercial farming involves the heavy use of growth hormones and antibiotics, in order to produce more, supposedly healthier milk. The problem is that these hormones and antibiotics get into the milk the cows produce, and when we ingest them, they have far-reaching effects on our health, including the possible endocrine and reproductive problems and the development of “super” strains of bacteria that are resistant to the constant low doses of antibiotics they are subject to.

2. More than 60 percent of the human population is either lactose-intolerant (meaning their bodies do no produce the enzyme to digest the main sugar in milk, lactose) or they are allergic to milk. If more than half of us can’t drink milk, it can’t be as necessary to good health as many think it is.

3. Dairy products cause excess mucus production in the body. Excess mucus production can ultimately affect your digestive and immune systems.

4. Dairy milk really isn’t as nutritionally packed as we are led to believe. We are all told that we need milk in order to get sufficient amounts of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D. But truth be told, this is a marketing scheme, and milk is not a very rich source of these vitamins naturally; it’s generally fortified with them. And most green vegetables have more calcium than milk! Eat your veggies and you’ll be just fine. (Cow milk info from Renee Loux, Living Cuisine).

In Love, Life and Laughter!

Michelle

Wakame Kale Salad

Kale & Sea Veggies! Oh, yumm! I love this salad, the flavor is delicious and the textures are fun too!

Ingredients:

Salad:

1/2 of 1.06 oz. package wakame sea vegetable (soak 5 minutes in water)

12-16 cups torn kale (about 8-12 large leaves; save stems for juicing)

1 small head cauliflower, chopped

1 cup green onions, chopped small

1-2 red bell peppers, diced

2 cups mung bean sprouts (or you may choose to use kelp noodles or another kind of sprout)

Dressing:

2 oz. lemon juice

2 oz. orange juice (or grapefruit juice)

1/2 cup flax or olive oil

1/4 cup nama shoyu, Bragg liquid aminos, or tamari

1 Tbs. Miso

1 slice ginger (25 cent size)

1-2 clove garlic

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 Tbs. honey

dash cayenne

Instructions:

Salad:

Wash and tear kale, chop veggies, mix soaked wakame into veggies and toss with dressing.

Dressing Sauce:

Use blender to combine dressing ingredients and pour onto salad. Let marinate for 1 hour.

This salad will last up to one week in the fridge.

Wakame has a subtly sweet flavor and slippery texture. It is a rich source of EPA, an omega-3 essential fatty acid and has high levels of calcium, iodine, thiamine, and niacin.

Have a wonderful day!

Michelle