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Some of our goals and dreams come to fruition so easily that it is as if an unseen hand has done much of the work for us. When this happens, we say it must have been meant to be. On the other hand, when dreams and goals require a tremendous amount of effort, we may interpret this to mean that our dream is not meant to be. However, difficulty is not necessarily a sign that our hopes and plans are ill-fated. On the contrary, difficulties and challenges along the path can be important parts of the project's overall meaning...From DailyOm's "Not Always Easy - Meant To Be"
....There is a unique satisfaction that comes to us when we succeed at something that has been a challenge. Our sense of self-reliance expands, and our ability to endure and keep the faith is stronger for having been tested. We learn that we are capable of confronting and overcoming the obstacles in our path, and this empowers us to dream still bigger dreams, knowing that we will not be daunted by the challenges inherent in birthing them.
When we find ourselves facing difficulties with a particular plan or project, the chances are we know already whether we are meant to continue on or let it go. We simply need to look within ourselves for the answer. When an idea is meant to be, it comes back to us time and time again. Then we know we can go forward, no matter what challenges arise, knowing that it is meant to be."
- Mood:
chipper - Music:Maxwell - Pretty Wings
Now I eat well. I'm not on a vegan diet since I do eat eggs and seafood. I avoid meat but still indulge in fries. I buy organic, consume superfoods everyday, eat a hearty high fibre breakfast, and have gotten rid of dairy. But...chocolate still seduces me...and the aforementioned fries...with a filet-o-fish. Then once in a while I can't avoid pizza...but the damn cheese. I don't crave cheese that often, but pizza without it would be odd, ergo the cheese seduces me too.
Now after watching Neil Barnard MD's the Food Seduction...I know why. Damn cheese and chocolate for doping me up! He explains a lot...and the part about a high-meat diet contributing to impotence sure does perk up the ears (you hear, boys?). He speaks for 40 mins but he's so interesting it goes by very quickly.
I love it because it's all about being responsible for yourself, being preventive both physically and mentally, changing the way you think, changing the way you accept information, being informed, not just merely accepting what's the "norm", and not being able to blame anyone but yourself for a change in your lifestyle...and thus a positive change in your life. You'll feel infinitely better for it!
Chocolate, Cheese, Meat, and Sugar -- Physically Addictive FoodsNeal Barnard MD discusses the science behind food additions. Willpower
is not to blame: chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances. Dr. Barnard also discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us to eat more and more unhealthy foods. A plant-based (vegan) diet is the solution to avoid many of these problems. Neal Barnard is the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
- Mood:
contemplative - Music:Sarah Bareilles - Gravity
"...When we are lost, we typically look at a map to figure out where we are and how to get to our chosen destination. This works well, assuming that there is a map of the territory in which we find ourselves, and assuming that we know our destination. However, this is not always the case...Not knowing exactly where we are, we find ourselves unsure of which way to go, and eventually the uneasy feeling that we are lost presents itself....
The beauty of being lost is the same thing that makes it scary—it asks us to look within ourselves to find the way. If we have no map, we must go on instinct, relying on our inner compass to show us which way to go. This can be scary because so much seems to be riding on it. We fear we might go too far in the wrong direction, or become paralyzed and make no progress at all. And yet, this is the very challenge we need to develop our ability to trust ourselves. We are also learning to trust that the universe will support and guide us. We may believe this intellectually, but it is only through experience that it becomes knowledge of the heart. Learning to be okay with being lost and trusting that we will be guided, we begin our journey...."
(For the complete post, go to DailyOm)
- Mood: calm
- Music:Glee (cast) - Taking Chances
It's said that there's no such things as coincidences...that everything happens for a reason. Sound familiar? Before when I heard these words, I didn't really hear them because they were just words people say to make you feel better. But now I have learned to take heed...and I believe them to be true.
So through sheer coincidence (*wink*) I stumbled upon Tina Su's Think Simple Now. She touches upon issues I find an interest in...and here is where I found a passage that I hope touches you as well:
“When it comes to love, you need not fall but rather surrender, surrender to the idea that you must love yourself before you can love another. You must absolutely trust yourself before you can absolutely trust another and most importantly you must accept your flaws before you can accept the flaws of another.“
- Mood: grateful
This morning I felt compelled to go to church. I only go a few times a year, seeing that I'm technically supposed to be Buddhist. My great-grandma attended the Japanese United Church, not because she was Christian but because the seniors at her Japanese seniors home went there, so basically she went to socialize. We know this for sure because when she passed away, she was cremated and her ashes sent to Japan for a Buddhist cere, upon her request. When she babysat me when I was little, I would follow her to the church and hang out with the Sunday School kids...who were kinda boring if I remember correctly. What? I was a kid into cartoons!
I do believe in the greater universe, a universal spiritual guide out there looking over all of us. I'm not a big proponent of organized religion bc that's rather limiting, judgy, and a bit scary. It makes life much easier when you have faith in something bigger than yourself. This is a major theme for most schools of thought - religious or otherwise. It is hard to measure and untangible, but that's what makes life interesting -- that there are things we can't explain.
So there's an all-inclusive faith alliance near where I live. I can walk to it on Sundays. It's quite popular since it's not old-fashioned, long and boring, or all preachy. There are no stained glass, no religiousy things, or steeples. It's modern looking building that blends in with the trendy, refurbished heritage homes surrounding it. People all all ages, all ethnicities, all ages come. There's singing which threw me off the first time, and it's still not my favorite thing but I hold out for the short and sweet sermon by a very cool pastor who's of Japanese descent himself. He wears regular clothes, and speaks like a professor (or maybe even a motivational speaker) rather than a preacher. Thank goodness. He interdisperses his sermon with connections to pop culture and uses a lot of humour. But he's no idiot, he explains things in a very precise scholarly way so it doesn't sound all hokey (he used to be high up in Sony Japan being bilingual, then decided to study theology in Boston).
Today's theme was relationships. Lots of people cried and sniffed through it. This didn't have to be in a church necessarily. It was about how we sometimes destroy relationships (not necessarily only romantic ones, but family and friends, coworkers, the like) because we feel shame and try to block it by putting up a front because we think we need to do this to get approval from others. We tend to exaggerate our attributes to attract people to us; then we begin to doubt and things break down because we wonder if these people like the positive person we put out there that hides are faults...or if they like us when we are our real selves. We test other people with guilt, with manipulation to see if they can handle the real us because the persona we show as a front is not always easy to maintain. He gave us an example, such as when someone mentions a movie that everyone says is good but you've never heard of, well, you tend to go along and pretend to know it because you don't want to seem lame; or we pretend to understand a concept or word when we really don't because we don't want to seem stupid. Even these little lies to cover our perceived shame hinders our growth and ability to make relationships that are true and real.
Then he mentioned that sometimes we think no one will like or love us if we aren't perfect, positive and good. We have faults and weaknesses, and we beat ourselves up over them, while trying to exaggerate the things we are good at. Outside we look fine and people may envy us, but inside we're conflicted and angry or sad. It's not until you accept your weaknesses and understand and believe that the universe (God or any other spiritual being) loves you regardless of these that you can accept yourself and be true with others. He suggested that it may be easier once you become a parent, because as your child grows up you notice their strengths and weaknesses...but noticing their weaknesses doesn't mean you love your child any less. Your love for your child shouldn't change, and may even increase by noticing how they share the same attibutes, both good and bad, as you do. This is a nice thought...that no matter how weak you feel, you are still utterly precious.
- Mood: calm
- Music:Indie.Arie - There's Hope
This is coupled by guilt that I'm not expressing enough gratitude about how good I have it. I don't really think of it that often, but it's part of the journey of reflecting, growing up, still "growing up", and am admitting and resolving my faults so that I can turn them around for the better. As well, I'm attracting like-minded friends who are willing to discuss these things amidst the usual bantering of daily trials and tribulations.
I'm also reminding myself that life doesn't begin when I find an answer to finding the right path with the right goal. And this always reminds me of John Lennon's oft used quote (because it's so true):
Life is what happens when you're making other plans.
- Mood: contemplative
- Music:Indie.Arie & Musiq Soulchild - Chocolate High
"Love and intimacy are at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads to healing…I am not aware of any other factor in medicine - not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery - that has a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of illness and premature death from all causes.”
- Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D. (Clinical Professor of Medicine)
For over 30 years, Dr. Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery.
They only started their business last November when they realized they were spending way too much on their raw food lifestyle. They decided to source their raw food diet items directly from the farmers; by doing this, they realized they were getting scammed by the big importers. Thus they decided, hey, why don't we sell these great items to other people for the prices we get them for?
Today Amrit brought me a treasure trove of yummy organic superfoods that were sourced directly from the farmers in the Hunza Valley of Pakistan. They use their traditional farming practices to cultivate their food, on terraces that reach far and wide, and high towards the sky. The people of the Hunza Valley live to be healthy even way beyond 100, free of disease and mental degeneration, and they are known to be a communal happy bunch of people. They do not believe in discipline for their children; instead they raise them to have confidence and self worth, and if they do wrong then merely the fear of disappointing the commune usually stops them from swaying towards the wrong path.
When the "Western World" got a hold of the people of the Hunza Valley and wondered how they lived so meagerly yet were so happy and healthy...well, westerners thought they could do better and gifted the people with western soil and practices on the valley's terraces. Turns out, the Hunza people began to get sick and disease was more apparent in their community...so they tossed out the western soil, chucked it all away, and stated from the beginning, returning to their traditional practices once more. They are thriving...
Anyways, the goodies I received today include:
* Purple mulberries : shade-dried from the Hunza Valley...they are naturally sweet and chewy...and are known to be the raw foodists' gummy bears. Highly nutritious (high in vitamin C, iron, calcium and protein).
* Golden raisins : Normally I dislike raisins very much...too sweet. But these sun-dried raisins from the Hunza Valley are soft, pleasantly sweet, not cloying (no preservatives and chemicals or added sweetners like commercial ones), and immensely enjoyable. These raisins are cholesterol-free and low in sodium and fat-free. They have iron, potassium, calcium and certain B vitamins; fiber and antioxidants.
* Figs : shade-dried figs from the Hunza Valley. Mmm, I love figs! These are the best dried figs I've ever had....not cloying. Jammy but not in a bad way.
* Tiger nuts: Actually a berry, they are sun-dried and taste like little almonds.They look like dried up peas. They're high in fibre and protein and rich in minerals and vitamins E and C. Apparently they help prevent heart attacks and cancer of the colon. Also beneficial to those with diabetes and those seeking to lose weight.
* Pineapple : Sun-dried from Peru. No added sweetners or toxic sulfite preservatives like commercial ones. Contains bormelain which helps break down protein to aid digestion.
* Inca Berries: Mmm, little squishy red balls of tart & sweet. Contain B-vitamins, B12 which is an energy generator necessary for cellular metabolism; biofalvonoids which are antioxidant and antiviral.
Mixed them all together....superfood trail mix. Delish and good for you. I don't miss candy one bit!
- Mood: cheerful
Now...there's direct competition with Maru (literally, "round"), a Scottish Fold breed cat that's an internet star...first in Japan...and now the world over. He even has a book of photos coming out in September. If you haven't heard of Maru...shocker...then you must meet him now (his website called "Maru, desu" (I am Maru)). Check out one of his videos (an intro one), and pay attention to the 4:15 mark (onwards) where Maru attacks boxes in a way that is so funny I almost keeled over!
- Mood: amused
A fresh French baguette....sliced organic tomatoes drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and fleur der mer salt...cold raw radishes smeared with equally cold butter and sprinkled with salt....creamy herb-specked French brie....a small chunk of soft and creamy herb & spice havarti....folds of thinly-sliced piquant Calabrese salami....blackberries....and on the side I also had some fat green olives, slippery with some olive oil.
- Mood: cheerful
- Music:Anjulie - Boom
What does this mean? Perhaps I'm not articulating it quite correctly. When I lived abroad, I wondered why dining out was an event. Dining out meant allocating at least 3 hours (but actually more) on the dining experience with great company. Talking, discussing, laughing, drinking, sharing, comforting...and savouring the food. Lingering over food with friends....lovely.
This was a point of discussion when speaking to a new friend who's freshly arrived from a 5 year stint in beautiful Montreal. She remembers when she first started dining out in Montreal, she was annoyed because after the first round of drinks, bottle of wine, and the appies...it would take forever for the main course to arrive....then the dessert. After a few months, she realized the delay was on purpose so that the group could enjoy each other's company and savour their food amongst jovial, or sometimes heated, conversation.
She and I also miss...finding a decent place open from 9pm onwards! Greasy spoons (that stay open until daybreak) once in a while is delicious, don't get me wrong, but most cities that have this art of communication entwined with its dining and food experience...well, restaurants remain open later, like a bar. The place doesn't get hopping until 8-9pm onwards. You may have experienced this in Europe, Asia, South America, and only a handful of spots in North America like New York, Montreal...um....
In Tokyo, for example, we had to eat so late because some of us wouldn't get out of work until then...overtime delux. We'd stumble out into the alleyways searching for izakayas, restaurants, stalls...that would sustain us as we got together with our friends. Mostly drinking shimmery overpriced but delicious cocktails, eating off tiny plates with equally tiny portions of fantastic morsels of food. It's great to live in a city with a population of disconcerning tastebuds! We'd run to the last trains to arrive home, exhausted, stumble into bed, and wake up early for another squished commute to work...to start all over again. Those after work get-togethers were lifesavers and much cherished!
Which is another reason why it sustained us...not only the food, literally, but the friendship made the city what it was. Plus, it was an excuse to see each other and support each other, in a city away from home. So you can imagine that it's quite perplexing that I live in a city now where people get off work at least 4:00 through 5:30...and we all have cars...yet it takes weeks to book a get-together with even one person!?! I shake my head. The lifestyle is merely different here...sigh.
And then there's Sunday brunch. Lovely brunch. I miss the cities where brunch is basically a day-trip, okay? Where Sunday Brunch is an occasion. I adore a good Sunday brunch, and often engage in one a week...although here it's not exactly an event as it should be. Dim sum doesn't count. I loved New York because that city seems to understand the art that is Sunday brunch. Where "the good coffee" sits nicely aside countless champagne mimosas (although I prefer prosecco in mine). There is no need for a "lite" brunch of egg whites and fruit cups...no,no,no...a Sunday Brunch requires a luxurious amount of cream, cheese, eggs, salt, and anything else decadent -- lobster eggs benedict with havarti hollandaise; belgian buttermilk waffles with field berry compote and real maple syrup, and mascapone cream; chocolate chip peanut butter pancakes with caramel syrup; pancetta and arugula omelette with shaved truffles and brie; or the old-fashioned lumberjack feast of bacon, sausages, hash browns, eggs, piles of toast, and fried tomatoes.
There is no use lamenting and whining and complaining about how I miss having good friends, great conversation, fabulous food, and libacious times. I will bring it back. Yes.
- Mood:
envious - Music:Jodeci - Forever My Lady
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- Mood: cheerful
- Music:Watching PIT vs WSH, NHL game
I tried taking baths to make me sleepy...I read...I've tried warm milk....spritzed lavender on my pillows...made up the bed as a comfortable, cozy spot with good sheets, pillows, and duvet on an amazing mattress...so why am I not sleeping enough? Well, it's only going to get harder as the days get longer. On that note, I should probably try to get some sleep now.
- Mood: hopeful
- Music:Matt Dusk - All About Me
I'm intrigued by the Blue Zones -- areas where studies have shown people live actively past the age of 100 years. A National Geographic writer, Dan Buettner has a book about Blue Zones, longevity and the secrets of a long active life. As in being elderly and sprightly and active, still living life to the fullest with ability. Buettner found the Blue Zones to be: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, CA; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Ikaria, Greece.
The Blue Zones all show the following characteristics despite being in varying parts of the world:
1. Importance of family.
2. Plant-based diet (majority being plant-based)
3. Constant moderate exercise.
4. Social engagement in their communities
5. Non-smoking.
6. A diet of legumes.
The Blue Zones all show the following characteristics despite being in varying parts of the world:
1. Importance of family.
2. Plant-based diet (majority being plant-based)
3. Constant moderate exercise.
4. Social engagement in their communities
5. Non-smoking.
6. A diet of legumes.
This is Okinawa, Japan. Gorgeous. I've been only once since the islands of Okinawa are rather removed from mainland Japan. They are little islands scattered south of mainland Japan, much closer to Taiwan. The vegetation and lifestyle has remnants of Hawaii and the pacific islands.
Anyways, upon perusing the Blue Zone site, I found a section revealing the "secrets of the Power 9: the 9 common denominators that all the world's longevity all-stars (Sardinia, Loma Linda, Okinawa, Nicoya, Ikaria) share." These 9 traits were organized into 4 main categories which I find vitally important -- but seriously-lacking in many of us. Maybe we're trying to keep up with what we think others want for us, and forget ourselves? I mean I'm still figuring myself out, and thankfully have much better insight into my true self than when I was younger. I'm grateful I figured out what's important right now, rather than later. So without further ado, here are the 4:
MOVE NATURALLY - Make your own home, community, and workplace present you with natural ways to move. Focus on activities you love, like gardening, walking and playing with your family.
RIGHT OUTLOOK - Know and be able to articulate your sense of purpose, and ensure your day is punctuated with periods of calm.
EAT WISELY - Instead of groping from fad diet to fad diets, use time-honoured strategies for eating 20% less at meals. Avoid meat and processed food and drink a couple of glasses of [red] wine daily.
BELONG TO THE RIGHT TRIBE - Surround yourself with the right people, make the effort to connect or reconnect with your religion [and/or spirituality] and put loved ones first.
....on a side note, I bought some goat milk because the Sardinian centarians apparently have been drinking tons of goat milk which has some scientific benefit...the couple of times the smell and taste were disturbing because it was like having goat-cheese in my coffee. Wrong. Meh, I'm getting used to it, don't want to waste it. I'm going back to organic unsweetened plain soy milk in my coffee once the goat milk is gone.
PS: Support National Geographic Magazine. I love, love, love it. The photos are spectacular. The articles so educational. I admit that I store my copies in my parents' library room because I have no room myself, but so worth it. My friend's a lawyer with National Geographic and he's always grateful when I tell him I renewed my subscription...even though Canadian amount is more :( .
- Mood: curious
- Music:Watching Sex and the City: The Movie DVD
For lunch made the Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese, alongside sliced organic Roma tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkled with fleur-de-sel and fresh basil; and boiled free-range organic brown eggs. The pasta salad is garlicky and simple, but holy crap it's amazingly delicious. I almost fell over after the first few bites because I hadn't expected it to be so incredibly good! I think next time I'll put diced red, yellow, and orange peppers in it. Seriously, try it!
- Mood: relaxed
- Music:Cesaria Evora - Besame Mucho
I have too much stuff. I throw out stuff, but even so there still continues to be a lot of stuff in my possession. It's quite perplexing considering I could swear that I've thrown out tons of stuff. Yet every weekend I'm weeding through stuff and throwing stuff out (and donating stuff)...and it never ends. I'm clearing out, cleaning out, and organizing my stuff. And sometimes I get so bored with this task that I hide the stuff in a bin and shove it behind the closet. Not good.
I know an organized space reflects upon me and my mindset. I need to adhere to such a minimalist mind. Recently I admitted that I couldn't do the 100 things lifestyle. Please.
***
- Mood:
busy - Music:Metric - Help I'm Alive
What can a girl do? Cupcakes are delightful, and encased in little packages of sweetness that hide its sinfulness. You know what I mean. Sigh. A dozen cupcakes. Yup. A mixture of Vanilla Bean Buttercream; Matcha Buttercream with Chocolate Cake; Lemon Buttercream with vanilla cake and raspberry jam; Chocolate Buttercream; and Creamcheese Buttercream on Lemon Coconut cake. Yes, I began with the latter (as seen in photo).
Now I'm off to distribute the cupcakes because if I don't, they will all end up in my belly and that would be disasterous. Trust me, Lyndsay's Coco Cake Cupcakes are a billion times better than Cupcakes, Magnolia's (although I heart their banana cream pudding) or Cake Love's. Not too sweet, not too dense or flour-y. The frosting is light, rich with true flavours of Madagascar vanilla bean and Scharffen Berger chocolate. The goood stuff my tastebuds tell me.
I'm scarfing down cups of green tea to flush out the sugar lest I end up in a sugar coma.
- Mood: full
- Music:Italian Secret Service - Not the Same
Like this Japanese woodblock-inspired print entitled Naughty Kitty Print.
- Mood:
sleepy
- Mood:
okay - Music:Johnny Gill - my, my, my
PS: This is incredibly heartwarming and makes me cry and so so good. It shows you how we judge harshly: WATCH.
This weekend I also started a 12 day detox cleanse. After much research and talking to friends, I decided on the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox that was created locally. Thankfully I'm allowed to eat relatively good food and so far it's going okay. I was beginning to feel groggy, lethargic, and clogged up so I felt like I should try a cleanse.
I'm not allowed to eat: flour products (breads, crackers, sauces like gravy that have flour, etc), dairy (except butter), alcohol, fermented foods (vinegar, black tea, beer, soy sauce, wine, miso), peanuts, food with natural yeast (mushrooms, grapes, raisins, oranges), melons, pasta, dried fruits, sugar (white/brown, maple syrup, honey), fruti juice, tropical fruit, shellfish.
I am allowed to eat (20% of diet): beans, beef, coffee (max 2 cups), eggs, grains, lamb, lentils, liver, nuts (except almonds), oatmeal, peas, poultry, pork, prunes, rhubarb, white rice, seeds, tofu, soy beans, veal, wheat germ
I am allowed to eat (80% of diet): almonds, fish, millet, buckwheat, brown rice, apples, apricots, berries, cherries, lemons, peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, popcorn, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, yams, sweet potato, sesame seeds, soy milk /almond milk/ rice milk all without sweetners, tahini, tomatoes, chives, garlic, ginger, onions, leeks, green onions, shallots, herbal tea, water, green tea, artichokes, arugula, avocado, asparagus, beets, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, butter (yes!), cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, corn, chards, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, herbs, kale, lettuce, okra, oils (except peanut), parsley, peppermint, peppers, radiccio, radish, seaweed, spinach, turnips, sprouts.
Not bad, right? I'm pretty crafty in the kitchen so it's not been hard to come up with recipes using these items. I miss bread and icecream though! The first two days were a bit crazy -- the "cleanse" part kicked in, as in hello bathroom! Now it's all normal again :) hahaha.
Along with the meals, I have to take pills and liquid drops. Before breakfast and dinner, I take 2 each from three bottles of these herbal pills; and 30 drops of liquid concotion with water. Researching, many forums noted how many people complained about them, but they aren't that bad. The pills taste like echinacea, which I'm used too, and it's just like taking my usual multivitamin/cod liver oil/calcium pills daily. The liquid drops are smelly but not harsh considering I'm a big proponent of Oil of Oregano drops for colds -- which is much much harder to bear.
( Detox Cleanse MENU so far... )
- Mood: content
- Music:Jason Mraz & Cobie Caillat - Lucky
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