Be smart in school

Here is an excerpt from a newsletter I get that is concerned with both environmental issues and the diet of our kids (and grandkids!) in schools.

Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) 
contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular 
brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or 
second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

 This is alarming that there is mercury in many foods and snacks that we give our kids, including yogurt, drinks, etc. These are also offered in the schools. While many local schools get good marks, others do not. I encourage you to find out how your local school rates. The best option is to make your child's lunch for school yourself. Then you can actually control most of what they are eating. (This does not take into account the "trading" that kids do in the lunchroom) As I always recommend, read the labels of everything you buy. Tip: You don't have to read any labels on fresh produce except for "organic" and maybe where it was grown. There ARE no other labels of ingredients! Best option? A fresh apple, banana or grapes instead of any snack that comes from a box or bag. 

Green Thoughts: We are all starting to think about what our food contains, especially in light of all the recalls in the last year. Spinach, now peanut butter products! We cannot anticipate all of the recalls yet to come. But, we as consumers can take a stand, speak out against factories that do not practice good hygiene and buy local, fresh food whenever possible. 

Feng Shui Tips: What is in our environment is usually the focus, but the balance of energies in our bodies are equally important. Be the best that you can be! Be mindful of what you put in your body, as well as what is in your home.

If you would like more information on news about food nutrition levels, go to

 http://www.nutrient-dense.info/docs/RFC_brochure.pdf

Fighting Nature

The animals are smart. They have the instinct for adaptation - hibernation. We humans just fight it. We try to deny it, fight it, ignore it, and we just complain about it. If you live in a climate like we do in Central New York, that is all the argument you need for hibernation. Snow. Frigid temperatures ( it is -4 right now). Most of us hate it. We want to be in a warm climate wearing flip flops instead of here. Our bodies are trying to tell us something. Living in the arctic is just not normal. We are sleepier than normal, just trying to stay awake past 8:30pm is a challenge lately. We don't have an abundance of energy and it takes twice as much effort to do the same tasks as normal. Boredom and lethargy have set in. We do this every year and then forget we were in the same state last winter. There are special lamps to substitute for sunlight, there are worries that we now have depression, and we suffer from more aches and pains than usual.  What is going on? Well, we hate winter and simply want to hibernate like the smart animals. Coping with a job, kids, money, the house, the snow-blowing and shoveling, cooking, and all of the rest of life going on is tough in the winter. 

We do make it harder on ourselves. We fight nature. Nature is pretty smart. If we would just listen. Actually, there is nothing wrong with turning inward for a few months. We don't have to sleep through the winter. (although maybe that would help me with my diet) It is a good time to learn to meditate, do yoga, read those books we have stacked up, learn a new craft or hobby. We can also prepare the cave. After all, bears prepare themselves to survive winter and then be ready for spring!  Contemplate. Really look at things inside your home. Are they really necessary? Do they add to the quality of life? An introspective view of our ourselves and our homes is helpful. It prepares us for the busier time of spring and summer. Get ready! It is coming, like in three months or so. 

Feng Shui Thoughts: Since we are often home bound in winter, it is a really good time to examine that closet we have been ignoring for a very long time. I took almost a week to go through a closet full of our file boxes and then shred so much paper that I thought the shredder would burn out. You can just put those things off so long they are like a mountain to get over. Start somewhere, anywhere. Pick a drawer, pick a closet, pick a room. Hoe it out. Take longer with the job than usual. Contemplate. Examine. Think about it. And then think about yourself. Where do you want your life to go this next year? What do you need to do to achieve it? 

Green Contemplations: When you go through things in your home, start to look at things environmentally. How much energy did it take to make the item, transport the item to a store near you, is it actually toxic? Then think how to get rid of it if you have decided to part with it. Can it be recycled? And most importantly, don't replace it with another one. Buy less, and then you have less to get rid of at some point. Begin to look at things this way. I stood in the grocery store the other day and looked at the aisles upon aisles of all of the stuff they sell that I really don't need. I concluded that 3/4 of all the items in the grocery store do not make me happy, healthy or wealthy. They hurt my health, cost alot of money and only make the company selling them happy. I passed. Then I came home and cleaned out the food cabinet.