What is it about Dreams???

I want to touch on a book that I just finished reading. It starts out a bit drab as it discusses the psychological work of Carl Jung. You may remember studying him during your early college years. Then, it gets into some really interesting analogies from the Bible. In the book, Dreams, God's Forgotten Language, author, John Sanford draws on the work of Carl Jung to show how dreams can help us find healing and wholeness and reconnect us to a living spiritual world.

Dreams traces the role of dreams in the Bible and how God speaks to us. Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, pioneered a whole new outlook on the way we tick. He peered into our darker spaces and our dim, forgotten corners.

To start, lets discuss our shadow. If you stand facing the light, you will cast a shadow. Unless, you turn and look on the floor behind you, you will not be aware of the dark shadow following you. The shadow is the part of our personality, which is in our background, of which we are usually unaware. Similar to Eckhart Tolle’s idea of “the ego,” our shadow is the part of ourselves we want to hide from the world...our mistakes, guilt, failures, insecurities and demons that we bury under a carefully crafted ego of armor.

So the shadow is our angry side, our weakness, our sickness, our primitiveness, our sensuality, our rebelliousness, our inferiority...whatever it may be about ourselves of which we are most afraid and would rather not face. The shadow slinks around and most often we would rather die than have someone say we are like them.

Where do we see our shadow? In our dreams. It appears as the sinister or inferior figure of our own sex. The more we try to remain unaware of it, the more it manifests itself. To understand the shadow, we can contrast it to the persona. The persona is the front we put on. It is a form of adaptation to the society in which we live. Most often, we come to identify with the persona. We think we are the person whom we would like to appear to be. The shadow stands in direct contrast.

From a Christian perspective, our dreams reflect the life process at work in us that seeks to make us aware of Christlike totality or wholeness. So, it is not a matter or "either or", but of "both." We cannot give our shadow a full license, but instead, we become one with our good side and reach out  and intergrate our lower nature. This solves the "Christian Problem."

To learn more, consider reading Dreams, God's Forgotten Language by John Sanford. You will see illustrations of dreams and visions in the Bible and you will also see how we, as Christians, have suppressed our shadow and have literally become "split."

Glycemic Index

• In the past, we used the terms simple and complex to describe carbohydrates
• The problem some complex carbs caused a rise in blood sugar similar to simple carbs
• Now we use the term Glycemic index
• Measures how fast food is likely to raise your blood sugar
• Glucose is given an arbitrary value of 100 and other carbs are given values relative to glucose
• The impact a food will have on blood sugar depends on many factors such as:
• Ripeness
• Cooking time
• Fiber content
• Fat content
• Time of day
• Blood insulin levels
• Recent activity
• Particle size
• Low glycemic index foods are those values less than 55—these are foods that as they are digested produce a low, slow blood sugar response
• Intermediate glycemic index are those values between 55 and 70
• High glycemic index are those values greater than 70—these foods are quickly broken down in the intestine and cause the glucose level to rise quickly
• GI, however, tells you only how rapidly a particular carb turns into glucose. It tells the quality of the carb. It does not tell you how much of that carb is a serving for a particular food (quantity)
• Glycemic Load takes quantity of available carbs into account. Glycemic load equals the GI times the number of carb grams in a food

Lets be careful!!!!!!!! The worth of any food cannot be measured by a single number, but a single number can tell you a great deal about how the carb in that food affects blood glucose levels. For instance, the number tells us nothing about the nutritional value, vitamin/mineral content, or fiber content. The numbers can be misleading. Some worthless foods like diet soda have low numbers and nuts, for instance, have higher values.

• Meal planning:
• Hulless barley in the rice cooker sweetened with splenda and cinnamon
• Bread is near 100 on the GI, but using a different grain such as corn, soybeans, oat bran, or barley are good choices. Burgen Soy Lin in the lowest GI bread available
• Pasta substitutes include Shirataki noodles in the refrigerated section. No need to boil them….simply heat up and eat. Any other high fiber pasta is appropriate to substitute
• Cereals such as Mc Cann’s Irish Oatmeal which are steel cut oats instead of rolled oats
• Chips such as Trader Joe’s Soy and flaxseed Tortillas
• Veggies
• Nuts such as walnuts
• Dry roasted Edamame and frozen variety in place of higher glycemic veggies (peas, carrots, corn)

HEALTH INSURANCE DOES NOT EQUAL HEALTH CARE

Health insurance doesn't automatically lead to health care. Today, the average American life expectancy is close to 80, and the fastest growing segment of the American population is adults 85 years or older. While there may not be an actual fountain of youth, we are continually re-defining old age and pushing the limits of lifespan further and further.

Increased lifespan may sound like a dream come true. But it may be a nightmare in progress. Unless we assume far greater responsibility for our health, current increases in longevity spell decrepitude and financial disaster for millions of Americans.

If rates of disease and disability continue at their current levels, America will become a nation of sick, senile, disenfranchised, impoverished seniors, with too few resources to care for them and astronomical medical costs that will cripple our economy.

For example, the average American over the age of 65 suffers multiple chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, hearing and vision disorders. This group accounts for one third of all health care spending, one third of prescription drug use and 40 percent of doctor visits.

Over 25 percent of those 85 or older require institutional care. Unless the economic structure of the nation is substantially re-vamped, Medicare will run out of funds by 2029. Suddenly, the idea of living 100 years or more loses some of its luster.

Unfortunately, health care in the U.S. is currently in crisis, and many people have lost confidence in medicine. Medical services are expensive, and insurance is becoming prohibitively costly. And with more and more doctors dropping out of one insurance plan or another, especially government plans, there is no guarantee that you will be able to see a physician no matter what coverage you have. Of course, we're promised by the Obama administration that universal health insurance will avoid all these problems.

Obamacare is facing a perfect storm. First, there is an ongoing court battle to determine the law’s constitutionality. This legal challenge, now at the federal appellate court level, is sure to reach the Supreme Court of the United States, the question being when, not if. The Obama administration is clearly in no rush to see this happen, because if the court rules against them, it will have a major impact on the 2012 election. By 2014, most of the features of the bill, including the individual mandate, will be instituted, the Independent Medicare Advisory Board will be in place, and millions more patients will be signing up for Medicaid or receiving subsidies for individual private policies or paying penalties. Once our health-care delivery system is significantly altered by these provisions, it will be much harder to repeal or remove them.

In terms of the individual mandate, Obamacare’s biggest deception remains the use of the term “health care” in place of “insurance.” For Obamacare is not only unconstitutional in compelling a patient to buy a product, it is also suspect from a public-health perspective since having insurance does not guarantee access to health care.

If the federal government believes it must ensure health care for all as a public protection, much as a mandatory vaccine protects the public from an emerging disease, then the government must do so by providing the doctors, nurses, and clinics to deliver this care. Doctors have long understood that health insurance of all kinds interferes with — rather than promotes or enables — the practice of medicine.

What may be an option to private insurance is getting beaten down by the White House. Health insurers are adjusting their financial underpinnings to guard as best they can against any major reduction in profits. The public needs to be aware of this and take what measures they can to offset the increases in premiums, co pays and deductibles.  Sadly, Congress is looking to limit rather than expand Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts, which if adopted by more in the middle and upper class could go a long way to easing the hikes being imposed on businesses and individuals by health insurers.  Expansion, not reduction of HSA and FSA accounts should be part of real health reform.  Sadly this Congress and President are not about limiting costs to tax payers, but increasing those costs unnecessarily .

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information over the upcoming 6-9 months. Educate yourself. Read about your options. Take a stance for YOUR health care. Vote in 2012!

The older you get the fatter you get is a simply stupid statement — don’t you believe it. Perhaps a more accurate proclamation might be the lazier you get the fatter you get.

As I have written in the past, unless there is an underlying medical cause, there is no reason, aging or any other, for one to become obese. Obesity is a result of poor eating habits and lack of proper exercise.

Because more strength is more muscle and more muscle is more calories burned, strength training lowers body fat, strengthens joints & bones, increases cardiovascular fitness and much more.

Below are some helpful pointers to keep in mind:

• Focus on Strength. More strength is more muscle. More muscle is more calories burned. Focus on strength whatever your goal is. Start light and add weight systematically. You should lift more today than 1 year ago.
• Use Free Weights. Free weights force you to stabilize the weight, allow for natural movement patterns and build functional strength. The bulk of your routine should consist of free weight barbell exercises.
• Use Compound Exercises. Exercises that hit several body parts at the same time stress your body more. Your routine should include Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pull-ups, etc.
• Use Proper Technique. Decreases the risk of injury and allows for more weight. Bad technique is acceptable on heavy attempts, but build good habits from the start by learning proper exercise technique.
• Eat Whole Foods. Supplements make your life easier, but whole food is better. Eat proteins, veggies & fruits with each meal. Carbs for energy. Plenty of water. Eat every 3 hours starting at breakfast.
• Don’t Be Perfect. Junk food is ok 10% of the time and bad workouts happen to everyone. Train hard 45 weeks/year & eat healthy 90% of the time, you’ll be muscular with a healthy body fat.

Black Friday, 2011. While $11.4 billion was being spent at retail stores and malls, some over-enthusiastic customers decided to make things even more interesting:

• At a Walmart store in Porter Ranch, California, a woman fired pepper spray into a crowd in an attempt to clear a path to an Xbox. 20 people were treated for injuries.

• Gunshots were fired in a parking lot outside a mall in North Carolina around 2 am. While no one was injured, many shoppers were sent into a panic.

• Believing he was stealing a video game, security guards at a Walmart in Arizona left a 54-year old grandfather bleeding heavily from his nose after slamming him into the ground. The grandfather claimed he put the game in his pants to keep it safe while trying to protect his grandson from getting trampled.

• A shopper was shot outside a Walmart in San Leandro, California at 1:45 am after members of his family resisted two armed robbers attempting to steal their purses. The wounded man was in critical but stable condition.

• After punching another shopper while waiting in line to buy video games, a man was stun-gunned by Police in order to subdue him.

• At 1:15 am, customers waiting in line outside a Hollister store in SOHO were a bit upset after learning that that particular location was not opening until the next day. They got tired of waiting for the door to open and broke it down instead, looting the store in the process.

Happy Birthday to my Princess Lovebug! Squirt is five today.

And this is my Princess Lovebug four years and 42 weeks ago!! I love her so much!

DES MOINES, Iowa -- November 2, 2011.

A rare but welcome shot of rain is rolling through Iowa today. It really is not much of a storm...it is a friendly little “event” as the weather people would call it.

I went out for my walk with my lovebugs early to beat the rain. And then I smelt…"that smell"...the smell of rain. I asked myself, "is it possible to smell the rain?" Well, you can smell something, but rain? Have you ever tried to smell this same rain in January when the ground is frozen solid? Not a chance, but when the ground and plants are warmer, you can smell something.

 
What you really smell comes not from the air, but the ground! Plants release oils that enter the soil and blend with the other earthy odors. These odors are released into the air when the relative humidity at ground level exceeds 75 percent. Moist humid air will transmit odors far better than dry air. In these moist humid conditions we notice these odors more readily. And since rain is so often connected with moist humid air, we tend to associate one with the other.

Some rocks such as limestone also smell like this when wet. Science tells us it is the slow evaporation of calcium; small particles are released into the air which enter your nose, and there’s a gaseous calcium-containing molecule produced by interaction between carbon dioxide, water, and a calcium compound.

I came home, and as the rain started, I settled in for some serious and overdue relaxation time. I am curious about nature and its ability to evoke memory, about universal experiences that each of us can deeply personalize, about nostalgic places, smells, and emotions. I have always loved the rain. I remember childhood times at the lake. The neighbors, my brother, and I would swim in the rain. We would play "under the dock tag". The rain was sometimes cold , but the lake water warm, dark, and engulfing. I love the rain! I love the darkness of an afternoon with thunderstorms crashing overhead, and me snuggled up in a blanket at home. I love the constant tapping of the rain on my roof at night, coaxing me to sleep.

I will soak up today's rare, but welcome fall rain.

My fall lawn food is down and soon the grass and plants will go dormant as they prepare themselves for the spring bloom. Spring cannot get here soon enough!

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.

-Roger Miller

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Some of you reading this, I know well. Some of you, I don’t know at all, which makes it a little awkward when trying to figure out when to tone things down and when to really get on your case. I cannot tell when you have had enough, and I cannot entertain questions at the end of every paragraph (although, you are welcome to email me questions at any time).


My blog is not all about me, although I am quite aware that few things have more transformative power than people and stories. Real life and ordinary people are fascinating. Why else would you be reading this right now??

So, this is why I tell you that for several years now, I have been experimenting with different nutritional plans. I have veered far away from the cultural habits that many have conformed to in the U.S. You will come to realize that I am literally taking you on a pilgrimage, sharing my passions and revealing my hopes for changing the way the world views health, specifically, food.

My greatest sign of hope for a worldview change regarding food is the emergence of a new generation that is eager to return to a state of health. People are actually paying attention! So, my question is no longer “what to do if nobody listens, but what happens when people actually start to take me seriously”. Now, don’t get me wrong, even though people around the country thirst for health, there is still the problem of “bigger and bigger.” We want to super size our fries, our sodas, and everything else that spell disaster.

Can you see the headlines? Extra, Extra, read all about it: Obesity Hits an All-time High! The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese grew by nearly 2% between 2005 and 2007, from just under 24% to 25.6%. Newspapers, journals, radio, and TV tell us we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. But, as I mentioned above, the things that transform us are people and experiences. Scientific studies of “fat genes” and medical reports posting statistics regarding the rise of obesity are really not that compelling, even if they are true!

Somewhere along the way I started to wake up to the profound effect food made upon me, my body, my mind, my mood, and, ultimately, my heart. I began to notice that what I consumed had both an immediate, and long-term, effect on everything about my lifestyle, my environment, and me.

It is undeniable that we have to eat in order to stay alive. But, here’s where it gets a little tricky. I am going to ask you a simple question: “When you are eating, do you ask yourself if the food items serve a purpose? Are there vitamins or minerals? Does the fat come from a healthy source or is it saturated or worse, a trans fat? Does the carbohydrate have a good amount of fiber or is it high in sugar? Is the protein lean or fatty? The bottom line is this; if the food you are about to consume doesn't serve a purpose, don't put it in your mouth. The purpose of eating is to nourish the body…provide it with the nutrients it requires for bodily functions.

A healthy eating diet takes a balanced approach. You will find there are foods that will make you feel and look better, while still allowing you to fit them into an enjoyable daily routine. A healthy eating plan is based on the following major food groups: carbohydrates, fat and protein…each in a specific amount and at just the right time of day.

The time has come for a new way of viewing food. Start to think about why you eat rather than what you are eating. Once you know why you are eating, you will know what to eat!