Sunday, February 28, 2010

"Would you care for a spot of tea?"

Tea is one of my favorite things in the whole world and, of course, makes me happy.
Many people, when thinking of tea, have an image of some see-through, brown-gray beverage drunk by lil old Brits or green tea drunk by the Japanese (depending on what sort of movies you watch, I suppose).

Tea to me, is more like wine ot many others. There are so many types, flavors, etc that to taste all of them would take a lifetime. Also, like wine, there are the inexpensive types and types that would cost more than I could make in a year working over min. wage.

The basic differences in teas. First there is the obvious: bag and loose. Tea bags can sometimes contain dredges of tea leaves (also called fannings) and often loose tea's true taste (there's not much to protect the tea in putting it in a bleached bag and a cardboard box). Loose teas are usually the way to go, especially if you can find and afford to buy them at a shop specializing in organic, local, and fresh produce.

The other major difference is tea vs. tisane (aka. herbal tea).
Tea is actually only tea when it involves leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. These are the teas sub catagorized as White, Green, Oolong, and Black. If the tea you are drinking does not have Camillia leaves, it is not a tea but a tisane.
Tisanes are made from herbs (chamomile, peppermint, rose hips, etc) and are equally yummy and good for you, just in different ways.

Best way to brew tea?
Everyone will probably differ a little bit on how to brew and drink your tea.
Me? I heat my water, usually just to the point right before boiling (its an eye thing). I then pour the hot water over the tea (if its loose, use 1 tsp. per 8 oz of water in a strainer, tea pot, or diy tea bag) and let steep. I usually do this by eye as well. When the water is thoroughly tinged with the color the tea is (golden yellow for chamomile, dark and black for black tea, etc) I take out the tea bag/remove the strainer and set the tea to the side for a second use (yes, teas can be reused, though the second time calls for a longer steep).

What sweetener I use depends on my tea. White/natural sugar is used in most of my teas but for green, white, and florals I use honey (my fiance's family has their own hives. For those of you not this lucky, use natural honey bought at the local stand in the warmer seasons).
Many teas are sweet by themselves and can be drunk without sweetener but I have a strong and demanding sweet tooth so I've yet to experience this.

Next time you want to reach for the coffee try a strong black chai (some chai teas even have vanilla or chocolate in them for a gourmet cafe flavor). Or when you want some hot cocoa to relaxe with try chamomile instead. Teas are a healthy and wonderful drink to add to your happy life.

My Blog is in REDBOOK!

Just kidding.

February edition of Redbook magazine was filled with lovey-dovey tidbits as well as articles about taking care of Mind and Body.
On page 97, there is a small article that instructs someone who wants to have a happier outlook to make post-it notes on go-happiness activies ("Listen to 'Love Generation' on repeat or dance it out") and affirmations ("I choose to be happy")!
This affirmation is what my blog is all about, and it made me very happy to see someone else (James Baraz, author of 'Awakening Joy') agree.

More in this issue was feng-shui lover pick-me-ups and 5, 20 minute, ways to relax.
My favorite was #4 Get your Game On: play a casual video game (no this does not mean feed your WOW addiction).
Not sure that I agree with #3 Sniff Some Coffee. As a rehabilitating caffiene addict trying to steer away from coffee (Dr. Svoboda says caffiene is a credit card your body cannot pay) sniffing coffee makes me want to drink coffee. It would be better to use orange and lemon scents to wake up and lavender, peppermint, and vanilla to relax.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Beauty deeper than skin

I used to focus on my weight constantly. Having never been skinny or slender, I would look at everyone around me in a sort of the vs. me mentality. I would see other women and point out how pretty this feature or that is and when I looked in the mirror I saw only faults.
Not only is this thought process not healthy and negative thinking only keeping me from looking and feeling happy, but I now know that this is also blasphemy.

All women and men are created by God, a microcosmic reflection of the macrocosmic divine. To say someone is ugly is to say that the Creator is in turn ugly. Everyone is beautiful, don’t think otherwise.

So, in saying all of this, why diet or watch my weight?
HEALTH!
I am now the largest I have ever been. This wouldn’t be a problem, but in gaining weight, I have put a large amount of pressure on my small bone structure (I’m 5ft tall with the bone structure that my art teacher says never really moved out of pre-puberty). Also, I now have blood pressure problems and with my family’s history of heart disease, I don’t need to push my luck.

So that leaves the question of how?

There are so many diets and lifestyles and so on out in the world and all can be easily learned about with a little online research. I will post my decisions on this blog but I recommend that everyone find something that works best for them. What I do will not be the wa for everyone and I don’t expect it to be.

I have tried being a vegetarian and I would love to live organic but really can’t afford to.
I love pasta and cereals so Atkins didn’t make sense, and I wasn’t about to starve myself.
In the end, the chosen path sort of fell in my lap.

I found out about the Auryvedic diet from a friend of mine when we were discussing Indian religion and lifestyles. The next day I saw a show on the Travel channel about a town in Iowa that all lived on the Auryvedic lifestyle. The day after that, I visited the local used book store and found Prakriti by Dr. Svoboda...well, nothing happens as a coincidence...

After reading Prakriti (which means constitution) I learned a lot about Auryvedic medicine and lifestyle, but, most importantly, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that my doshas are Pitta-Kapha, that a lot of my constitution is based on my food and lifestyle choices and on my genetics (my mother is also Pitta-Kapha), and that by eating and living right, I can not only change my weight but my mood, the way I view life, and the way I interact with people!

The best part of Auryvedic dieting? I don’t have to drastically change my life. I can introduce and change foods and I can change the way I eat.
Svoboda says the best way to eat is slowly without focusing on tv or internet. Kaphas, like myself, should wait at least 2 hours (6 hours is best) between meals.

I will post more about my Auryvedic diet and the like in other posts, but anyone who is interested in it, especially those iving in the US and Western World, should read the following books.

Prakriti: Your Auryvedic Constitution by Dr. Robert E. Svoboda
What’s Your Dosha, Baby? by Lisa Coffey
Lisa Coffey also runs a blog and website WhatsYourDosha

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Power of Prayer

Studies show that prayer relieves stress. Many people out there will give a big shout of “Duh!” but in reality such a statement should be contemplated.
Most people, I admittedly used to be one of them, would only pray when in need (whether that is for the traffic to move to prevent yet another late day at work or to save a loved one from a terrible fate). It is in our times of desperate need that most of us will ask for aid.

However, part of choosing to be happy is choosing to not wait until the last minute on anything!

By praying every day, you can reduce stress. Prayer not only connects you with God and the Divine but also allows you to slow down.

In the morning, pray over the coming day. If something is coming up that might cause stress or issue, pray for strength to handle it. If the day is uncertain in most/all aspects, pray for an open mind and heart to have a good day.

Pray over meals. This not only gives thanks but also slows down your eating. Scarfing down a meal isn’t healthy and taking a moment to give thanks and see what you are about to partake of will allow the mind and senses to prepare for the sensory upload about to happen.

Before going to bed, take time out to think about the day and pray. Let go of anything bad that has happened, ask forgiveness from God and from your own conscience for the wrongs you have committed, and focus on having the needed rest for the night.

Most cultures around the world believe in the healing power of prayer. This power need not be reserved for the big times, for illness and pain, but for every day. Use it to heal your mind, body, and spirit daily. And give thanks for the joy in life!

Why I Chose Happiness...

Growing up, I, like many women growing up in the Western World, have dealt with obesity, stress, ulcers, migrains, allergies, menstrual issues, kidney and urinary tract infections, and so on and so on in a list only my doctor could say.
Going to college only made matters worse with the added stress and bad food choices.
Dating added that extra nesting fat.

Enough is enough.
I've decided to be happy.
What does that mean?
Choosing to be happy is more than choosing to be healthy or to loose weight or to destress.
Choosing to be happy is to make a lifestyle change.
I am choosing to not be tired, stressed, aggrivated, frustrated, upset, or angry. I am choosing to take matters at hand and do what I can to make my life better.

In this blog, I am posing the different strategies and plans I have to battle back the commonality of an unhappy life. This includes everything from aromatherapy to recipes to fun stuff that I do in my life.

I am hoping this blog will encourage others to Choose Happiness.