Happy Like a Dog

“Be alert as you watch a dog at play or at rest. Let the animal teach you to feel at home in the now, to celebrate life by being completely present. You just watch the tail...with some dogs you just look at them -- just a little look is enough -- and their tail goes...‘Life is good! Life is good!’ And they are not telling themselves a story of why life is good. It’s a direct realization.”  ~ Eckhart  Tolle

The beauty of dogs and small children is their ability to let go and be in the moment. They rarely hang onto the past. If they are upset, they don't wait for an "appropriate" amount of time to hang onto that upset - they go with what they feel in the moment. If that means they are crying one minute, and laughing the next (or cowering and then wagging, as the case may be), then so be it!

We could take a cue from our little friends. Change IS going to happen in all of our lives; the more we roll with it, the better. Read the quote from Eckhard Tolle again. Experiment with that kind of happiness and see what happens. Sure, you might get some odd looks trying to wag your "tail", but living in the pure joy of the moment, regardless of the events and stories that are present in that moment, is worth it!

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Hilarious Hippie Names

Ok, don't get me wrong - there are a lot of "Hippie" ideals I embrace. I even refer to myself as the Corporate Hippie sometimes. But I care about the environment and embrace the spiritual and natural world, well... quietly. It's important to me because it's important, not because I want to prove something to others.

I find it amusing when people in my field change their name to gloriously hippie, flower-child names. I feel it often comes across as forced, manipulative and kind of phony. These seem to be the same people saying things like "she's just not ready yet" or something equally condescending (it implies that they know where the person should be, or that they are more fully evolved).

So in the spirit of irreverence and light, Roberta and I have taken it upon ourselves to change our names, and the names of our fellow teammates at Prana.

Introducing...

Kristi as Rose Quartz Patchouli Rainwater.

Roberta as Crystal Heaven MorningGlory.

Adam as Sweetgrass Apache Tears Macrame (imagine a haughty accent aigu on that last e).

Elizabeth as Citrine Angel's Trumpet MoonShimmer.

Jordan as Jade Shimmering Waters Chokurei.

Leila as Juniper Aura Sunbeam Alive.

Ryan as Opal Tiger Lily Sagebrush.

Sharon as Aquamarine Lavender Earth Mother.

And just like that, we are better healers. 

Kristi Shmyr,  AKA 
Rose Quartz Patchouli Rainwater
Prana Holistic

Kristi's No Sugar Experience

Heyo!

Check me out - this is my uber-professional picture, slightly distorted by this blog's image importing system. I had my hair and make-up done for my YWCA Women of Distinction nominee photo (in the category of entrepreneur) and am using it all overs the interweb so y'all can see me in my professional glory!

But I digress.

So, my 30-day Sugar-free month is over. (See Sugar is to Health what Tiger Woods is to Commitment for more on our Sugar-free month).

What did I learn?

1. I eat more sugar than I thought.
2.  My subconscious is adamant I maintain a certain sugar quota and barrages me with dreams of sugary sweets as punishment for not giving in to my cravings during the day, and yet;
3. During the day, I didn't find it nearly as hard as I thought I would to resist the sweet temptations.
4. Finally, when I resumed my sugar-eating, I broke out, got a yeast infection, and got a headache.

Lesson - I will now cut my sugar consumption to 2 treats a week, a fair trade for a brain that doesn't throb and clear skin, me thinks.

Now it's your turn to rock the sugar-free month. Try it and see - the Oreos and doughnuts will still exist in 30 days, and you get a chance to see what life would be like without sugar.

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic

Post 30-Day Sugar Cleanse Success!

So...the 30-day sugar cleanse that Kristi and I embarked upon was completed a couple days ago. Results? I can only speak for myself, and this was my experience:

Cravings were pretty strong at times, though at other times, I found myself perfectly content avoiding baked goods like scones and muffins and heading to the produce department for some fresh fruit.

Previous to our 30 sugar-free days starting, I was quite aware that I wasn't eating very much. My appetite had become - sometimes alarmingly - small. I am a strong-bodied, active woman who has always had a hearty appetite, so this not being the case is something that stands out for me. One of the most noticeable and perhaps enjoyable results that I experienced while on the sugar cleanse was my increase in appetite. I found myself hungry quite regularly, surely due to the fact that I wasn't, at any time in my days, filling up on the empty calories typical of refined goods like baked things, breads and sugary treats. I craved protein more than anything, and being that protein nourishes my brain quite nicely while refined goods make me feel foggy, I was nicely focused and able to proceed with my days more efficiently and with a lighter physical feeling.

Kristi & I had spoken quite early on in the process about my having a day of grace seeing as my birthday fell right at the end of our 30 days, but before we were finished. I thought I might not need or want that day of grace, but birthday cake is, after all, not something to be missed out on, specifically when it's your own birthday cake. So I ate the birthday cake: a delicious triple chocolate layer cake. Surely based on the fact that I hadn't had processed sugar or white flour like that in quite some time, any piece of said cake might have been too big of a piece. Let me tell you: if you didn't know me, you might have thought I was pregnant!

I was pregnant with a cake baby! 

My belly was SO bloated, and there was nothing I could do to hold it in! Further, after my guests left, I felt strange and was unable to sleep for a while. When I did get to sleep, it was restless and anything but rejuvenating. In the morning I felt dull and was incredibly gassy. Yikes! Was it worth it? Hmmm...good question. A momentary sense of taste pleasure in exchange for an ongoing feeling of discomfort. In the big scheme of things, I'd say that no, it wasn't worth it.

My hope for the post 30-day sugar cleanse is that I will avoid 'falling off the wagon' and habitually indulging myself in refined goods only to forget the clear-headed, light feeling that accompanies eliminating these things from the diet. Eating something that contains sugar once a week is a fine and acceptable indulgence in my mind, and it doesn't always have to be cake or cookies. What about fruit flavoured yogurt instead of plain or a piece of whole grain toast with almond butter and apricot jam? Sounds like a much more sensible indulgence in my world.

I want to maintain the healthy feeling imparted to me by cutting out sugar - if you haven't ever tried it, I encourage you to do so. 

You won't regret it and I challenge you not to notice positive results.

Roberta Shepherd,
Prana Holistic

Rescue Remedy: An Acute Saviour in Times of Need

Rescue Remedy is Edward Bach’s answer to acute times of trauma and stress. Edward Bach was the founder of the practice of flower essences. He spent lots of time with nature, figuring out what each flower and their ‘essences’ (ie: energetic contributions) lend to the human spirit and it’s many ails. Rescue Remedy, in particular, is something you may have noticed on the shelf at a health food store and maybe, you wondered what it was all about. Well, it’s a combination of 5 flower essences, each lending supportive qualities to moments of acute stress and trauma. Without delving into the components of each flower within the combo, let me just list times when the use of Rescue Remedy would be most appropriate:

- when experiencing intense nerves before a public speaking engagement, heavy exam or difficult conversation

- before attending a funeral or other emotional event

- in the wake of a traumatic accident or a loss

- to help adjust when moving, changing jobs or shifting a primary relationship

- to put in your plant’s soil or in your pet’s water when moving or integrating change (to help them adjust)

- as a parent, when losing patience or finding yourself ‘on edge’

- in the midst of an intense emotional reaction due to specific events or that seems to have no rhyme or reason

Rescue Remedy should be taken as follows for any of the above noted reasons: put 6 drops under your tongue and allow the drops to linger there while closing your eyes and taking 3 deep breaths in order that the essence integrates effectively into your being. The Flower Essence Society also produces an equivalent to Rescue Remedy called 5-Flower-Formula. Both are formidable to have on hand in times of acute need. I suggest carrying one of either of these around with you in your bag or car as well as keeping one at home. Try it…and let me know what you think.

Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic

Can you Boil Water on my Body?

Did you know your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil?

Tell that to my feet!

If you have circulation issues, here are some suggestions:


1. Take cayenne pepper capsules, or eat actual hot peppers. It helps with your circulation.


2. Exercise. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism (your internal furnace) and better your circulation.


3. Eat some fat! Believe it or not, you NEED healthy fat in your diet. Eat some so your hormones are nice and balanced and metabolism is revving.


4. Take deep breaths. Oxygenated blood circulates better and will help eliminate cold spots.


5. Infrared Sauna - the best heat on a cold, dreary day, like today! Get unlimited sauna sessions for a month for only $69 at Prana Holistic (call 780.454.5299 if your interested!)

6. Get your thyroid checked - cold hands and feet are a common indicator of a problem. Ask your doctor to check your levels of thyroid hormone regularly, and even if they are "within the normal range" but low, take a supplement to boost them. I love Lorna VandeHaeghe's Thyrosense.


No more cold feet!

Sugar is to nutrition as Tiger Woods is to commitment

(Hmmm...I am not entirely sure that analogy is sound, but you get the idea!)

Sugar. It holds such a key spot in our hearts and our society. Chocolates at Valentine's Day, candy at Halloween, and that striped emblem of Christmas, the candy cane - sugar is everywhere. It's in your salad dressings, on your fries, and (chances are) its in most of what you will eat. 

We KNOW sugar is all but a biohazard when it comes to our health. It depresses our immune system. It raises tryglycerides and increases weight gain, diabetes and metabolic disorders. It aggravates asthma, arthritis and gallstones. It can destroy your kidneys and increase your risk of infection. Yet we are eating eat at a record rate - in the last 20 years, our consumption in North America has risen from 26 to 135 pounds of sugar per person per year!!!!

That's like eating a whole human made of sugar!

Not shockingly, the rate of heart disease and cancer seems to be somewhat correlated with the rise in dietary sugar.

So my intrepid friend and colleague, Roberta, and I are setting out on a little experiment.

How would 30 day sugar free days feel?

What do I expect? Well, its only 3 days in - cravings are strong. But after 30 days, I expect energy and focus to be more sustainable, and my mood to be more stable. I suspect everyone would embrace those changes for me!

So what are our rules?

1. No baked goods
2. No juice of any kind, fresh or not
3. maximum 3 servings fruit a day, focusing on berries and apples.
4. No sauces or dressings with sugar
5. no chocolate or candy (obviously)
6. No yogurt, except plain.
7. Just no sugar!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Kristi Shmyr

Prana Holistic