Butter, Salt, and a Side of Poison.

“Who wants popcorn?”  My husband enters the room with two, blue bowls. 

My son and I cheer.  We lift up the blanket, pat the open spot on the cushion in between us, and turn the movie on.

“Did you add some butter and salt?” Our son asks as he dips his hand in the bowl and stuffs it. Little white puffs poke out from in between his fingers.

“I sure did.” 

But, we had no idea that we were serving him a side of poison. 

I didn't know my “Simply Salted” Orville Redenbacher popcorn was genetically modified.  The packaging seemed so straight forward, with  earthy colors and the word Naturals in big, brown capitols. I have been buying this tainted food for years and feeding it to my child.

I make an effort to be a responsible shopper.   I read my bread labels and pass on anything enriched, I never buy products with fake sweeteners, and I try to stick to organic fruits and vegetables. My son is a picky eater so I purchased products that are lower in sugar.  I thought a Graham Cracker or Wheat Thin was a decent snack because these were treats my mother gave me.   

I assumed, as most of us do, that the government is looking out for us.  I was wrong. Our government protects the big, wealthy corporations, at the expense of our children’s health. Grocery stores across America are stocked with food that can make us ill.

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Apparently, nature has gotten it all wrong because crops are  now grown with the objective of adding or eliminating certain characteristics. 

For example, Monsanto developed a corn that is genetically modified with Bt Protein. When the insect feeds on this plant, their stomaches rupture.  

Monsanto claims that by the time the food gets to our tables it is safe. But, an article published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, in 2009, reported studies proving that when rats ate the GM corn, they suffered from organ failure. 

GMO’s were introduced in 1996. Since then chronic illnesses have jumped form 7% to 13%. Food allergies, autism, reproductive disorders, and digestive problems are all on the rise as well. 

President Obama signed a bill, in April 2013,  called The Monsanto Protection Act, granting Monsanto immunity from federal courts. It means that no one can stop them from planting GM crops even if they are deemed to be a danger to health or the environment.     

Bayer created a group of insecticides called Neonicotinoids. These and other harmful Monsanto insecticides, are not properly monitored by our protection agencies and have been linked to cancer and the honeybee death rates.

The label Colony Collapse Disorder implies somehow that it is a flaw in the bees themselves but this is as deceiving as Orville's packaging. This year the honeybee death rate ranged from 40-90 % across the United States.

Luckily for Monsanto, Harvard Microrobotics Lab has been working on its Micro Air Vehicles Project since 2009.  They are making robotic bees to replace the real ones and it is said that Monsanto is using them to pollinate their crops. 

The use of both Neonicotiniods and GM crops are banned in Europe. But, in the United States they are not even monitored.

Monsanto has also formed a partnership with a drug company called Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.to create biopesticides.  Alnylam also has advanced drugs for treatment of liver cancers and tumors.  Monsanto produces the food that gives causes illness then partners up with the companies that cure it. 

Last week, I emptied out my kitchen cabinets. I was shocked to see how many things in my cabinets were Genetically Modified. 

We may feel powerless against the big corporations that run our government. But, we can take control of what we bring into our homes.

Here are a few things to do that will keep you and your family safer. Bring this list of GMO products when you are shopping and share it with everyone you can.  Stop supporting the companies that put profits ahead of the consumer’s well being.

Buy Organic

Certified organics are not allowed to contain any GMO.  Fruits and vegetables have a number code on them organic always starts with the number 9.

Keep GMOs out of your home garden.  There are lots of places online that you can order organic seeds and ask at your local nursery where they got their seeds.

Don’t be fooled by the deceiving catch phrases; whole grain, all natural, select harvest, and real fruit.  

AVOID

Soy Lecithin is considered GMO, and sweeteners like aspartame, NutraSweet and Equal are derived from GM microorganisms. These ingredients are found in over 6000 products.

Eat less meat and make sure dairy products are free from antibiotics. 

NEVER BUY:

Aunt Jemima

Aurora Foods

Balance Bar

Banquet

Best Foods

Betty Crocker

Birds Eye

Bisquick

Boca Burger

Cadbury/Sweppes

Calumet Baking Powder

Campbells

Capri Sun

Carnation

Celeste

Cheetos

Chef Boyardee

Chunky

Coca-Cola

Colombo

Con Agra

Country Time

Crisco

Crystal Light

Delicious

Del Monte

Dinty Moore

Dole

Doritos

Duncan Hines

Eggo Waffles

Famous Amos

Franco-American

Frappuccino

Frito Lay

Fruitopia

Gardenburger (unless organic)

Gatorade

General Mills

Ghirardelli Chocolate

Graham Crackers

Green Giant

Hansen Beverage Company

Hawaiian Punch

Healthy Choice

Healthy Request

Heinz

Hellman’s

Hershey’s  

HI-C

Holsum

Honey  Maid

Hormel

Hostess

Hungry Jack

Hunts

Interstate Bakeries

Jiffy

Kc Masterpiece

Keebler

Kellogg’s:

Kids Cuisine

Knorr

Kraft: ALL condiments and dressings

Kool-Aid

Land O’ Lakes

Lay’s Ruffles

Lean Cuisine

Libby’s

Life Saver

Lipton  

Loma Lindia

Marie Callender’s

Mazola

Minute Maid

Morningstar Farms (unless organic line)

Ms. Butterworths

Nabisco

Nature Valley

Near East

Nestea

Nestle

Nilla Wafers

Nutter Butter

Ocean Spray

Old El Paso

Oreos

Ore-Ida

Orville Redenbacher

Pace

Pam

Parmalat

Pepperidge Farm

Pepsi

Peter Pan

Phillip Morris

Pillsbury

Pinnacle Foods

Pop Secret

Post

Power Bar

Preformed

Prego

Pringles

Procter and Gamble

Progresso Soups

Quaker  

Ragu

Rice-Roni

Ritz

Rosetto Frozen Pasta

Simply Home

Skippy

Smart Ones

Smucker’s: unless labeled “Simply 100% Fruit”

Snack Wells

SoBe

Sorrento

Stagg

Stouffer’s

Sunny Delight

Swanson

Tang

Teddy Grahams

The Country’s Best Yoghurt

Toblerone

Tombstone Pizza

Tostitos

Totino’s

Triscuit

Tropicana

Uncle Bens

Unilever

V8

Voila

Wheat Thins

BABY FOODS: Beech-nut, Enfamil, Good start, Nestle, Similac, Isomil

I found this APP that can help you with your shopping.  It lets you Boycott Koch Brothers, Monsanto and more GMO from your shopping cart.

Its called Buycott and its a free download!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/05/14/new-app-lets-you-boycott-koch-brothers-monsanto-and-more-by-scanning-your-shopping-cart/

What's Inside

Writing helps me sort out the clutter in my mind, while I sort out my home. 

So often we only write our To Do list; all the things we have not accomplished, reminding us where we are lacking.  I always have a to do list next to my computer but, i keep my Sankalpa in bright yellow right on my computer desk top, keeping me focused on the important things.  

Journaling is an ancient tradition and goes hand in hand with yoga. But, you don't need to be a yogi to benefit from the practice of writing.  Facebook, blogging, twitter it allows us to test what we are feeling at every moment.  But, getting down to the private places in our hearts requires a little more digging.

Writing creates pathways for the subconscious mind. It affirms intuitions, releases sadness, and allows you to discover new things about yourself. 

The University of Texas contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, improves sleep and has other health benefits. Brain scans show that putting our feeling down in writing reduces activity in the amygdala, the area of the brain that controls the intensity of our emotions. 

According to Dr James Pennebaker author of Writing to Heal, the act of writing about things we don't want to talk about, even if we destroy the writing afterwards, has a positive effect on health.  The writing helps us focus and organize the experience.  

We can discover a lot about ourselves as we clear out our homes.  Clutter allows us to hide.  Clearing out of your life is like writing.  Hemingway said; 

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”

It doesn't matter if it is a memory, poetry, pictures or song lyrics. 

It helps you sort our how you really feel about something you have been avoiding, helps you learn about yourself, affirms life, and increases serenity.  

All you have to do is let go of one thing each day and be honest with yourself about why you have held onto it for so long. See what emotions the objects trigger in you.  Be grateful for the experiences you had and know that you are not defined by your experiences. You are more than the accumulation of material things.

Rumi
Listen to presences inside poems. Let them take you where they will.
Follow those private hints, and never leave the premises.
This is how it always is, when I finish a poem.
A great silence overcomes me,
and I wonder why I ever thought to use language

If you are blogging about your 24 Things experience, let me know. I will add you to our list of 24-ers! 

Get tossing and get clear.

The Finite Things in Life

Yesterday I picked my son up from school with one of his little pals.  I told them I had a surprise.  

"A new toy? A brownie?"

"No. It's even better." I said and pulled into the parking lot at the beach.  

The boys cheered, scrambled out of the car, and rushed to the waves that crashed on the rocks.   We went in search of treasure. 

I love the ocean and have always felt it's healing effects.  Whenever I am struggling, the beach helps me find balance.  

They boys ran ahead and I strolled looking down at the sand for glittering pieces of sea glass.  My son and I collect it and have a big jar filled with the jewels we find on our walks.

Waves lapped, sand crunched, and sea glass jangled in my pocket. I watched the boys giggled while they rolled in the sand, befriended passing dogs, and transformed driftwood into swords.  

My husband tries to say yes every time our boy asks him to play.  He believes that the number of invitations are finite. If he is limited to say, 500 offers to wrestle in the grass or head out after dark with flashlights in search of bats, he needs to know that he said yes to almost all of them.  

His philosophy has always impacted the way I view these moments with my son.  His childhood is brief and it is a privilege to share it. 

I turned to watch the little buccaneers dissolve into laughter.  They dropped to their knees and held their stomaches.  

I suddenly realized that I needed to re-write my Sankalpa. I knew exactly what it was supposed to be.  I stood for a long time and let it wash over me. 

The pirates crawled along the shore like shipwreck survivors in dire need of the frozen yogurt they had been promised.

I sent out a silent prayer, found my own sword, and wrote in the sand.

Then I challenged my weary sailors to a duel. 

Negative ions enhance our mood, stimulate our immune system, and promote alpha brain waves.  They are produced from natural sources sunlight, plants, moving water. They are especially strong at the beach.   

Sitting at a computer for too long is unhealthy but we put certain negative ion producing items near.   Maiden hair fern, peace lilly, and cacti,  indoor water fountain, tourmaline or amethyst crystals emit negative ions and can counter act the effects of sitting at your desk for too long. Also, eat lots of foods rich in Vitamin A and C; carrots, cherries, apples and tomatoes.   

Crisp and White

For the next few days I am heading into the bedrooms.  Switching out clothing, (I am ignoring that it is still 40 degrees here) scanning book shelves, stacks of accumulated papers, and tossing mis-matched sox. 

I do my thousand words exercise in each room but, it is particularly important in bedrooms.  Keep the space clear of old clutter; not just physical but mental. Our chattering minds, bad dreams, sad thoughts, there is no space for these things in the bedroom.  Clear them out and transform your bedroom into a relaxing and comforting area. 

I have some fun Feng Shui bedroom tips that I will post for you over the next week or so.

Get tossing and get clear.

Formula for Destiny

Day Two

I saw this Formula for Destiny today and loved it.  Everything is energy.  That old sweater that your dad used to wear, the jeans that no longer fit, the photographs of your children; they all give off an energy in our home and lives.  We can have great insights about our selves if we take a look at the things we hold onto. 

"Energy follows thought, thought becomes belief"  If we see our father's old sweater and it causes us to feel pain, then we believe loss is only pain.  If the jeans that no longer fit make us think we are not good enough then this is what we will believe.  

THese beliefs become our reality and determine our future.

What do you see when you look around your home? What thoughts do these things trigger?

Clutter stands in the way of self discovery.  It stops us from attaining the life we want.  

Yesterday I wrote my Sankalpa and got myself geared up for my 24 Days.

I think it's going to be a doozy!

An Inspired Future

John Kasaona was a child when his father took him into the bush and taught him to hunt. His Father understood and respected the wildlife. He regarded the land and it’s inhabitants as an extension of himself.

War broke out, in John’s home country of Namibia, between 1966 and 1990.  People fought for control. Poaching was rampant. Drought killed the livestock. Leopards were so hungry they took a sleeping child out of a house to feed their cubs. The community was in despair.  John’s father, a man who revered wildlife, became a poacher.

In the 1980’s, Johns father joined an organization called the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation, IRDNC. This small group of community leaders decided to end the massive commercial poaching of the black rhino and elephant population of Namibia.

The men realized that if they continued destroying the wildlife eventually they would destroy themselves.  So, instead of punishing the poachers they helped them reclaim their land and their lives.  They reasoned that no one knew the animals and the bush better than the very people who were eradicating it; the Poachers.

They focused on the solution, not the problem, and took ownership over their land and the wildlife. It became the foundation for independence.

John attributes project’s success to the people’s decision to honor their old traditions, while remaining open to the new.

The Namibians practice a ritual known as sacred fire.  They believe that the spirit of the ancestors speaks through the leader and guides them to water, food, and grazing lands.

The Namibians created their future by listening to this inner voice.

But, they also realized they needed to learn from outsiders. By understanding and incorporating global positioning devices and helicopters, they worked with the World Wildlife Fund to bring animals back to their lands and protected them.

In 1995 there were only 20 lions in the entire Northwest. Today, there are more than 500.  The black rhino were almost extinct in 1982, now there is the largest concentration in the world. Zebras once numbered only 1000. Now, they form a constant changing, black and white labyrinth across the world’s oldest desert.

What started as a small group of self appointed rangers grew into conservancies that protect over 13 million hectors of land, and generates millions of dollars for education, infrastructure and aids awareness.

“We were successful in Namibia because we dreamed of a future that was much more than just a healthy wildlife. We knew conservation would fail if it doesn’t work to improve the life of the local communities.”

They grounded themselves in their cultural center and from that place of balance, were able to reach out.

When balance is sought at the individual level it impacts the national and global level.

 “Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked.”  Desikashar

There is a principle, in yoga, known as hugging to the midline.  If we overreach, force, or lose our inward focus, we cannot safely achieve the asana. The subtlest of movements, like clenching the toes, will lift the arch of the foot and knock us off balance.  It doesn’t take much to pull us away from center.

Social media pages and filled with images of the near extinct elephant population and other suffering wildlife.  It is clear that humans are the most destructive of all the planet’s inhabitants.

I look at those images and feel pain. I sense the connectedness of my spirit to the senseless suffering of that animal.  I feel helpless and angry. But, if I feed these emotions, they will grow.

So, instead I try to come to center. I seek compassion for not only the animal, but for the poacher.  I imagine he has a child at home that needs to eat and the desperation he must feel, in order to kill.

If we fuel compassion, perhaps this is what will resonate.

This is a season of renewal. We can bring our focus inward and from that grounded place, rebuild what we have destroyed; the way the Namibians regenerated their country.

Every spring, on April 1st, I practice The 24 Things.  This exercise guides me to my center in the same way my yoga practice does.  I tend to my home, let go of attachment, foster space and freedom, and bring scattered energy back to center.

It doesn’t matter what your tradition is; painting Easter eggs, seeking guidance around an ancestral fire or fostering a healthy home. If we endeavor to find the center and honor the past, we can create an inspired future.

Mid-WInter's Toss 2013

I have enjoyed this past 24-session so much.  I got rid of less than usual this session but gained a tremendous amount.  I watched my Sankalpa spring into action before I even got started and also saw clearly how last years January Sankalpa solidified itself.

I love hearing your stories and am honored that you share them with me.  

Next Tuesday January 28, 2013 I am going to do a Spreecast with Estzer Vajda. Please log on and share your stories and thoughts.  

May all the world open up for your Sankalpa and bring you joy.

http://www.spreecast.com/events/the-24-things-make-space-in-your-life

Wearing Masks

Day 20:  I pushed aside the curtains, turned on the lights, and emptied out my son's bedroom closet.  I piled everything on the bed and started sorting.  Hand me downs that don't fit yet,  in the box on the left, stuffed toys that he now feels the need to hide from friends but, is not ready to get rid of, in the bottom wicker basket.  New ski gear: top basket, and middle basket baseball caps.  Until now, all three of these baskets were filled with costumes.

My son used to love to dress up.  He ran around the house with his many colored capes flying behind him.  He slept in them, passed them out to visitors, and battled and defeated, his father in them.  

Now, he doesn't want them any more.  

I made him a Spiderman mask when he was three.  He wore it for years.  It was the one that visitors could not borrow.  It was folded neatly and tucked under his pillow at night.  He proudly announced to his friends "My Mom made this!" It made him invincible.  

He put it in the give-away pile.  

Oh my heart.  I pulled it out and stuck it in the one bin I allow myself for his old clothing.  

I recorded a song that plays on the Delish page.  It is from the musical Big. One lyric says, "Nobody warns you of this parents paradox. You want your kid to change and grow. But, when he does the very child you've just begun to know, leaves forever."

So, today I am letting go of not just some old superhero costumes but, I will recognize the costumes that I have squeezed myself into.  The cape that keeps we washing dishes instead of playing a board game.  The hat that orders me to choose peeling potatoes instead of walking in the woods.  The mask that nags at me to tidy instead of playing with legos.  Today, I will be with my boy because forever is right around the corner. 

Re-Write

I woke up this morning and knew I needed to re-write my Sankalpa.  One of the wonderful things about getting rid of clutter in your home is that you can think more clearly and ideas come into sharp focus.  You just "know" that you should do something.  

Usually, I save the Sankalpa re-writes for the 12th day the Mid- Toss Ahimsa but, I did mine this morning.  

I went out with some great girlfriends last night and realized how powerful Sankalpas are.  I recieved exactly what I wrote down last January and I intend to get the same results in 2013.  

So, be really specific. Words carry a lot of power. They can impact your emotional, physical and spiritual life.  

Chakra Five, Vishuddha, is the energy center for communication.  It is the way we express ourselves in the world and the energy we transmit is contagious.  Every thought, action, and word results in a ripple effect.  We need to train our minds to express the positive.  Instead of saying "I won't forget where I put my car keys." say "I will remember where my key are."

Subtle but powerful. 

This could be your Day Seven.  Spend the day making a conscious effort to let go of negative speech.  Re-write your habits, call in the wonderful.

 

Feng Shui Christmas

Decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite things. I drag 15 bins up from the basement, the weekend after Thanksgiving, and tack, glue, sprinkle, shred, and glitz, until every room shimmers. My son imagines a new creation for the mantle, and I watch his face. He is at the age where Christmas is unbearably, exciting.

But, school is back in session, the tree is wilted, and the party invitations have ceased. It’s time to load Christmas back into crates for its three-season nap.  I tossed old ornaments, candles, and decorations that haven't been used for a while.  It seems, as far as Christmas is concerned, the older I get the more daring I am with things that twinkle. I tend to be more subdued with colors and clothing and home. (Grey is the New Blah)

Only 14 boxes returned to the basement.  I gave away one bin of things I hope others will enjoy. But, in full disclosure, my dog ate 17 ornaments off the tree.  It was his first Christmas and helped himself to low hanging fruit. My back yard is a glitter graveyard and his sparkly dog waste will decorate the woods for weeks.

I like to shop for the Christmas decorations after the holiday and I am tempted to replace the eaten ornaments  at one of the many 60% off sales. But, there's that little  No Spending for 24 days rule.   Instead, I will think of my Sankalpa and know that I am making in my life for the new.  Nothing can enter a space that is over-crowded.

 

Feng Shui Christmas Tip:  If we decorate with too much "fire" during Christmas time we can risk burn out and even ourtbursts.  Christmas is a stressful time for most people so lets not add to the tension by using too much red, pink, and purple.  These are the fire element colors and are used to warm the energy of a room.  

Cool off the colors with icy blues, silvery greys and sparkling whites.  These water and metal elements will balance the fire and create a more peaceful atmosphere.

Day Four: Avoidance

So, I avoided the bathroom job all day. I kept myself busy with catch up work.  We have had house guests for three weeks. Nice kids from Africa who couldnt get back home for the holidays. They are leaving tomorrow so I really didn't do my 24 Things until just now.  I gave a couple of sweaters to them as they packed up to go.

Some days with 24 are harder than others.  I couldn't get motivated to do a big job today so I just shared what was in reach.  Still counts!

I hope for tomorrow and Sunday to be more productive but part of this process is Ahimsa (kindness) to oneself as well as the world. 

Practice that.. even that on its own is letting go of an unkindness to the self.  

 

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