On my most visit to the MLK Health Center & Pharmacy, I spoke about foods that help keep us hydrated through the warmer months and protect us from sun damage.

Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, which can cause numerous health conditions including fatigue, headaches, skin issues, muscle cramps, low blood pressure and a rapid heart rate. Over time, continued dehydration can even lead to more serious conditions such as organ failure.

Luckily, for those overwhelmed with how to keep properly hydrated, there are many healthy foods that can add water to our diet.

In addition to this, there are also many foods that aid in protecting our skin from sun damage (some on the following list play double duty!)

The following is a list I shared with the folks at the MLK Center:

20 Summer Foods to Help You Stay Hydrated & Protect Against Sun Damage

1. Watermelon & Canteloupe: (90% Water) Low Calorie, Vitamin C & A, Lycopene.

2. Strawberries: (91% Water) Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Reduces Inflammation.

3. Peaches: (89% Water)Rich in Vitamins A, B & C, Potassium, Fiber, Antioxidants.

4. Citrus Fruit: (88% Water) Antioxidants, Vitamin C, Immune Boosting.

5. Cucumber: (95% Water) Extremely Hydrating, Low Calorie, Vitamin K, Magnesium.

6. Leafy Greens: (92%+ Water) Rich in Vitamins & Minerals, Antioxidants, Fiber.

7. Zucchini: (94% Water) Vitamin C, Fiber, Immune Boosting.

8. Celery: (95% Water) Hydrating, Low Calorie, Vitamin K, Fiber, Potassium.

9. Tomatoes: High in Lycopene (processed tomatoes even more…tomato paste etc).

10. Bell Peppers: (92% Water) Vitamin Rich, Antioxidants, Fiber.

11. Cauliflower: (92% Water) Vitamin rich, including Choline Which Helps Brain Function.

12. Carrots & Sweet Potatoes: Beta Carotene, Which Protects Skin from Free Radicals.

13. Green Tea: High in Antioxidants, Catechins, Tannic Acid. Protects Against Sun Damage.

14. Almonds: Vitamin E, Quercetin, Protects Against Sun Damage, Anti-Inflammatory.

15. Red Grapes: Phytonutrients, Polyphenols, Quercetin, Help Protect Against UV Rays.

16. Turmeric: Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Helps Protect Against Ultra Violet B Radiation.

17. Flax Seed: Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Protects Against Sunburn, Reduces Inflammation.

18. Dark Chocolate: High in Antioxidants Which Protects Against Free Radicals.

19. Salmon: Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Vitamin E, Antioxidants, Anti-Inflammatory.

20. Broccoli Sprouts: Sulphorophane and Glucoraphanin (Skin CancerProtection).

One by-product of energy work that I had forgotten about is something called a “healing crisis…” When you actually feel worse following a treatment. It’s basically a negative energy detox, but it can be pretty discouraging.

The first time I received a reiki treatment (something I’ve recently began again) I had the worst nightmares…and I rarely have nightmares.

This past Christmas I was feeling really balanced after returning to meditation etc., and did something called a “light language” meditation. I was fairly new to this concept and this session brought me to a super high level of peace. At first. The words from the meditation revisited during my sleep that night (apparently there was more work to be done) and I woke up cold and disturbed…a feeling that lasted for a few days.

Healing comes in cycles and the deeper we go, the more we find to clear out (kind of like our houses)!

Also, it’s impossible to stay in the stratosphere all the time. Life ebbs and flows and there are peaks and valleys. We cannot know the light without having experienced the dark. All of it.

Through all this I have learned the importance of remaining grounded. Now, when I do a deep meditation, I am better at connecting to myself throughout it. Instead of allowing a healing crisis to discourage, just know that it’s normal and means we are doing the work! So keep going!

Taking breaks between cycles is also extremely important. We can get so caught up in the journey at times that we don’t realize we still need to rest at certain intervals. In my case, I had become kind of addicted to the healing and wanted to do it all at once! But healing doesn’t work that way.

As I travel along my path, and align with my purpose and mission, I still struggle with the in between moments at times, but I am getting better at celebrating each milestone and every victory. It is so exciting when your eyes open and you can feel the changes within yourself. It’s important to recognize and be proud about how far we’ve come!

Eventually life’s cycles and spirals will become less and less of a mystery and we can surrender to the divine plan.

I started getting Reiki again on the New Moon in January. I was feeling particularly unbalanced after having done a pretty deep meditation a week or so prior (that is another blog post all together), and knew it was time to enter the world of energy work once again.

I guess it’s been a little over ten years since I was introduced to reiki. I was living in Queens New York at the time, in need of energetic healing, and I discovered there was a reiki practitioner a short walk from my apartment. The experience put me in the world of alternative healing for the first time, and really did alter the course of my life.

 

“Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.” 

 

I’ve been continuing to receive treatments on or near the full moon ever since January and it has really helped pull me back into a state of balance over and over again. I learn something new to help me along in my journey every time I’m on the table.

I am actually attuned to give reiki, but currently don’t feel called to be a practitioner. Right now I am choosing to use it on myself, in my everyday life and have been experimenting with infusing my products with its healing energy. 

 

For those in my area, I highly recommend Tara at The Peace of Mind Center!

 

One of my most powerful memories of my 3 year herbal apprenticeship is when we did a chakra balancing sound meditation out in the woods. I was sitting on a huge boulder and felt the connection to the earth as soon as we began chanting the root chakra tone…

I have been using sound healing techniques a lot over the past few months. I have moved from guided meditations to pure sound recently. It’s been pretty extraordinary!

Sound healing is extremely effective in all kinds of healing—emotional, mental and physical (I have even practiced meditations to help with cold and flu, as well as tennis elbow)!

Binaural Beats and Tibetan Singing Bowls are my current favorites. Singing bowls get right in there and soothe physical symptoms very quickly. I recently had trouble falling asleep because my heart was racing a bit…so I looked up meditations for the heart chakra and was pretty instantly aided by some singing bowls. When you find the right meditation music, it will resonate helpfully in the affected part of your body.

I have long found actual singing to be highly beneficial as well. I mean, we are actually creating the healing frequencies within our own bodies! You can’t get much closer to source than that.

Sometimes, to avoid my dog interrupting a morning meditation :), I will sit on my bathroom floor with my headphones and the shower going before getting ready for the day…it’s kind of like a personal sweat lodge! And the hydro therapy of the following shower doesn’t hurt either!

YouTube allows me to find meditations of varying lengths, too, so I can fit a quick one in when I’m running behind (which is often, lol).

I had turned away from meditation for awhile…blaming my ungrounded-ness and my racing mind. Honestly, I was mostly just afraid of what I might find in the silence. Some days it’s easier than others. Some days I find tears or anger that needs release. Sometimes I find calm and balance that lets me know all is well…

One thing I always find, though, is gratitude.

During my most recent visit to the MLK Health Center, with a second talk about the importance of stress relief for our overall health, I shared a bottle of this and it was a big hit…

It’s called Florida Water….

Florida water was originally created in the 1800’s as a Unisex Eau de Cologne. It was brought to my attention as a way to protect against negative energies and promote calm.

This recipe was given to me through a women’s group called “The Global Sisterhood.”

Florida Water

16 oz. Distilled Water
2 oz. Vodka or Everclear
6 Drops Bergamot Essential Oil
6 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
2 Drops Clove Essential Oil

*(recipe credit: Judika Illes, and Lane Le Fay)

I have a jar of the water on my table amongst my plants and things, and also carry a spray bottle of it. I use it as a way of protecting against negative energies around me. It’s very calming and not too over-powering a scent (I am very sensitive to perfumes lately).

I have discovered that practicing grounding techniques is very important…especially when working in a job where you deal with other people and their energies all day. Everyone is going through stuff…and we need to make sure that we don’t take it all on. Sensitive people are especially prone to this. Aroma therapy, and even wearing crystals (if you want to really get into it!) are very beneficial!

Today would have been my Dad’s 76th birthday. I originally posted this recipe for his 69th birthday. Time really does fly. (He’s been gone 15 years).

I said, in my original post on this new site, that I would probably only be re-uploading old posts as I felt moved to do so. Well, I think this post needs to have a place on here…

Now, of course, I will have to use gluten free flour…but life does go on and things change.

Happy Birthday, Dad…

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Originally Posted on March 9th, 2012

When he was a kid, his Mother would make him this cherry and walnut cake…which my Mom took up after they got married. It didn’t happen every year, but the cake stands out in my memory. I remember one year I was wearing my ballet gear from class while my Dad blew out the candles. Funny what memories stick in your head…

The cake doesn’t have a name…shall I name it???  Hmmm….

Unfortunately the original recipe is full of shortening and maraschino cherries…something I decided to alter for the sake of my internal organs. I also made it into cupcakes 🙂

Kenny’s Cherry-Walnut Birthday Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups Sifted cake flour (I double-sifted regular, organic flour)
• 1/3 cup Butter (so NO to the Crisco!)
• 3 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Cherry Juice*
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 tsp Pure Almond Extract
• 4 Egg Whites, Un-Beaten
• 1/4 Cup re-hydrated cherries, well drained and finely chopped*
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts, finely chopped

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Drop in butter. Combine milk and cherry juice. Add 3/4 cup of this liquid. Add extracts – beat 200 strokes. Scrape bowl, spoon and beater (I copied this directly from my Mom’s recipe…which she’d written down from my Memere’s 🙂

Add remaining liquid and egg whites. Beat 200 strokes. I’d say, simply mix well 🙂

Add cherries and nuts and blend.

Pour into cupcake pan and bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes (check for done-ness). Keep an eye on them here…I think I ended up over-baking…

As for the frosting…well, I had dreams of tinting it pink with beet juice. Alas, it was not to be. Instead I used this simple frosting recipe and replaced the milk with homemade yogurt and the vanilla with some of the brandy-laced syrup and chopped cherries I had left over. It was a spur of the moment decision and made the frosting more like a glaze…but still super yummy! The yogurt makes it taste a little cream-cheesy.

Super yummy with a glass of milk…just like Dad would have done!

*To replace the maraschino cherries…I called on one of my blogger friends, Theresa of Outlander Kitchen and Island Vittles (two awesome sites, btw). I asked about soaking dried cherries and using the water…her fabulous suggestion was that I create a simple syrup and rehydrate the cherries in that. So I boiled equal parts water and sugar before adding the cherries to soak (I also added a wee splash of brandy. I think I might have a problem 😉 I let the mixture cool before proceeding with the recipe.

The cupcakes are less pink than the cake used to be, but that’s fine with me! Thanks Theresa! She also encouraged me to go big and use butter 😉 My kind of cook!

I’d also like to thank my wonderful Cousin, Elana of Sweet E’s Bakery. She answered some cupcake baking questions for me during a catch-up text exchange. Thank You, Love!

I’m going to take the cupcakes into the city to be enjoyed by friends. Just what my Dad would have enjoyed.

XO

During my February visit to the MLK Health Center, here in Shreveport, I discussed the importance of stress management in connection with our overall health.

All kinds of stress causes dis-ease in the body. Chronic stress and anxiety can reduce immunity, cause inflammation, worsen existing conditions or create new ones. Stress hormones should move in cycles…the fight or flight response is a natural defense designed to protect us, but with the ongoing stress most of us are under…we just keep fighting.

These stress hormones divert energy away from bodily functions such as digestion, and general internal healing. The fight or flight response takes our internal energy and brings it to our extremities so we can defend ourselves against whatever threat is being detected. Being on guard 24/7 is draining!

One example of the chain reaction from stress affecting something like tummy upset from stress, is that it clouds our thinking because all of our attention is focused on our stomach distress. I know I become short on patience when my belly gripes!

The constant stream of info we take in on a daily basis…from TV to our phones, the internet, advertising, creates stress alone with all the non stop stimulation. Add in our every day worries and it’s a wonder we ever find a moment’s peace.

We can help ourselves along with our lifestyle choices.

Our diets can cause stress as well. Some foods that increase stress include alcohol, caffeine and sugar. Calming foods include lean proteins, whole foods, oatmeal, yogurt, complex carbohydrates, almonds, raisins, and sunflower seeds. Eating warming, comforting foods when stressed can also be helpful.

Some herbs to try are: chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, oat straw, red clover. Adding a b complex and or magnesium supplement can also have a calming effect. Aroma therapy with lavender, chamomile and peppermint are also a positive addition to your routine.

Last but not least, we can add the following activities and techniques to our daily lives in order to relieve stress and anxiety: Yoga, deep breathing, mindfulness, living in the present, journal, or a slow hobby such as knitting.

This handout may be of help with keeping a positive mindset in order to reduce stress: Make Space for a Positive Mindset.

I also recently discovered Yoga with Adriene on Youtube. She even has some yoga sequences specifically designed to help with stress and anxiety.

For more info, you can check out this handy list of 10 Health Problems Related to Stress That You Can Fix.

2018 kind of kicked my ass. The past few years have had their moments, to be honest. I am bizarrely grateful for all the lessons I am learning and stories I have been releasing…but damn. So I have decided that my word for 2019 is HEALING.

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I’ve been through healing phases before. The last really intentional one was probably back in 2010. So, I guess at 40 years old, I am due for another one.

Going back to school and re-entering the workforce did a number on me, on top of re-establishing a social life in a new place, and it all took me away from my herbal and alternative health practices. Not great reasons, but there you are…

In recent months I have gotten back into my herbal teas, meditation, chakra cleansing and reiki treatments.

This new website is also an expression of healing. I did go to the trouble of saving all my old posts from the previous versions of this site and I may or may not upload them here again. My past makes up who I am…the road I have traveled to get here, but I will take my time revisiting it as it serves me. It’s nice to be in a fresh space for now.

Here’s to healing in 2019….

XO