Personality Helps Determine Our Stress

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• Wellness

Our ability to withstand stress-related, inflammatory diseases may be associated, not just with our race and sex, but with our personality as well, according to a study published in the July issue of the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Especially in aging women, low levels of the personality trait extraversion may signal that blood levels of a key inflammatory molecule have crossed over a threshold linked to a doubling of risk of death within five years.

An emerging area of medical science examines the mind-body connection, and how personality and stress contribute to disease in the aging body. Long-term exposure to hormones released by the brains of people under stress, for instance, takes a toll on organs. Like any injury, this brings a reaction from the body’s immune system, including the release of immune chemicals that trigger inflammation in an attempt to begin the healing process. The same process goes too far as part of diseases from rheumatoid arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease to atherosclerosis, where inflammation contributes to clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes. Continue Reading

Looking To Stay Eco Green For The Holidays

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• Eco Friendly

Eco Friendly Pet Toys

Have yout bought anything yet for the pet in your life?  Squeaky dog toys made of 100% organic cotton and natural dyes from plants and minerals. Made with a low-eco impact, the pink caterpillar and green lizard are certified non-toxic, chemical-free, saliva resistant and have a reduced allergy level.

Find it at: Uncommon Goods

Pea's In A Pod Baby Clothes

Cute embroidered cap, bib, booties and bodysuit inside gift box. Soft 100% organic cotton.

Find it at: Babies R Us

Sustainable Soy Candles

Made entirely of natural materials, our Soy Candles offer an environmentally responsible take on ambient candlelight. Each of our votives is hand poured from a blend of highly renewable soybean, vegetable and beeswax oils in a recycled-glass cup.

Find it at: Pottery Barn

Electricity Usage Monitoring Devices

his revolutionary power strip prevents that waste. Plug your main device (computer, TV, etc.) into the primary outlet and its peripherals (printer/scanner or VCR/cable box, etc.) into the others. High-tech sensors know when you shut down the main device, and they cut off everything else.

Find it at: Terrapass

Stories Of Success During Hard Times

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• Inspire

At Lily of Light we like to help people stay inspired and motivated. A many of you have may experience this past year or even in 2008, the economy has hit home for many people.  I read this article on Reader’s Digest, that they call ” Recession Success Stories.” The one that I have included was one that I found to be very interesting, and also inspiring. It makes me realize how much we can be in control of our lives, and not stuck having to always worry about what to do next.

My husband, Michael, an attorney and a co-owner of a real estate development company, came home from work one day and said, “It’s not looking good.” In the middle of the night, I’d wake up and see him sitting in a chair, with his hand on his forehead. I was worried. I wanted to cheer him up and help us financially.

I’ve been a corporate consultant for years, brainstorming ideas for top companies such as Campbell’s and Mars. I also teach creative thinking at the college level. I thought, What if we embarked on an adventure and monetized it? As a family, we’d always talked about traveling more, but we’d been tied to routines. Now I saw no point in sitting around worrying when we could see the country. We’d take our kids, Aidan, 11, Charlie, 8, and Rosie, 6, out of school and teach them on the road. It was the perfect time, before they reached high school. We’d rent out our house. Continue Reading

Giving This Holiday Season

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• Inspire

Tis the season for giving. It’s the holiday seasons again, and with it comes the time to offer peace, joy, and love. Dispite the economic struggles that many of us have when thru this year, many are still making an effort to help others who may be less fortunate. Our family is a huge supporter for toy drives and other organizations like Loaves and Fishes. If you would like to give this year here are a few great ideas!

Toy Drives – What Are They?

Toys are collected by volunteers and are distributed to a variety of different charities such as women’s and children’s shelters. Toy drives are often run by non-profit organizations such as the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots and the United Way. They’re held in communities all over North America during the holidays, usually a few weeks before Christmas. Ideally, toys are donated unwrapped so that organizers can give them to the appropriate children.

Toy Drives – Help Out in Your Community

Visiting your local community center is a great way to find out where the toy drives are happening this year. Alternately, search the web for a site which allows you to type in your zip or postal code, finding the toy drives in your area. If you don’t have the money to spend on buying a toy, offer to donate your time by helping to sort and hand out toys at a church or TV station, which often hold toy drives at Christmas.

Toy Drives – Help Out at Home

Many children help give a toy to a local charity instead of buying you a Christmas present. It makes a huge difference in one child’s Christmas.

Adopt a family

This is always a rewarding way to give back. I have done this a few years in a row, and have always had a great and rewarding time helping. Make sure you do some research about reputable organizations that help these families. A good source is Salvation Army.

Give your help for homeless and seniors

Ever city has an organization such as Loaves and Fishes, or Meals On Wheels that help feed the homeless and also help nourish the seniors.

Budwig Cottage Cheese And Flaxseed Recipe

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• Wellness

The Flaxseed (Linseed) oil diet was originally proposed by Dr. Johanna Budwig, a German biochemist and expert on fats and oils, in 1951.  Dr. Budwig holds a Ph.D. in Natural Science, has undergone medical training, and was schooled in pharmaceutical science, physics, botany and biology. She is best known for her extensive research on the properties and benefits of flaxseed oil combined with sulphurated proteins in the diet, and over the years has published a number of books on the subject, including “Cancer–A Fat Problem,” “The Death of the Tumor,” and “True Health Against Arteriosclerosis, Heart Infarction & Cancer.”

Dr. Budwig found that the blood of seriously ill cancer patients was deficient in certain important essential ingredients which included substances called phosphatides and lipoproteins, while the blood of a healthy person always contains sufficient quantities of these essential ingredients.

She found that when these natural ingredients where replaced over approximately a three month period, tumors gradually receded, weakness and anemia disappeared and life energy was restored. Symptoms of cancer, liver dysfunction and diabetes were alleviated.

Source: Cancer Cure Foundation

I have heard for many years about the Budwig diet, and happen to come across an article recently that was talking about it. I know it has been studied and reviewed for over 40 years with success. I have no personal experience with the diet its self, but I thought it would be interesting to post a video explaining how to make the flaxseed and cottage cheese recipe that Budwig is famous for. Feel free to leave comments if you have further to add about the diet.