Category Archives: Health

Aging and wisdom, Gratitude, Empowering women, Attitude, Writing, D.G. Kaye

aging-and-wisdom-by-debby-giesA beautiful post by D.G. Kaye on the importance of gratitude in attaining wisdom as we grow older… ❤ 

THE VALUE OF #GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |D.G. Kaye

Source: Aging and wisdom, Gratitude, Empowering women, Attitude, Writing, D.G. Kaye

Today I’m sharing a recent article I was invited to write and share on Dorothy Sander’s blog, Aging Abundantly.

Dorothy writes about the wisdom we gain as we age. And her new series, which I was thrilled to be the first in, is entitled ‘The Voices of Wisdom’ – The Value of Gratitude.

Read the article below and you can continue reading on Dorothy’s blog.

Wisdom comes with the ability to be still. Just look and just listen. No more is needed. Being still, looking, and listening activates the non-conceptual intelligence within you. Let stillness direct your words and actions. ECKHART TOLLE

I’m so happy to introduce Debby Gies, our first contributor to the The Voices of Wisdom Series.  Debby, an author and prolific writer, captured my attention somewhere in cyberspace.  I  was drawn to her enthusiasm for life and read her book, Conflicted Hearts, a memoir in which her strength and courage is made visible and her zest for life contagious.

The Voices of Wisdom series is an ongoing series featuring guest posts by women of wisdom. Each guest will share some piece of wisdom gleaned from their life challenges. Stay tuned. We have more captivating reads ahead!

My Journey Through Mid-Life and What I Learned By Debby Gies

Have you ever been on a ride that was completely smooth – no bumps, no valleys, and no inclines? I can say with certainty that I haven’t, and naturally, my journey through mid-life was no exception.

When I was young, I thought I was invincible. My plans to battle age developed decades before I hit my mid-life years. My arsenal of age-fighters were nothing short of trying to maintain a healthy eating and exercise regime, and an ongoing supply of whatever beauty aids, creams, potions, and lotions I would read about, in efforts to preserve myself from aging.

But the truth is, aging is a natural process of life. And, it entails much more than just our physical attributes. As I transitioned into my middle years, many things changed. My perceptions and values changed, my evaluations on friendships changed, even my tolerances and gratitudes changed.

Time became more apparent; not all of these things happened simultaneously, but as the hands of time began pointing in the direction of fifty, I noticed several changes within myself.

I BECAME MORE AWARE OF PASSING TIME

Although the healthy measures I adapted to when I was younger were moderately paying off, staving off wrinkles as best I could, my attitude towards life in general had changed.

I became a lot more aware of how quickly the days were passing, and how illness can change life in a flash. And I became concerned about the fact that I hadn’t accomplished anything that made me feel like I would be leaving my footprints behind when it came time for me to go to the next world. I felt time closing in on me. Continue Reading . . .

Source: THE VALUE OF GRATITUDE – Voices of Wisdom Guest Post |

 

Smorgasbord Health A-Z of Common Conditions – Acne

Sally Cronin has started a new series on her blog: A-Z of Common Conditions. As a nutritional therapist, she is a wealth of knowledge. If you would like her to highlight a particular ailment, drop by her blog and leave your request in a comment. I know she would love to hear from you, and the more requests she gets for a particular topic, the more likely she is to write about it ❤

Book Review: Size Matters by Sally Cronin

book-sally-size-mattersPublished  15 August 2016   Amazon

Size Matters is Sally Georgina Cronin’s no-holds-barred, true-life story of her journey from near-death obesity to vibrant health.

I first was struck by the author’s willingness to share so many personal things that most of us would hold to dearly as private; things that would humiliate us; things that we’d be hard-pressed to look in the mirror and admit even to ourselves. I knew that anyone willing to bridge this gap must be someone with integrity and a deep concern for her fellow human beings.

I didn’t have to go far into the book to find the encouragement I needed. The last paragraph of chapter one said it all for me:       “What began as a painful journey into my past became an exciting adventure in the present with expectations of a much brighter future.” Above all else, I wanted a bright future. And Ms. Cronin’s approach proffered that hope.

I’m not going to detail the specifics of this book, because a peek inside on Amazon will show you the table of contents and highlight the details of the program she developed.

What I want to shine a light on is the inspiration she exemplifies and sallyoffers to all those battling a weight problem. She knew that almost any help given by the medical/scientific/etc. communities would offer template approaches to weight reduction, approaches that she and many others have tried and failed at miserably. Because her health was in such jeopardy, she needed not only to urgently change her eating habits, but also to have the results be permanent. Thus began her journey within and her search for a sustainable healthy future.

It’s difficult enough to put one foot in front of the other on a daily basis in this fast-paced technological age. Everyone is multi-tasking and running fast to stand still. So when we find ourselves faced with a life-threatening condition, fear leads us to seek a quick fix. But quick fixes are almost never permanent and almost always detrimental. The author recognized this and strove instead to find her own way back home to herself.

Although despairing and contemplating suicide, she reached deep inside and found a way to kindle her common sense, which provided the ladder needed to climb out of the pit into which she’d dug herself. Admitting her weaknesses and acknowledging her strengths, she put the totality of herself into turning her life around. Plying patience and dogged determination, she climbed out of the suffocating abyss and surfaced into the fresh air of a promising and vibrant life.

sally-10I have never been obese, but I have carried extra weight at different times throughout my life. Taking off 10 or 15 pounds is hard enough. I can only imagine the devastation one must feel when facing the necessity of a 150-pound weight reduction. And I use the word “reduction” rather than “loss,” because I think the mind always seeks to find that which has been lost.

In my opinion, this book is not only a comprehensive text for permanent weight reduction, but also a “how to” guide for breaking the shackles of destructive behavior and tenaciously moving forward.

When asked in grade school to name five people who inspire us, most children look to either their families or noted figures in the world. And yet there are so many working humbly behind the global scenes who seek neither notoriety nor acclaim. I believe they’re referred to as unsung heroes.

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This review is as much an acknowledgement of the author’s positive contribution to the world as it is of her all-inclusive approach to weight reduction in this outstanding book, which I highly recommend. Lose an ounce of weight, gain a pound of self-confidence. Sally Cronin is an inspirational example for all.

Sally’s Links:     Website      Facebook      Twitter       LinkedIn                                                          Google+      Amazon

Food in Fiction – Part 2 – Guest Post…

Christine Campbell brings us Part 2 of Food in Fiction as a guest on The Story Reading Ape blog. Food as an element in novels has tantalized readers across the ages, as it engages all of the senses. Hop over to Chris’ blog and read this fascinating article…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

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Food can play many different roles in fiction writing. It can set a scene, tell much about a character, even become a player in the story. Since it’s important to engage as many of the reader’s senses as possible, food can be a very useful tool in the author’s toolbox since food description can involve sight, sound, texture, taste and smell – all five of the senses. A real bargain package.

According to The Good Food Guide:

“Childrens literature makes for rich pickings when it comes to culinary descriptions: theres moment after juicy moment in Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or James and The Giant Peach.

The description of Amys ‘pickled limesin Louisa May Alcotts Little Women – ‘plump and juicy’ in their moist, brown-paper parcelwith their delicious…

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Smorgasbord Health – Food in the News – You probably do not want to read this.

Do you REALLY know what’s in your food? Did you ever consider that it might contain anti-freeze, human hair, or beavers’ scent sacs, just to name a few of the horrendous ingredients in industrialized food? The corporate food industry is literally allowed to get away with murder, because consistently eating these foods leads to a multitude of diseases that eventually kill us. Sally Cronin has a very enlightening post on her blog today, and it would behoove all of us to take note. “An estimated 75% of diseases that kill us prematurely are lifestyle related . . . It is about the nature of the food we consume.”

Smorgasbord Health – A close encounter with a silent killer – Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure is the leading cause of poison-related deaths in the U.S. Sally Cronin discusses this silent killer and relates a trying and near fatal personal experience. Here are a few more articles you might find helpful: http://www.bestheating.com/thesilentkiller, https://www.americannursetoday.com/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-silent-killer/, https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2826.pdf.

Women’s Health Week Revisited – The progresson of Osteoporosis over 50.

Maintaining bone health can be a challenge, especially as we age. Vitamins K and D3 play a vital role, along with daily exercise. Visit Sally’s blog to learn what you can include in your diet and exercise routine to promote healthy bones…

Pet of the Week – Meet Therapy Dog Gabby and blogger Susan Palmer Gutterman

Companion animals give so much in return for so little. Animals who participate in therapeutic settings offer so much more. This is the story of Gabby and her person, Susan Palmer Gutterman

The Medicine Woman’s Larder – Mushrooms – The Egyptians believed they granted immortality

Sally Cronin regularly shares her vast knowledge of nutrition in her ongoing Medicine Woman’s Larder series. Today’s post covers the many varieties of mushroom and their medicinal properties…

Middle Aged Spread – Stress busting with Status Quo.. or any music you love.

Music moves our souls as well as our bodies. For many of us, it has been and continues to be a lifesaver. Sally Cronin outlines the many health benefits of music in this wonderful post…