I’m in a traffic jam this morning but prior to the big slowdown, while driving about 60 miles per hour, the guy in the car next to me is reading a book while driving. That’s talent.

I just saw the best special on Food Network channel on cable. Four chefs have to make a four course dinner for 100 people made completely out of food that was thrown out because it wasn’t up to consumers standards.  Check out the website below to catch the other times it will be aired. Honeybrook Organic Farm, a farm near where I live, was one of the featured farms.

You will find when you watch this special just how much we waste in this country. It makes me sick to think people all over America are starving and we are wasting food because it doesn’t meet our standards of buyers perfection.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-specials/the-big-waste/index.html

Think globally, act locally. Start today!!!

One of my holiday traditions is to go to the potter’s guild sale at the Wallingford Arts Center in Media, PA. It’s such a beautiful and creative mix of pottery, handcrafts, jewelry and more. I always buy a few more items each year from the same potters that I love so that I can one day have an entire set of unique handmade dinnerware. Im almost there.

Earlier today I got into a conversation with one of the artists about why it feels so much better to eat off of handmade pottery. I think the most important reason I could come up with is that it reminds you to be mindful as you eat. Mindful of the animal that gave their life, the farmers that put so much labor into all those veggies on your plate, the potter that made the beautiful plate or bowl or glass and most importantly, all the adults and children that may not have a meal that day. It reminds me not to waste food; to only cook what I can consume. It reminds me to give to soup kitchens and organizations that feed people in need. It reminds me that I’m not the only one in this world. That I am a part of something big and beautiful and that if you act locally it will help globally.

Remember the needy this holiday season.

There are numerous health benefits to gardening or being in a natural setting. Some of them are obvious-any activity burns calories, so it is easy to understand how gardening can be seen as exercise. However, many of the benefits of gardening and nature are psychological and not immediately apparent.

According to one on-line calorie counter, for a person weighing 150 lbs., general gardening tasks burn 272 calories per hour. Mowing with a walk-behind power mower burns 374 calories per hour. Harvesting fruits and vegetables burns 204 calories per hour. Weeding burns 306 calories per hour. Digging burns 340 calories per hour. Raking burns 292 calories per hour. You get the picture. Add to that the benefits of the bending, reaching and general stretching that gardening involves. (Of course, we must add in the general exercise qualifier-essentially, know your limits and don’t over-exert yourself.)

The restorative psychological benefits of gardening are less obvious but have a long history. Judaic, Christian, and Islamic religions all represent paradise as a garden. The garden was a fundamental part of Christian monastic life and was seen as an important part of healing, providing sustenance, medicinal herbs and space for contemplation. Healing and spiritual powers also extend to nature in general. A fundamental belief of Buddhism is a connection with all of life. The most recent thinking regarding Stonehenge is that it was a center of healing. There were and are many pan-theistic religions that see spirits in all the different components of the natural world. This frequently extended to considering certain places-maybe a spring or a grove-as being a sacred place.

A number of scientific studies have shown that there is a connection between nature and increased health. In 1984, Ulrich published a study linking window views of a natural setting with improved surgery recovery times. A study by Ulrich & Addoms, published in 1981, indicated that there are significant psychological benefits to having a park located near a residential area as experienced by both frequent users of the park as well as by those comforted “just knowing the park is there” to visit. A study by Cackowski & Nasar, published in 2003, showed a higher frustration tolerance in people who viewed a tape of a highway drive with lots of vegetation than a tape of a highway drive with lots of man-made materials. A study by Kweon, Ulrich, Walker & Tassinary (2008) showed that men (but interestingly, not women) reported less anger and stress in an office environment with landscape painting posters than one with abstract art posters or no posters.

Increasingly, this awareness of the health benefits of nature views and gardens has been applied to hospital settings. Healing gardens and therapeutic design is a growing specialization in the field of landscape architecture. A good overview of the research on gardens in hospitals is given in the paper presented by Ulrich at the Plants for People conference in 2002. For a more in-depth discussion of the benefits of gardens in healthcare settings and design recommendations for such gardens, I recommend checking out the book Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design Recommendations, edited by Marcus & Barnes.
Gardens, parks, and nature in general provide us with a chance to get away from our daily stresses. They provide opportunities to daydream, breathe fresh air and enjoy natural light. We interact with gardens and nature through all our senses; bright colors and shifting light, the movement of birds, butterflies, and wind-brushed stems, the fragrance of a flower, a crushed herb, or the smell of wet autumn leaves, the sound of running water, wind in a tree, or birdsong, the feel of the earth under our feet, the soft kiss of petals, the roughness of a tree trunk and the taste of a fresh-picked tomato, wild blackberries, or clover stems.

One of the greatest joys I get from being in a garden or other natural setting is that it gives me a chance to reconnect with the world around me. In our climate controlled modern lives, where food (and, worse, food products) from all over the world arrives in stores for our convenience and we spend much of our time in front of a screen of one type or another, we lose track of the cycles of the real world. The cycles of day to night, or the incredible displays that happen in between such as the phases of the moon and their effect on the tides. Whether there has been enough rain to nourish the plants. What food is currently in season. Or whether the pollinator population is healthy so fruit is produced. I love watching the effects of the changing seasons and also seeing how a place changes from year to year. Seeing what plants are thriving, which didn’t come back, and why. Seeing whether the cardinal decided to raise her young nearby again this year. Watching the apple tree I grafted from two sticks turn into a tree taller than the house.

Gardening and nature can also be a good source of community. Gardeners tend to be patient people who like to share, whether their preference is edible gardening or not. Plants take time to mature and most gardeners appreciate that. Most gardeners will also have plants that have produced more seedlings than they want or more zucchini than they can eat, and will be happy to share or trade with you. Garden clubs abound as do group hikes. Even if you are inexperienced or out of shape, you should be able to find someone happy to share their knowledge or an easy group stroll that you can manage.

So what are you waiting for? Get outside! It doesn’t matter if you want to daydream in a hammock or turn the backyard into your dream garden, climb a mountain in the early hours to watch the sun rise from the peak or have a picnic lunch in a park, enjoy the privacy of a remote beach or help a garden club plant in front of the library, just get out and enjoy yourself.

Happy gardening!

Written in memory of my grandmother, Floy Owen, a life-long gardener. June 18, 1923-June 23, 2008

Bryn Richard is a licensed landscape architect with a strong interest in sustainable design. She can be reached at Bryn@BlueTrillium.net and welcomes your questions and suggestions for further articles.

I LOVE these definitions I found for HONEY.

1. (uncountable) A viscous, sweet substance produced from nectar by bees; (countable) a variety of this substance.

1. A term of affection.

Honey, could you take out the trash?

2. (colloquial, countable) An attractive woman

Man, there are some fine honeys here tonight!

3. (color) A yellowish-brown colour, like that of (the sweet substance) honey.

Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates and water, and also contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

Honey contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids which act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free radicals. Generally, darker honeys have higher antioxidant content than lighter honeys.

Cleopatra is said to have ruled Egypt with an iron fist. Apparently, it was also a smooth fist, since she was one of the more famous people in history to use honey for its skin-enhancing properties. In fact, Cleopatra’s legendary milk and honey baths are just one of many historical examples of people using honey to pamper their complexions. While Cleopatra didn’t know why honey softened her skin, new research suggests the queen of the Nile was definitely onto something.

First, honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture. This makes honey a natural fit in a variety of moisturizing products including cleaners, creams, shampoos and conditioners. Honey also acts as an anti-irritant, making it suitable for sensitive skin and baby care products. Honey’s prospects in skincare are looking even sweeter; research is currently underway to develop a process using honey to create alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs are an important ingredient in many skin creams and moisturizers because they help exfoliate the skin. Increased exfoliation, or renewal of the skin cells, can give skin a younger, more vibrant look.

Historical Honey Beauty Secrets

• Madame du Barry, the infamous last mistress of Louis XV, used honey as a form of facial mask, lying down for a rest while the honey did its work.
• Cleopatra of Egypt regularly took honey and milk baths to maintain her youthful appearance.
• It was said that Queen Anne of England used a honey and oil concoction to keep her long hair lustrous, thick and shiny.
• It was claimed that another famous Englishwoman, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, used her own secret recipe for a honey water to keep her hair beautiful.
• Chinese women have a tradition of using a blend of honey and ground orange seeds to keep their skin blemish-free.

RECIPES

Harvest Pumpkin Exfoliating Mask
Makes 4 treatments

Ingredients
1 tsp. green tea, brewed
2 tsp. pineapple, diced
4 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. aloe vera gel
1/2 tsp. sunflower oil
4 tsp. cornmeal
6 drops frankincense essential oil (optional)
4 drops cinnamon extract (optional)

Directions
Steep green tea in boiling water. Set aside to cool. In blender or food processor, puree pineapple and place in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, honey and aloe. Mix well. Stir in sunflower oil, green tea and cornmeal. Reserve remaining green tea for another use. Add frankincense and cinnamon. Stir. Apply small amount of pumpkin mask to cheeks, forehead, chin and neck. Massage in circular motions gently buffing skin. Repeat. Apply more product as needed. Leave a thin layer of pumpkin mask on face and neck for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with tepid or cool water and pat dry with soft towel. Follow with appropriate moisturizer. Store remaining mask covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Benefits:
Pumpkin enzymes dissolve dead skin cells while the cornmeal sweeps them clean. Honey moisturizes and softens. The result is a beautiful glowing complexion.

Green Honey Glow Mask
Makes 2 treatments
Benefits: Beautiful glowing skin that feels youthful and tight.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup fresh mint
3 Tbsp. honey
1 piece (1-inch) ginger
1 ripe banana
2 egg whites

Directions
Rinse spinach thoroughly in colander. Cut and peel ginger, set aside. In food processor or blender combine spinach, mint and ginger. Blend on low setting. Add honey and banana and blend until liquid consistency. Add egg whites and blend until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Transfer to porcelain bowl or glass dish. On clean skin apply a small amount of Green Honey Glow to entire face and neck. Apply using a fan brush or finger tips. Allow to remain on skin for 15-20 minutes. Rinse and apply appropriate moisturizer. Store covered in refrigerator for up to one week.

Asian Honey-Tea Grilled Prawns

What is Calcium?

Calcium is the most common mineral in the human body. Almost all the calcium that we have in our bodies is found in our bones and teeth. Only about 1% of this calcium is circulating in our blood and tissues and as such, levels need to be maintained in a very narrow range for optimal health.

The recommended intake for:
an adult 19 to 50 years is 1000 mg per day
For those 51 and older it is 1200 mg per day.

For children the requirements are:
1 to 3 years 500mg per day,
4 to 8 years 800mg per day,
9 to 13 years 1300 mg per day and
14 to 18 years 1300 mg per day.

As one can see, it is important to have adequate dietary calcium as a child and adolescent.

Why do we need calcium in our bodies and why is it important?

Clearly it is important for our structure, as it is the major element in our bones and teeth. It also plays a role in constriction and relaxation of blood vessels, along with nerve transmission and muscle function. Additionally, it is important for enzymatic reactions in our body.

Calcium is also an integral player on the team of bone health. Bones continue to add mass until age 30 in most persons, creating a time called “peak bone mass.” The stronger the bones are at age 30, the less bone loss will occur as a person ages. Therefore, it is important to maximize bone growth throughout childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. This can be accomplished by consuming adequate Calcium and Vitamin D during these periods and by maximizing bone mass by partaking in weight bearing exercises such as walking, running, yoga, dancing, aerobics, skating and weight training. This will help to prevent osteoporosis(fragile bones) later in life.

The relationship between calcium and osteopenia (weakening bones) and osteoporosis (weak bones) is direct. If calcium intake is chronically low, if vitamin D intake is chronically low, if calcium is poorly absorbed or if there is excess calcium secretion, then the body resorts to breaking down the calcium in the skeleton. This action predisposes the body’s bones to Osteopenia (low bone mass). If low calcium is not corrected, then osteopenia progresses to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a concern because it is associated with hip and other fractures. Each year about 5 million people suffer from fractures due to osteoporosis.

How do we obtain Calcium?

In the USA, dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are the major sources of calcium in our diets. Additional natural food sources such as kale, broccoli, and spinach provide calcium, but at a decreased concentration, Also, many foods are fortified with calcium such as orange juice , soy beverages and cereals.

Here are some examples of good sources of calcium in various foods:
Yogurt plain 8oz – 415 mg
Milk whole 8oz – 291 mg
Orange Juice fortified 8oz – 200 to 260mg
Spinach ½ cup cooked – 120 mg
Soy milk fortified 8oz – 80 to 500 mg
Cheddar cheese 1 ½ oz – 306 mg

Calcium can also be obtained through commercial preparations. The two main forms of supplemental calcium are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate is the most common supplemental form. It comes in various amounts with the most common being 250mg and 500mg. It also comes in 200mg and 300mg amounts as the brand name “Tums.” There are also combination forms of calcium partnered with Vitamin D, the most popular is “Os-Cal.” This combination is a convenient way to take both calcium and Vitamin D in one shot. When taking calcium supplements, it is suggested that one take no more than 500 mg at a time, with meals, in order to maximize absorption.

Can a person take too much calcium?

As with anything, too much can be a problem. The recommended dose for an adult age 19 to 51 is 1000 mg per day and the upper limit of tolerability for an adult is considered to be 2500 mg per day. I once had a patient who decided that they had some symptoms of low calcium. Without getting a blood test or consulting a doctor,they decided to begin calcium replacement therapy. This patient also decided that if 1000mg of calcium per day was good 3000mg were better. After about one month the patient’s symptoms had gotten progressively worse, not better. Ironically, her symptoms were mainly eye muscle twitching and tingling of the arm muscles. These symptoms are in line with those of elevated blood calcium rather then low blood calcium. Ultimately the patient came to the office and, after blood work was done, it was discovered that the patient’s calcium level was too high. Discontinuing the calcium supplement relieved the symptoms and eventually the calcium level returned to normal.

What sort of variables affect Calcium absorption?

Calcium absorption declines with age, alcohol consumption, and caffeine intake. However, caffeine has a minimal effect on Calcium absorption. It is suggested that one cup of brewed coffee causes a loss of only 2 to 3 mg of calcium. a loss which can be easily offset by adding a tablespoon of milk to the coffee.

Pregnancy makes calcium absorption more efficient. Therefore, the requirements are not increased in pregnant women. Additionally, Vitamin D helps improve calcium absorption.

How does one know if they have low calcium or resultant osteopenia or osteoporosis?

You can request that your doctor perform a serum calcium and/or an ionized calcium blood test. The serum calcium test can be ordered alone and is normally part of a larger group of blood tests call a “complete metabolic panel.” Many times this larger panel will be ordered during a routine annual physical. The normal range for serum calcium is 8.8 to 10.3 mg/dl.

You can check your bone density to see if you are osteopenic or osteoportic through various bone density tests. All of these bone density tests compare your bone density to that of a 30 year old male or female of optimal bone density. The resultant score is given as a “T” value. A “T”score of -1 and above indicates a normal bone density while a score of -1 to – 2.5 indicates osteopenia. A score below -2.5 indicates osteoporosis. These lower scores mainly occur in older adults and post menopausal women.

What are some of the symptoms of low calcium?

Most people with slightly low calcium have no symptoms. However, those with a more advanced calcium deficiency can experience numbness and tingling in fingers and toes, muscle cramps, convulsions, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, muscle pain, tiredness, confusion, decreased appetite, and heart palpitations.

In conclusion, as always, if you suspect that you have symptoms of low calcium ask your primary care doctor for a blood test. Provided that you don’t have a disorder in which you cannot absorb calcium well or one that causes you to lose calcium, a well balanced diet will provide you with all the calcium you should need on a daily basis. If you are considering a supplement, calcium carbonate is fine. The dose shouldn’t be more than 500mg at a time and it should be taken with a meal.

Until next time, fly low and avoid the radar.

Last night a beautiful soul that had just graduated out of the drug and alcohol rehab I teach yoga at overdosed. He was supposed to go to a half way house. He never made it. To this loving and wonderful soul…rest in peace my friend.

It never gets easier. Sometimes work sucks.

Did anyone see this on Sunday about homeless families? Damn. It tore me up. I sat there on my comfortable leather couch with my colorful throw pillows and a really warm plush blanket over me and thought, “holy crap! My life is a dream compared to what is going on all over the United States. And worst of all, to children.” There were kids living in the back seat of their parents car with their two dogs, a cat, and the parents in front. There was a dad and his two children (their mom died) living in a truck the dad bought with his last $1,000 dollars. There were so many families living in cars while the dad sits watch outside all night to make sure everyone is safe. What the hell is going on?

We have to be so grateful and thankful for everything we have and try in every way we can to give back. I’m loving that on livingsocial.com and groupon.com they have ways of donating that is affordable to all. Give food to soup kitchens, give toys to organizations that are collecting, adopt a family in your area. Do just one thing this year that gives to someone in need. It’s so important.

Oh it’s one of those days, weeks maybe, when it feels like I cant get anything done and I feel totally unproductive.  Im actually getting things done but it’s just not feeling like it because nothing feels accomplished.  Maybe it’s that holiday blah that people get once in a while.  Maybe it’s that I have to make all these decisions and I’m avoiding all of them.  Oh it’s the holiday blues.  All those expectations and all that planning and, and, and…well it never adds up when you have expectations.  In yoga philosophy they would say, “where there are expectations, there is suffering.”

Sometimes it’s just perspective.  I have lots of great things going on, I am blessed, really I am, but sometimes the weather or a disagreement with someone, or things that come up that make you sad, or maybe just that your underwear is too tight can make you have quite a different perspective of life.  Even when things are going very well!  I guess I need to change my underwear!  Maybe I will pick something colorful and fabulous.

Do you have to change yours?

I just recently saw that movie “Taken” with Liam Neeson.  And I was taken!  The premise is essentially that a former spy (Liam Neeson) uses his skills to help rescue his daughter who was kidnapped and forced into a slave trade ring.  There are some silly parts and some really good parts but it’s the sections of the movie that show the slave trading that had me speechless.  It’s unsettling, as a female, too anyone I would hope.  There is a scene in the movie where Neeson gets very close to finding his daughter when he goes looking for her in this remote area of some middle eastern country, I cant remember where, and ends up in line with several men, waiting for a number.  As he reaches the front of the line the worker hands Neeson a piece of old worn cardboard with the number 4 on it.  The cardboard is very smooth and dirty, as though hundreds of sweaty, filthy hands had been holding it.  The number four was almost worn off from all the wear and tear on this little somewhat square piece of cardboard.  It looked as though it had been ripped down from a larger board to make several of these little chips of cardboard.  I looked at it, I looked at the number, I didnt understand what it meant.  How naive I am, living in a very nice neighborhood in America, a roof over my head, spoiled by electronics, food, fresh laundry, and running water.  How naive I was as I followed Neeson in the movie into a tunnel of bed sheets hanging from rope on either side of him.  Each bed sheet was numbered.  Neeson and I were looking for number 4 with great anxiety.  We both didnt understand what we would find.  What depths of humanity we would find behind the dirty sheet that looked as though it had been hanging there for years.  It barely covered the opening to whatever was behind it.  It had met its share of rain, winds, dirt, and human filth. 

Number 4.

Neeson and I found it.  The sheet marked number 4.  He threw open the sheet as both our pair of eyes enlarged to be sure to take in exactly everything we could see behind the filthy sheet.  We looked, in horror, at a young, beautiful girl, naked under more filthy sheets, completely drugged out of her mind, sweating and chained to a pipe that separated this “room” from the next.  This was a slave ring.  Where men come to have sex with a young woman that cant even see what is in front of her because she has so many drugs pumping through her system.  They come to a young woman who is just trying to stay alive or maybe even praying to die.  This is a slave ring!  I sat upright on my couch.  I pushed the hair out of my face.  I felt for this lovely young woman.  I wanted to save her.  I wanted to be strong for her and for all woman and girls out there who have been taken advantage of physically and mentally.  I wanted to do something about it.  But was this just an embellished movie scene?  Was I getting myself all worked up from something that doesn’t exist?  I needed to find out.  To get more information about any possible slave trade rings anywhere.  It’s unimaginable in my mind. 

Then I started Googling.  I found hundreds of sites of slave trade rings with victims being both boys and young woman and girls.  Not only did I find hundreds of results online but I found many sex slave rings that are/were happening right here in the United States.  Young women and men being lured in by individuals dressed up in nice clothes, promising them high paying jobs.  Unfortunately it seems as though it is happening a lot to poor people in this country that tend to believe in any lead they can find that will help them provide for their family.  I saw many examples on news sites from 2011.  It’s a problem happening right now.  Some sites showed pictures of the filthy and disgusting sheds and horse stables where the victims were kept.  I am beside myself.

http://www.unesco.org is an organization that is supposed to be helping to cease sex slave rings around the world, among a plethora of other issues that they deal with on a daily basis.  Check it out and see what you thing. 

If you are up to it, here are some of the websites and videos I found online by searching “sex slave ring” on Google.  It’s important to be aware of these things going on in the world and hopefully we can do our part to help by donating or simply having a neighborhood watch.

This CNN website has a lot of information on it and a video on the home page:
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/24/fighting-child-sex-slavery-in-thailand/

This is the main home page for the CNN site:
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/

Huffington Post- US Sex Slave Ring
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/fbi-exposes-child-slavery_n_780487.html

Since 2003, when the FBI and the Justice Department launched the Innocence Lost National Initiative, about 1,250 child prostitutes have been located and removed from prostitution.