FINDING PEACE IN YOUR LIFE

A few days ago I received the following e-mail from a newsletter subscriber:

   Hi Betty,

Could you please send me tips for meditating? I've got Primary Progressive MS. I think I have the food and exercise under control, but stress and the 'peace' in my body can be much better. /s/ Rob S.

Hello Rob.  I think of peace as a state of tranquility or quiet. Webster also defines peace as freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.

I relate to peace as a state of mind, and I know for sure that each one of us can and do control our state of mind. I so often think of people's reaction when they ask me, "How are you?" My answer is always the same, "Wonderful!" Just this morning one of the people I volunteer with at my local Senior Center said to me, in response to my usual answer to this question, "You always say that. I wish I could always be wonderful." I responded that being wonderful every day is simply a state of mind - a decision one makes.

I have thought a lot about Rob's reference to finding peace in his body. I had never thought of peace in our body as being a healing tool before. But the more I think about it, the more it seems to fit that definition. I do know for sure that there is a place deep inside each one of us where peace - true peace - exists, and that for me there have been two avenues to tapping into that well-source within. First there is meditation, and second learning to work with my body's own energy through regular practice of Qi Gong.

I know that some of you must be weary of my writing about meditation and daily practice of Qi Gong, but I do not believe there is anything I can say to you that is more important. Perhaps getting all of you to think about finding peace within will help motivate some of you to begin your own practice of these two healing tools.

I have been a serious student of meditation for about 15 years, as well as Qi Gong for about 13 years. I do not believe I would have been able to halt my own primary progressive MS without these two disciplines. Incidentally, that — discipline — is the key to developing meaningful practice of both meditation and Qi Gong.

Meditation - Stilling our natural mind chatter, those constant thoughts running endlessly in our head

Qi Gong - Energy work - Qi (chi) means energy, and Gong means work in Chinese, so Qi Gong literally means "energy work"

In my e-book Four Steps to Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis I devote a chapter to meditation. And please don't tell me that you have tried to learn to meditate and have not been successful. EVERYONE CAN LEARN TO MEDITATE!

I highly recommend Mark Johnson's Tai Chi/Qi Gong for Seniors DVD program to get you started in Qi Gong (the healing form of Tai Chi), as well as Dr. Roger Jahnke's excellent book The Healer Within. This book is a "must read" for everyone serious about learning self-healing through Qi Gong.

  Bon Appétit - Healthy Food Tips and Recipes 

Lentils are almost a miracle food! They are a wonderful source of protein, calcium and iron. They are a staple ingredient in Indian cooking, and combine well with many different seasonings. You may be most familiar with brown or green lentils, but did you know lentils can also be black, yellow and pink? Look for these more exotic varieties in Indian and specialty food stores. Actually when cooked most pink lentils tend to look like split peas. Similarly, not all curry powders are the same flavor, ranging from quite mild to very hot. In making this dish, start with a small amount and taste it to be sure your dish meets the comfort and taste level of your guests. This dish is filled with exotic flavor and can be served as an entrée with rice or as a side dish alone.

FOOD AS MEDICINE: Turmeric is a major component of curry. Recent studies support turmeric's function as a booster of the body's immune response. Turmeric also has been demonstrated to support healthy liver function. It seems like the more turmeric is studied, the more good things it seems to do for us. Here's a great recipe using curry.

Pink Lentil Curry

        1 pound pink lentils
        1 T expeller-pressed canola oil
        1/2 c. carrots, chopped
        1/2 c. celery, chopped
        1 c. onion, chopped
        2 c. cabbage, chopped
        curry powder to taste
        4 cloves garlic, mashed
        1 T chopped gingerroot
        1 T soy sauce, or to taste
        4 c. hot cooked rice

1. Pick over lentils, being sure to remove any stones or foreign matter. Place in a bowl or colander and rinse thoroughly. Place lentils in pot with enough cold water to cover well. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and cook, partially covered, until lentils become a thick mush (usually about one hour).

2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in skillet, add vegetables and a little water, stir and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender.

3. Add curry powder, garlic and ginger. Stir, then replace cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.

4. Add vegetables and soy sauce to lentil mixture. Toss together, correct seasonings, and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.

5. Serve with rice.

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Spinach and Lentil Soup
Serves 4 to 6

        1 c. dried lentils
        5 c. vegetable stock or water
        1 t. salt
        1/2 c. olive oil
        2 c. chopped onions
        3 cloves garlic, chopped
        1/4 t. cayenne pepper
        2 bay leaves
        1/2 c. raw bulgur (brown rice if you are eating gluten free)
        1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
        2 c. chopped tomatoes (canned is fine)
        1/4 c. tomato paste
        pinch of dried rosemary
        salt and black pepper, to taste
        water or tomato juice, if needed, to thin soup
        2 c. stemmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped fresh spinach

Rinse lentils. Place stock or water and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Add lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic, cayenne, bay leaves and bulgur (or brown rice). Stir to combine. Next, mix in parsley and tomatoes. Stir in tomato paste. Add cooked lentils with the liquid they were cooked in and simmer for 15 minutes. Add rosemary, salt and pepper. If soup is too thick for your taste, you may add water or tomato juice.

Remove bay leaves. Stir in fresh spinach just before serving.

NOTE: This recipe came from Dr. Weil, and I loved it.

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Gluten Free Apple and Oat Loaf

This recipe comes from MSRC in the UK.  It is sort of a sliceable apple bread pudding.  If you bake with gluten-containing flours, just substitute whole wheat flour.  Whether gluten free or not, it's flavors will remind you of apple pie.  Dairy, wheat and egg free, this loaf may be eaten hot or cold.

        4 to 5 eating apples (peeled and sliced)
        5 T brown sugar
        5 T granulated sugar (or to taste)
        1/4 c. potato flour (or other gluten free flour)
        1/2 c. rolled oats
        1/2 c. olive or canola oil
        1/2 c. water

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F and grease a shallow baking pan. Place the apples in the bottom of the pan. Mix the granulated sugar, flours and oats together. Mix oil and brown sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves. Pour this liquid into the flour mix and fold in the liquid until all the oats are evenly covered. Spread the mixture over the apples and pour the water over the top.

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes until the apples are tender.

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OILS INFUSED WITH FLAVORFUL, HEALTHY HERBS

Olive oils take on a whole new dimension when infused with flavors straight from the garden. I have recently learned the magical quality of olive oil infused with fresh rosemary and garlic. Basil, cilantro and mint are also a great combination.

For the best taste combine oil with herbs or spices in a heavy pan over very low heat for a few minutes. Heating extracts the flavor and activates the oil.

For pungent rosemary use 1 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of rosemary and five thinly sliced cloves of garlic.

For soft fresh herbs like basil, cilantro and mint, use 1-1/2 cups of mixed herbs to one cup olive oil.

Allow herbs to steep in oil overnight. Then strain, pour into clean glass jars, and refrigerate, where they will keep for many weeks. I find the rosemary and garlic flavored olive oil excellent in potato and pasta dishes, as well as soups and stews and many salads. Rosemary grows profusely in my yard, so I am always looking for new ways to use it in my cooking. Rosemary is also a powerful antioxidant, as are many herbs.

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HOW TO STORE LONG-STEMMED FRESH HERBS

Place long-stemmed fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro and dill, in a tall glass with the stem ends down. Fill the glass with an inch of cold water; make sure no leaves are under the water. Cover the leaves loosely with a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use, changing the water every 2 days.

A GEM FROM THE INTERNET

I recently came across the following by Paul Scheele from the Learning Strategies people, and it fits so well with the lifestyle change strategy I so believe in and practice myself that I decided to share it with you. It not only identifies what we need to do to make positive changes, it also gives us a clearly defined strategy to accomplish our goals. I hope it speaks to you as it did to me:

The late William Perry, professor of education at Harvard, used to say, "Whenever someone comes to me for help, I ask myself: What does this person really want, and what will they do to keep from getting it?"

Even when we want to adopt a new behavior that's aligned with our goals, we often generate the very obstacles that prevent us from achieving them. It could just be that you're not clear on exactly what to do. Or at some level you feel uneasy about actually making the change.

These obstacles can kick in with any plan for behavior change. The change might be a small one, such as driving a new route to work, or a major commitment, such as adopting a daily exercise program or meditation practice.

Whenever you plan to change any behavior, make sure that you "sign on" at all levels of your being. Let your intention become crystal clear. Feel the benefits that will immediately flow into your life.

Make your planned change so vivid and valuable that it resonates in your heart. Let the readiness to change sink down into the very muscles that will soon move in new ways.

Experiment with these suggestions:

1. Think of a model - a person who consistently demonstrates the behavior that will help you achieve your goal. Imagine that person in front of you right now, performing the behavior with mastery.
    
2. Carefully check your feelings to make sure that this is what you want. Ask yourself,  If I could have this resource as my own, would I choose it?  If your feelings say no, then modify the behavior until it's just right.
    
3. Now focus on the subtle details of this behavior... the posture involved... the rhythm and tempo of the movements... the quality of the voice... how facial muscles move when your model speaks.
    
4. Now put yourself in place of your model. See yourself doing the exact behavior that your model demonstrated. Feel yourself using the same muscles... the same posture... the same movements... the same voice.
    
5. As you repeat this visualization several times, completely accept the new behavior. Know that it will serve you in positive ways. This rich resource is already available to you, whenever you want it.

CHEMO DRUGS FOR MS

Frequently my website is visited by people who are newly diagnosed, and many write to me. More and more they are sharing with me that their neurologist is recommending one of the chemo anti-cancer drugs as an early treatment. Much of the time their symptoms are minor, and oft times the recommended chemo drug is one I haven't even heard of.

Please everybody, don't ever say yes to any drug without researching it yourself. One of my Internet resources is:

                http://www.rxlist.com/drugs/alpha_a.htm

When you click on this link, it will give you an A thru Z list at the top of the page. Then just click on any letter to see a listing of all the drugs which begin with that letter. You'll find everything from Aspirin to Zocor.

One newly-diagnosed visitor to my website told me that his doctor had recommended he enter a clinical trial for a chemo drug called Campath. I went to the www.RXList.com website and quickly located the drug and learned that it is a chemo drug for pancreatic cancer, including many very scary side effects.

I suggest you bookmark this site so you can quickly research any drug - from over the counter drugs which are probably in your medicine cabinet, to very serious, high-powered prescription drugs.

You can only be empowered about medications and treatment plans when you are informed. I hope you find this information helpful.

  FROM MY MAIL BOX