Farewell, green-goers!

Farewell, loyal blog-readers.

The time has come for the semester to end, and my blogging to cease (at least at this speedy rate).
I hope you cherish all of the wonderful times we've had together- learning the beauty of black beans, the joys of St. John's Wort, and the dangers of traditional Western medicine.

But seriously- if there is one thing I will remember about this class, it's how we combined our knowledge with the forefront of information on living green, now becoming a huge phenomenon in the United States.
And it's about time- all it takes is a few minutes to change a lightbulb into one more eco-friendly, or a second thought to turn off the running water while you're brushing your teeth.
These little actions will help us all in a big way, and I hope that if there's anything YOU take away from this, it's that the small stuff really does count.
I have learned a lot in my eco-adventures. Up until this point I had never blogged before, nor used the Internet for educational purposes (I know, I know, shame on me). I'm realizing now that there is much out there to see and do, something I intend to get started on by graduating.
Living greeen is important, especially in this day and age.
So while you're printing out this last blog entry, scouring it for a bit of hope and inspiration (and hopefully a good laugh), please, please, please, reuse your printer paper.
And remember: Nothing feels better than helping to save the world.
So, turn off your water. Buy a hybrid car with all of the money you'll save on your bills.
We all prosper when we pitch in to do our parts.

Thanks for the good times,
Kelly

St. John's Wort for the blues

--Photo by 'smoobs' on Flickr

Got the blues?

New studies suggest that the herb, St. Johns Wort, could actually serve as a natural remedy for depression.
According to a study conducted by the British Medical Journal, St. John's Wort contains hypericin, a chemical that wards off monoamine oxidase, a big fancy name for a chemical normally associated with depression.
Patients who had depression and were given St. Johns Wort expressed an increase in appetite, more interest in life and greater self-esteem.
Who knew?
As the weather changes and the trees outside begin to lose their leaves, it's easy to let yourself get down and out, especially around the holidays.
Normally given out in the form of a leaf, St. John's Wort can be best made into tea for easy digestion.
It is also known for it's power to ease anxiety.

So get out of bed, sleepyheads.

Drink a cup of St. John's Wort. I promise it tastes better than it sounds!

Caffeine woes

Caffeine- it's in your soda, your coffee, your life. Despite it's obvious effects in adding energy, did you know that caffeine also has some very negative side effects?
When you injest caffeine, many parts of your body are effected. First, the drug will hit your hormones, including adrenaline and dopamine, making you feel jumpy and alert.
At the same time, it will also effect the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for weight gain and is also linked to diabetes.
With all the changes in your hormone level, caffeine has also been linked to mild depression, stemming from the point when caffeine begins to wear off and your body goes through a 'low'.
Also, the drug has been linked to sleep- or the lack therof.
Similarly, it has been known to add to dehydration, and because caffeine increases production of urine, calcium can be lost in the process, leading to concerns of bone marrow health.


To help you, loyal readers, eliminate caffeine from your diets (slowly) here are some tips that I think might help.

1. If you drink coffee, try to put more milk or cream into it, to decrease the amount of caffeine.
2. Try to limit your intake of caffeine to one drink per day, whether it's coffee or soda.
3. If you're looking for a boost of energy, try exercise instead. Just one set of 10 jumping jacks should help increase blood flow and boost endorphins, making you feel more energized.
4. If you take caffeine pills (and you really, really shouldn't) try to take them before exercising, so that your workout is enhanced and the pills work there way through your system.
5. If caffeine affects your sleep, don't drink any past 2 p.m. That way, you're sure to be able to fall asleep.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Starbucks is having a sale on frappacinos.

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Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the longer you live?

Recent studies have shown that black beans, in particular, can have an effect on lowering cholesterol, preventing blood sugar levels from spiking too quickly and that one serving a day can help with your health- which makes them my favorite food this week.
So, in honor of my new love, here are some easy, black bean recipes. Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad with Feta and Red Peppers - from Care2.com
COMMENTS:
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Two 16-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into short thin strips
½ cup natural low-fat vinaigrette
½ cup fresh parsley
½ to 2/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and top with feta cheese.

This is one of my favorite recipes, especially because it's so easy! (And, who doesn't love feta cheese?)

Another classic: the Black Bean Burger-

Mix hamburger meat with a can of black beans (mashed) and mix in onions with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs.
Form patties with your hands and grill, as with any other burger. Delicious, and (slightly) more healthy.





Voila!

Don't believe what they say- beans will give you much more than gas.

Moonlight therapy

If you don't already know, there's a new form of therapy that's bringing a little bit of light to town.
Light therapy- or the use of light's wavelengths, LEDs or flourescent lamps- has long since been used to treat illnesses and ailments such as depression and seasonal affective disorder.
But 20 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, near Kitt Peak, researchers are harnessing the power of moonlight for healing purposes.
About five years ago, Dr. Richard Chapin was searching for different ways to help aid in the healing of a friend who suffered with pancreatic cancer.
While researching holistic healing methods, Chapin stumbled upon light application, a discovery which has lead to the creation of an 60-foot tall, $2 million structure that absorbs and projects moonlight, known as the Interstellar Light Application.
Lined with mirrors, the structure absorbs celestial light while the moon is in it's various phases and projects it back out, a structure filled with holes of various sizes, so that the light is concentrated as it pours over them.
"It collects more light than any telescope on earth, and this type of light can be projected at the size of a pinpoint laser or spread out to a 10 to 15 foot area," Chapin told me in a past interview for a story I was working on for the Arizona Daily Wildcat. The popularity of the moonbeam collector is growing enormously, yielding stories of individuals who have been alieviated from arthritic pain to those who have lost 100 pounds and transformed their lives for the positive.
Ground-breaking and the first of it's kind, the collector is open to individuals via appointments, which can be made at (520) 730-0427, or by calling McFadden-Gavender, an advertising company working with the project.
Trust me- it's something you need to see to believe.


--an example of a form of light therapy.

'love'

Hey guys,

I just read a really great book that I think you should know about.
It's called "The Hidden Messages in Water," and it is all about how water can be used as an absorbant to reflect messages and effect overall health.
Within the book, researcher and author Masaru Emoto wrote messages on the outsides of water bottles and then used a high-tech camera to photograph the crystals within the water after exposure to different messages.
The results were astounding.
Messages that were positive, such as 'thank you' or 'love' or 'gratitude' produced crystals that were absolutely perfect in shape.
On the other hands, messages such as 'you fool' or 'i hate you' produced crystals that were distorted, as if someone had smashed them with a sledgehammer.
According to this research, water messages can have similar effects as self-hypnosis in helping the body and mind to achieve, and produce, the most positive results for whatever ailment one might have. For example, to counter low self esteem, messages such as 'you are beautiful' or 'love thyself' can be extremely powerful.
Based on this research, I decided to try a little experiment of my own. For the next few weeks, I will be drinking bottles of water with positive messages on them. My family and I have been going through some hard times with the sickness of my grandfather, so I think an appropriate message for me is 'trust' or 'love' knowing that it will all eventually work out.
Surprisingly, the individuals behind the "hidden messages in water" are hosting a school in Tucson, Arizona, on the properties of water. Although the three-day school would be a great opportunity and I would love to attend, tuition is $3000!

Massage your aura

We get massages to relax and let go, but did you know that massage can actually be healing?
Reiki, (pronounced ray-kee), a form of massage that focuses on energy centers of the body, can work effectively in helping the body to heal itself and ward off infections.
My mother, who I spent all of last weekend with, is a massage therapist who works with reiki and told me stories of the different ways in which it works.
"Reiki was a Japanese method that used to be passed on from person to person," she said. "It's not physical touch, but it works with energy centers on the body and corrects imbalances."
Intrigued, I recieved a reiki massage.
Just as with any other form of massage, participants lay on a massage bed and try to relax. One of the differences between reiki and traditional massage is that you can be fully clothed to recieve a reiki massage. The major difference between traditional massage and reiki, however, is that Reiki does not involve touch.
The reiki practitioner (mine's name was Yumi) simply moves her hands 3 to 6 inches over the body, so that you can feel the warmth from their hands, but not actual contact. The action works to smooth out the energy surrounding the body, which is sometimes referred to as an aura.
The effect was very calming. I was skeptical at first but the massage proved to be soothing, and at the end I felt as though I had just received a facial or a traditional massage and was delightfully stress-free.
During the massage Yumi asked me if I could feel where her hands were as they passed over my body, and I was almost always correct in my guesses.
According to the International Center for Reiki Training, reiki heals by charging the energy fields on the body with positive energy. In doing so, it helps to cause negative energy to break away from the body by raising the vibratory level of these energy fields, which are often where negative thoughts and feelings are attached.
Reiki practitioners operate under the belief that there is a 'universal life force,' or 'ki' attached to each person and that this life force can be accessed and healed by trained practitioners.
Positive energy has long-since been attributed to health, therefore, after recieving a reiki massage and boosting your levels of positive energy, your body is better prepared to ward off infections or illnesses. Reiki practitioners are practicly everywhere. Are they in your town?

color therapy

About 6 months ago, my family and I found out that my grandfather has terminally ill cancer. It began behind his ear and has now spread throughout his body, rendering him in hospice care and without the strength to do so as much as eat or stand up on his own.

As a result, we have tried many different forms of healing therapies. Yesterday, as I visited him at his home on the east side, he was complaining to me that the living room had too much light. So, I went outside and hung a yellow towel over the glass door, to block out some of the light.

Much to my surprise, he seemed to perk up a bit. I think the fact that there was less light contributed to his happiness, but his response to the new color got me thinking about something I had recently read about: color therapy. http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/

Based on the research I have done using this and other Web sites and some of the color therapy experiments I have tried with my grandfather, I can tell you with absolute certainty that colors affect us.

Have you ever tried on a shirt and felt the color was off? Worn a shirt all day and ended up feeling drab? Colors are everywhere, and whether conciously or unconciously, we notice them.

In color therapy, each of the seven chakras (or energy points) in the body respond to various colors.

For example, yellow correlates directly to the chakra associated with the solar plexus, situated directly under the ribs. http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/application/colour_therapy.php

In color therapy, yellow relates to self-worth and how we feel about ourselves. It is also often thought of as a color useful for studying or concentration. Since my grandfather, once a very proud and dignified man, has undergone chemotherapy and has watched his appearance change (after 80 years of the same face) he has battled with self-worth and appearance questions. Therefore, it makes sense to me that he would respond well to the color yellow, which is warm and inviting and conjures positive images of self-worth.

My favorite color has been red since I was a little girl.

In color therapy, red is a color that represents courage, confidence and energy, but also self-pity, fear and resent. Therefore, it is important that I know where I stand, emotionally, before intentionally picking out a red T-shirt. Too much red could leave me feeling worn-down.

Similarly, I have had asthma for my entire life, an ailment which coordinates with the throat chakra and responds well to the color blue, which is known for its calming and relaxing properties.

To find out some of the negative and positive aspects of your favorite color, I recommend playing this fun game with Flash multimedia: http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour_fun/aspects_of_colour.php

While making some phone calls to try to find a color therapist who could comment for this blog, I spoke with a woman from Energy Way, a company with alternative medicine practitioners, who told me the best way to help treat my grandfather was to alternate the use and incorporations such as green, orange and yellow, with rubbing his feet and waving my hands over his body to dissipate negative energy. Tomorrow I will be visiting him again (and everyday until he loses his battle) and I will let you know how the new techniques work!

Love and light...

Drop the meds... natural ways to prepare for Flu Season

Cough, cough...

Ut-oh. The weather is slowly starting to change in Tucson and that means one thing: flu season is on the prowl.

But before you break out the Advil and the cough medicine, there are very simple and effective ways to holistically prepare for flu season to ensure that you never catch the bug.

One of the most enjoyable and beneficial ways to prepare your body for flu season is to recieve regular massages.

Barbara Lacinski, a licenced massage therapist for 18 years, said massage has the ability to reduce the levels of toxicity in your body.

"The stronger your immune system is, the less likely it is that you will catch something," she said. "Massage helps to flush your body of its toxicities and cleanses your lymph nodes and your muscles."

Massage also helps to rid the body of any calcium build ups it may be harboring.

Through massage, exercise and a healthy diet, Lacinski, 68, said that she has never once had to use her Medicare.

"I'm going on 70 and I still work 50 to 60 hours a week," she said, with a laugh. "I could whip a 30-year-old's butt at just about anything."

The number one thing to help prepare your body for the flu season is diet, Lacinski added.

Reducing the amount of unnatural sugars found in most foods and reading labels to beware of high fructose corn syrup, soy bean oils and chemicals will help keep your body functioning smoothly.

"Everything is important," Lacinski said. "Diet, exercise and stress levels are probably the biggest factors."

Also, Lacinski said, chiropractic doctors can often be useful in helping to allign your body and ward off unnecessary pain that can weaken your immune system.

For Lacinksi, who is in practice with her husband, a holistic doctor, keeping your immune system up and intact is similar to balancing weight loads on camels.

"I equate it to a camel," she said. "You can only carry so much, so you have to pick your load. The less stresses you put on the camel, the more you can handle."

Other popular ways to prepare your body for flu season naturally are by taking vitamin supplements, especially Vitamin A and C, according to an about.com post by Mary Shomon, which referenced holistic medicine specialist Andrew Weil. Read it here at http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/flu.htm

My roommate swears by Emer-gen-C, a mixture of vitamins which are poured into a glass of water and can be found at any drug store.

Whether you choose to get a massage, visit a chiropractor, or create your own mixture of tea and vitamins, preventative measures taken NOW, before flu season, can greatly reduce your risk of getting sick.

detox time!

Okay, it's official: I have bogged down my body with crappy foods for far too long.


Partially prompted by the fact that I can't fit into my favorite pants, I have decided to go on a 7-day detox diet to clear my body of its addiction to sugar and wheat. Also, I am still reeling in the fun that my body had at Burning Man, and think it's about time to clean myself up.


There are literally hundreds of detox diets out there, but I am sticking to organic foods and drink. For sugar, I will eat fruit, and everything else will revolve around whole grain foods, dark meat and vegetables.


Last night I managed to find some really neat sites that give details about detox diets.


One of the most comprehensive, found at about.com, goes into the principles of Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, and details the foods that are most compatible with your Ayurvedic type.


From taking this fun little quiz: http://altmedicine.about.com/library/quiz/bl_quiz_ayurveda.htm, I found out that my body type is Kapha.


Basically, this means that the types of foods that I love to eat (long-since a sugar addict) are actually working against the tune of my body. So long, ice cream and sugary fruits like bananas.


The cool thing about detoxing is that it gives you a chance to know what your body is really wanting. Instead of eating pizza because I do every Friday at noon, I will let my body tell me what it actually wants.


As I sit here eating a peach and rice dream smoothie, I know that my body is sending me secret messages to go grab a pop-tart, but in the long run, it's worth it to be healthy.


Detox diets are not for everyone, however.


If you have questions as to whether or not it is for you, consult a physician and take this fun quiz from about.com.


http://altmedicine.about.com/library/weekly/bl_quiz_detox_test.htm

I just got back from my first-ever Burning Man experience and it was one that I will never forget.

Since the theme of this year's event was the "green man," everyone seemed to be doing their best to ensure that the event was as green as possible by providing their own compost heaps and helping one another out to reuse anything that could be saved.

In the center of the desert which housed the event, a giant recycling center took items that could be recycled, and a large wood basket collected excess wood to be donated to Habitat for Humanity to make houses for the needy.

All over the event, signs could be seen which read "leave no trace," to remind us to pick up everything that we brought in.

Friends of mine even brought in film canisters which they were passing out to Burners to place cigarette butts and the like in, just to make sure that no one littered.

At many of the events, beverages were served only to individuals who brought their own cups, thus everyone carried one cup that was reusable instead of taking plastic or paper cups that could easily be strewn on the ground.

I have collected audio and taken photos of the event, which I will be posting as soon as technology and time permit. For more details on the event, be sure to check out my article on thecatscan.com.

Burning Man Adventure

Hello All!

I am leaving tomorrow morning at 4:30 a.m. for Black Hawk City, Nevada for my first ever Burning Man experience! In case you are unfamiliar, Burning Man is a week-long art festival that culminates in the "burning" of the "man," a 20-foot tall sculpture.
I have heard many things about Burning Man, some good some bad. Mostly, I am excited because this year's theme (people come dressed in costume) is the "green man," which represents the humans tie to nature.
I think this will fit in perfectly with Cat Scan's theme of "living green," and I am so excited to experience the event and all it has to offer.
Similarly, the event takes place in Black Hawk City, which I hear isn't actually a city until the event, and every person must leave with exactly what they came in with: that means, no leaving of anything behind. Not even cigarette butts. The city appears and disappears each year in coordination with Burning Man. I can't wait.
When I return, I will come back with audio, video and pictures capturing the event so that I can share it with all of you!

But first, there are a a few essential items that every Burning Man-ner should take (or so I've been told).

- Masks: in the desert, there are often dust storms which can make for painful breathing and eye infections.
I will be wearing the best paper mask that Ace Hardware has to offer.
- Eye Drops: for the same reason as above
- Clothes for hot weather: It can get to be as hot as 110 degrees. Let's hope it's not that bad.
- Clothes for cold weather: similarly, it can drop to 40 degrees in the evening. Eek!
- Costumes: Since the majority of the people I know that are going are bringing crazy outfits, I will pack Rainbow toe-
socks, a leotard, and a pink feathered hat that makes my hair look like it's bright pink.
- Goggles: you never know when a dust storm will hit you. Ouch.

Anywhoo... I am off to an adventure in which I have no expectations. I just hope it's as awesome as I think it will be. When I return, and hopefully while I am there, I will be making audio recordings and blog posts to share every step of the adventure with you.

First step: wake up at 4 a.m. and get on an airplane.
Wish me luck!

Holistic Medicine

Hello!

My name is Kelly Lewis and I will be walking you through the amazing world of Holistic Medicine. From herbs to spices, cactus water to sage, holistic medicine is filled with the knowledge that you need in order to live healthier, greenier and happier.
Throughout the next few months, I will be talking about certain diseases and the best ways to cure them, without using any forms of traditional medication. I will be doing interviews with some of the genre's finest and will try my best to make this your holistic medicine hotspot.
In the meantime, there are some great websites you can check out including:
http://www.holisticmed.com/- which can give you great tips on ways to cure the common cold and provides a directory of holistic practitioners.
Or,
http://www.alternativemedicine.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=02AD61F001A74B5887D3BD11F6C28169
A website titled "Alternative Medicine," this site offers solutions on ways to ease stress, and provides tips on eating as healthy as possible, without losing any taste.


So throw away that Advil and keep checking for more info.

Kelly