Spiritual Diary: Friday, 24th September 2010

September 24th Perfection

If others fool away their time, you be lost in God. You will go ahead. Let your example change others’ lives. Reform yourself and you will reform thousands.
—Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, in “Rajarsi Janakananda: Great Western Yogi”

Thought of the Day!

One purpose in discovering your own personality is to know how you affect others.
Consciously, or unconsciously, people feel your personality, and their reaction is a clue."
- Paramhansa Yogananda

Quest to be Greener, ecologically!

It's official I'm no longer a Ebay virgin! I purchased a lovely handwoven S. Asian styled short-sleeved, People Tree Nepalese-crafted shirt from a lovely seller in Olympia, Washington in good ole USA! It's a really lovely shirt that's been made with love(It's nice knowing that talented artisans(hand weavers etc.) have not been exploited in any way.

Did you know that one hand loom saves a tonne of CO2 a year. In India, the textile or 'Khadi' (sp) industry is still the second biggest trade after agriculture?

My aim is consume less overall and if I do purchase essential stuff it will be from a resourceful source that's kind to people and planet ie freecycle, ebay, thrift shops etc. I draw the line with second-hand under garments thought!

Luscious, lemony surprize!

Appreciated a rather healthy and scrummy concoction(raw vegan cereal:) of sprouted buckwheat, ripe bananas and the juice of 1 lemon. This was especially sublime as this was a experiential dish full of bioflavonoids, amino acids, calcium, rutin, b vitamins, vitamin c and would make an ideal healthy fuel start for all the family(I'm sure growing children would appreciate this too:). I was soo exited that I had to share this yummy recipe with ya all!

Namaste!

Positive News!

Inspired by this month's Yoga and Health magazine, one took advantage of the glorious sunny weather we've been blessed with lately, here in Blighty and took myself to the local park to for some restorative healing in the form of the Tibetan Rites and ancient asanas. I got over one's self-consciousness and just got on with it!

Just like to share with you a inspiring corporate business story that one read in the UK press recently(I loved it soo much I had to share with you all:):

Grocer's Organic Rooftop Allotment

'A London supermarket is sourcing organic vegetables - from it's roof. Lettuce, Curly Kale, Beets and Tomatoes are sprouting at Budgens in the Broadway, Crouch End, in what is believed to be the first supermarket garden. Food in the Sky was devised by store owner Andrew Thornton and designer Azul-Valerie Thome'.

Source: ES June 2010

It was soo refreshing to read that supermarket employees can really make a difference to the community(Good work, Guys:) and may this be a start of many supermarket / corporate rooftop gardens!

Sunny Daze!

I appreciated a lovely, light and hydrating breakfast of organic cucumbers, Granny Smith / green apple and fresh strawberries making us feel wonderfully-light and energetically-vibrant like a child!

Eating high-water foods will change your life. Your eyes will sparkle, your skin will clear, your elimination will be easy, in fact, most everything will change, including how many times a day you need to go pee! :)
That's okay! Getting to know the nearest bathrooms is not always a bad thing.

If you are already a intuitive eater, then you are probably ahead of the pack in this area provided you are avoiding salt that will cause us to retain water. Salt (sodium chloride) is a poison that the body needs to dilute with retaining water to keep it away from the delicate tissues of the body.

We need natural sodium found in coconuts, celery, greens and some melons to keep us hydrated. Normal Walker, author of the book "What's Missing in Your Body" about Vegetable and fruit juices said that celery juice is the perfect solution to hot weather and keeps us cool. Intuitive eaters in general have body temperatures about 5degrees less than SAD eaters due to the fact that the body does not have to create a fever to "burn" up the heavier concentrated foods like starches, proteins and fats. These foods "sludge up" the circulation of the body and make it have to work harder.

Juicy fruits and veggies are the best for weight-loss. The reason for this is their cleansing ability. Also, in the book "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" it tells us that many cravings we get are because we are mistake thirst for hunger(If in doubt drink some water:0).

I'm no physician but in my humble opinion the best hydration natural drink solution to consume is pure coconut water(Perfect balance of hydrating electrolytes for the human body and therefore perfect for sports enthusiasts, mums-to-be, children and elderly alike:). Closely followed by awesome combo of organic celery and bananas. This is also great after a workout or strenuous activity. Let's no forget the humble fruit tomato, full of lycopene makes it a natural sun preventative measure too! This does not mean to disregard the slip, slop, slap(slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat)mantra. Common sense still prevails!

Oopps!

I forgot to mention...... some excellent ethical personal care brands that put people and planet prior to profit that are definitely worth mentioning(I love them:)

* Dr. Bronner's castille soap all-purpose cleanser is utterly-delightful!

*Tom's of Maine toothpaste(You can make your own from baking soda, dried orange / lemon peel:)

* Kingfisher Toothpaste(UK)

*Oliva(sp) The pure olive oil soap that's all saponified olive oil(biodegradable:) from Greece!