BECOMING OURSELVES

Nourished Health Lunch Series

For those of you that love workshops, but also love keeping your weekends free, come to the Lunch & Learn Series at the Nourished Health Wellness Center, in Central Denver. 

Learn ways to create a vibrant lifestyle during your lunch break! Thursdays from 12-1PM.

10/7       Optimize Your Brain
10/14     Change Your Brain, Change Your Life-with Hypnotherapy
10/21     The Whole Person Approach to the Body you Desire
10/28     The Blue Zones’ Secrets to Longevity-Part I  Research by National Geographic
11/4       The Blue Zones’ Secrets to Longevity-Part II
11/11     The Science of Gratitude
11/18     Introduction to Sound Healing

For more information on each topic and to reserve your place at the table, go to Nourished Health Wellness Center. Lunches prepared by Healthy Chef Katie Bauer are available.

Fall Classes at the People House

New location-we are now in Denver and are in the process of creating many personal growth opportunities in various metro locations. Our main website is Technologies of the Self . This blog will continue to list cutting-edge resources for brain optimization and healthy eating.

We have scheduled five classes at the People House for the fall. We will be posting descriptions of each session this week. For more information go to the People House website.

Sept.11     Change Your Body, Change Your Mind, Change                                                     Your Life-with Hypnotherapy

Sept. 18    The Whole Person Approach to the Body you Desire

Oct. 2, 9    Nine Secrets to Healthy Longevity

Nov. 7       Your Body, the Orchestra: A healing experience

Nov. 14    The Science of Gratitude

Pre-registration required. Call 720-202-3078 or email Victoria@technologiesoftheself.org

9 SECRETS TO HEALTHY LONGEVITY

National Geographic scientists and photographers have been traveling to pockets around the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Their findings come down to nine common denominators that centenarians from Sardinia to Costa Rica share.

Come Saturday morning, Oct. 17, to watch the fascinating presentation aired on Anderson Cooper 360, showing 3 of the pockets that researchers call the "Blue Zone."

On Saturday morning, Oct. 24, find out how to model your lifestyle after the Blue Zone centenarians and learn ways to add up to 14 more good years to your life with the Power9 secrets to longevity.

Take a quick test to gauge your current life expectancy and get suggestions to become biologically younger in just minutes a day.

"The average American could live up to 14 more good years by putting these habits to work."

Oct. 17   9:30-11:30am    Free video presentation

Oct. 24   9:00-noon     Power9 Longevity Secrets   $15

     Presentation, discussion, vitality tools and techniques

Location:  Adams State College, School of Business, #142, Alamosa

Pre-registration necessary      Call  719-937-2840

San Luis Valley Grass-Fed Beef

With the recent chill in the air, I have been in the mood for heavier fare, like Rabo Encendido, Cuban Oxtail Stew. This morning, while looking at the recipe, although I was craving its rich deep flavor, the idea of eating the tail of an ox was not very appealing.

Of course, when is the last time any of us has seen any oxen? Growing up in Puerto Rico in the '50s and early '60s they were all over the hillsides and in the canefields. My visual memory of the dusty weary beasts pulling wagons, their tails swishing flies, did not make my mouth water.

So, I was relieved to read that here in the States, Oxtail Stew is made with cow tail. I was even more relieved to find out that I could buy tails from cows who had been raised on grass, free to roam in a pasture in the San Luis Valley. Trudi Kretsinger was at her booth at the Alamosa Farmer's Market today with a variety of cuts from KW Farms. On the occasions when I do eat beef, I want it to be guilt-free and Kretsinger's Pasture Perfect Organic Pasture-Finished Dry Aged Beef is the best.

According to their brochure and sites like www.eatwild.com, forage beef vs. starch heavy grain-fed beef contains 3-5 times as much CLA (a cancer fighting and weight loss assisting fatty acid), 2-4 times more omega-3 fatty acids, and more vitamins A and E, branch chain amino acids and enzymes.  More. . .

Contact info for Kretsinger Pasture Perfect Beef is (719) 589-0429 or tzwk9@amigo.net

A great source of many types of healthy meats, from grassland goat, lamb, and bison to sustainable seafood is http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok .

But for me, I love the local, personal connections possible here in the San Luis Valley.

Fall Workshops in Alamosa

Advance notice for some fascinating opportunities for spiritual and emotional awareness, new ideas for physical well-being and longevity, and just plain fun! During October, November and December watch for classes starting about Living in the Blue Zone for Longevity, Healthy Gourmet Holiday Meals, The Science of Gratitude, Holiday Presence and more. . . . Classes will be offered in various Alamosa locations. For information call 719-937-2840 or go to Technologies of the Self.

Difficult Choices Nowadays!

We want to be as healthy as we can be, even though we don't have the land or the time to grow all our own organic food, but we go to places that try to provide us with choices, like Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and many more . . .

Yet, what is best? What is best for our families? What is best for the people that work in the fields?  What is best for the planet?

Garlic kills brain cancer cells

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina discovered three elements found in garlic that are effective in the killing of a fast growing type of brain cancer cell.

"This research highlights the great promise of plant-originated compounds as natural medicine for controlling the malignant growth of human brain tumor cells," according to Swapan Ray PhD.

"To take advantage of any potential anti-cancer benefits from garlic cut and peel a piece of fresh garlic. . . and let it sit for fifteen minutes before eating or cooking it. This time allows for the release of an enzyme (allinase) that produces the anti-cancer compounds. Eating too much garlic can cause diarrhea, allergies, and internal bleeding, so it is important to monitor garlic consumption."

"The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you.  It's that they are so good for you they could save your life."                                                                                 --TIME  10/20/03

None of Us Eats our Veggies

No matter how much we know about the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, "fewer than a third of American adults eat . . .what the governments recommends", and we haven't for over 10 years! 

Senior citizens seem to be trying the hardest to eat their fruits and veggies.  Evidently we really need to see the end in sight before we start to eat the way that we know we should.

The great majority of younger adults (18-24) that continue to imagine themselves invulnerable to disease, aging, car accidents (whatever), still avoid veggies, if they have them at all. (LA Times, 3/16/07)

Well, good reason for me to swallow my Juice Plus+capsules.  I never just cook vegetables for myself, do you?  I never cook anything just for myself. 

Local Even Better Than Organic?

It looks like we need to look at the BIG picture, when we go to our favorite organic grocers.  What does it cost in petroleum and other dangers to the environment?  "In the UK, researchers calculate that purchasing food grown within a 12-mile radius has a greater positive impact than buying organic food that is not local, substantially lowering the environmental cleanup costs from $2.3 billion per year to under $230 million.  That's a 90% savings!"

To start off, we do not need spring and summer fruits during the winter, in fact, there is substantial evidence that it is healthier to eat according to our own environment's seasons and personal bio- rhythms. 

Of course, we may be more concerned with the immediate effects of pesticides and decreased nutrition for our own selves and families.  The best case scenario would be local AND organic.  Let's definitely push for that in our own communities.  But, as an example of the broader issue---

"In one year, the port of New York City exported $431,000 of California almonds to Italy and imported $397,000 of Italian almonds to the U.S.  That's nuts!" (Adbusters, March-April 2006, via Open Exhange Magazine, July-Sept. 2006).