A passion to serve

We often hear about folks wanting to discover their life's purpose, or their passion. By developing and cultivating these we are led to believe that we will be fulfilled and "finally" feel peace. After hearing of this man, Stephen Wampler, who willingly has climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park using only his hands....I knew I needed to assess my view on some things. The purpose of his climb was to raise money for disabled children to attend camp. Please take the time to visit the link above to learn more.

To learn of this mans passion and mission, was a testimony that all things are possible with God, and that to serve others selflessly has a ripple effect along the lives it touches. In an effort to multiply the goodness that has come from his efforts please select one of the following below to make a difference:

1. Donate to the  Wampler Foundation
2.  Hold the door open for someone and flash them a smile; honor the people you share this earth with
3. Call a friend or family member you haven't spoken to in over 3 months. Say hi, and appreciate the sound of their voice, and a brief catch up.
4. Pick up a piece of trash; if we all did this-think of how clean our space would be, and how much the earth would benefit. If you dont know what im talking about, visit The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
5.  Pick a foundation or special interest group to volunteer your time, donate some change, or get involved in some way that you are serving someone else.

Take a deep breath and smile...now doesnt that feel nice?

A more lively liver

It shouldn't be a shock to any one that our bodies abilities to function optimally is correlated with the food we eat. When we consume processed foods, we introduce chemical compounds that our bodies struggle to process, and over time the rhythm of our systems is altered. Scientifically speaking, the receptors in our bodies that respond to hormonal and chemical stimuli can no longer receive their messengers, and hence the reciprocal message doesnt get sent out to up or down regulate the next phase or stage in any given bodily process.

A nice way to reboot your system is to give your liver a vacation, to decrease the tax on your adrenals, and allow your body to return to "all systems go".

Tip #1: Add a cranberry drink before each of your three major meals for 2 weeks.
This includes 6oz of H20, 2 oz of unsweetened cranberry juice (less than 8 grams of sugar), 1/3 of a fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. You have the option of adding psyllium seeds or husks as well if you want to get your fiber in.

Tip #2: No added sugar to anything for 2 weeks. No splenda, no table sugar, no syrup....no sugar means no sugar. If you are going "all out" on this; please consider no processed food as well which may contain high fructose corn syrup and other hidden sugars which will inhibit your liver from getting back in check.

Tip #3: Decrease your meat intake and increase your veggie intake. Consume mostly vegetables, followed by fruits (1/3d the amount), nuts & seeds.

There are certainly more rigid steps that can be followed, but if you can start with these three...and stick to it for two weeks...you may notice improved energy, ability to burn fat (hooray!) and comprehensive improvement in how your systems work together.

PS: This is a great time to put your smoothie hat on and get those veggies into your daily fuel.

Recipe: One or two ripe mangos, frozen works well too....add a handful of parsley....blend and drink. So simple. So yummy.