Compassion Meditation

Today I'd like to share a compassion meditation from my EarthRain meditation newsletter:

We start with a wonderful insight from Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, who observes...

When you are guided by compassion and loving kindness, you are able to look deeply into the heart of reality and see the truth.

We'll work with this insight in today's compassion meditation.

Step by step, here's what to do...

Sit in a comfortable chair or on your meditation cushion, and then take several long, slow, deep breaths.

Repeat the long, slow, deep breaths until you feel your mind and body shifting into a much lower gear. You'll recognize this when it happens because everything will suddenly seem much more clear to you.

Once you've calmed and centered yourself with the deep breathing, visualize the sorriest, most pathetic, appalling human being you've ever seen.

In your mind's eye, focus in on as many details of this person as you can.

When you're practically shuddering with disgust at the mental image, stop.

Now, shift... and send toward this mental image every iota of love and compassion in your body and soul.

If you're doing this technique correctly, a dramatic wave of peace and bliss will wash through you.

It may be intense enough to give you goose bumps or to even send a shudder of joy through your body.

That's the power of compassion and loving kindness.

It works.

And it's available to you every second of your life.

Every second.

All you have to do is breathe in, stop, open the valve to your limitless compassion and loving kindness and let it wash through you.

Then share it by breathing it out into the world.

Pure joy and bliss.

It's that simple.

Until next time, wash the world with love and please share this compassion meditation with others.

Chet Day
Editor, EarthRain Meditations
Editor, The Natural Health Circus

Greedy Bastards

My God, the Thanksgiving and Christmas craziness in this country is cranking up again.

I don't know about you, but during this time of the year I often wish I lived alone in a cave in the mountains of Siberia or something.

Does Siberia have mountains?

Hell, I don't know.

But that doesn't matter anyway.

What does matter is the new stuff we have for you on our website.

We have two articles this week that I consider "must reading."

The first one is on the topic of sleeping positions, and I know you'll find it as interesting a read as I did.

We can thank Josh Day for writing that one.

We can also thank Josh for the second article, which deals with the most recent cynical attempt by the greedy bastards in the pharmaceutical and medical establishments to get even healthy people on prescription drugs for life.

Prescription drugs, I might add, that have dangerous side effects.

And if you don't believe me on that one, ask your doctor why you have to have your liver tested regularly when you're on their statins.

Duh.

You have to have your liver tested because statins are so toxic!

And if you still don't believe me, check out the excellent article devoted to statins side effects at The Weston A. Price Foundation website.

Anyway, I'm starting to rant, so I'll put a plug in it and instead let you scroll down to the links and descriptions of the new articles on our website this week.

How Sleep Positions Affect Your Slumber
Lack of sleep, as well as troubled or shallow sleep, can lead to health problems and fatigue during the day. Even if you don't have insomnia, you may not be getting adequate sleep due to your sleeping position.

Healthy People Should Take Statins, Media Says
So says a recent study, funded by the statin drug makers themselves. That's right, healthy people with "normal" cholesterol levels will benefit by taking their drug. Remember Vioxx, anyone?

Five Foods for a Healthy Digestive System
If you have G.I. problems, you may benefit from including one or more of the following five foods in your diet - all of which are rich in nutrients that are particularly important to the health of your digestive system.

Tim Russert: Would Fish Oils Have Saved His Life?
Dr. Jay Cohen writes, Russert had some signs of heart disease and was receiving standard medical treatment. Treatment included medications for reducing elevated blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. These therapies are not particularly useful in preventing sudden cardiac death.

That's it for now.

Chet "Sleep Positions" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Talk to Yourself

This beautiful Monday morning I want to share an extract from a comprehensive self-improvement book that I've found useful in my life.

In this extract, you'll learn how to talk to yourself to improve your health.

Whoa!

The book's title is Five Steps to Personal Power and was written by a psychologist named Patrick Ryan.

Here's what Dr. Ryan has to say about self talk...

Even though there are twenty-four hours in a day, I don't believe that all time is created equal. I am convinced that what happens to us during both the first and last ten minutes of each day is inordinately important.

An athlete would not dream of starting a physical activity without first stretching and warming up. Similarly, we need to psychologically stretch and warm up each morning before starting our day. Following is the psychological warm-up that I use every morning.

Wake-Up Stretch

Set your alarm clock for five minutes before you actually need to get out of bed. Or, better, eliminate the need for alarm clocks by learning to auto-suggest a wake-up time when you go to bed at night. In any case, it is important to wake up gently, without feeling rushed. Before you get out of bed, ask (and answer) these three questions:

What do I have to be thankful for?

What do I have to look forward to today?

What can I do today to move me closer to my goals?

If you wake up in the morning and ask a question like "Oh God, another day: why me, Lord?" the super-computer will spend the rest of the day validating those questions. But the opposite is also possible. If you ask questions like, "What do I have to look forward to today?" the super-computer will make every attempt to validate that question. So the choice is really yours: you can either program your super-computer with garbage, or program it with empowering thoughts and questions.

Morning Pep Talk/Mirror Talk

This technique is simple, yet so very powerful, if you try it for even one week, I bet you will see results. Within the first fifteen minutes each morning, put yourself in front of a mirror. Your morning Pep-Talk should be very brief (10-15 seconds), should have some humor in it, and should be positive. You should also make certain that you establish unbroken eye contact with yourself in the mirror.

A sample morning Pep-Talk might go something like this: "Good morning, you good-looking devil. This is going to be a fabulous day, and I'm going to make the most of it. I am really looking forward to working on that project today. I'll be unbeatable."

Another idea is to use a water-soluble pen to write an inspirational or motivational word, sentence, or short quote on your mirror. This kind of "mirror talk" is a surprisingly powerful method to program your super-computer in a positive way.

Note from Chet: I use many of the simple but highly effective self-improvement techniques found in Dr. Ryan's Five Steps to Personal Power and I bet you'd find them helpful too.

Oh, if you have a self-improvement tip you'd like to share, scroll down a bit to the "Comments" link and give it a click and then type away to your heart's content.

Chet "I Talk to Myself Constantly" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Right to Die

With my 61st birthday not too far around the corner, I find that lately I've been giving some thought to doing what I can to make sure I clock out of this life the way I want to clock out and not how somebody in a white coat thinks I should go.

I know I'm in a minority, but I've believed since I was like six years old that each of us has the natural right to choose how and when we die.

I've never written about the right to die in America before though I thought about doing so several years ago when my parents passed away.

I miss my mother and father and think of them often, but I feel lucky because both of them died without having to undergo the pain, expense, and indignities associated with protracted illnesses and hospital horrors and nightmares.

You see, I believe that each of us should have 100% control over when and how we die.

Sadly, most of us don't have that control here in America.

Even if we have living wills, audio taped directions, and loud, aggressive relatives who know what we want, the chances are if we end up in a hospital to die, the doctors and hospital lawyers are going to make the decisions about how we check out.

Well, today I want to tell you about an empowering book written by a lawyer named William H. Colby.

Entitled Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America, this book is the most sane and thorough presentation I've ever seen on the topic of death in America.

If you were as appalled as I was by the manipulation, political exploitation, and general insanity surrounding the Terri Schiavo case, you'll have a much better understanding of exactly what happened to her (and to others like her) by reading Unplugged.

The most frightening fact of the matter is that exactly the same thing that happened to Terri Schiavo could happen to most of us because we haven't made the proper "just in case" preparations.

You see, contrary to common belief, living wills are ignored all too often by the men and women in the white coats running the hospitals and making decisions for their patients.

Happily, the author of Unplugged provides in the appendix of his book a powerful supplement and/or alternative to living wills. Colby, you see, includes for your use a blank copy of his personal Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions, a legal document designed by a lawyer who has been involved in some of the major right to die cases of our times.

Colby represented the family of Nancy Cruzan in the first right-to-die case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has appeared on Larry King Live, Hardball, Frontline, Today, CBS This Morning, and many national news network programs.

David Milch, creator of Deadwood and NYPD Blue, writes,

"Unplugged's story-telling captures one's attention while its scope and clarity command thoughtful concern. As we seek to exercise control in some aspects of circumstances in which control is often hard-won or illusory, this book's ultimate message is both insightful and reassuring. It should be read by everyone at the risk for dying."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Click here to visit the publisher's website, where you can read a bit more about Unplugged and/or order a copy for your health library.

As far as I'm concerned, if you're interested in having some control when it's time for you to pass on, this is a must read.

If you have something you'd like to say on this topic, you can comment below.

Chet "I'll Check Out on My Terms" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Simple Snack Cookies

It's Saturday, two days before the official start of Fall.

I'm running out of writing steam at the moment, so I'll keep today's blog recipe short and sweet.

Chet's Simple Snack Cookies

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins (soak overnight)
1 cup chopped raw cashews (or other nuts)
Raw organic honey

Combine the first three ingredients and then add honey until you have a consistency that you like.

You can either bake these babies at 325F until slightly brown or you can pop them into the frig and eat them uncooked.

These cookies are great tasting and good for you, too.

The recipe is easily modified, so tinker and play around and create variations to amuse and delight your family and friends!

By the way, here at CasaDay, when we make these simple, healthy snack cookies, we use organic raw honey and delicious raw cashews that we order from Dr. Ben Kim.

Chet "Simple Cookie" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Raw Honey Cashew Treat

It's Saturday afternoon as I write these words, and my fingers are sticking to the keyboard because I just finished eating a deliriously good and healthy snack, what I call...

Chet's Raw Honey Cashew Treat

1 handful of raw cashews
1 jar of raw honey

Open jar of of honey. Take one large raw cashew in hand and dip into honey. Let excess honey drain into jar. Insert honey-dipped nut in mouth and chew slowly and thoroughly.

Whoa, talk about a little taste of heaven right here on earth!

I mean, seriously, I've been traveling in the natural health circus since 1993, and this little concoction ranks right up there with the top five healthy snacks I've stumbled upon or created during all those years.

You can make this snack with cashews and honey you have on hand, but if you want to enjoy it in its delirious glory, I recommend ordering both cashews and honey from Dr. Ben Kim's website.

That's where I ordered mine, and if I continue to gobble cashews dipped in honey the way I've been doing it this past week, I'm going to have to make a new order soon.

Here are links to the cashews and honey my family and I eat...

Dr. Ben Kim's 100% Organic Honey

Dr. Kim's product is the sweetest and richest-tasting honey that's ever been in my 60-year old mouth.

I've been ordering and trying various raw honey brands for over 15 years now.

Sadly, I've been disappointed in almost all instances. In fact, the majority of the honey brands I've tried during that time weren't a whole lot better tasting than what I could buy at local farmer's markets.

With one notable exception -- several two gallon containers of a fabulous creamed raw honey I ordered from a family in Montana just before Y2K.

Well, I have to say that Dr. Kim's 100% organic honey is better tasting and far less expensive than the Y2K stash of raw honey that we'd consumed by 2003.

I also have to say that Dr. Kim's offering for sale the best organic cashews I've ever eaten.

Dr. Ben Kim's Raw Organic Cashews

I ordered four bags of these when I learned that Dr. Kim had added them to his catalog because cashews are my favorite nut.

The first bag of cashews I bought from Dr. Kim's site disappeared -- with the help of my wife -- in three days.

And at the rate I'm going now that I tried dipping these huge, delicious cashews in Dr. Kim's honey, the second bag will be gone in two days.

Anyway, try dipping cashews in honey.

After you've done so, you may well want share your thoughts on the Raw Honey Cashew Treat by using the "Comments" link below.

And share a healthy snack tip, too, if you have one.

Chet "Cashew Nutjob" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Easy Headache Relief

Today I want to share three easy headache relief methods I've learned over the years:

Let's start with this headache relief technique from Leslie N, who writes...

Whenever I get a headache, the first thing I do is wonder if I have been getting enough water. I'm terrible about that, and find if I get a little dehydrated it causes headaches, so my simple natural remedy is to drink water!

[Chet's Note: My experience with this approach is that it takes at least two eight-ounce glasses of water in a row to help a nagging headache.]

The second headache relief remedy comes from RFMom, who tells us...

If I get a headache my husband presses very hard on the acupuncture pressure point in between my thumb and first finger joint.

That point is about an inch back from the V where thumb and first finger join.

This WORKS instantly, like an on/off switch.

For some reason I can't do it for myself, though.

And Tom DeR provides us with his approach for headache relief...

I found Peppermint tea and Rosemary tea are excellent for headaches. You can read more about it in Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss.

Well, instead of three, why not four headache remedies?

Personally, on those occasions when I get a headache from working too long at the computer, I lay down and put on a pair of headphones and listen to my popular Cat's Purr CD with a cold pack on my forehead. Ah, relief!

If you have a favorite home remedy for headaches, I hope you'll take a few minutes and share it with Natural Health Circus blog readers. Just click on the "Comments" link below and start typing.

Chet "Headache Relief" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Healthy Raw Muesli

First, a little history lesson for those of you who've never heard of Muesli, which is pronounced properly as 'mju:zli.

Oh, that was a big help, wasn't it?

Anyway, natural health physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner created Muesli for patients in his Swiss healing clinic around 1900.

A major part of Bircher-Benner's therapy involved the use of a diet featuring plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. His healing diet was inspired by something he'd been served while hiking in the Alps, a food he called a "strange dish.

If you're old enough, you may remember when the cereal giants discovered Muesli in the 1960's and first started advertising their highly processed knock-off versions of the real thing.

Well, serious performers in the natural health circus make their own Muesli, and now I'm going to tell you exactly how to do it...

Healthy Raw Muesli

You're allowed to experiment with different ingredients for variety. Below you'll find a good basic recipe to work with.

1 cup organic rolled oats
1/2 cup organic rolled spelt
1/2 cup organic rolled triticale
1/2 cup organic rolled kamut or barley
1/4 cup chopped organic dates
1/4 cup organic raisins, currants, cherries, goji berries, or cranberries
1 dried organic apricot or pear, chopped (roll in oat flour to prevent stickiness)
1/4 cup raw, whole, organic unblanched almonds
1/4 cup raw organic cashews
8-10 organic raw filberts
4 organic raw pecans

In a blender or spice/nut grinder, grind filberts and pecans into coarse crumbs or powder, depending on preference. Combine all ingredients in an airtight container. For each serving, place a heaping 1/3 cup in a bowl and top with your favorite healthy liquid (nut milk, raw milk, juice, etc.)

You're not going to find a muesli or breakfast cereal at the supermarket that could touch this recipe with a thirty-foot pole, believe me.

In fact, you could sell this stuff at flea markets and probably earn a nice little supplemental income.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Chet "Muesli" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Watermelon Tip

If you're anything like me, you love cold watermelon, especially after mowing the lawn or jogging for a half hour.

Unfortunately, watermelon is most nutritious at room temperature.

No kidding.

You see, watermelon ripens and continues to build up healthy antioxidants after it's picked.

And cold temperatures put an end to that process.

So keep your watermelon on the kitchen counter until you're ready for that first great big serving. At that point, slice that melon open and dig in with both hands.

Or use a spoon if you're dining with the Queen or descendants of the Vanderbilts.

After everyone in the family has had their fill, if there's any left, store your newly cut watermelon in the refrigerator.

Whoa, I want some right now. How about you? :)

Chet "Watermelon Lover" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Apricot Pecan Cookies

Today I'd like to share a recipe from Sheryl, one of my newsletter subscribers, who learned it from a friend.

This excellent recipe for a healthy raw cookie was first published in February of 2005 in my Amazing Cookies newsletter, so it's a classic:

Apricot Pecan Cookies

2 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
4 cups muesli
2 cups coarsely chopped raw pecans
3/4 cup honey
1 Tbs vanilla
1 3/4 cup raw organic almond butter
1/2 cup chopped dates
Dash of salt (optional)

Stir all ingredients together. Shape into flat round cookies about 1/2 inch think. Makes 4 dozen cookies. Refrigerate or freeze these cookies immediately. You can vary the dried fruit to change flavor.

Hint from Sheryl

Rinse hands often and keep them moist while forming the cookies. The dough won't stick as much.

Comment from Chet

Yes, you'll have to get your hands messy to make this recipe, but, believe me, the results are worth it. You're not going to find a healthy cookie like this at your local supermarket!

Chet "Healthy Cookie" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Celery is a Superfood

Hurray, science is gradually catching up with what Natural Health Circus readers have known for a long time -- that the lowly celery is in actuality a superfood.

Researchers, you see, are learning in on-going studies that celery generates luteolin and diosmin, two important compounds that help fight degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.

Luteolin and diosmin appear to block inflammation that causes brains to start shrinking and dying. In experiments on mice with Alzheimer's, luteolin and diosmin reduced the levels of amyloid beta, which forms the sticky deposits that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know a healthy balanced diet can reduce dementia risk. This work reinforces the need to eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.”

Well, I don't know about you, but I eat celery every day of my life and usually consume four or five big stalks with some hummus as a mid-afternoon snack.

During the spring and summer, I like nothing better than to drink 16 or so ounces of freshly extracted celery juice after mowing the lawn.

I know of no better mineral replacement drink than fresh celery juice.

And, happily, unlike so many veggies these days, celery is still a pretty good buy.

If you don't have celery in your diet, today is a good time to change that, isn't it? :)

Chet "Celery Lover" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

5 Happiness Tips

The following tips on how to be happy are so simple-minded, you may be tempted to not try them.

That would be a major mistake because these techniques were scientifically documented and verified by a British "happiness team" that included psychologist Dr Richard Stevens, psychotherapist Brett Kahr, work place specialists Jessica Pryce-Jones and Philippa Chapman, social entrepreneur Andrew Mawson OBE and Richard Reeves, whose expertise spans philosophy, public policy and economics.

Here are five steps to happiness that the team identified:

1) Plant something and nurture it.

2) Count your blessings -- at least five -- at the end of each day.

3) Take time to talk and have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.

4) Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up.

5) Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.

I don't care how busy you are, you can find a couple minutes in your day to try these five happiness tips.

So do it, by golly!

And if you have a tip on how to be happy, please use the "Comments" link below to share it with readers of The Natural Health Circus. :)

Chet "Mr. Happy" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Cabbage for Health

Cabbage isn't exactly the most glamorous or romantic of vegetables, but it is one of the healthier, and you should be eating the stuff on a regular basis.

If you want a healthy crockpot recipe with cabbage, try this one...

Pritiken's Potato Stuffed Cabbage

1 head cabbage
5 lb potatoes -- peeled
2 onions
1/2 cup rice, raw
1 tsp dill, dried
1/4 tsp black pepper -- ground
2 egg whites
1 can tomatoes (28 oz)
1 apple -- peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp ginger, dried -- ground

Parboil cabbage and separate the leaves. Slice off part of the heavy stalk of each leaf by slicing parallel to the leaf (do not cut into the leaf).

Grate potatoes, small inner leaves of cabbage, and one of the onions. Mix together. Add rice, dill, and black pepper. Beat egg whites until frothy and add to potato mixture.

Set aside two or three of the largest leaves. Fill each remaining cabbage leaf with approximately 2 Tbs. of the potato mixture. Fold up bottom of leaf, then fold in the sides, and roll up. Secure with toothpick if necessary.

Slice the reserved leaves and line the bottom of crockpot with them. Slice second onion and layer on top of cabbage. Add tomatoes, apple, and ginger. Place rolled stuffed cabbages into pot.

Cook at low heat for 4 to 5 hours.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

One more quick suggestion that's cabbage related...

The 7-day Cabbage Soup Diet works -- in the short term, anyway.

And there's a purity to it, especially in summer when it's wonderfully refreshing served ice cold. Ingredient proportions can be varied according to your likes and dislikes.

If you're interested in the popular The Cabbage Soup fad diet, yes, we have it on our website. Just click here to read all about it.

Chet "Cabbage Eater" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Olive Oil and Your Colon

Most health authorities agree that consuming a high-fiber diet helps keep the colon free from disease.

The reason for that is obvious -- like a broom, fiber cleans the intestines while helping to prevent constipation.

Well, in addition to fiber, I bet you didn't know that having a little olive oil each day may also help keep your colon healthy by lowering your risk of colon cancer.

Olive oil contains a high concentration of squalene, which, according to studies, gives olive oil its cancer-fighting powers.

So keep your colon healthy and happyl by adding a tablespoon of olive oil to your salad everyday.

What's that you say?

You'd like to have a tasty salad dressing recipe using olive oil?

Done!

Healthy Moroccan Salad Dressing

2 Tbs lemon juice or wine vinegar
8 Tbs olive oil
4 small garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp sweet red pepper or Hungarian paprika
1/8 tsp hot red pepper (cayenne)
Salt and black pepper
4 Tbs Italian parsley, chopped
4 Tbs cilantro, chopped

Mix together all the ingredients and let sit for a while to allow the flavors to marry. Then use.

Yes, you're right. The above recipe came from our popular collection, 101 Healthy Salad Dressings!

Chet "Clean Colon" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Calming Meditation

I haven't shared a calming meditation with you in quite a while, so this Sunday morning let's turn to a Chinese proverb...

Outside noisy, inside empty.

For the next seven days (or more if you like), focus on the difference between the noise in the world and the empty quiet place behind your mind.

To become aware of your quiet place, take a long, slow, deep breath, focus on the pause between breaths, and feel your consciousness shift.

Repeat this conscious breathing exercise three to six times and slow yourself way down.

There, there it is.

The inside empty that is the real you, the real you have not noticed most of the time because of the outside noisy.

Stay with your inside empty as long as you can.

There's peace there.

And it's never more than a few breaths away.

If you like this meditation and would like to receive one similar to it, click here to sign up for my popular meditation newsletter EarthRain, which goes out to over 16,000 subscribers every week.

Until next time,

Chet

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Waffle Stomper Snack Bars

This beautiful Monday morning I have a healthy snack bar recipe for you that's better than fresh waffles!

Waffle Stompers Snack Bars

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup honey
3/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tsp vanilla

Filling:

1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 F. Line a 13 X 9 baking pan with parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, crispy rice cereal, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and spices.

In a pan, combine the honey and apple juice and heat to blend thoroughly. Cool slightly, then stir in vanilla. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the honey mixture into the flour mixture. Batter will appear soupy Pour half the batter in the prepared pan.

To prepare the filling, combine the dates, raisins, and boiling water in a food processor or blender. Blend for 1 minute or until the fruit is pureed. Spoon filing over the batter, spreading evenly.

Pour remaining batter over filling, spreading evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden and firm to touch when pressed lightly. Allow to cool completely on a rack before cutting. Remove from pan. Peel off parchment and cut into 32 (2-inch) pieces. (I cut mine smaller.)

The flavor is best if you can allow the snack bars to rest 24 hours before eating.

Chet "Waffle Man" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Jaw Pain Remedy

Let's start this first Monday in March with a short and natural remedy for jaw pain, shall we?

According to dentist David Lerner, "People with TMD often think it's natural to clench their teeth all the time."

Well, that's just plain not the case.

In reality, clenching their teeth keeps their jaws tense and painful.

In Bill Gottlieb's excellent compiliation Alternative Home Remedies, Dr. Lerner advises, "To break the clenching habit, repeat this phrase to yourself throughout the day:

"Teeth apart, lips together, tongue on the roof of the mouth.

"For ideal jaw posture, put the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth right behind your front teeth.

"These corrections help to center the jaw and eliminate TMD problems," says Dr. Lerner.

Jaw pain relief doesn't get a whole lot easier and less expensive than that, does it?

Chet "No Jaw Pain" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com./blog

Natural Insomnia Remedy

Do you ever have trouble getting a really good night's sleep?

I bet that's the case.

You see, with most people working like crazy just to pay the bills, eight hours sleep every night often becomes a thing of the distant past.

Well, if you're suffering stress-related insomnia, I have a natural insomnia remedy that just might make all the difference...

How simple is this? To get a better night's sleep, eat a one ounce serving of fresh walnuts. Fresh means to bust them out of the shell yourself, if you can.

Then chew that one ounce serving slowly and thoroughly. Don't send the chewed nuts down the pipe until you've reduced them to a liquid.

You may be thinking, "What's the relationship between walnuts and insomnia?"

Well, walnuts are an extremely rich dietary source of seratonin, which creates feelings of relaxation and well-being in the human body. As a beneficial side effect, seratonin also tends to reduce appetite.

In addition to overcoming insomnia problems, eating fresh walnuts every day may also help you fight depression and lower cholesterol.

Nice, eh?

If the above approach doesn't rock your boat, I developed a natural insomnia aid that's even nuttier than walnuts.

It's a CD combining cat purring with natural sounds and advanced audio technology. Called Cat's Purr CD, for several years now this CD has evoked rave reviews from those using it for deeper and more satisfying sleep and relaxation!

Chet "Sleeps Like a Log" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Raspberry Vinegar Recipe

Are you sick of supermarket dressings that have an ingredient list that would be more appropriate in a college chemistry lab?

If you are, then I have a healthy, easy to make, and tasty alternative for you that I learned several years ago from Sue Ernest, who sent me the following email:

Raspberry Vinegar Recipe

Chet, I have a terrific recipe for Raspberry Vinegar that I'd like to share.

It's easy to make. All you do is half fill a wide-necked bottle with fresh raspberries. Then fill up to one inch from the top with apple cider vinegar.

Close the bottle tight and leave for a few weeks. It's a beautiful thing to have on the shelf!

When you feel that the color and the taste will have been absorbed properly, sieve away the raspberries and you have raspberry vinegar, which is delicious in salads, dressings or as a drink composed of one teaspoon to a large glass of water.

Maybe this is an obvious recipe, but it's healthy and I usually make some extra to give to friends in a pretty bottle.

Thanks to Sue for sharing this recipe.

Chet "Raspberry Vinegar" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Asian Coleslaw

Just about everybody likes coleslaw, and today I have an unusual yet delicious and healthy recipe that you're going to be making for a long time.

Even the kids will like this one. Whoa!

Asian Coleslaw

5 Tbs rice wine vinegar
5 Tbs vegetable oil
5 Tbs peanut butter
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs minced ginger root
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 cups Napa cabbage shredded
2 red or yellow peppers, thinly sliced
2 carrots, julienned
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (fresh)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.

In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, Napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving. This recipe makes enough coleslaw for ten people.

Chet "Coleslaw" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Pure Fruit Cookies

If you're like me, you're always looking for a healthy snack because of your sweet tooth.

Well, today I have a great little recipe for you that's tasty, healthy, and easy to make...

Pure Fruit Cookies

3 medium size ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup favorite oil (I use coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup uncooked oat bran or creamy-style hot cereal
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped mixed dried fruits such as dates, apricots, and raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two large cookie sheets.

Mash bananas in large bowl until smooth. Stir in oil, vanilla, and salt. Add oats, oat bran, mixed fruits and nuts. Stir well to combine.

Drop by rounded measuring tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing about one inch apart. Flatten slightly with back of spoon.

Bake in preheated oven until bottom and edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool.

Thanks to Bev for sharing this recipe with me many, many moons ago.

If you have a healthy cookie recipe you'd like to share, please click on the "Comments" link below and start typing.

Chet "Pure Fruit" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Anxiety Relief Tips

Although it's not much fun or something most of us enjoy, a certain level of anxiety is appropriate and healthy under various circumstances.

With that said, here's a disturbing statistic -- it's estimated that 18% of the adult U.S. population (over 40 million of us) suffer from anxiety.

Well, the next time anxiety is messing up your life, try one or more of the following five tips.

Slower Breathing

Most people who suffer anxiety or panic attacks breathe very shallowly. So when you feel anxious, inhale slowly and deeply and then exhale slowly and deeply. Continue slow breathing like this until you feel less stressed.

Look Up

Interestingly enough, a scientific study confirms that when you look down, you dive deeper into your feelings, and plenty of anxiety and panic lives in feelings. So to overcome anxiety, keep your head steady and look up for a bit, without straining.

Slow Down that Brain of Yours

If you, like most modern people, think in rapid bursts, consciously slow down mentally and formulate your thoughts in complete sentences. If you're speaking, slow the flow of words bursting out of your mouth and lower your voice to a deeper, calmer tone. You'll be surprised at the calm and peaceful mental state that comes from practicing these two simple tips.

Exercise Your Body

Everyone already knows this, but, alas, most people don't do it. So if anxiety's messing up your life, make time and start a regular exercise program because exercise endorphins will reduce muscle tension, lower stress hormones, and improve the quality of healing sleep.

Change Your Perspective

This one is so simple most people will dismiss it as being irrelevant. Big mistake. The tip works, so try it. The next time you feel anxious or panic, mentally scream in your mind "Switch off!" and take a long, slow deep breath. By the time you finishing inhaling, the anxiety will be greatly reduced or gone altogether. With consistent practice, this tip provides amazing results.

Okay, that's it for today. If you have a natural anxiety relief tip you'd like to share, click on the "Post a comment" link below and start typing.

Chet "Anxiety Free" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Oatmeal Pancakes Recipe

I'm practically a drooler for delicious and healthy oatmeal pancakes, and you're going to be one too once you try today's easy-to-prepare and delicious recipe for...

Chunky Apple Oatmeal Pancakes with Maple Cream

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs oat bran
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped apple
1 cup apple juice

Combine dry ingredients. Add raisins and apple. Gently stir in juice until dry ingredients are completely moistened.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a nonstick skillet or griddle. Cook until bottom is brown and spatula slips easily underneath. Turn and brown other side.

Maple Cream Topping

For a tasty and nourishing pancake topping, mix together equal parts of pure maple syrup and plain yogurt.

The above recipe only makes eight pancakes, so you better double or triple it!

If you have a healthy and tasty pancake recipe you'd like to share, please use the "comment" link below to post it right now.

Chet "Pancake Lover" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

How to Stop Snoring Tip

Here's a simple tip on how to stop snoring that anyone can use to end at least some of the nightly nose noise that's driving your partner crazy:

Warm Beverages Before Bedtime Help to Stop Snoring

Drinking a warm beverage just before bedtime has proven to be effective for a number of snorers. Adding a small amount of honey to the water can help coat the walls of the trachea. Some people have even found that combining honey, warm water, and apple cider vinegar creates a rather potent, yet non-addictive and non-fattening anti-snoring drink.

Herbal tea, particularly the kind labeled "Breathe Easy" (or anything that promotes an unclogged airway) can help prevent snoring. Some of these teas can also contain chamomile or other herbs that promote sleeping.

Bear in mind, however, that if the snorer becomes too relaxed, then while sleep may occur quite readily, it's important to remember that sleep isn't the problem: snoring is the problem!

So don't necessarily choose herbal teas that promote drowsiness or "sleepiness"; for snorers, any herbal tea that will clear the airflow/trachea should help alleviate some snoring.

If you found this tip useful, you'll want to click here to check out my very popular 34-page special report How to Stop Snoring without Surgery.

Chet "Stop Snoring Tip" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

P.S. If you have a stop snoring tip you'd like to share, please click on the "comment" link below and start typing.

Tibetan Monks Diet

I have a diet for you today that you should find quite interesting!

I've lifted the description of the diet pretty much verbatim from a fascinating little book originally titled The Eye of Revelation, which is more popularly known as The Five Tibetan Rites.

If you'd like to lose some weight and gain some energy, give this dietary program a try for two weeks.

You'll find it an interesting and fun adventure in natural health.

Without further ado, I give you...

The Tibetan Monks Diet

By Peter Kelder and Colonel Bradford
Excerpted from The Five Rites
http://fivetibetanrites.com

... after the tenth week Colonel Bradford no longer attended each weekly meeting. However, he still kept up his interest in the "Himalaya Club," and from time to time would speak on various subjects which would aid them in their work.

Sometimes the members requested him to advise them on some particular subject. For instance, we discussed among our selves one night the tremendously important part that food played in our lives. How the right food would make us more alive and vigorous while the wrong food would make us sluggish and dull.

None of us knew much about the subject, however, so we requested the Colonel to advise us at our next meeting as to the Lamas' policy regarding food.

"In the Himalayan Lamasery where I was a neophyte," said the Colonel, in addressing us the following week, "there are no problems concerning the right foods, nor in getting sufficient food...

"Now it is true that the Lamas are vegetarians, but not strictly so. They do use eggs, butter, and cheese in quantities sufficient to serve certain functions of the brain, body, and nervous system. But aside from this they do not need meat, for all who are strong and virile, and who practice Rite Number Six have no need of meat, fish, or fowl.

"Most of those who join the ranks of the Lamas are men of the world who know little about proper food and diet. Yet they are only in the Grand Retreat in the Himalayas a very short while when they begin to show wonderful signs of physical improvement, due no doubt to the diet in the Lamasery.

"No Lama is choosy about his meals. He can't be because there is little to choose from.

"A Lama diet consists of good, wholesome food but as a rule it consists of but one article of food to a meal that in itself is a secret of health. When one eats just one kind of food at a time there can be no clashing of foods in the stomach. Foods clash in the stomach because starches will not mix with proteins. For example, bread, which is starchy, when eaten with meats, eggs, or cheese, which are protein, sets up a reaction in the stomach which often causes not only immediate physical pain, but which contributes as well to a short life and a not particularly merry one.

"Many times in the Lamasery dining hall I have set down to the table along with the Lamas and eaten a meal consisting solely of bread. At other times I have had nothing but fresh vegetables and fresh fruits, while at still another meal I ate nothing but cooked vegetables and cooked fruits.

"At first I greatly missed the large variety of foods to which I had been accustomed; but after a short while I could eat and enjoy a meal consisting of nothing but dark bread or some one particular fruit. Sometimes it would be a feast of one vegetable.

"The point I wish to bring out to you gentlemen is not that you should resign yourselves to a diet of one kind of food to a meal but that you should keep starches, fruits, and vegetables separate from meats, fish, and fowl at your meals.

"It is permissible to make a meal of just meat. In fact, you could have several kinds of meats to a meal. You can have butter, eggs, and cheese with the meat meal, and dark bread, and, if you wish, coffee, or tea, but you must not end up with anything sweet or starchy. No pies or cakes or puddings.

"Then again, your meal can be strictly starches. Then you can indulge in all the sweet fruits, all the bread, butter, pies, cakes, puddings, and fresh or cooked vegetables you like without feeling any ill effects. But keep these meals separate.

"Butter seems to be a neutral. It can be used with either a starchy meal or with a meat meal. Milk, however, agrees better with starch meals. Coffee and tea should always be taken black, never with cream, although a small amount of sweetening will do no harm."

If what you just read was interesting to you, you'd enjoy reading and learning from Supercharge Your Energy with Five Secret Tibetan Rejuvenation Rites, which can be found at http://fivetibetanrites.com

Chet "Monks Diet" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

How to Unwind

When you find yourself getting all wound up and hot and bothered about one thing or another in the hectic life most of us live these days, try this simple technique to unwind and chill back down.

First, if possible, go outside.

Once outside (and this can be done inside in a stairwell or hallway if you can't go outside), look at your watch and start walking, slowly at first.

Increase your pace until you're moving at full stride.

Continue to walk, covering as much ground as possible for two minutes.

At that point, turn around and stride back to where you started.

As you return to where you started, listen to the sounds around you.

Put your eyes to work and look carefully at every detail. Focus and see.

Become aware of the moment.

As your visual and auditory awareness sharpens, let your stride naturally slow down, almost as if gliding back to where you began.

When you arrive at your starting place, come to a complete stop for a minute and just stand there.

Consciously relax your muscles.

Gently arch your back and glance up at the sky while taking a long, slow, deep breath. Slowly exhale while returning to an upright posture.

Repeat the deep breath and back bend twice more.

You're not wound up anymore, are you?

Now you now how to unwind better than most people living hectic lives on this crazy planet.

Chet "Unwound" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Soothing Cucumber Peel

Hey, the next time you're in the kitchen peeling cucumber, I have something for you to try.

If you're like me, you generally peel your cucumbers and then toss the skins in the bin for the compost heap or the garbage pick-up.

Well, next time, before you throw the peelings away, stop for a minute or two and run the inner sides of the peel over your face, hands, and arms for a soothing, refreshing, and very inexpensive skin treatment.

They'd charge you $78 or more in a European spa for a similar but most likely less natural skin softening procedure.

No baloney.

And a Hollywood star or Washington politician would pay even more because the spas these monied individuals frequent double or triple the prices of the European spas here in rural North Carolina.

And, yes, that was a joke.

There are no European spas in rural North Carolina.

Chet "Keep Peeling" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Fresh or Frozen Veggies

I recently had a good letter from a 21 Days to Health & Beyond participant asking me if canned or frozen vegetables were okay to eat while on the program.

That's a good question, as well as an easy one to answer.

First, fresh organic vegetables are always the best choice.

Second best would be frozen vegetables without any additives like sugar, salt, or preservatives.

Canned vegetables would be better than no vegetables in some cases, but be very careful with canned vegetables because many of them are loaded with additives.

Bottomline: Go with fresh organic whenever possible and as a second choice read all labels carefully and make your best decisions from there.

Oh, one more thing. Although you want to eat plenty of uncooked vegetables for superior health, it's also important to have some steamed veggies.

Interestingly enough, some nutrients in vegetables aren't as readily available raw as they are when cooked.

As usual, the key concept is to listen to your body and to strive for balance rather than extremes.

Chet "Likes His Veggies Fresh" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Healthy Bones Smoothie

Let's start 2008 off with a natural method for building healthy bones without resorting to expensive and side-effect ridden drugs or questionable calcium supplements.

The healthy bones smoothie recipe that follows was designed by Dr. Ben Kim, whose commitment to natural health is beyond compare.

Dr. Kim's Healthy Bones Smoothie

Large handful romaine lettuce (torn into pieces)
1 raw, organic egg
1 Tbs super green food powder
1 ripe banana
1 orange
1-2 tsp acerola cherry powder
1 Tbs cod liver oil
Water

Blend all ingredients together in a strong blender. Add water slowly until desired consistency is reached.

Notes: If you don't use a super green food powder, include an extra handful of romaine lettuce.

Thanks to Dr. Kim for permission to reprint his recipe. You should visit his fantastic natural health site by clicking here because Dr. Kim's site has one of the best collections of natural health articles and recipes on the entire Internet.

Oh, one more thing... this smoothie for healthy bones also tastes great!

Who could ask for more this cold winter day in January of 2008?

Chet "Healthy Bones" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog