We have all heard about all the pesticides, insecticides and herbicides sprayed on our fruits and vegies. According to Peter Greenlaw and his research, if we eat the recommended number of fruits and vegetables for good health, we will have ingested 1 gallon of pesticides each year.
If you have thought in the past you would love to eat organic and you find it is not in your budget, here is some help.
There has been a list created called The Dirty Dozen and now a new list comprised called The Clean Fifteen. This list was comprised and is updated regularly as things change by the EWA Environmental Working Group.
The Shopper’s Guide will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and so are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce, according to EWG calculations.
I have attached this list below if you would like a download and printable version click here
So the next time you shop for fruits and vegetables and you are not in the head space or budget to buy organic, do yourself a favour and buy from the 15 clean and avoid the Dirty Dozen. When you click on the link to download there is also an app you can add to your phone so you never have to forget what is on the list.
Happy Shopping!!
Namaste:)
Learning about Love
March 15, 2011
“Bring me a Higher Love. All We Need is Love. Love conquers all. “
All familiar lines and songs and how do we understand them?
In the past when I have been asked,” Do you love yourself?” I would respond almost indignantly, “Well of course I do.”
As I learn and grow and experience life, I see it differently. I recognize that I searched for love outside myself. If there was no one outside myself to “love” I would feel as though something was missing in my life. My relationships were a form of validating my existence. If you remained worthy of being loved and you could fulfill that need in me, it was all good. As it was never a state of internal love flowing from source there was never any real satisfying, lasting relationship with self or otherwise.
On my journey of life and the desire for fulfillment I have found a space of love I have never known. I knew it existed and so I sought it but did not capture or understand and so did not know what I was seeking. I just knew and ached for something I did not have.
About a year and a half ago a friend of mine on the same journey of seeking said to me and I paraphrase; I have come to realize that my seeking of that relationship I desire, outside myself can never fulfill me. That desire is truly that of having a relationship with God, spirit, higher self or whatever you would feel comfortable calling it. That is the only relationship that can satisfy this need.
I take that a step further. Connecting with that love, that spiritual love is the flow, but if you miss the self love aspect, you’ve still missed the boat, for then the seeking never stops. For there still seems to be this outside of self, greater than self, separateness. When the self love can come from the same well of endless love, everything changes. Then the love you have to give does not count of specific behaviour. You can love regardless of that. Think of Mandela and Gandhi. Do you think they had self love and were connected to the ocean of love that is available to all of us? How else could they have walked through the persecution they endured and come out and delivered peace and love to the world and had the kind of impact they had.
Does this love mean that you stay in a place or relationship that is destructive? No it does not, but leaving it does not mean that love cannot be present. If being in an environment is destructive to your health and well being then you choose the action that is necessary. And you can still love!!
A great book I have recently picked up with the recommendation of Mike Dooley is Love for No Reason by Marci Shimoff.
I breathe in love and and breathe out gratitude, is my mantra to centre, ground and open and see the world in a whole new way!
Namaste!
All we need is Love…
March 8, 2011
Where there is enough love, there is no fear! When fear is present, it squeezes love out.
Underneath it all, there is Love and there is Fear. Each decision we make comes from one place or the other.
This morning I was reading from a wonderful book called, Love for no Reason, by Marci Shimoff. In this book she has interviewed what she calls Love Luminaries. The book is filled with amazing stories of life altering events through the practice of unconditional love.
When we love from a healthy unconditional state, there is always more love that flows.
“When we live with an open heart, we effortlessly radiate love because the channel connecting you to the love at your core is unobstructed. You’re able to give and receive love as freely and naturally as you breathe in and out. Kindness compassion, forgiveness and gratitude become second nature, and hostility, hurt, indifference and loneliness dissolve.
While the rest of the energy centres of the body have to be healthy to keep your heart open, they are the supporting actors in this particular play. The heart, the star of the show, is where love is actually felt, received and expressed. If the heart centre is not open, love simply can’t flow.
Strengthening this centre of the love-body paves the way for you to experience love in connection to others and the world. It’s the path to true benevolence, heartfelt service, and healthy relationships.
To make sure this Doorway of Openness is flung wide, you have to clear away the blocks.”
I find when I am in a state of love there is this hum in my whole being; that I experience. A sense of fullness and calm. A real sense of joy. There is no attachment this space and then I know I am being in a clear state. I recognize this is not always so and am willing to practice it.
One practice I would like to share today, is practicing acts of kindness. As you go through our day, smile at others, open doors, say thank you, good morning, let that person in as you are driving! If you want to have an added bonus feel loving as you do that. Sound corny? Try it and see what the impact is on your day and how you feel.
Let me know what you notice!! Would love to hear from you.
Light,
Kate Unger
Interesting Bite on Apples
October 10, 2010
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. Well there are new studies showing that apple juice has a positive impact on the cognitive function of alzheimers patients.
From an excerpt of an article written in Psychology today…a study was done with 21 people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. Each consumed 8 ounces of apple juice a day for a month and the behavioral and psychotic symptoms of the disease fell by 27 percent. The test patients experienced reductions in anxiety levels, agitation, and delusional symptoms. They are seeing this a great adjunct to helping people with alzheimers symptoms.
I would suggest taking it up a couple of notches. One, I would juice my own apples and even more importantly I would make sure they were organic. Eliminating the pesticides and so forth at least not adding to the toxic load of the body.
Constantly we go back to nutritional deficiency with all of these illnesses…we are seeing the link. Besides that, as we age our ability to digest properly declines as the liver gets loaded up with toxins and the body becomes burdened as well as our digestive enzymes decline with age…
The food that we are producing is also nutritionally bankrupt, so even if we believe we are eating well are we getting the nutrients our body needs? Thats another article…
So for your health eat an organic apple or 2 a day, drink organic apple juice and see what happens…and feed your parents or grandparents the same…especially if they are suffering with this disease.
Staying away from the buffet and other healthy choices
July 17, 2009
Buffets and social functions whose tables are laden with tempting treats can be trying unless you have a well-planned strategy to help you make wise choices. Whether you are on holiday, or at a work function, you probably shouldn’t just view your time as out of the ordinary experience and thus overindulge.
Buffets really are survivable if you follow just a few simple tricks, like the following:
- Drink only water and unsweetened juices
- Stay away from the breads, deep fried breaded items, and starchy foods
- Eat lots and lots of raw or steamed veggies and fruits before going near any other foods
- Stay away from the dressings and dipping sauces
- Try to stay far far away from the desserts table(s)
- Plan to eat a bit anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before you have to face the buffet – better than going when you’re starving and thus will find it harder to make smart choices
- Plan for 1 treat a day and make sure that you eat it – you will feel you’ve been deliciously bad and that will help to keep you true to your other menu choices
For many of you, unless it truly is a once or twice yearly experience, the buffet is something to be avoided completely as the wide variety of offerings and the lure of ensuring you ‘get your money’s worth’ is just too strong of a temptation!
Tables loaded down with food remain a central part of too many social gatherings yet as long as you don’t use them as an excuse to go wild, you’ll be fine. If there are some foods that you just can’t do without, then ensure that you balance them by choosing wisely with the rest of your meal. If your greatest desire is to eat healthier but need that extra help or coaching to discover how, try contacting a really good health and wellness practitioner who will be able to help you in gaining back your energetic and healthier lifestyle. Healthy choices and nutrition are a conscious decision that you can easily learn and follow until it becomes second nature.
Everyone knows that eating too much can affect your health, but did you know that what you eat and drink during the day could affect your sleep at night?
Kate, at You Potentiality reminds that there are many things, medication, like caffeine, smoking, heavy food and carbs, and even alcohol consumed too close to bedtime that can affect your sleep and therefore your health. Ironically, even medication for insomnia can have adverse health effects and cause you to lose sleep. Follow the quick tips below and check out the recommended general relaxation and rebalancing techniques combined with a personalized cleansing and nutrition system to help you in gaining a healthier sleep pattern.
Quick tips to aide your sleep:
- Don’t eat carbs after 6pm This one is admittedly the hardest tip to follow but staying away from the chips and cookies while watching the evening news will bring about the quickest and most beneficial health benefit. Your sleep will be easier.
- Ensure a dark and quiet sleeping environment. Turn off the TV, lower your blinds or wear a night-shade over your eyes. If your room is too bright or too noisy, you are losing the health benefits of a deep sleep
- Put a quiet time into effect in the hour or two before bedtime. Just like when you were a child, that quite time is beneficial in helping to put the stresses and stimulus of the day behind you.
- Count sheep. Don’t laugh! Keeping your mind engaged in a boring activity can numb your brain into a boredom induced and relaxing sleep.
- Progressive muscle relaxation Quite easy to do, while lying down for bed, this technique involves every muscle group in your body. Starting at your toes, you tense all their muscles as tightly as you can, count to 10 and then completely relax them again. Do this for every separate muscle group in your body, working your way up from one by one to the top of your head.
You Potentiality can help you relax and calm your nervous and digestive system to bring about a very natural state of well being that will help to enable a natural and healing sleep.
Insomnia and stress reducing relaxation techniques
May 23, 2009
Did you know that most people will experience insomnia – the inability to sleep – at some point during their lives?
If you are experiencing insomnia, its important you believe that your nights don’t have to be sleepless or frustrating! And even if you are sleeping eight hours a night, but are waking up feeling drowsy and fatigued during the day, you may be experiencing insomnia.
By examining the cause of your insomnia, and trying one of the many stress relief strategies, such as Shiatsu therapy, available to you, you’ll be taking the first step toward getting some much-needed rest.
Luckily, there are drug-free alternative strategies for curing insomnia that are less expensive, non-addictive, and usually provide longer-lasting relief. Relaxation techniques to quiet the mind and reduce stress will lead to better quality sleep.
You Potentiality’s skilled and educated Shiatsu therapist, Kate Unger is well known for her Shiatsu and combination therapy sessions that relax and calm your nervous system to bring about a very natural state of well-being that will help to enable a natural sleep.
Call Kate to book your Shiatsu session, your body will thank you and your soul will breathe a sigh of stress reduced release.
Need help to think yourself healthy?
May 9, 2009
There are many studies being done on the correlation of the effect of your positive moods and your continued good health. Remember how often we’re told to look on the bright side when we’re feeling down or stressed? Well, now it appears that our internal philosophies, especially how optimistic we are, potentially has a greater impact on our health and wellness than we ever thought possible.
Understanding that keeping a positive attitude is never more important than when overcoming great personal adversity, and receiving extra help to do so can also be crucial.
Luckily, learning some simple stress management tools while seeking de-stressing treatment, such as a Craniosacral Therapy (CST) session with Kate Unger at You Potentiality, will help you to return to a more optimistic, healthier you. As a complement to your body’s natural healing processes, CST is used as a preventive health measure in an effort to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with Stress and Tension-Related Problems.
So smile, and call Kate to book your CST session, because we all need the relief a caring health and wellness coach can bring to us.
Kate Unger of You Potentiality will be giving an informative talk this week at a retirement residence.
This 1/2 hour session, aptly named a “HealthBite” will be geared towards the employees of a retirement residence. This is not the first time Kate has visited this facility; her first talk was directed towards the residents of the seniors home. The HealthBite was so very well received that Kate was invited to return, this time to speak to the staff.
If you are interested in Kate coming to your place of business, organizaion, or group, please contact You Potentiality. She will specificaly gear her presentatation so that it is pertinent and beneficial for your particular audience. Seniors, athletes, office workers, labourers, and youth can all benefit from a 1/2 hour HealthBite with Kate Unger. The advice she gives will help the audience realize better health and wellness, which will result in fewer sick days and an increased sense of well being, leading to more positive attitude and outlook, higher energy levels, and better short and longterm performance.
Contact Kate about 1/2 hour HealthBite session
Learn more about our talks: Health and Wellness in Mississauga and Toronto
Ear Candling Sessions and Other Alternative Therapies
March 17, 2009
Since writing a brief post about ear candling appointments in Mississauga, You Potentiality has been getting a lot of calls, questions and bookings for ear candling sessions. We have also been getting a lot of people booking appointments on the advice of their doctors, who have been suggesting ear candling as an alternative to syringes.
If you have questions or concerns about ear candling, please feel free to give You Potentiality a call. We will do our best to offer great advice, even if you choose not to get your ears candled. The best advice we can give, however, is to get your ears candled by a professional, such as You Potentiality’s own Kate Unger. It is true that you can purchase ear candles from some natural food and remedies stores but this is not something that should be attempted on your own. Just think logically about it and you will agree. Wax, open flames, and sensitive ear canals. This procedure should take place under the care and supervision of an experienced person.
Another question that we have been asked involves You Potentiality pricing. We tend to charge a little above the going rate for ear candling appointments in Toronto. This is because of two reasons. The first is that we are knowledgeable and more experienced than most who perform this procedure. Our second reason for charging a little more than some other ear candlers is because, during our an ear candling session we also utilize a combination of other alternative therapies, including craniosacral therapy and healing touch therapy to ensure that our clients recieve the maximum benefit from their ear candling sessions.
As we mentioned, if you have any other questions, or would like to book an ear candling session in Mississauga or Toronto, please contact us. Our number is 416-854-0486.
