It is COLD outside!!!! What better time to make a nice big pot of soup.  One of my favorite winter-time soups is Split Pea Soup.  It is hearty, warming, inexpensive, and very tasty.  Most recipes have ham, sausage, or some other icky pig parts in it.  (The vegetarian in me speaks out here)

Here is a very yummy vegetarian version of pea soup.  Start it about 6 hours before you want to eat.

In a large soup pot, bring to an-almost-boil, and then turn down to the lowest possible setting, skimming off any foam that may have formed, simmering for 3-1/2 hours:

• 3 cups dry split peas
• 8 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt

At the 3-1/2 hour mark, in a separate pot on medium heat, place 2 tablespoons of oil, and add, in this order:

• 2 descent-sized onions, minced
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 4 large stocks celery, diced
• 6 large carrots, diced
• 2 large potatoes, quartered and sliced thinly (I like red potatoes, scrubbed, with the skins on)

After the onions begin to soften, add 1/2 cup water, cover, and simmer until all vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes), then add to the pot of peas.  Continue to simmer for another hour.

 About 15 minutes before serving, add:

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

***This soup will thicken when it refridgerated, so if you have leftovers, add a little water to the pot when you reheat it to desired consistency.

I’ve recently added a new service to the menu at Metamorphic Massage For Women, a Body Polish, using a salt scrub made with all natural ingredients, including shealoe butter, jojoba oil, and essential oils of grapefruit and bergamot. 

Our skin takes alot of abuse, with exposure to the sun and wind, toxins in the air and the products we use, perhaps use of tanning beds, and improper water intake. Dry skin can make us feel years older than we are.  A Body Polish helps slough off dry, dead skin cells, and leaves your skin feeling softer, healthier, and much younger.  It also helps to improve circulation.

 A 30-minute scrub is $45.00.   It can also be combined with a 30- or 60-minute massage with products that leave your skin feeling ultra-hydrated.

 Remember—your skin is the largest organ of your body, and is the first defense system in staying healthy. Take care of yourself in every way possible.   

I am not a fancy kitchen gadget person.  I like to cook the old-fashioned way.  I chop all my vegetables with a knife, mix a lot by hand, I even have a manual can opener.  The fanciest thing I have in my kitchen at home is a food processor, which I finally broke down and purchased after I burned out my blender while making huge amounts of pesto with an overabundance of basil from my garden last summer.

But, I have to admit, I am having a blast in my sister’s kitchen while I am visiting her.  She is the kitchen-gadget queen.  I just made an apple pie with one of her tools, an apple peeler, also known as the  Back To Basics Apple and Potato Peeler.  It was the most fun I’ve ever had (Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration).  I think I could even make a few art-projects with it.  It not only peels and cores the apple, it also turns it into an accordian (without the music, of course).

It made a project that would normally take nearly an hour, what with all the peeling and slicing of the apples, take about 15 minutes.  I’d probably make pie every day if I had one of these things at home.

So if you like apple pie, but don’t make it as often as you would like to because peeling the apples takes so long, get one of these things.  It makes the process so simple, you can make pies for everyone you know and still have time left over in your day.

If nothing else, it can entertain the children…

A few miles north of my office on Six Forks Road in Raleigh,  a delighful new shop recently opened up, named When Pigz Fly.  They offer work created by local artists, on consignment.  Jewely, scuplture, pottery, watercolors, and more can be found in this eclectic little shop.  I am considering selling my hand-woven rayon chenille scarves there. 

You can’t miss the place…when heading North on Six Forks, it is a few miles past 540 on the left hand side.  The building is brightly painted, and there is a lovely little area at the back that looks like you would want to hang out there with a cup of tea and a good book.

If you are looking for a nice, unique gift, or want to treat yourself to something original, stop in.  You’ll be glad you did.

I am currently reading a book titled Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Everyday of Your Life.  It provides excellent guidance to re-awaken to the joy and exuberance a child experiences on a daily basis, emotions that most adults lose sight of when the stresses and strains of life become too much.  I am using the book as a reminder of how to stay physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

One of the readings reminds us how the emotions of love and appreciation can bring about physical healing.  We’ve all heard about people who are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses and are given a short time to live who make a major turnaround and live for years beyond what the medical profession predicted.  Generally, these people have positive outlooks, and are deeply spiritual people whose meditations and prayers are full of gratitude.

Negative thoughts weaken the immune system, which is the foundation of health.  The immune system works by attacking germs that enter our body.  Those of us who spend a lot of our time obsessing on negativity, who are angry at the world, and are unable to forgive, are more prone to heart disease, cancer, and other serious illnesses.

When we focus on experiencing joy, love, gratitude, and optimism, the sense of well-being can strengthen the immune system, which can fight off the pathogens that create illness.  As the author of the book states, “…the more we experience a sense of gratitude, the more endorphins and the less adrenaline we pump into our systems, thus contributing to longer, healthier lives.  As we count our blessings, we literally bathe ourselves inwardly in good hormones.” (p.20)

Do what you can to stay as healthy as possible, starting with a healthy mind. When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, or stressing over something that is going on in your life, stop a moment and find something to be grateful for in that moment.  Are you feeling stress from your job?  Be thankful that you have one.  Are the actions of your child causing you to feel angry?  Remember that her coming into your life was a true blessing.    Finding the positive in any situation can help you feel better, both emotionally and physically.

When my husband and I moved to the Raleigh area in North Carolina nearly 3 years ago, we bought a home with about an acre of land. I was thrilled to have a space where I could put in gardens. Being a vegetarian, my diet obviously contains a lot of vegetables, so it was only natural that I would put energy into creating space to grow our own food. I have lived with gardens most of my life, and find that working in them helps to calm my mind. It is also an excellent form of exercise, what with all the bending, digging, stretching, and lifting. (Who needs a gym?)

Having your own garden is an excellent way to conserve resources, given the state of the economy today. Higher gas prices mean higher food prices. By growing our own vegetables, I am able to drastically reduce the amount of money spent on groceries each week. Of course, our water bill does go up, especially during the hotter, drier months, but we offset this as much as possible by capturing rainwater from our roof and using it to water the garden. I did find that rain barrels are extremely expensive ($50 to $85 apiece). We combatted this by buying a whole bunch of trashcans for $10 each, several of which we placed in strategic locations around the outside our home. When they fill up, we use 5-gallon buckets to transfer the water to the trashcans near the garden. (A great substitute for weight-lifting). Using a watering can from there is a nice, inexpensive, and peaceful watering experience.

Our land is very interesting. There area areas that are a mixture of sand and rock, some areas that are pure red clay, and other areas that have good topsoil. Fortunately, the sunny, open area where we wanted to place the vegetable gardens had pretty good topsoil, so it made it a little easier. We chose to build raised beds, as that way the soil would be easier to work in years to come, and added compost to it to build the soil up.

I have learned that it is actually possible to grow vegetables year round in the area I live. Of course, I do find myself covering up plants when frost is predicted, and I have built little hoop houses to make that process easier. (These also help keep the neighborhood cats from using the freshly planted areas as a litter box.) There is an excellent book that I find myself constantly referring to, called Month-by-month Gardening In The Carolinas

Last year was our first year here with a garden. I was able to can spaghetti sauce, pickles, and pizza sauce, and freeze lots of pesto, squash, broccoli, beans, and okra. I continue to learn a lot more, and hope this year I am able to have a garden that produces year round. I am even experimenting with growing navy beans for a source of protein.

There is nothing better than home-grown vegetables on your plate for dinner. If you have the space, and some time, I higly recommend that you try growing your own food.

I am thrilled to see that there are signs to bring Whole Foods to North Raleigh, near the intersection of Six Forks and Strickland, which is only two blocks from where I practice Massage Therapy.  

Being a vegetarian who chooses to eat fresh, organic food, Whole Foods is my  number one choice for shopping.  Unfortunately, I find it difficult to squeeze in a trip to the one that is located on Wade Avenue, 10 miles south of my office, given that I live 25 miles north of my practice. To go to the current store takes me at least 2 hours with drive time if I go from the office.  It is often much easier to swing into one of the current local grocery options, even if the organic selection is slim and the produce is not as fresh. 

I would experience near  eternal bliss if there was a Whole Foods so close to where I practice.  If you support the effort, go to http://www.bringwholefoods.org  and sign the petition. 

For the past several years, I have seen advertisements in natural healing magazines for “Foot Detox Patches”, which are made of ingredients such as bamboo vinegar and tourmaline. While I’ve been tempted to experiment, as I’m always curious as to these kind of things, it wasn’t until recently that the urge got stronger. Recently, I was in a store buying something for my massage practice, and saw them on a shelf. Go figure.  Of course, I couldn’t stop thinking about them, so a few days later I went back and purchased a box of the patches. I decided to chronicle my experiment, which is being done with an open mind.

Day 1:

Pre-Patch body awareness:  Lower back pain (I’ve had for 2 days), neck issues (pretty common, although I am concerned about a lump in my scalp that makes me think I’m misaligned.  But that’s another posting).  I am tired, but its been a long day.

Off to the bathroom…wash the feet, and dry thoroughly.  I took my toe-ring off, because metal can mess with energy flow, and I don’t want any intrusions.

After I peel the backing off the adhesive, I take the little patch out of its protective pouch, poke it a bit out of curiosity, smell it…very tentatively… It smells a little like smoke, nothing too nasty.  I place it ever so gently on its adhesive nest, and take a deep breath.  Ok, I am ready.  I then place it on the bottom of my left foot.  Immediately I feel some warmth and tingling.  Repeat the process for the right foot, without the poke-n-sniff.  Again, I feel warmth.

The directions say put them on an hour before bedtime.  Walking around the house on them a bit before climbing into bed was rather odd.  I am someone who goes barefoot as often as possible, so it was uncomfortable having something stuck to the bottom of my feet.

When I did get into bed, I noticed that my arms, back, and neck began to tingle a bit.  Not in a scary way. Rather soothing in fact. Interesting.  Kind of like an energy flow.

I had to get up a few times during the night to go to the bathroom.  Of course, I had to look at the bottom of my feet.  I saw nothing coming through. I was a bit skeptical, but each time I crawled back into bed, my mind racing curiously.  The excitement made it a little difficult to sleep.  (Hey, I lead a very quiet life.  Foot patches are a highlight)

When I finally rolled out of bed in the morning, I got up and the first thing I noticed was there was no back pain.  Might or might not be related.  Got to the bathroom, and after my usual morning constitutional, I again looked at the patches.  No visible changes below.  Still skeptical, I tore off the first patch.  Low and behold…a dark greenish-gray.  My foot tingled.  I wiped the warm, slightly slimy-yet-sticky residue off the bottom of my foot, and peeled the second patch off.  Same look, same sensation. The smoky smell was stronger.

Physically…I felt more rested than I have recently, and more than I usually do the morning after a long day at work and an even longer day at home.  My calves felt tired, and slightly sore.  The soles of my feet felt like my arch was a bit elongated, and were tingly.  It also felt a bit like I had gotten a reflexology session…clear is the only way I can describe it. I noticed the taste in my mouth was different.  Since the odor of your breath (and the taste in your mouth) is related to what is floating around in your digestive system, this makes sense.

Towards the end of the day, the lower back pain returned, but only slightly.  It felt more tired than sore. The calf discomfort is gone, but my right knee hurts (not normal for me).  I felt slightly nauseous a few times during the day, but nothing that concerned me.   I also got a little dizzy when I did energy work on one of my clients.  I haven’t had that happen before.  The directions say use the patches every other day.  I’m going to be bold and apply them again tonight.

Day 2

I slept REALLY solid last night and did not get up to “eliminate” until 4:15 this morning. At one point last night, I felt a somewhat odd tingling sensation in the middle of my abdomen…kind of like what I felt in my upper body the night before.

My curiosity continues, so I looked up the product online.  I found a review site, where about half of the folks said the patches did not work, and were a bunch of crap.  One said if you put them on warm rice they do the same thing, which is something I wondered about.  Is it the warmth of my feet that creates moisture, which turns the pad greenish-gray and goopy?  It was powder inside when I put them on my feet.  I feel a science experience coming on.

Day 3

I am totally enthralled with this whole foot detox pad thing. Last night’s application was similar to the two nights before.  I did not notice anything different, although I must admit I also didn’t pay attention.  The pads are still the same color as the two previous nights.  I don’t think I’m that toxic, but I also recognize that I am a little off balance energetically.  Perhaps that is it.

Day 4

The first 3 nights of my patch experience, I have placed them on the same spot of my feet, the arch, which in reflexology is the general area for the whole digestive and eliminative organs. Last night, I decided that if these pads work the reflexology points, it would be beneficial to me to place the pads on areas where I tend to have issues…namely, respiratory system…lungs, bronchial tubes, sinuses.

So, I placed the patches on the balls of my feet last night.  When I first placed them on my feet, I noticed the warmth that I had experienced the first two nights.  My feet also itched quite a bit.  I always take that as energy releasing, so I was not alarmed, although I did read about someone having an allergic reaction, and that thought entered my mind…hmmm, do the detox herbs contain something like mushrooms that makes it extremely foolish to put over the points of my respiratory system, being that I am very allergic to them?

When I went to bed, I prayed for healing of my heart, throat, and lungs.  I also was very conscious of what was going on in my body. I noticed a similar energetic tingling, this time beginning in the area of my heart chakra and solar plexus.   It then spread up to my throat, and down to my sacral area.  I tried to consciously move the energy down my legs and into my feet, but it seemed to want to linger where it was.  I let go of that plan and fell asleep.

When I woke up, my chest did feel lighter.  My heart felt more open.  That was encouraging.  I’ve been feeling a little heavy in that region lately.

I coughed and sneezed a bit, but that could have been due to the cheese in yesterday’s asparagus omelet, or the big gigantic piece of German Chocolate Cake (I was forced to eat it at gunpoint…. really!)… Nah.

I think today I will stay away from wheezy stuff, and put the patches in the same place tonight.  Just to see.

Day 5:

I placed the pads on the balls of my feet again.  As the night before, I noticed a similar energy movement in my chest area.  I also had a pain in the area of the thyroid point on my feet.  Hmmm…my mother has thyroid issues.  Maybe that can be my excuse for my “extra baggage”.  It’s NOT the German Chocolate Cake after all!

Day 6:

In the interest of equal opportunity,  this time I placed the pads on my heels.  Almost immediately, I felt a discomfort/tightness/not-quite-pain on the lateral (that’s outside) of my left foot.  About 30 minutes later, my left knee hurt.  I did not feel any energy sensations when I lay down.  Everything feels quite happy this morning.

Yesterday, I looked up Kinoki Foot pads on the internet.  Most sites were about how it is a scam, how they saw no difference in their health, etc.  My thoughts are this:  Are the people who say it is a scam not really understanding the properties of the ingredients?  Which are, according to the “Official” website  (www.BuyKinoki.com) Bamboo Vinegar, Chitin, Tourmaline, and Detox Herbs.

Bamboo Vinegar: According to the competitor’s product site (Takara foot patches), It has a disinfectant effect in sterilizing the skin; the ester content can easy permeate and bring nutriment to the deep tissues. The acetic acid contained in bamboo vinegar will soften the skin cuticle and has a wonderful effect for skin care.  Herbal properties include the powerful ability to assist in the discharge of unnecessary waste matter and toxins from the human body.

Chitin: Put simply, it is a substance that is often found in the cell walls of fungi.  It is also a main ingredient in the exoskeleton of such critters. It is a natural polymer.  According to Wikipedia, it is used in surgical thread, and is biodegradable. Chitin also accelerates healing of wounds, and has been used as a stand-alone wound-healing agent.   Its most famous use is as a weight loss product.

Tourmaline:  A healing crystal (or should I say heeling, since this is about feet) that is piezoelectric.   Heating it will create a different electrical charge, one positive, and one negative.  It encourages balance of the whole body’s energetic framework.  It is used to counteract negativity and detoxify the system.

The last ingredient they list is “Detox Herbs”.  I guess they need to be nebulous, otherwise their secret ingredients would be open to the world and the might lose out on our money.  I guess all I can say is that detox herbs have a very powerful affect on the body, and I find them useful.

After saying all this, my conclusion is that they work if you are conscious enough to be in tune with your energy, believe that healing can be gotten from natural ingredients and through points in your feet, and not just when a prescription is written or a surgical knife is wielded.

Years ago, I had a friend who had a bumper sticker that read “Hugs Are Better Than Drugs”.  There is such truth in those five words.  Think about it…hugs are free, and they have no bad side effects like drugs do.  The only thing they have in common with drugs is they can be addictive.

In 2003, researchers at the University of North Carolina came to the conclusion that hugs actually can improve your health. The scientists discovered that hugs lower the levels of cortisol in your body, a hormone that is released during stressful moments.  Hugs can lower your blood pressure and decrease your heart rate.  

This research supports my belief that we should give (and therefore receive) a minimum of seven hugs a day.  Hugs that last at least 5 seconds.  Hugs that are “heart to heart”, meaning your chin is on the other person’s left shoulder, and your hearts are touching.  Passing positive energy between your hearts.  Spreading the love, if you will.

So hug your children, your spouse/partner, your parents, and your friends.  You will improve your health, and the health of those around you.