Today in the UK it is 75f which is quite warm for this time of year...lovely..but you must drink water
Becoming a water drinker on a consistent basis will provide a boast to your energy level and it will improve both your mental as well as your physical performance on a day-to-day scale. Drinking plenty of water helps the immune system and toxins are carried out of the body at a much faster rate with the help of this "wonder drug." People who drink lots of water report less headaches and fewer incidences of fainting or dizziness and respiratory problems such as flu's and colds are decreased with the help of water.
It is relevant to note that a person is dehydrated by the time their brain registers thirst. When dehydration takes over, blood takes on a thicker consistency and the body therefore has to work a great deal harder to move blood through the system. When this happens, the brain is less able to focus and concentrate on the work at hand and less activity is noted in the brain's cells. The body then becomes tired and sluggish and this makes getting things done much more difficult.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Friday, April 6, 2007
Easter: What is it all about?
Chocolate eggs, fluffy bunnies, hot cross buns?What does Easter mean to you?
Where do all these additions to a serious religious festival come from anyway?
To answer that, we have to look at the very beginnings of Christianity.
The early Church faced two problems: how to convert people who didn't really want to be converted, and, how to avoid being persecuted in the mean time. They came up with a clever and very practical solution.
Wherever possible, the early Christians adjusted their festival days to coincide with feast days of the other religions. This helped both problems.
Firstly it meant that they didn't stand out by celebrating when everyone else was hard at work, and second, by sharing feast days, and taking on a lot of the existing trappings of celebration, they de-mystified themselves and appeared more like regular folk.
Easter is an excellent example.
The Christians needed a special day to celebrate the resurrection - just about the most important day in the Church calendar. Luckily, the pagans, who populated most of Europe in the 2nd century and earlier, celebrated a spring renewal festival in the name of one of their goddesses, Eastre.
So the early church missionaries made a takeover bid and subsumed the Saxon feast day to their own ends. The Church liked order, though, and Eastre was celebrated variously on all sorts of days of the week.So, in AD 325 at the famous Council of Nicaea, a new 'Easter Rule' was declared stating that Easter would always fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.
To them, this was imposing order! Simply put, it meant that Easter would now always fall on a Sunday, between March 22nd and April 25th. Although different branches of the Church have tried to change the dating of Easter at various times in history, this rule still generally applies today, almost 1700 years later.
The Easter bunny may seem like a particularly modern invention, but in fact, predates Christianity by millennia.
The Saxon goddess Eastre was the same lady that the Babylonians and Assyrians worshipped as Ishtar and the Phoenicians as Astarte. This many-named deity had as her earthly symbol, a hare. In fact, unlikely as it seems, the Easter bunny and Easter eggs are bound together in the same ancient tradition.
Legend had it that in order to impress some children, Eastre changed her pet bird into a hare for them. The hare then proceeded to lay colored eggs.That would have impressed me!This story also explains why eggs are so inextricably linked to Easter. Eggs as icons of rebirth date back into prehistory.
Certainly, the Egyptians buried eggs in their tombs and the Greeks put them on top of graves. But the giving of colored eggs as spring tokens seems to have started with the genetically modified hare that Eastre created.
The early Christians couldn't be seen to take all of the pagan beliefs unquestioningly, so they got their own PR gurus to come up with a suitable Christian tradition to explain the colored eggs.
The Church said that Simon of Cyrene, the kind soul who helped Jesus to carry his cross to Calvary was an egg merchant. When he returned home to his farm after witnessing Christ's death he found that all the eggs laid that day had miraculously turned into a rainbow of colors. Although few records exist from early centuries to prove that early Christians kept the tradition, it seems likely.
Surviving records from the accounts of the court of King Edward I show that in 1290 he ordered 450 eggs to be hand colored and coated in gold leaf to be distributed as gifts to members of his household.
Easter egg hunts, loved by children everywhere, had a much more sinister beginning.
In dark age Europe, it was an annual tradition for men to go hunting through the forests looking for eggs bearing specific patterns on their shells. Such an egg, when found, was much prized as a magical talisman. As belief in magic declined, the hunt continued but now with colored eggs being hidden in advance.
I don't know ... a Cadbury's Cream Egg is still pretty magical to me!
The hare symbol may well have died out were it not for the Germanic Saxons who kept the image going through their own folklore.
When many Germans moved to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they brought their traditions with them.
At the time, American Christianity was very puritan and the idea of colored eggs and fluffy bunnies was far too frivolous. But after the Civil War, the nation needed a symbol of rebirth and so the celebration of Easter became more widespread along with a relaxation of dogma.Frivolity had come of age.
At the same Council of Nicaea, in AD 325, it was also decided that the cross would be the official symbol of Christianity. It was a good thing too, because Christian folk had been using the sign for ages, unofficially.
Which brings us to hot cross buns.A modern culinary treat?Not in the least!They were the official food of the festival of good old Eastre way back before the Christians had anything to do with it.
The word 'bun' comes from the Saxon 'boun' which means 'sacred ox'. At the ceremony an ox was sacrificed and little cakes whose top was scored with the sign of the ox's horns were passed to the celebrants. As this was such an integral part of the pagan feast, the Christians kept the cake, but moved one of the lines on top so it was less of a 'V' and more of an 'X'. Anyway, hot vee buns doesn't have quite the same ring.
Interestingly, in the archeological digs at Herculaneum, the city destroyed with Pompeii in AD 79, hot cross buns have been found still in the baker's ovens.Only not quite so hot anymore.
Of course, in those early days, the recipe lacked currants and raisins, and sticky glazed frosting hadn't been invented.But the thought was there.
Which came first, the bunny or the egg?
As far as candy treats are concerned, it must be the bunny. Those Germans who made it to Pennsylvania can be blamed for much of the tooth decay that happens at this time of year.
In the early 18th century, they used to make elaborate confections from pastry and sugar in the shape of a rabbit to celebrate Easter.
The earliest known chocolate eggs were made in France and Germany in the early 19th century. Before then, eating chocolate was not able to be molded.
The first truly modern chocolate egg was not made until 1875, when John Cadbury introduced them to his range.
So, this Easter, as you are enjoying your candies and cakes, spare a thought for the goddess Eastre, for the early Christians, desperate to spread their word and avoid persecution and for tradition-bound Germans.
Without them all, our modern-day celebrations would be very different.
But most of all, remember who this is all in aid of. Without Him, it would all be rather pointless. _______________________________________________________
Where do all these additions to a serious religious festival come from anyway?
To answer that, we have to look at the very beginnings of Christianity.
The early Church faced two problems: how to convert people who didn't really want to be converted, and, how to avoid being persecuted in the mean time. They came up with a clever and very practical solution.
Wherever possible, the early Christians adjusted their festival days to coincide with feast days of the other religions. This helped both problems.
Firstly it meant that they didn't stand out by celebrating when everyone else was hard at work, and second, by sharing feast days, and taking on a lot of the existing trappings of celebration, they de-mystified themselves and appeared more like regular folk.
Easter is an excellent example.
The Christians needed a special day to celebrate the resurrection - just about the most important day in the Church calendar. Luckily, the pagans, who populated most of Europe in the 2nd century and earlier, celebrated a spring renewal festival in the name of one of their goddesses, Eastre.
So the early church missionaries made a takeover bid and subsumed the Saxon feast day to their own ends. The Church liked order, though, and Eastre was celebrated variously on all sorts of days of the week.So, in AD 325 at the famous Council of Nicaea, a new 'Easter Rule' was declared stating that Easter would always fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.
To them, this was imposing order! Simply put, it meant that Easter would now always fall on a Sunday, between March 22nd and April 25th. Although different branches of the Church have tried to change the dating of Easter at various times in history, this rule still generally applies today, almost 1700 years later.
The Easter bunny may seem like a particularly modern invention, but in fact, predates Christianity by millennia.
The Saxon goddess Eastre was the same lady that the Babylonians and Assyrians worshipped as Ishtar and the Phoenicians as Astarte. This many-named deity had as her earthly symbol, a hare. In fact, unlikely as it seems, the Easter bunny and Easter eggs are bound together in the same ancient tradition.
Legend had it that in order to impress some children, Eastre changed her pet bird into a hare for them. The hare then proceeded to lay colored eggs.That would have impressed me!This story also explains why eggs are so inextricably linked to Easter. Eggs as icons of rebirth date back into prehistory.
Certainly, the Egyptians buried eggs in their tombs and the Greeks put them on top of graves. But the giving of colored eggs as spring tokens seems to have started with the genetically modified hare that Eastre created.
The early Christians couldn't be seen to take all of the pagan beliefs unquestioningly, so they got their own PR gurus to come up with a suitable Christian tradition to explain the colored eggs.
The Church said that Simon of Cyrene, the kind soul who helped Jesus to carry his cross to Calvary was an egg merchant. When he returned home to his farm after witnessing Christ's death he found that all the eggs laid that day had miraculously turned into a rainbow of colors. Although few records exist from early centuries to prove that early Christians kept the tradition, it seems likely.
Surviving records from the accounts of the court of King Edward I show that in 1290 he ordered 450 eggs to be hand colored and coated in gold leaf to be distributed as gifts to members of his household.
Easter egg hunts, loved by children everywhere, had a much more sinister beginning.
In dark age Europe, it was an annual tradition for men to go hunting through the forests looking for eggs bearing specific patterns on their shells. Such an egg, when found, was much prized as a magical talisman. As belief in magic declined, the hunt continued but now with colored eggs being hidden in advance.
I don't know ... a Cadbury's Cream Egg is still pretty magical to me!
The hare symbol may well have died out were it not for the Germanic Saxons who kept the image going through their own folklore.
When many Germans moved to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they brought their traditions with them.
At the time, American Christianity was very puritan and the idea of colored eggs and fluffy bunnies was far too frivolous. But after the Civil War, the nation needed a symbol of rebirth and so the celebration of Easter became more widespread along with a relaxation of dogma.Frivolity had come of age.
At the same Council of Nicaea, in AD 325, it was also decided that the cross would be the official symbol of Christianity. It was a good thing too, because Christian folk had been using the sign for ages, unofficially.
Which brings us to hot cross buns.A modern culinary treat?Not in the least!They were the official food of the festival of good old Eastre way back before the Christians had anything to do with it.
The word 'bun' comes from the Saxon 'boun' which means 'sacred ox'. At the ceremony an ox was sacrificed and little cakes whose top was scored with the sign of the ox's horns were passed to the celebrants. As this was such an integral part of the pagan feast, the Christians kept the cake, but moved one of the lines on top so it was less of a 'V' and more of an 'X'. Anyway, hot vee buns doesn't have quite the same ring.
Interestingly, in the archeological digs at Herculaneum, the city destroyed with Pompeii in AD 79, hot cross buns have been found still in the baker's ovens.Only not quite so hot anymore.
Of course, in those early days, the recipe lacked currants and raisins, and sticky glazed frosting hadn't been invented.But the thought was there.
Which came first, the bunny or the egg?
As far as candy treats are concerned, it must be the bunny. Those Germans who made it to Pennsylvania can be blamed for much of the tooth decay that happens at this time of year.
In the early 18th century, they used to make elaborate confections from pastry and sugar in the shape of a rabbit to celebrate Easter.
The earliest known chocolate eggs were made in France and Germany in the early 19th century. Before then, eating chocolate was not able to be molded.
The first truly modern chocolate egg was not made until 1875, when John Cadbury introduced them to his range.
So, this Easter, as you are enjoying your candies and cakes, spare a thought for the goddess Eastre, for the early Christians, desperate to spread their word and avoid persecution and for tradition-bound Germans.
Without them all, our modern-day celebrations would be very different.
But most of all, remember who this is all in aid of. Without Him, it would all be rather pointless. _______________________________________________________
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Herbal Healing
I have found another web site that is worth a look for all you herb lovers out there
http://www.herbshop.com/
One stop resource for herbs, nutritional supplements, alternative health and natural healing products and information, although the shopping experience itself is rather annoying.
http://www.herbshop.com/
One stop resource for herbs, nutritional supplements, alternative health and natural healing products and information, although the shopping experience itself is rather annoying.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Alzheimer's Tip
Considering that we are coming up to long week-end (for most people ) I thought this tip would do us all good!
enjoy.
http://www.aloeveraexpress.com/site/1345660/page/908179
enjoy.
http://www.aloeveraexpress.com/site/1345660/page/908179
Sunday, April 1, 2007
New web site review
I have been away for a couple of days and also tiring to sort out my news letter. In my Net searching I came across a very good website
http://www.heartlandhealing.com/
This website is full of information about alternative medicine, natural healing, complementary therapies and the healing arts. Also includes a directory of natural healing resources available in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska.
well worth a look.
http://www.heartlandhealing.com/
This website is full of information about alternative medicine, natural healing, complementary therapies and the healing arts. Also includes a directory of natural healing resources available in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska.
well worth a look.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Loose weght the natural way
Want to lose weight the natural way.....go have a look at out March Offer...Hoodia $25 instead of $39.95 with free postage.Here is the link:
http://www.aloeveraexpress.com/so4/internal/site/t71/en/image/separator.gif
To day we have another book review for you:
Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People
URL http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Made-Easy-People/dp/1570671753
ISBN 1570671753
Book Description:
Although raw foods have gained tremendous popularity in recent years, some people are put off by the work and equipment needed for dehydrating and the extensive preparation required for gourmet raw food dishes. In answer to their pleas, veteran raw foods chef Jennifer Cornbleet provides a host of quick and easy recipes for snacks, hearty main meals and all kinds of tasty tidbits-all made without ever having to touch a stove.
http://www.aloeveraexpress.com/so4/internal/site/t71/en/image/separator.gif
To day we have another book review for you:
Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People
URL http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Made-Easy-People/dp/1570671753
ISBN 1570671753
Book Description:
Although raw foods have gained tremendous popularity in recent years, some people are put off by the work and equipment needed for dehydrating and the extensive preparation required for gourmet raw food dishes. In answer to their pleas, veteran raw foods chef Jennifer Cornbleet provides a host of quick and easy recipes for snacks, hearty main meals and all kinds of tasty tidbits-all made without ever having to touch a stove.
Monday, March 26, 2007
How to breath correctly
Hi, hope you all had a good weekend.
I had to buy a new bulb for my salt lamp: normally I pay about £1.20 but I thought that I would look on line, and I found some for 50p each with free postage.....less then half price.Always worth looking around.
Before we go too far into Natural Healing I thought that we should have a look at breathing:
There is so much more to breathing then most people realize. There are two methods of breathing, which are breathing from the chest and breathing from the diaphragm. For those who do not know this, the diaphragm is a muscle that is located in the lower abdominal area. We are generally taught to breath from our chests but this results in irregular, shallow breathing that is slow and causes carbon dioxide to leave the lungs too quickly which can create more tension in both the body and the mind. Diaphragm breathing is healthier and more beneficial to the body. In this case breathing is even and consistent and more breaths are taken in and can be breathed deeper into the lungs, which is a good thing.
Deep breathing does not just involve the lungs but also the lower ribcage, the back and the stomach. Diaphragm breathing creates a response from the nervous system that is called the "relaxation response" for the simple fact that it allows the body to calm and to become relaxed completely. We were all meant to be diaphragm breathing and if you watch babies and young children closely you will see that they have it right. Youngsters breathe from deep down in their diaphragms and they use their entire lung capacity. When you see a baby's stomach rise when he or she is sleeping it is because the breathing is coming from deep down in the body. This is how nature intended it to be but as we age we tend to become more stressed and this affects how we breathe.
See you tomorrow
Richard
I had to buy a new bulb for my salt lamp: normally I pay about £1.20 but I thought that I would look on line, and I found some for 50p each with free postage.....less then half price.Always worth looking around.
Before we go too far into Natural Healing I thought that we should have a look at breathing:
There is so much more to breathing then most people realize. There are two methods of breathing, which are breathing from the chest and breathing from the diaphragm. For those who do not know this, the diaphragm is a muscle that is located in the lower abdominal area. We are generally taught to breath from our chests but this results in irregular, shallow breathing that is slow and causes carbon dioxide to leave the lungs too quickly which can create more tension in both the body and the mind. Diaphragm breathing is healthier and more beneficial to the body. In this case breathing is even and consistent and more breaths are taken in and can be breathed deeper into the lungs, which is a good thing.
Deep breathing does not just involve the lungs but also the lower ribcage, the back and the stomach. Diaphragm breathing creates a response from the nervous system that is called the "relaxation response" for the simple fact that it allows the body to calm and to become relaxed completely. We were all meant to be diaphragm breathing and if you watch babies and young children closely you will see that they have it right. Youngsters breathe from deep down in their diaphragms and they use their entire lung capacity. When you see a baby's stomach rise when he or she is sleeping it is because the breathing is coming from deep down in the body. This is how nature intended it to be but as we age we tend to become more stressed and this affects how we breathe.
See you tomorrow
Richard
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