It's Never Too Late To Be All You Can Possibly Be
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Wisely spoken by my 88-year-old mother. Her philosophy on life includes the following tenants:


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About 22 years ago I learned about the dangers of mercury poisoning and while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the time, I decided to have all of my mercury fillings removed. Little did I realize the danger associated with the removal of the fillings and later learned that the dentist whose dedication to this task, died at a very early age after years of Alzheimer’s. Today, believe it or not, there are still dentists that use mercury laden amalgam for fillings, even in kid’s teeth.

Of course I have become vigilant in my pursuit of alternative dentistry over the years and am surprised at the lack of information about the links between mercury, heavy metal poisoning and brain health deterioration. I am also learning that there is a link between periodontal disease and heart disease and again feel shocked that more information is not available, and that dentists do not emphasize the very basics of tooth care, stressing that a lack there of can lead to much more serious disease.

Everyone learns, from a very young age, that nothing heals a pain, other than a kiss, better than ice therapy. Bruising of muscle or bone, straining, pulling or tearing of muscle, tearing of ligaments or simply bumping into something hard creates inflammation in the body, causing your natural healing reaction to send blood to the area which results in swelling and redness.

What did your mother always do when you came in with a bump or a scrape? She ran to the refrigerator and pulled out the frozen peas. For the first 3 seconds it felt good until quickly the cold was too overwhelming, the peas became too mushy and the whole thing became a sloppy and disgustingly wet and very uncomfortable mess!

Many of you have asked for the recipes I used on QVC to display my new CocoaLight Antioxidant powder. Here are just a few delicious ways to add fiber, pre and probiotics and the immune benefits of highly anti-oxidizing 70% cocao, into decadent desserts. Enjoy knowing that you are adding great nutrition while satisfying your sweet tooth and your sugar cravings.

I have also included some recipes for VegeLight, VegeSplash and BerrySplash. If you have some recipes to share be sure to send them to Jen@LighterLiving.com so she can add them for other people to enjoy.

The more research I did the more I thought that no matter what I was to change, my unborn baby was already horrifically exposed to chemicals that were insidiously stored in my fatty tissues and that perhaps it was too late to protect him.

Immediately I began to buy and eat only organic food, removing from my diet even “all natural” foods that supposedly did not contain chemical additives, preservatives, artificial flavors and colorings and were not genetically modified, but they most definitely still contained pesticides and chemical fertilizers. I also discovered that there was no government organization regulating how labels read or how easily they could be misleading, adding words like “contains organic ingredients”.

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed" .

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.

As we breathe our body uses oxygen to produce energy. In that cellular oxidation reaction we produce highly charged molecules called "free radicals" which scavenge on other molecules in our body, causing inflammation and oxidative damage to proteins, membranes and our genetic DNA.

This ongoing oxidative stress alters the natural reproduction ability of our cells and is purported to cause serious conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and is the main reason for why we see aging in our body. Baby boomers are getting on so "anti-aging" is of enormous interest to the medical community. If your goal is to not only prolong your life but to make sure that the quality of your older years is productive and vital the evidence exists to support that eating antioxidants is the secret.

As residents, homeowners and parents; it is easy to become overwhelmed by all the hype around "going green" and we may be perplexed as to how we can better provide a safer and healthier environment for ourselves and our community. At LighterLiving.com we try to provide access to positive change for thousands of people by showing them how to transform their lifestyles through simple and healthy mind, body, and soul practices and we believe that "going green" is part of that process because it improves quality of life for both the individual and the planet. Let's make 2009 the year that we each commit to take some steps towards "greening"; at least, our immediate environment.

Personally, last year I planted over 10 new trees, sold my large SUV and opted for a smaller, more efficient car, replaced my old windows with highly efficient ones, planted and grew an organic garden, fired my tree man who wouldn't convert to non toxic pesticides, fertilized my garden with Organic Gem fish fertilizer, installed a grey water system, converted all my banking to online paperless billing, up cycled used clothes and accessories, ate as organically as possible, only used non toxic cleaners and made calls to stop all my unused catalogs and junk mail. This year I bought a live Christmas tree to plant in the fall and will unplug all unused electric units, vigilantly replace my light bulbs and car pool as often as possible.

My dear friend, Kristen von Hoffman has written a wonderful article to offer you more, very accessible, tips to help you honor that promise. For more information on Kristen and her efforts to "green" our schools, please visit her website Greenfox5

Hello Lighter Living Members and Visitors. My name is Jennifer Plasha and I am the LighterLiving Store Manager. I have already spoken to a few of you but I would like to share my story with you.
 
A few years ago I worked for Core Products International, the manufacturer of the Soothe-A-Ciser and the Corpak Hot and Cold packs. We were attempting to sell the Soothe-A-Ciser on QVC and our first airing was a flop.

Marjolein saw the amazing benefits of this product and offered to promote it on QVC and I was given the task of making that happen. I first spoke with her on the phone and was immediately impressed with her energy and intelligence, but the really, truly, wonderful experience was meeting her in person.

A few years ago I met a couple of brilliant men, Mr. Lew Spencer and Mr. Jeff Young, who together impressed me with their revolutionary way of using fish waste from large seafood manufacturing plants and turning this normally discarded trash into miraculous food for plants.

As you know, my lifetime commitment is about becoming a better person, a better mom and wife, a better teacher and healer and mostly a more giving human being.

In my personal quest to find perfect posture, peace of mind and vibrant health I try to study, learn and experience every modality that I think can make a difference.

I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa and for over 30 years

I have supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons.

Over the years I found that children have many differing skill levels but while I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy, I have taught some talented students. It was however in teaching a student who I believed had no talent, that I learned my greatest lesson.

We often associate wellness with physical fitness, good nutrition and the ability to manage stress, but there is another aspect to feeling good that comes from living with purpose. Here are a dozen helpful hints to help you face your life with renewed joy and happiness.

Human hair, which grows inside a hair bulb, deep inside a hair follicle, has a growth cycle that has 3 phases: growth (anagen phase), rest (categen phase) and shedding (telogen phase). The anagen phase is different in every person and lasts 3 to 5 years; the categen phase lasts  2 to 4 weeks and the telogen phase lasts between 3 and 4 months.

Just for fun, I've made a list of ten people every woman should have in her life to keep her on course, make her feel loved and motivate her to enjoy life. They are not in any particular order and range from the practical to the fantastical. Enjoy!