Want to feel better and live longer?  Research from the Center for Medical Humanities shows that there is a strong link between philanthropy and well-being.  It seems the more we give, the better we feel – not just mentally, but physically as well!  It’s time to start getting into some good habits and make philanthropy a regular part of our lives – for the benefit of ourselves and others!  Perhaps the most famous quote from Gandhi is: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  Be the Change, Inc is a Massachusetts based non-profit organization dedicated to uniting citizens, social entrepreneurs, the service world and leaders from every sector of society.  Their first campaign is Service Nation, a campaign to inspire a new era of voluntary citizen service in the United States.  The idea is to increase service opportunities and elevate service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy.  They’ll start with working to inspire a powerful culture of volunteerism through the promotion of national days of service.  And the hope is that a commonly asked question will soon be: “Where do you serve?”  If you’re interested in philanthropy and being of service in your community, we have posted some involvement opportunities on CoffeyTalk.

Involvement Opportunities: https://www.coffeytalk.com/community-involvement/

We hear a lot about vitamins A, B, C, D and E.  But a little further up the alphabet brings us to vitamin K.  This vitamin was discovered by a Danish scientist in 1934 and was given the “K” for “Koagulation,” the Danish spelling of the word coagulation.  Vitamin K helps the liver manufacture several proteins that control blood clotting.  And now researchers say that vitamin K also provides many other health benefits.  For example, it can help prevent osteoarthritis, and prevent calcium buildup in plaque-filled arteries. So how do we get more vitamin K in our diets?  Eat your veggies!  Green vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are a great source of vitamin K.  Broccoli and spinach are both super vitamin K packed, and when sautéed in olive or soybean oil, which are also good sources of Vitamin K, the fat helps the body with absorption

The Veggie Star Store

http://www.cafepress.com/coffey_talk/2321153

Resilience is a quality that can get us through many of life’s challenges with grace.  When my kids were young and I was active in CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders) I was lucky enough to meet Robert Brooks, PhD, a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School with a private practice near Boston.  Dr. Brooks defines resilience as “the ability to respond to tough situations with inner strength.”  Here are some tips on how we can start developing the ability to be resilient:

– Focus on what you have control over, not on what you have no control over.  It’s kind of like the serenity prayer – we need to learn the difference, and recognize it.  Some things we just have to let go of.

– Make connections.  We all have the need for community, for a support system.  We can find this in a club, a cause, a church, or any kind of a group where we can make friends.

-Be of service.  Volunteer.  Contributing to society gives us a feeling of purpose, and that helps us to build resilience.

-Stay fit.  Body, mind, and spirit.  Eat healthy foods, exercise both mentally and physically, and spend time in nature and in silence.  Get into good habits.

-Express gratitude.  Every day, count your blessings.  Keeping a gratitude journal is a good way to do this.  Gratitude helps us to keep things in perspective, and this is important with resilience.

-Pursue your passion.  We have the desires we have for a reason.  And we can use these to help us learn and grow.  Doing what we love brings joy, which boosts our resilience!

The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071431985?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0071431985

Coconut oil is popular in Ayurveda as a massage oil to balance pitta, and as a conditioner for hair.  I’ve come across some other uses for coconut oil that might surprise you – but how wonderful to be creative, and health conscious at the same time!

-While coconut oil is conditioning to the hair, it also can help cure dandruff.  Just massage a little bit onto the scalp.  This is a very gentle treatment that can even be used on children and babies.

-There are strong antifungal agents in coconut oil, so it can be used to treat athlete’s foot, ringworm, thrush and yeast infections. 

-The moisturizing properties of coconut oil make it good for helping many skin conditions like eczema.  It can also be used as a make-up remover, or as a lip balm.

-Because coconut oil also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, it can be used as a cream for small cuts and scrapes, protecting against infection while helping the skin to heal.

-Mixed with baking soda, coconut oil can be used as a natural toothpaste.

Coconut Cures

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0941599604?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0941599604

Let’s look at Numerology and the significance of the number NINE.  9 comes into play if you are born on the 9^th, the 18^th, or the 27^th, or if you are born in September, or if all the numbers in your birth date add up to a compound 9, or if all the letters in your name add up to a compound 9.  Each letter of the alphabet has a number, a=”1,” b=”2,” etc.  Indian Numerology says that the ruling planet for 9 is Mars.  The best day of the week is Tuesday, its color is red and its gemstone is coral.  Nine people are good organizers and managers, their karmic lesson is patience, and they are known to be humanitarians, with a big heart and solid work ethic.  The number 9 is a very spiritual number, made up of 3 groups of 3.  9 is related to intuition and clairvoyance, inspiration and unpredictability.  The number 9 brings with it recognition and fame.

Numbers and You – on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345345932?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0345345932

Maya Angelou writes: “If you don’t like something change it.  If you can’t change it, change your attitude.  Don’t complain.”  Now there’s an organization that is challenging us to go 21 days without a complaint!  Can we do it?  I’m certainly going to give it a shot.  What a great idea!  Why 21 days?  Scientists believe it takes 21 days to form a new habit and complaining is habitual for many of us.  A Complaint Free World has created purple bracelets to help us with this.  The idea is that when we catch ourselves complaining, gossiping or criticizing, we move the bracelet to the other arm and begin again.  So, it may take much longer than 21 days to get through the experience, but afterwards, we’ll find that life is happier, more loving, and more enjoyable.   Let’s track our progress on the CoffeyTalk group page on facebook.  Shall we call this Day 1?  Game on!

http://www.acomplaintfreeworld.org

A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Enjoy the Life You Always Wanted

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385524587?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0385524587

Here in the U.S. we have a huge variety of cereal to choose from.  Go into any grocery store and cereal takes up a whole aisle of shelves!  On the TV show Seinfeld, Jerry was a fan, and cereal was often a part of the storyline.  As long as we read the labels and make good choices, cereal can be a very healthy food, and a great way to start our day.  One research study in Wales showed that eating breakfast cereal on a regular basis helped to lower stress and improve physical and mental health.  Cereal eaters had lower levels of cortisol, the hormone that rises with stress.  Cereal is also good for heart health.  Research shows that men who eat one serving of whole-grain cereal a day have a lower risk of heart disease.   One reason for this is that cereal helps to reduce homocysteine levels, an amino acid that is known to raise heart attack rates.  Soluble fiber, found in oats, helps to lower cholesterol.  Insoluble fiber, found in wheat and rice cereals, is good for reducing the risk of colon cancer. Look for cereals that have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.  And choose cereals that say “bran” or “whole grain” on the label.  And be mindful of the portion size, which you’ll find on the label as well.  Most people serve themselves more than one portion of the cereal without realizing it.  While this gives us more fiber, it also gives us more calories.

The Breakfast Cereal Gourmet

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740750291?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0740750291

My son attends Cal State Monterey Bay, and their mascot is the otter.  We’ve been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium several times, and always love watching the otters outside.  The otter is a very playful and expressive animal.  Otters awaken our curiosity, they remind us that life is interesting, we just have to look at it from the right angle.  Otters always seems to have fun, they’re never bored.  Otters love the water, which brings out the aspects of the feminine, and of creativity, imagination, joy and a love of children.  They remind us to rediscover our inner child and just play.  When we come across an otter, or an otter symbol, it is a sign that we need to reawaken our sense of wonder, and to participate in some creative activity with joyful abandon.

Animal Spirit Oracle Readings on CoffeyTalk

https://www.coffeytalk.com/games/animalspirits/animalspirits/index.php

Music is a wonderful form of therapy, and has been used in healing in various cultures for centuries.  Recent studies confirm that music can reduce pain and anxiety, and also improve blood pressure and breathing.  It can also help infants in intensive care unites gain weight more quickly.  A study published in the European Journal of Anesthesiology reported that postsurgical patients who listened to music required less pain medication.  And another study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that listening to music for an hour a day reduced chronic pan by up to 21% and depression by up to 25%.  How does this work?  When we are in pain we can’t focus on opposing sensations at the same time.  Listening to music blocks the perception of pain signals and can reduce anxiety, which can heighten the sensation of pain.  What to do?  When in pain, breathe deeply while listening to a favorite piece of relaxing music.  See if your doctor will play calming music during painful procedures.  And make music a regular part of your relaxation during the day.  Pay attention to the melody, the rhythm, and the lyrics, and notice how your body becomes at ease.

Self-Healing with Sound and Music (Audio CD)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591791987?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1591791987

Of course there are no coincidences, I came upon this book almost by magic!  I was on amazon looking at my own book (it’s still in print, so if you haven’t bought it yet, please do!) and there was a little blurb showing I was quoted in “Magic Words: A Dictionary.”  Of course I was curious, and the description sounded interesting, so I ordered the book.  And it’s really fun!  You will find all sorts of magic words and their origins listed.  For example “evanesco” comes from the Latin word meaning “to vanish” and it is used in a vanishing spell in one of the Harry Potter books.  Other words include Mississippi, Now, Tara, Aloha, Go, Hfuhruhurr, Hokus Pokus, Mumbo Jumbo, Rhubard and much more!  I am quoted, along with Jean Houston, Jack Kerouac, and Robert Thurman (good company!) about the meaning of “Om Mani Padme Hum,” an ancient Sanskrit mantra.  While there are several different translations, the one I used in my “What’s Your Dosha, Baby” book, and that is quoted in “Magic Words,” is “I surrender to the pearl within the lotus.”

Magic Words: A Dictionary

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578634342?tag=brightideaspr-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1578634342&adid=1JD2TXX3AQ3B2W5RPE5N&