There’s been a lot of talk about the MUFA diet, also called the “Flat Belly Diet” so I thought we’d break it down a little bit.  MUFA stands for monounsaturated fatty acids.  These are basically the fats that are found in plants.  There are five categories of foods that are rich in mufas: plant oils (including olive, flaxseed and canola), nuts and seeds, avocados, olives, and dark chocolate.  In the MUFA diet, the idea is to satisfy hunger by including these good fats in our diet every day. The diet plan says to eat one serving of mufa at each meal, and to eat four meals a day, of 400 calories each.  While this may reduce our daily caloric intake, research shows that a diet rich in mufas also prevents the accumulation of belly fat, which is linked to heart disease.  The plan also calls for vegetables and whole grains in addition to the mufas, as well as exercise and stress management.

Ho’oponopono is an ancient Hawaiian spiritual practice.  It looks like a long word, but it is actually easy to pronounce.  It sounds just like it is written; you pronounce every letter.  Ho’oponopono allows us to remove blocks that keep us from getting what we want in life.  In this practice the objective is to allow the Universe to take our painful thoughts and neutralize, or purify them.  We actually neutralize the energy that we associate with that person, or place, or thing.  To do this we go through a technique called clearing.  Whenever we have a negative thought, or feel negative energy around us, we say: “I am sorry.  Please forgive me.  Thank you.  I love you.”  We continue to say these simple words until we feel that we have released the negativity.  And we repeat them again whenever the negativity crops up.  Releasing negativity helps us to feel lighter, and clears our head to handle any situation with more grace.  Ho’oponopono teaches us that life is easy, we’re the ones who make it seem difficult!

The Easiest Way – on amazon

We can’t really escape the soundtrack of modern life – from the alarm clock to the computer, the telephone, home appliances, and of course, traffic.  But for many people, there’s a noise inside their heads that can be louder than what’s going on outside.  Over 50 million Americans experience some form of tinnitus and there are those who don’t realize that the ringing in their ears has a name. Of those 50 million, 12 million are estimated to have severe tinnitus where they seek medical treatment.  Tinnitus is often caused by prolonged or sudden exposure to loud noises.  Other causes include stress, chemotherapy, head and neck trauma, sinus infections, or multiple sclerosis.  So far there is no cure, but we do have a better understanding of tinnitus, and what we can do about it.  Research at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has determined that tinnitus is more a ringing in the brain, than a ringing in the ears.  There are new treatments being developed every day.  Some people have seen results from homeopathic treatments.

Tinnitus: Turning the Volume Down

My father, exceptionally healthy and fit, had a stroke two years ago.  Thankfully, he recovered, but we are still learning about some of the effects to this day.  Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroanatomist who had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for.  One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke.  As it happened, she studied and remembered every moment.  She made a video explaining her experience.  This is a powerful story of recovery and awareness, of how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.  The video is just 18 minutes long, and the video and transcript are both posted on my friend’s website.  Here’s the link:

http://urbandharma.org/udharma12/stroke.html

During the hot summer months there is nothing more refreshing than iced tea.  But we really could do without the caffeine.  And when entertaining, what is more special on a summer evening than a colorful pitcher of Sangria?  But we could really do without the alcohol.  I found a wonderful recipe from our friends at Organic India for the perfect summer beverage – cool, fruity, and absolutely delicious – with the added health benefits of Tulsi, the Queen of herbs!  Here’s the recipe!

-Put 10 tea bags of either Tulsi Raspberry Peach, Tulsi Red Mango, or Tulsi Passionfruit in a pot.  Pour 16 ounces of boiling water over the bags.

-Steep 20-30 minutes, or allow to cool to room temperature.

-While tea is steeping, chop 1 small apple, 1 small peeled orange, and ½ or a lemon into bite sized pieces, or into circles, and add to tea.

-Add a handful of any or all of the following fruits: grapes, raspberries, strawberries or blueberries.

-Once tea is cooled, remove the tea bags and discard, but leave in the fruit mixture.

-Pour into a pitcher.

I like to rim wine glasses with sugar and garnish with a piece of fresh fruit.  Serve the sangria over ice, and enjoy!

Most times, at least here in the U.S., when we go in for a hug we go towards the person’s right cheek.  Maybe this is because most of us are right handed, but it seems to be the norm.  If you do the muscle testing after this hug, you’ll find that your muscle is weaker, meaning your energy level is down.  However, when we hug left cheek to left cheek instead, the muscle testing shows that we are stronger, or that our energy level is up.  Why is this?  When we hug on the right side, we’re connecting liver to liver.  Our liver is where we hold our anger, so we are actually sharing our anger with each other for a brief moment.  That weakens our energy.  On the other hand, when we hug left to left, we connect at our heart centers, where we hold our love.  So for that brief moment, we are sharing our love from that place in our hearts.  Try it, and see if you can feel the difference!

I love it when I find a site where I can have fun, learn and also do something good for the world, and that’s just what I found at www.freerice.com.  With freerice.com you play a game to improve your vocabulary.  For every word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to hungry people through the UN World Food Program!  If you’re online playing games anyway, you might as well play this one.  You’ll learn some new words, and help feed some people in need at the same time!

FreeRice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.  To learn more about the world hunger problem, and the solutions they have in place to help, visit their site.

Eva Longoria hasn’t hyphenated, she simply added her married name onto her own to become Eva Longoria Parker.  Ashlee Simpson chose to hyphenate and became Ashlee Simpson-Wenz.  When I re-married, I dropped my “old” married name and became a Coffey.  My friend Carolyn kept her maiden name, and her kids use her maiden name as their middle names.  Many husbands are choosing to hyphenate, and some couples are choosing to come up with a new name for themselves altogether!  We have so many options now.  So how do we know what is right for us?  My friend Kelly Utt-Grubb has become an expert on this topic, and she’s come up with a wonderful audio book that will help you make a choice you’ll feel good about for many years to come.  In the audio book, she interviews expert, including me, and real life women who have gone through the process.  If you’re getting married, or maybe are just ready for some re-invention when it comes to the name game, check out all Kelly has to offer.

According to research from the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service in the UK, our sleep positions can give us clues to our personality.  It’s the same theory as body language, but it comes through when we are in the sleep state.  Here are some examples:

Lying on your back:  (The Soldier or Starfish position)  On your back with arms at sides, this position reveals the most skin, which, points to a high degree of confidence.  You may be quiet and reserved, but you know what you want, and you set your standards high. If you sleep with your hands up you’re a good friend and listener.   
 
     
 Curled up in a ball: (The Fetal Position)  People who sleep in this position are tough on the outside, but sensitive at heart.  They may be a little guarded at first, but when they feel comfortable around someone they relax. This is the most common sleep position.  Women sleep in this position twice as often as men.
 
 Sleeping on your  side: (Log or Yearner position) These people have are open to life and new experiences.  They like meeting new people and being considered popular.  Sometimes they can be a little too gullible.  They take their time making decisions, but once they have made up their mind that’s it.       

  Sleeping on your stomach: (Freefall position) Stomach sleepers are outgoing, the life of the party.  They’re good at getting things started.  But they can also have a thin skin, and they don’t like to be criticized.  They also avoid conflict and emotional situations.

The day after Christmas Day is celebrated as “Boxing Day” in England, Australian, New Zealand and Canada.  The modern day interpretation is that this is a day to return unwanted gifts to the store and get in on the good after-holiday sales!  But the origins of Boxing Day as an official holiday date back to the middle of the nineteenth century.  Tradesmen and service people would often work on Christmas Day, and have the day after Christmas off to spend with their families.  When they left for home, their employers would give them a Christmas box filled with money, food and gifts as thanks for the reliable services they provided throughout the year.  This traditional celebration also included giving money and other gifts to charitable organizations and people in need.  Priests would open their charity boxes on this day and distribute the contents to the poor.  I like this tradition of giving.  We get so much, in abundance, over the holidays.  What can we box up and share with others who really need it?