Longevity Recipe

The Greek man above has an amazing story of health, healing, longevity, and defying medical hexing. To read his incredible story of being diagnosed by US doctors with cancer and given 9 months to live and his story of unintended healing success, click this LINK.

Longevity Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Human with desire for vibrant health

2. Real food: http://www.paulayoumellrn.com/whole-food-feeding-your-cells/

3. Garden and/or connection with amazing local farmers

4. Vibrant lifestyle habits in mind, body, & spirit

5. Update 2/28/21 Connection to a loving community

It is really this simple: feed the body real food; real food for body, mind, and spirit.

In a recent conversation with a client a comment was made to me when speaking about healing:

"People do not want to believe that food is the problem."

To which I replied:

"Food, real food, is not the problem. The problem is factory made food products brought to you by Nabisco, Kellogg, Post, Betty Crocker, Pepsico, Tyson, Kraft, Nestle... on and on the list of food product manufacturers goes.

Real food feeds body cells for vibrantly healthy regeneration. Food products detract from body cell health, depleting nutritional stores, and degenerating body cells contributing to degenerative diseases. (Degenerative diseases are a body composed of degenerative body cells.)

As a culture we observe the world and look to emulate those countries with a better health and longer longevity:

• The French Paradox

• The Okinawan diet

• Mediterranean diet

Importing their culture's specific foods is not the answer. Cultures who stick to their traditional diets: food grown locally & naturally and then prepared through time honored home cooking methods are the cultures who thrive with vibrant health. No importation of foreign foods needed. Simply grow food, team up with neighbors to share the different foods you have grown and raise, and befriend local farmers who grow real food in time honored and sustainable ways... keep those farmers farming through purchasing their food and supporting their work in this world. Your health will soar, local food economy will soar, life will be vibrantly good.    http://www.gardenshare.org/

Reverse these time honored practices and instead eat processed, packaged, factory made food products and your body cells suffer. To digest and get rid of these products (detox, methylate) your body must rob nutrients from your cells. Keep robbing from your cells and the cells degenerate further and further and degenerative diseases are now the norm. 

Cultures who have always eaten their locally available and traditional foods create pregnancies with healthy babies who are developing with a firm foundation of healthy body cells. Feed those newborn infants (and their breastfeeding moms) real food and the baby's bodies develop with cellular health intact. Continue this good food, real food trend through the childhood and teen years and you grow up young adults with their cellular health intact. A lifetime of real food, whole food eating and you have a natural prescription, a recipe, for vibrant health and longevity.

The same feeding process for embryos, infants, teens, and all humans in general with processed, packaged food products and the reverse happens: cells degenerate and degenerative diseases are the norm.

Take a peak at the current US population... As a whole, We are NOT vibrantly healthy people.

Junk Vs. Real... Vibrant Vs. Degenerative Body Cells

Bottom Line: Eat Real Food, Eat Whole Food and THRIVE for the Long Haul of Life!

Whole Health Lifestyle Choices create vibrant health & longevity, click to learn more.

To learn more about using herbs to contribute to cellular health and longevity Join my Herbs For Natural Health online course.

This is a no sweat, straight forward class on making simple herbal medicines and 3-5 herbs that enhance each specific body system for your vibrant health. 

I look forward to sharing this time honored, wise woman wisdom with you, Paula

Wanting The Work

I confess. I am an observer of people. I think it is part of the path I walk on this earth. I observe to try and find solutions for people as they struggle with life's challenges. In my previous blog post I spoke of Working With What We Already Have. On this note, I want to remind you that each and every one of us, has inside of ourselves, ALL that we need to heal; to reach every goal we have for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.  We just need to work with what we have, call up our strengths (and we have far more than we think or give ourselves credit for having), and put into action the steps we personally need to create a healthier lifestyle.

OK, so first... my floor, back to working with what I had and my promised update. Here are finished pictures of the floor. Not bad for 100+ year old floors that the pro floor guy told me my best option was to bag them and start over!

Perfect? No.

Shabby chic? Yes.

I am happy!

Working in health care (true health care and not just disease symptom management) for 30 years and most recently for 20+ years in personal health education,  I have made discoveries. We often have amazing goals for ourselves. We know where we want to be with our health, our body weight, and our physical wellness (emotional & spiritual wellness as well). Our end goals are very clear to us and we do truly want to attain these goals. Most of us have pretty good ideas about what we need to do to get to our goals.

Here's where things get sticky: wanting the work that leads us to these goals of health, weight loss, healing, physical fitness, emotional and spiritual happiness, etc.

In order to be successful at reaching our goals, we have to want to do the work to get there. This means changing the way we eat, what we eat, and our lifestyle habits little by little, step by step (or making sweeping changes if that is how you best function) and sticking with our changes to reach our goals and beyond. Maintaining health means living these newly incorporated eating and lifestyle habits for life, changing them up a bit as the seasons of the years and our lives evolve and need something different. (An example would be slowing down to embrace aging gracefully: giving you body more recovery time between fitness routines and allowing for more sleep at night than when you were 20!)

Reaching and maintaining our goals, for life, is a true "on top of the world" feeling!

The work comes in when we have to suffer a little to meet the challenge of change. I will give an example here in weight loss. In order to lose weight we have to change the way we eat, get rid of the garbage factory made food, and learn to eat less. With this comes the struggle to get through the feeling hungry challenges. If you are used to eating large meals, the challenge will be to leave the table feeling less than full and relaxing, breathing, and moving through this feeling knowing you will be ok, you will survive without feeling stuffed and full all of the time. Going hungry is the work of losing weight for some people. Wanting this work makes reaching the goal of weight loss easier and more acceptable for you to accept the challenges that lay before you.

This is true of many forms of lifestyle change to improve (yes, even heal) lifestyle diseases. To reach the goal of saying goodbye to diabetic, cholesterol, or hypertension medication and ill health symptoms, we must want the work that lies between the present dis - ease in the body and achieving the goal: major eating and lifestyle changes, living completely without sweeteners, and being OK with this and the impacting consequences of our changes.

My job as a natural health educator RN is to give you tools to support you through the WORK of making change and achieving goals.  I have raved about the power of yoga to heal on numerous occasions. I am throwing it out to you again because that is just the kind of gal I am... repeat, repeat, repeat until someone actually listens to me!  (I keep thinking this will someday work with my kids!)

Yoga IS Snake Oil

Why I Love Yoga And Other Thoughts On Whole Food, Whole Health Healing

5 Shocking Ways Yoga Causes You To Lose Weight

The above three blog posts are inspiring posts on the benefits of yoga. I encourage you to explore what makes your mind, heart, and soul sing so that the path of the work comes more easily to and for you every day. Maybe for you it is meditation, prayer, martial arts, Qi gong, walks in the woods, etc. Find your personal soul medicine and practice it daily. Wanting the work will become second nature.

Much love, Paula

PS Upcoming Fall Online Class: 

Herbs For Enhancing Your Natural Health

PPS Beloved Beet Recipe!

Substance part of the beet dish:

6 small to medium local & organic beets, gently steamed (save and drink the steam water)
2/3 can organic chickpeas
1 handful each of organic walnuts and pecans
1/2 handful organic pine nuts

Dressing:

2/3 to 3/4 cup full fat yogurt, from pasture raised cows / goats / sheep, etc.
2 tsp. local maple syrup
Fresh herbs of your liking: Basil, Oregano, Mint, Spearmint, Thyme, Tarragon, Chives , Garlic chives, Rosemary (I used all of these from my herb/weed garden out in front of my home)

Serve on a bed of local, organic, baby greens & sprinkle or slather with chunks of soft goat cheese

Working With What We Already Have

Above you see two pictures of my living room floor. The first is the before and the 2nd is after sanding, lots of TLC, and begging my "floor man" to just work with me on this one.

You are probably thinking great Paula, pictures of your floor, but what does that have to do with health. I am going to be quick about this explanation... the Reader's Digest version is what I am aiming for.

In a frenzy one day I made my boys help me rip up the carpet in this room. I hate carpet. I knew underneath there was 100 year old wood floors (my home is 175 years and there are wide plank boards under the boards you see. Hmmm, crowbar? Nah, work with what is right there!) that I would prefer to sweep than use a noisy vacuum cleaner on carpet.

Long story short: hard wood floor refinishing company took one look and said: "No way to make this floor look good. You need to put in a whole new hardwood floor." My reply: "Seriously? Why not use what is there and prevent the use of new trees to make new floor boards and the possibility of creating garbage in this world by ripping up the 100 year old boards. There is history here, lives lived on these boards, stories that I will never hear (the people are no longer alive!)... why waste what is already here? Why not work with what we have?"

I got my renegade, work for himself floor guy (who initially said the same thing about the floor and why I then asked the "pros") and begged him to just work with me on this one. I will share pictures of the final floor when I am finished sanding, fixing up, and poly-urethane covering the boards I am thrilled to have under my feet.

Your health and my floor connection? Work with what you have!

Years ago, close to 20 I bet,  I was doing a workshop locally on whole foods for weight loss. After the workshop a woman came up to me and said... I want to look like you. This woman was easily 5 inches taller than me and blessed with the big bone structure of Slavic peoples. I am 5 foot 5 1/2 inches and have the bone structure of a bird. (Trust me, I have had my longings for a more curvaceous and voluptuous body and bones that would better anchor me to this earth in a strong wind but what I have is what I have!) I hugged this woman, told her that her body was strong and beautiful, and suggested she work with what she already has (what she was gifted by her genetics)! Sure, a 25 pound weight loss would increase her health and vitality but her height and bones are her height and bones. 

My point(s): 

• embrace what nature, genetics, God, Goddess gave you (whatever beliefs you live and love by),
• eat whole foods to re-balance your weight right where it is supposed to be for you
• move your body to keep it frisky and healthy; do not rely on movement... exercise for weight loss, real food 100% of the time is what matters in the metabolism of healthy biology and body weight
• chew your food well to take good care of your gut
• LOVE exactly what you were given (what you have) and care for it in whole health ways to make the very best out of YOU!

There is only one of you. Celebrate you and make you the very best you that you can be!

That is how I am dealing with my 100 year old floors... making those boards the very best they can be and being at peace with their imperfections; walking with the history that came before me!

My Floor & I wish you Peace in discovering that what you have is just what you need. 

Life IS A Symphony

Life is a symphony meant to flow in harmony with self and all life on this planet.

When we live in this harmony with nature (we are nature) the music of the universe becomes the dance of life.

So many of us work against this flow, thinking we are wiser than the laws of nature; perhaps that we are above the laws of nature.

I invite you to do this:

1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position,
2. Close your eyes,
3. Take 10 slow, deep belly breaths (breathing from the belly makes the diaphragm drop down and allows your lungs to fully expand, your breath of life!),
4. Envision yourself in the flow of life, all things in harmony,
5. Allow this vision to stay with you as you continue to deep breathe,
6. Start at your head and visualize each and every body organ & body part, one by one, until you reach your toes; visualize them alive with love, life force energy, that glowing white light,
7. Finish up with 10 more slow deep breaths.
8. Slowly bring yourself back to the present moment.

Your body, mind, and spirit should feel refreshed and alive, ready to meet the day's challenges with peace.

Anytime you arrive at a snag in your day, pause for just a moment, deep breathe and visualize the white light running from the center of your head to your toes. This is a quickie mindfulness meditation to bring calm and patience to the moment.

Remember your body is an amazing healing organism, part of the harmony of the universe. Allowing yourself to be in this harmony creates a healing effect in each and every body cell.

Healing Blessings, Paula

The Power Of Walking Our Personal Paths On This Planet & A Summer Refresher Drink Recipe!

The Native Americans use the term Medicine Path to describe our personal path on this planet; the gifts we have to offer to all life on this planet. What a strong message this sends: when we do what we are personally meant to be doing on our life walk it is healing to our body, mind, and spirit and healing medicine to those we share our gifts with. Each of us has a purpose, a story to tell, a gift to share with the world to make this place a better place for all. When we listen, truly listen to our heart-spirit, we know our special gift(s) to share. 

Are you connected with your purpose here, the gift you need to be sharing with others?

In my young teenage years I knew I wanted to be a health teacher. Going to RN school, right after high school, seemed to me a great place to start (When I look at my life in retrospect... I was not consciously thinking this out at the time!).  Nursing school taught me that our medical field works to decrease and cover the symptoms of ill health but really does very little, if anything, to get to the root cause of ill health and heal it. Health Education was my answer to get on prevention end and help people understand what causes disease, what promotes healthy bodies, and how to best make that happen in their lives. The road of life led me to my own practice, supporting other's desire to return to health is my medicine walk on this earth.

Finding your path in life means creating space to listen, truly listen to your heart and spirit talking to you:

• take walks in nature, relax and listen to what comes up without creating actual thoughts
• speak positive words about yourself and the world around you, your words create your reality and ripple out to the reality of the whole universe
• practice some form of mind-body-spirit activity, daily, that leads you back to you: yoga, tai chi, qigong, meditation, prayer...
• surround yourself with positive people, positive media, positive energy... positive food for mind-body-spirit
• eat whole foods so your body cells vibrate at their highest nutritional frequency
• discover what makes you happy and color your world happy!

All of these actions help you, your whole being, vibrate at your highest life force energy frequency. This is your medicine path in the making!

In my quest to do the best I can with what I do... I have devised a questionnaire for new clients to determine if I am the right choice for them on their healing path.  This questionnaire also helps me to determine if a client is the right fit for me and what I have to offer. The right fit, on both sides, creates happy clients who desire to be successful in this healing walk with me! We work together to color each other's worlds happy!

Summer Citrus Cooling Drink

• 1 lime
• 2 cups water
• 6 or so ice cubes
• optional: fresh herbs from the garden: mint, basil, tarragon, cilantro are all good choices; use one or two at a time

1. Wash off the lime and quarter it, put in blender (yes, skins & all as the skin contains amazing anti-oxidants... anti-cancer properties!)
2. add water & ice cubes
3. blend into a frenzy
4. pour into tall sipping glasses, add herbs, and enjoy (wide mouth pint canning jars work well)
5. PS add a touch of whole food sweetener if too tart for your taste buds but go very easy as sugar is not a cell enhancing food

I have made this with fresh lemons, oranges, peach & nectarines, berries, etc. Use your imagination and let the seasonal fruit offerings guide your choices.

Feelin' Stronger Everyday

I love these words as they state such a humble truth. Our physical body is always moving towards health and healing despite the unhealthy and unkind things we do to it. Then one day...

It (meaning health) just all seems to fall apart, crumble at your feet, come cascading down from one ill symptom to the next. Does this sound familiar?

I hear these words often: "When I was 20 I ate whatever I wanted and nothing bothered my stomach or digestive tract. I drank like crazy, did drugs, ate junk food, and was still healthy as a horse." (I am not exactly certain how the horse got involved here!) I take such good care of me now... Why is this happening to me? 

My reply always resembles something like this: When you are young your body cells are in tip top shape. Our habits, good and bad, either build our body cells for better health or wear them down into degenerative cells. This is a slow and insidious process which is exactly why we do not consciously connect it to the "stuff" we did to ourselves in our younger years.  

I wrote about this in: 

• Garbage Disposal Syndrome
• Healing Begins At Home
• and so many other blog posts. I hope I am encouraging you and not sounding like a broken record!   : )

Back to the body knows what to do and the mind getting in the way thing. This is just one issue in the struggle to maintain healthy habits. Our body knows how to heal, knows how to ask for what it needs (fresh, real food), and functions at optimal levels when we care for it. The struggle comes with the mind:

1. wanting what we see advertised by food manufacturers because it is so enticing and the ads mesmerize us;
2. not wanting to work hard to avoid that which we know is not cell enhancing food or lifestyle habits;
3. having addictions to refined sugar, refined sodium, and flavor enhancing chemicals that tantalize our taste buds, release endorphins, and various other interruptions in normal physiological processes; and
4. being disconnected from our mind and spirit. This here my friends is a great space to start working on to get passed the 3 issues above.

I am inviting you to incorporate some mind-body-spirit activities into your life. This will help you bridge the disconnect we have as a culture and bring harmony back to mind, body, and spirit. You will function as a peaceful, whole human being that no longer struggles to avoid the things that you know are not best for your whole body health. Instead, you will feel at ease, comfy, in your own skin making the choices that create vibrant health. All without feeling deprived. (I promise!)

1. Deep breathe (deep belly breathe not that shallow chest stuff most people do),
2. Yoga,
3. Tae Kwon Do,
4. Tai Chi,
5. Qigong,
6. Meditate,
7. Pray,
8. Walk in the woods,
9. Laugh,
10. Have great sex,
11. Nurture your ties with beloved family & friends,
12. Ground yourself everyday,  (grounding exercise at the link back there),
13. AND then you will be....www.Feelin' Stronger Everyday.com, Chicago!

Whole Body Health BEGINS In Your Gut (your digestive tract, gastro-intestinaI Tract)

Discover how to heal your gut health and restore vibrant vitality to your whole being...

How you ask?

By delving into digestive tract health: Healing Your Gut For Lifetime Vitality online eCourse.

1. Click the link: http://www.paulayoumellrn.com/healyourgutecourse/,
2. Check out how this course will help you create vibrant health & vitality,
3. Invest in healing your gut health (your whole body health),
4. Watch the videos, read the PDF, do the gut healing work that I will lay out for you in simple terms and steps, and feel better than you have in years!

AND, you have lifetime access to this information!