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Love & light! ~ Brittney G.

Nutrition

Coconut Palm: The Tree of Life

This saturated fat is no joke. Before we freak out about that three letter word, let’s shake the depressing connotation surrounding the word fat and focus on the kinds of fats that are helpful rather than harmful. Coconut oil contains certain chains of fatty acids that your body uses to battle bacteria, viruses and fungus. There is no storing these medium-chain fatty acids. They are sent right to the digestive system and liver where they work to encourage your metabolism and provide energy!

Since this oil has a high melting point (it turns liquid at about 76 degrees) you must keep it out of the fridge. Make sure you look for a high quality extra-virgin coconut oil that is certified organic and free from refining, chemicals, bleach, deodorization, heating and hydrogenation. Look for a brand that uses fresh coconuts from non-GMO coconut palms.

This miracle fruit is great for your insides and outsides! It can be used as moisturizer and conditioner for skin and hair because of its anti-aging and antioxidant properties. It’s even good for your pets. Next time you reach for an oil to cook with or flavor foods with, let it be coconut oil. Your heart, digestive system, skin, thyroid, hair, gut, immune system, liver, kidneys… well, let’s just say your entire being will thank you.

Go Deeper
Uses | Science | Cooking

Journey Outdoors

Contributed by Stacia Kilpatrick

I opened my email one chilly January morning. I had received an email from my bank stating that I had overdrawn my account and that a check I had written had just bounced. I thought I had worked my account balanced perfectly so there was just enough money in my account for the check, but apparently I had not. Already being strapped for cash and wondering how I was going to pay for bills coming up in the next few weeks, I started to panic. Badly. The tears came, the ragged breathing shook me to my core, and I couldn’t stop. So I did the only thing I knew to do. I texted my friend and told her I was freaking out. I went on and on about how I couldn’t afford the fees, that I felt awful for bouncing a check that I had written to my trainer, and how it seemed like a never ending battle. The response I got back was to stop, get outside, and run.

So I ran. An Arizona girl for you, I only had my riding boots and flip flops with me, so I opted for the riding boots. I ran down the driveway, across the road and into the desert. I ran along a trail that I had taken so many times on horseback, and saw things in a new light. I was crying, asking what I was supposed to do and how the heck I was supposed to handle this. I asked for an answer. The most beautiful voice filled my head and said to me,

“Open your heart to the world. Trust in me and trust in yourself. Allow yourself to feel love, and doors will open. People will appear. Take down the walls and let them in. Until you do, you will always be here.”

My breath steadied. My pace slowed to a walk. I finished my run, went to the barn and enjoyed the peaceful quiet of the horses in their morning routine of eating, drinking, stretching their legs, and getting ready for a mid-morning nap. I had my answer and knew what I had to do. Had it not been for that run along the desert trails, I would have been stuck, exactly where I was.

Tips and Tricks

Your Energy Centers

Play a game with me for a moment and imagine your body as a vessel. Like any container, you have the ability to hold or release ingredients. In our game, the ingredients will be energy. If energy is a foreign language to you, think of energy as blood flow, vitality or life force. So now you are holding or releasing this energy within your body, specifically in seven precise locations called chakras.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” and all of them are associated with distinguishing characteristics such as colors, elements, organ systems, emotional states and gemstones. These seven locations are spinning vortexes helping to balance the inner spirit. As energy flows in and out of these centers, the amount of energy and the ease of flow correspond to our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health. The goal is that each of our chakras are open, spinning and drawing in energy to keep our whole body healthy and in balance.

So now that we’re aware of our chakras, what do we do with them? Understanding these "organs of the soul" will allow you to recognize the relationship between your consciousness and your body. They give you a better understanding of yourself and those around you. We can use chakra meditations to focus energy and become in tune with our energy centers. We can also use this awareness to pinpoint physical locations to heal the mind, body and spirit.

Go Deeper
Chakra Philosophy | Asanas for the Chakra System | Chakra Meditation (#15)

Choose Health

Are you eating enough raw, whole food?

Does it makes sense that what you put in your body affects how you feel? Contact me to learn about how to easily eat a beautiful variety of 17 fruits and veggies every single day.

Would you like to grow your own food? Watch this to witness the amazing Tower Garden story.