BODY – The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife, C.M., M.D.
If you were to travel the world looking for people who enjoy a degree of health far above that found in most nations, people who are relatively free from the crippling effects of a degenerative disease, you couldn’t help but be impressed by the natives who inhabit the islands of the South Pacific. These people in their tropical paradise enjoy a remarkable degree of good health, relatively free from the aches and pains of degenerative disease that plague most of the rest of the world. These people are robust and healthy. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis are almost unheard of at lease among those who continue to live on the traditional native diets.
What is the miracle food these people eat that protects them from degenerative diseases? What is this mysterious food that has been used through the tropical island cultures in the Pacific yet is relatively uncommon in western diets?
Taro and Sego palm roots, and the fruit of the coconut. Taro and sego are a rich in sources of fiber and carbohydrates, and form the staple diet of many island populations, much like how rice or wheat is used in other parts of the world.
Coconut has also been used as a staple part of the diets of almost all Polynesian, Melanesian and Asian people for centuries. Coconuts are used as food, a flavoring and for beverages. They are highly prized for their rich oil content, which is used for all cooking purposes.
Coconut oil has a long and highly respected reputation in many cultures throughout the world, not only as a valuable food but also an effective medicine. In India, it is an important ingredient in some of the Ayurvedic medical formulations. In the Central American country of Panama, people are known to drink coconut oil by the glass to help themselves overcome sickness. They have learned over the generations that consuming coconut oil speeds recovery from illness. In Jamaica, coconut is considered a health tonic good for the heart. In Nigeria and other parts of tropical Africa, palm kernel oil (which is very similar to coconut oil) is a trusted remedy for all types of illnesses. For Polynesian people, the coconut palm is valued above all other plants for its nutritional and health-giving properties.
Whenever coconut oil is mentioned, most people immediately think of saturated fat and therefore assume it must be bad. And it is true that coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat. What people don’t realized however, is that there are many different types of saturated fat and all of them affect the body differently. The type of saturated fat found in coconut oil, a plant source, is different from the type found in animal products. The difference is dramatic and is fully documented by years of scientific research.
Using coconut oil for all your cooking needs may be one of the healthiest decisions you could ever make. Many Asian and Polynesian people call the coconut palm the “Tree of Life.”
MIND – Introvert: Discover How to Use Your Inner Strengths to Thrive and Flourish in the Modern World by Ace McCloud
“Challenge” is a word that is probably well-recognized by most introverts. The majority of extroverts find it easy to make friends, hit it off with almost anyone, and they often seem to be in great jobs. They also always seem to know just what to say to get a conversation going. For introverts, most of that can seem like a crazy obstacle course.
Friendships: Attracting friends can be a major challenge for introverts. It is not the fact that introverts don’t want friends – they do – it
is just more challenging for them to open up, especially in groups. If an introvert does not have a strategy for making friends easily, his or her life can easily become lonely. I have found that one of the best ways to make friends is to observe others for a while. Try to figure them out and then start talking to them. There will be a high chance that they will feel more connected to you if you give off the sense that you “know” them. Having a good conversation starter or some good ideas to talk about can go a long way.
Networking: Networking can be another huge barrier for introverts because groups tend to turn them off. There is nothing worse than being at a large gathering for a networking event and just shying off into the corner, especially when everyone else seems to be getting along just fine. A good solution for overcoming this challenge is to network online since it utilizes more written communication than verbal.
Health Issues: Since introverts tend to bottle up their feelings, it can often lead to health issues such as extra stress, which can then lead to a slew of other health problems. A good solution to this is to make sure that you eat right and exercise. Exercising with cardio and strength training methods are great for reducing stress. Other good stress-free activities include yoga and meditation.
Feeling Unnoticeable: Another common challenge for introverts is that they may often feel unnoticed. When it comes to this challenge, sometimes it is necessary to practice extroversion. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be true to yourself – in fact, you should never fight introversion – note however that most everyone has the ability to be extroverted for shorts periods of time.
Here are some great tips:
- Learning how to mimic characteristics of extroverted people
- Believe in yourself – the rest often comes naturally
- Practice engaging in conversation skills whenever you get a chance. If this is something you struggle with, be sure to make better conversation skills a goal
- Pretend like you are an actor playing in a movie.
- Work on building up your confidence and self-esteem to make it easier
- Make a small effort to be sociable – you’ll be surprised to see how much a little initiative can go a long way
SPIRIT – The Voice Inside Your Head – The Un-tethered Soul by Michael A Singer
There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind; rather, you are the one that hears it. People go through many changes in the name of “trying to find myself.” They want to discover which of these voices and which of these aspects of their personality is who they really are. The answer is
simple: none of them.
If you watch it objectively, you will come to see that much of what the voice says is meaningless. Most of the talking is just a waste of time and energy. The truth is that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it. It’s like sitting down at night and deciding whether you want the sun to come up in the morning. The bottom line is, the sun will come up and the sun will go down. Billions of things are going on in this world. You can think about it all you want, but life is still going to keep on happening. In fact, your thoughts have far less impact on this world than you would like to think. If you’re willing to be objective and watch all your thoughts, you will see that the vast majority of them have no relevance. They have no effect on anything or anybody, except you. They are simply making you feel better or worse about what is going on now, what has gone on in the past, or what might go on in the future. If you spend your time hoping that it doesn’t rain tomorrow, you are wasting your time. Your thoughts don’t change the rain. You will someday come to see that there is no use for that incessant internal chatter, and there is no reason to constantly attempt to figure everything out. Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself — it is the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes problems.
True personal growth is about transcending the part of you that is not okay and needs protection. This is done by constantly remembering that you are the one inside that notices the voice talking. That is the way out. The one inside who is aware that you are always talking to yourself about yourself is always silent. It is a doorway to the depths of your being. To be aware that you are watching the voice talk is to stand on the threshold of a fantastic, inner journey. If used properly, the same mental voice that has been a source of worry, distraction, and general neurosis can become the launching ground for true spiritual awakening. Come to know the one who watches the voice, and you will come to know one of the great mysteries of creation.
Buddha’s Corner
“Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to others.”
“The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self.”
“Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.”
TIME FOR SELF NEWSLETTER contributed by:
Heather Young, owner of Time for Self
Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) / Yuen Method™/ Holistic Practitioner
Certified Personal Transformation Coach / Alternative and Energetic Medicines
403-358-2362 — Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
