Activate Your Environment To Support Your Goals

It's a good idea to have some small things in your home to remind you that you need to train. Whenever I travel, I always wear a Jade Buddha amulet. This isn't just for good luck, this also reminds me to be peaceful. If something difficult happens, I tell myself to calm myself down. I also carry a small Buddha with me. Before any important decision, I meditate for twenty minutes to clear my mind.

I also take my Instant Health Massage Brush with me, and a skipping rope in case I can't find a place to run then I can find a small park to skip for half an hour. This means, I never have an excuse not to train. 

In my office I have a Jade Energy Stone and a  Wooden Star Palm Massager in front of my computer. When I work at the computer a lot, I stop and use this to massage my hands for a while.

These are all powerful things to remind myself to have a positive mental outlook and to keep training. These positive things I surround myself with, make me feel that I'm not even training, this is just my routine, this is part of my life.

Different things inspire different people, think about what inspires you. Can you see it every day? Small changes in our environment can help us to activate our health and fitness goals and make them real. Research has shown that even simple things like using a smaller plate helps us to eat less. 

If you're environment isn't positive then change it so it is.  Make sure that your environment is supporting and not hindering your goals.

No More Heartburn

I’m afraid to jinx myself, but I think I’m finally free from heartburn! It’s been a couple weeks since I took my last Prilosec and I feel fine :) Although the pills worked well, I was fearful of their side-effects and of staying on them long-term in general. I didn’t stop on purpose, really. I just forgot to take them for a couple of days and realized I had an opportunity to try and get off them. It just felt right. There was something about taking those pills every day that really got me down. Eating low carb and especially Paleo, seems to be the ticket for many with this problem. It bugged me that I still had to deal with it, even with my great diet.

The only things I changed during this period were to add a lot more gelatin and probiotics to my diet. I also have made a concerted effort not to drink water with meals and to slow down and make sure not to overeat at all. I wanted to do whatever I could to help my poor gut heal itself and not irritate it unnecessarily. I also stocked up on TUMS just in case (I have not popped even one, as of this writing!)

I have struggled to find a way to incorporate probiotics into my diet. I don’t like sauerkraut or many fermented foods at all. Pickles are pretty much it, on that front. I’ve also not had much luck with yogurt. The dairy still seems to bother me. I’d like to try coconut yogurt, but I could only find it pre-sweetened in the store, so that was out. As a result, I’ve tried to get my hands on some real, lacto-fermented pickles. They have Bubbies brand at the health food store, and those are good. I’ve also discovered the joys of kombucha. I like the cranberry flavor that I found in the store (the fermentation process brings the carb content way down so it doesn’t spike my blood sugar). I very much want to learn how to make it myself and will be following this guide from Wellness Mama soon to try it out. Buying it by the bottle at the store is expensive! I’m also taking one probiotic supplement every couple of days, especially when I don’t get any from food. Who knows if it’s helping? But it doesn’t seem to have any ill effects, either.

My saving grace, though, is gelatin. It is the most soothing substance I have come across. Its health benefits include helping to heal the gut lining and it’s also good for aching joints, arthritis, etc. I’ve been putting it in everything from soup to tea, having it several times a day. Whenever I feel the smallest twinge in my tummy, I drink some tea with it mixed in and I feel instantly better. Is it the placebo effect? Do I care? I also have been making homemade bone broths (chicken, turkey, beef) using good quality bones, which are a natural source of this healing substance. The only advice I have about gelatin is that quality matters. I’m not talking about Jello brand desserts, with all kinds of additives. I get Great Lakes brand, which is sourced from grass fed animals.

I don’t have a clue if any of the above strategies are doing much to make this happen or if I’m simply healing on my own. It doesn’t matter all that much to me. I’m just glad to be feeling better and less dependent on pharmaceuticals for my daily comfort.

Body Conditioning & Qigong Self-Massage - Metal Massage Brush

For many years, my on-line students have asked me to provide them with the metal brush they have seen me using in my book and DVDs. I have been reluctant to do this without seeing the student first because this metal brush is not like the bamboo brush, if used incorrectly, it can cause damage to the body.

The person who uses this brush needs to be trained correctly and train with responsibility. But now that many of my students have followed all of the training from my first DVD through to my fifteenth, I feel, if their body is telling them they are ready to use this brush, then they are.

This is a professional brush, only to be used by highly trained martial artists, fighters, Qigong masters. It is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18, pregnant women, old people or health seekers. The Instant Health bamboo massage brush is perfect for most people and they should continue to use this rather than change to this metal brush.  The bamboo brush is safe to use for all people.

I had this metal brush hand-made to my specific specifications. It was difficult to find someone who could make it for me, and I only have a limited number available. This is a very heavy metal brush, it weighs about 1.6 kg and has 108 metal rods. Shaolin Temple is carved in Chinese on the end of the brush. If used correctly, it will last a lifetime.

Safety Guidelines for Using The Metal Massage Brush

1) The brush needs to be cleaned with a soft cloth before use. 


2) The brush must never be used on the head, face or any other sensitive area.


3) Keep the brush in a private place away from children and adults.


4) Never share the brush with another person.


5) Never use this brush without doing Qigong first. 


6) Warm up with the bamboo brush first then move onto the metal brush.


7) Do not use this brush for body conditioning unless you have had direct training from a qualified master.


8) Only use this brush for self-massage after the Qigong Forms that I teach on my DVDs.


9) Your body should feel happy when you massage. Listen to your body. If something feels wrong or there is any pain, stop immediately. 


10) Exercise extreme caution. Remember, this brush has the potential to damage your internal organs. Make sure you know and understand what you are doing. If in doubt, seek advice from a qualified instructor. 

I teach five Qigong forms that can be used with this brush. They can be found on the following DVDs:
The Way of Qigong Volume 1,2, & 3
Qigong For Upper Body & Lower Body
And in my book:
Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity 

I also teach Iron Shirt for advanced practioners.

Apart from Qigong Volume 1, all of the above give precise instructions as to how to do the Instant Health Massage. The instructions are the same for the bamboo brush and the metal brush. If you are using the metal brush, warm up with the bamboo brush first. The metal brush gives a deeper vibration to the bones.

I've also made this video to give more clarification on the different uses of the brushes. This is only for a guide and is not a teaching video. Please refer to my teaching DVDs and books for correct instructions on the self-massage.

The metal massage brush is available from my website.

Thanksgiving Menu

This year I’m thankful for… the Internet. As you can see below, all of the recipes I will be using for our big Turkey Day Feast come from around the web. I look forward to pulling up this post on my brand new Kindle Fire and easily bouncing back and forth between pages as I cook. I plan to do most of my shopping Sunday afternoon at Trader Joes but I will also be stopping by Wegmans for whatever items I can’t get at TJs. I’m going to be able to do most of the prep and even some of the cooking on Wednesday since I took the day off. That will make Thursday a little more relaxed and I’ll be able to focus on the Turkey and the last minute items.

All of the recipes are Amelia-approved. I figure since I’m the one cooking it all, I sure as well should be able to eat what I make. A holiday like this is the perfect opportunity to go off plan for a bit and live it up – I get that. But for me, I feel so good eating this way, why would I want to intentionally set myself up for feeling like crap afterwards? That’s not to say everything is 100% strict Paleo. For one thing, there’s quite a bit of heavy cream, butter, and cheese going on in this meal. I guess you could call it more “primal” than “paleo”. All those terms are so fluid anyway, though. There are some sweet treats involved that follow my usual concession to those types of things: definitely gluten free and low in sugar (but not necessarily completely sugar free). That being said, I haven’t neglected the needs of my guests. I put a lot of thought into my choices and I think they will appeal to everybody. Good food is good food.

Without further ado, here is what I'm making:

Apple Cider Soda

Sage and Butternut Squash Soup

Brined Turkey

Gravy

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Garlic and Herb Mashed Cauliflower

Green Bean Casserole

Cheesy Cauliflower Bake

Grain Free Bread Stuffing

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake with Honey-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cookies

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Building The Stamina Of Your Mind

I recently had a student who was a chess player. He came to study Shaolin with me for two weeks. He asked me if he needed stamina when he played chess, I said, yes, it would help him,  because when you play chess, you need to be steps ahead, working out your moves and your opponent's moves. This is the same as fighting but every teacher or coach knows that if their student don't have stamina then it doesn't matter how good they are, they can't use their skills.  This means, you have build your stamina. Through building your stamina you build the strength of your mind.

When you're tired, you can't show your weakness, you have to pretend that you still have stamina. If your opponent finds out then this is your weakness and he can beat you. Sometimes you have to learn how to hide your feelings, it's the same when you have an injury, you have to hide your injury. This is the same as a chess player who makes a bad move, he can't show it or give up, he has to hide.

The warrior fights to the end. The warrior is really competing with him or herself. His competitor is his teacher

When I taught this chess player, I made him do a lot of physical exercise; running, punches, squats, press ups. All training that had nothing to do with the mind. He wanted to give up but I pushed him. He trained with me every day for two weeks. Towards the end of his training, I made his training plan a little easier and suddenly he found out he strong he was. Everyday he trained, I would do just 25 minutes of Qigong to show him how to balance his Yin and Yang. I didn't want to do too much because I didn't want him to think. 

He told me that the Shaolin training gave him a lot of confidence and he felt  stronger when he played chess because he no  longer cared whether he won or lose, he only thought how to  make a strong move and how to conquer himself. If he made a mistake, it didn't matter, he just kept going, sometimes he could change the situation from bad to good but the most important thing was that he always gave his best.

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Haddock en Papillote

Since the small bag of frozen wild caught Halibut that contained two small filets cost $18.99 and the large bag of frozen wild caught Haddock cost $12.99 contained four large filets, I decided to make a change to the “Halibut en Papillote” recipe. What can I say, I’m cheap a savvy shopper! The funny thing is that I am often the opposite of a bargain hunter when it comes to food. I do NOT skimp on quality. But that was just a no-brainer. It’s not as if I like signing my paychecks over to Trader Joes and Wegmans…

The idea of wrapping the fish up in parchment paper with the delicious flavorings (lemon, scallions, and the chives I subbed for the garlic scapes) and letting them all just steam to perfection was one that appealed to me and it did not disappoint. I cut two big filets in half and wound up making four delightful packets. I paired the contents with some roasted Brussels sprouts and pureed cauliflower and ended up extremely pleased with myself, and of course, my inspiration: Make it Paleo! Have I mentioned what a great cookbook that is? No? Well, it IS. Go buy it. And if you know me personally, you can ask me for it for the holidays. I will seriously buy it for you. And don’t be surprised if you get it, even if you don’t ask. It’s THAT good.

THIS SATURDAY - November 19 Market to Table - Thanksgiving Edition!

Join volunteers from Healthy World Cafe as we pay tribute to Thanksgiving dishes and this wonderful holiday. Taking inspiration from what's locally in-season, Chef and Guiding Committee Chair Sean Arnold and his team have created a collection of recipes guaranteed to inspire you.

The live cooking demonstration will take place at the Rojahn Performance Kitchen inside York's Central Market House. The Markethouse is located on N. Beaver St., between W. Market St. and W. Philadelphia St.

Copies of recipes will be available, as will more information about Healthy World Cafe and our mission. We continue in our active fundraising and "friendraising" stage of our evolution, and are so proud to be complementing what's happening in our local farming community.

Come one, come all, taste our food and plan your Thanksgiving menu around whats fresh in York county!

Meal plan - Make it Paleo Edition

I have been so excited to get started with my brand new copy of Make it Paleo. The photos alone are drool-worthy. With so many great recipes, it was hard to narrow it down to just a few. Since I'm purposely making enough with each recipe to have leftovers, these probably will be cooked and eaten over the next couple weeks:

1. Lamb meatballs with mint pesto over zucchini noodles p. 160

2. Chicken with Garlic p. 186

3. Smoked paprika chicken p. 194

4. Halibut en papillote p. 234

5. Taco Salad p. 278

6. Pot Roast p. 288

7. Butternut Squash soup p. 290