Michael Pollan Fixes Dinner

Below is a recent interview with author and journalist Michael Pollan that first appeared in Mother Jones magazine.

Pollan is a strong advocate for eating local and sustainable foods, and a strong critic of modern day food and agricultural practices. He most certainly wouldn’t have good things to say about the Mid America CropLife Association’s recent email to Michelle Obama protesting her organic garden at the White House, if given a chance to comment on it.

Michael Pollan is the author, most recently, of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.” His previous book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals”, was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by the New York Times and the Washington Post. It also won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the James Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

He is also the author of “The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World”, “A Place of My Own”, and “Second Nature”. A contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine, Pollan is the recipient of numerous journalistic awards, including the James Beard Award for best magazine series in 2003 and the Reuters-I.U.C.N. 2000 Global Award for Environmental Journalism. His articles have been anthologized in Best American Science Writing, Best American Essays and the Norton Book of Nature Writing. Pollan served for many years as executive editor of Harper’s Magazine and is now the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at UC Berkeley.

Mother Jones: What surprised you as you researched In Defense of Food?

Michael Pollan: One surprise is how deeply the food system is implicated in climate change. I don’t think that has really been on people’s radar until very recently. Al Gore didn’t talk about it at all; 25 to 33 percent of climate change gases can be traced to the food system. I was also surprised that those diseases that we take for granted as what will kill us—heart disease, cancer, diabetes—were virtually unknown 150 years ago, before we began eating this way.

MJ: When you first wrote the mantra “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” did you have any idea what kind of reaction you’d get?

MP: Well, I studied my poetry in school, and I knew there was something about the way it sounded that made it easy to remember. After writing The Omnivore’s Dilemma I wanted to write a book that got past the choir, that got to people who didn’t care about how their food was grown, but who did care about their health. I wanted to make it almost billboard simple. It started out as just “Eat food.” But then I realized, Eh, not quite good enough. You’ve got to deal with the quantity issue. And then plants; the more you looked, the more you realized that the shortage of plants in our diet could explain a lot. Not that I’m against meat eating. I think we’re eating too much. That’s why I said “mostly plants.”

MJ: Did you hear from the beef lobby?

MP: No, but there’s another group, the Weston A. Price Foundation, who are fierce in their love of animal fat. And a lot of what they say is right, but they really don’t like plants. People feel like they have to take sides on this plant/animal divide, and I don’t think we do.

MJ: There’s no dilemma?

MP: [Laughs.] No dilemma. And of course a lot of vegetarians were annoyed that I wasn’t saying “all plants.” It’s a thicket. People have strong, quasi-religious views. Secularizing the issue is challenging.

MJ: Your books were once very personal and interior. Has the transition to being the public face of food activism been difficult?

MP: Very hard. You still have to draw lines between being a journalist and an activist. When Obama announced his pick for agriculture secretary I was disappointed, and I said so in some interviews. I got calls from very prominent activists saying, “You should really keep your powder dry because we want to have access to this guy.” Who is this “we”? I felt like Tonto. And I realized that if you are an activist, you do respond tactically. But as a writer you have a pact with your readers that you’ll be really straight with them.

MJ: So what do you think of Iowa governor Tom Vilsack heading Agriculture?

MP: There’s reason to be very concerned. He oversaw a tremendous expansion of feedlot agriculture and confinement hog production, ruining the Iowa countryside, ruining the lives of many farmers. He helped gut local control over the siting decisions. He has also been very friendly toward Monsanto and genetically modified products and was named governor of the year by bio, the big biotech trade organization. But people I respect say that he will listen to food activists and is interested in helping Iowa to feed itself. It’s a food desert, weirdly enough. All the raw material leaves the state and comes back in processed form. Putting the most positive spin I can on it: He’s no longer governor of Iowa, and I’m hoping that as a politician, when he senses where the wind is moving, he’ll move with it.

MJ: How much of our current agricultural policy can we lay at the feet of the Iowa caucuses?

MP: You can’t be elected president without passing though Iowa and bowing down before corn-based ethanol, before agricultural subsidies. I mean, even McCain was a critic of ethanol, but when he got to Iowa he was singing a different tune. But this time around the candidates learned there is a progressive farm lobby. Iowa came close to electing a woman organic farmer as its agriculture secretary—until the Iowa Farm Bureau came after her. And Obama said he saw the importance of local control. That idea that there is a monolithic farm bloc—I wouldn’t say it’s starting to crumble, but there are interesting cracks. The challenge for the food reform movement is to make those cracks bigger.

MJ: Obama has praised corn-based ethanol.

MP: I think we’ll see him back off of that because he’s no longer a senator from Illinois, and he has to look at not only the national but the global implications of this folly. It’s an experiment that’s been disastrous. About 30 percent of the increase in grain prices could be attributed to the decision to embrace biofuels, particularly corn-based ethanol. It has done nothing for climate change, and the business is in real trouble now with the collapse of oil prices. It’s completely dependent on subsidies and tariffs. I don’t think it’s proven itself to be of any value except to Archer Daniels Midland. And Obama appointed Steven Chu as secretary of energy, a fierce critic of corn-based ethanol, a physicist, and a Nobel Prize winner. It will be his job to argue the president and Vilsack out of corn-based ethanol.

MJ: Are all biofuels problematic?

MP: Well, we don’t yet know about cellulosic ethanol. You can’t yet do it economically because it takes a lot of energy to break cellulose down. And the kind of refineries that we’ve been building for corn will not work for cellulose. When you use farms to create fuel, you’re going to have to replace that acre of farmland. So people deforest Indonesia, Brazil. It’s very shortsighted and based on the fact that oil companies need a replacement liquid. It’s what they’re good at. And they have gas stations. And the idea that maybe the best way is a sustainably powered electrical grid that we all plug into doesn’t sit well with oil companies; they don’t have a seat at that table. That’s why BP has given half a billion dollars to Berkeley to help develop cellulosic ethanol. I think that Obama will put a lot of money into it to help develop it. I just hope it’s not wasted.

MJ: Ethanol producers have asked for part of the economic stimulus/bailout package.

MP: Can you believe it? They’re only, like, two years old and they were started with subsidies and would not exist except for the fact that in 2006 President Bush began these mandates. Now, on top of that, they need a bailout.

MJ: If you had a magic wand, would you get rid of subsidies or reform them?

MP: I’d give farmers the exact same amount of money to do something else. It’s a dead end to try and eliminate subsidies, because then you get all of America’s farmers, who have political power out of all proportion of their number, unified against change. Right now the incentives are to produce as much as possible, whatever the costs to the environment and our health. But you can imagine another set of assumptions, so that they’re getting incentives to sequester carbon. Or clean the water that leaves their farm, or for the quality, not the quantity, of the food they’re growing.

MJ: Why is having a secretary of agriculture from an urban community, where the majority of eaters live, such an impossibility?

MP: Good question. For many, many years the interests of farmers and eaters were the same thing. When the great public health problem was not enough calories for everybody, having policies that encouraged farmers to produce as much as possible made sense. Now our problem is different; it is the poor who suffer disproportionately from diet-related illnesses and chronic diseases. So merely giving them enough calories is not the answer. One of the more encouraging things that Vilsack said was that he was going to put nutrition at the center of his nutrition programs, which must have struck a lot of listeners as, “Well, duh,” but in fact nutrition has not been at the center; disposing of agricultural surplus has been. One thing to consider is getting these programs out of the Department of Agriculture. Eaters are the biggest interest group of all, and their interests are not being taken into account.

MJ: The food activism community is criticized as being elitist, blind to the issues of cost. How do we democratize better quality?

MP: It is the important question. One of the problems is that the government supports unhealthy food and does very little to support healthy food. I mean, we subsidize high fructose corn syrup. We subsidize hydrogenated corn oil. We do not subsidize organic food. We subsidize four crops that are the building blocks of fast food. And you also have to work on access. We have food deserts in our cities. We know that the distance you live from a supplier of fresh produce is one of the best predictors of your health. And in the inner city, people don’t have grocery stores. So we have to figure out a way of getting supermarkets and farmers markets into the inner cities.

MJ: By mandates?

MP: When we give people on the wic [Women, Infants, and Children] program or food stamps farmers market vouchers, lo and behold, the farmers markets show up in those neighborhoods. That said, one of the best things that Obama could do would be build 12-month farmers markets, especially in inner cities, those beautiful glass buildings you see in Barcelona or Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. It would drive economic development and local agriculture.

The other way that you democratize the food movement is pay enough for the school lunch system to buy local food, fresh food, because right now it’s all frozen and processed. You will improve the health of the students and the local economy. Supposedly it would take about a dollar per student per day.

MJ: Does wic still specify that you buy dairy?

MP: Yes. We had a huge fight to get a little more produce in the wic basket, which is heavy on cheese and milk because the dairy lobby is very powerful. So they fought and they fought and they fought, and they got a bunch of carrots in there. [Laughs.]

MJ: Specifically? Who knew: the carrot lobby?

MP: Specifically carrots. The next big lobby. But there is also money in this farm bill for fresh produce in school lunch. The price of getting the subsidies was getting the California delegation on board, and their price was $2 billon for what are called specialty crops—fresh fruit and produce grown largely in California.

MJ: Should we be trying to go as quickly as possible toward organic and local, or can the perfect be the enemy of the good?

MP: That’s why I don’t know if organic is the last word. It’s sort of an all-or-nothing idea. People getting it partly right is very important. Getting your chickens out of those cages is important, even if you’re not getting them organic feed. Those will not be organic eggs, but they will be so far superior. There are many varieties of sustainable agriculture we should support; it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Let a thousand flowers bloom, and let’s see what works. The whole problem of industrial agriculture is putting all of your eggs in one basket. We need to diversify our food chains as well as our fields so that when some of them fail, we can still eat.

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Not Everyone is Happy with the White House Garden

In yesterday’s article, I told you about the White House organic garden in detail. I showed you the plans for the garden, and highlighted 10 vegetables and 8 herbs that will be grown in the garden.

The plan for the garden is to educate children and the general public about the merits of healthy eating, and to be able to feed the residents and guests of the White House with locally grown food.

It’s such a great thing, and whatever your political thinking, it’s hard to find fault with creating an organic garden at the White House. As I showed you in the other day’s article, the White House has a longstanding tradition of growing vegetables.

But there is a group that has gotten their knickers in a twit over the White House garden. It is a group that needs to learn some stress management techniques and also how to manage stress, because they are too deeply immersed in a High Density Lifestyle, and it is causing them to have tunnel vision.

The group that is foaming at the mouth about the garden is called MACA, which stands for Mid America CropLife Association. MACA is made up of former executives from Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto and DuPont Crop Protection.

In case you’re not aware of whom these companies are, they are deeply entrenched in agribusiness and manufacture pesticides and fertilizers, and also are involved with bioengineering as it applies to farming.

Because MACA feels threatened about all the good publicity organic gardening and farming is getting of late, they decided they needed to retaliate and sent an email to Michelle Obama. They also then forwarded the email to many others. In their letter they made the case for chemical farming and urged Michelle Obama not to solely rely on organic methods to grow the White House garden.

They really need to take a deep breath and learn some stress management techniques so that they can manage stress better. It is really unfortunate when groups like this that are so embedded in a High Density Lifestyle can’t see beyond their own self-interests.

Accompanying the email that MACA forwarded to others was an introductory message. This is what it said:

Did you hear the news? The White House is planning to have an “organic” garden on the grounds to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for the Obama’s and their guests. While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made Janet Braun, CropLife Ambassador Coordinator and I shudder. As a result, we sent a letter encouraging them to consider using crop protection products and to recognize the importance of agriculture to the entire U.S. economy. Read below for the entire letter.

And here is the entire email letter they sent to Michelle Obama and then forwarded around:

March 26, 2009

Mrs. Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mrs. Obama,

We are writing regarding the garden recently added to the White House grounds to ensure a fresh supply of fruits and vegetables to your family, guests and staff. Congratulations on recognizing the importance of agriculture in America! The U.S. has the safest and most abundant food supply in the world thanks to the 3 million people who farm or ranch in the United States.

The CropLife Ambassador Network, a program of the Mid America CropLife Association, consists of over 160 ambassadors who work and many of whom grew up in agriculture. Their mission is to provide scientifically based, accurate information to the public regarding the safety and value of American agricultural food production. Many people, especially children, don’t realize the extent to which their daily lives depend on America’s agricultural industry. For instance, children are unaware the jeans they put on in the morning, the three meals eaten daily, the baseball with which they play and even the biofuels that power the school bus are available because of America’s farmers and ranchers.

Agriculture is the largest industry in America generating 20% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. Individuals, family partnerships or family corporations operate almost 99% of U.S. farms. Over 22 million people are employed in farm-related jobs, including production agriculture, farm inputs, processing and marketing and sales. Through research and changes in production practices, today’s food producers are providing Americans with the widest variety of foods ever.

Starting in the early 1900’s, technology advances have allowed farmers to continually produce more food on less land while using less human labor. Over time, Americans were able to leave the time-consuming demands of farming to pursue new interests and develop new abilities. Today, an average farmer produces enough food to feed 144 Americans who are living longer lives than many of their ancestors. Technology in agriculture has allowed for the development of much of what we know and use in our lives today. If Americans were still required to farm to support their family’s basic food and fiber needs, would the U.S. have been leaders in the advancement of science, communication, education, medicine, transportation and the arts?

We live in a very different world than that of our grandparents. Americans are juggling jobs with the needs of children and aging parents. The time needed to tend a garden is not there for the majority of our citizens, certainly not a garden of sufficient productivity to supply much of a family’s year-round food needs.

Much of the food considered not wholesome or tasty is the result of how it is stored or prepared rather than how it is grown. Fresh foods grown conventionally are wholesome and flavorful yet more economical. Local and conventional farming is not mutually exclusive. However, a Midwest mother whose child loves strawberries, a good source of Vitamin C, appreciates the ability to offer California strawberries in March a few months before the official Mid-west season.

Farmers and ranchers are the first environmentalists, maintaining and improving the soil and natural resources to pass onto future generations. Technology allows for farmers to meet the increasing demand for food and fiber in a sustainable manner.

* Farmers use reduced tillage practices on more than 72 million acres to prevent erosion.
* Farmers maintain over 1.3 million acres of grass waterways, allowing water to flow naturally from crops without eroding soil.
* Contour farming keeps soil from washing away. About 26 million acres in the U.S. are managed this way.
* Agricultural land provides habitat for 75% of the nation’s wildlife.
* Precision farming boosts crop yields and reduces waste by using satellite maps and computers to match seed, fertilizer and crop protection applications to local soil conditions.
* Sophisticated Global Positioning Systems can be specifically designed for spraying pesticides. A weed detector equipped with infrared light identifies specific plants by the different rates of light they reflect and then sends a signal to a pump to spray a preset amount of herbicide onto the weed.
* Biogenetics allows a particular trait to be implanted directly into the seed to protect the seed against certain pests.
* Farmers are utilizing 4-wheel drive tractors with up to 300 horsepower requiring fewer passes across fields-saving energy and time.
* Huge combines are speeding the time it takes to harvest crops.
* With modern methods, 1 acre of land in the U.S. can produce 42,000 lbs. of strawberries, 110,000 heads of lettuce, 25,400 lbs. of potatoes, 8,900 lbs. of sweet corn, or 640 lbs of cotton lint.

As you go about planning and planting the White House garden, we respectfully encourage you to recognize the role conventional agriculture plays in the U.S in feeding the ever-increasing population, contributing to the U.S. economy and providing a safe and economical food supply. America’s farmers understand crop protection technologies are supported by sound scientific research and innovation.

The CropLife Ambassador Network offers educational programs for elementary school educators at http://ambassador.maca.org covering the science behind crop protection products and their contribution to sustainable agriculture. You may find our programs America’s Abundance, Farmers Stewards of the Land and War of the Weeds of particular interest. We thank you for recognizing the importance and value of America’s current agricultural technologies in feeding our country and contributing to the U.S economy.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Sincerely,

Bonnie McCarvel, Executive Director
Janet Braun, Program Coordinator
Mid America CropLife Association
11327 Gravois Rd., #201
St. Louis, MO 63126

Nice job, MACA. They really know how to keep people living the High Density Lifestyle. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you would file this under The Empire Strikes Back (is that Darth Vader I see in the horizon, getting ready to land his ship on the White House lawn?)

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The White House Organic Garden

I told you in yesterday’s article about the White House and the organic garden that Michelle Obama has initiated on the White House grounds.

That’s such a Low Density Lifestyle thing to do! As I pointed out in yesterday’s article, living a Low Density Lifestyle is not just about health and wellness and healthy living for yourself, but also for the planet. The point is, when you live a Low Density Lifestyle, you feel lighter of body and mind, and therefore you treade lighter on the earth.

There was also a video in yesterday’s article that showed a history of gardening at the White House – and as the video showed, growing vegetables and fruit was a long-standing tradition at the White House, up until modern times.

Above is a diagram of the gardening plans at the White House. In the garden, there will be 55 varieties of vegetables, along with an herb garden – and all will be organic!

Here is a highlight of 10 of the vegetables being planted in the garden. They are being spotlighted because they are excellent foods.

Kale: Delivers beta carotene, along with other eye-health supportive carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin. Its organosulfur compounds are thought to reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Also provides a good dose of vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, iron, calcium, and fiber.

Spinach: Good source of beta carotene, magnesium, and folate. In addition, spinach offers nice amounts of vitamins C, E and K; calcium, potassium, iron, lutein, lipoic acid, and fiber. Studies show that the phytonutrients in spinach may aid in the prevention of heart disease, arthritis, and certain forms of cancer.

Broccoli: Considered a cancer risk reducer, partly due to its phytonutrient content (such as indoles and sulforaphane). An excellent source of vitamin C. Also delivers beta carotene, calcium, folate, and fiber.

Sugar Snap Peas: Provide insoluble fiber; may help lower cholesterol. Offers vitamins B1, B6, C and K, as well as iron, potassium, and lutein. New research shows promise for helping with high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Rhubarb: The stalks from rhubarb deliver vitamins C and K, fiber, potassium, and calcium. Rhubarb may benefit those with high cholesterol.

Romaine Lettuce: This salad green is packed with folate, vitamin C, and beta carotene. Other nutrients include vitamin K, manganese, chromium, and fiber.

Carrots: Good source of fiber, vitamins C and K, and the minerals potassium and manganese. Rich in antioxidants such as beta carotene, which can aid in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Collard Greens: Also has cancer-protective organosulfur compounds. Delivers beta carotene, vitamins B6 and C, calcium, zinc, and folate.

Swiss Chard: Provides vitamins B2, B6, C, K, and betacarotene, as well as the minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.

Onions: Rich source of vitamin C, chromium, and quercetin. Studies indicate that onions may improve cardiovascular health and lower cancer risk.

And in the herb garden, here is a spotlight on 8 of the herbs that will be grown:

Thyme

Health Benefits: Used as a cough remedy; considered antifungal and antibacterial. A primary constituent, thymol, is the main active antiseptic ingredient in Listerine mouthwash.

Oregano

Health Benefits: Antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic; has antioxidant effects. Traditionally used for coughs, colds, and mild fevers.

Sage

Health Benefits: Has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Used traditionally for minor digestive complaints, sore throat, and headaches.

Rosemary

Health Benefits: Used traditionally as a memory aid and to help concentration. Also for joint pain, sore muscles, and minor digestive problems. Antioxidant, antifungal. Currently being studied for its anti-cancer properties.

Hyssop

Health Benefits: Extracts of the leaves are antiviral and antimicrobial. Traditionally used for coughs, colds, and bronchitis. Added to a balm for cold sores.

Dill

Health Benefits: Can aid digestion by relieving intestinal gas. Helps relieve bad breath.

Cilantro

Health Benefits: Antimicrobial. Traditionally used to treat indigestion, loss of appetite, and joint pain.

Parsley

Health Benefits: Mild diuretic. Chew on parsley for fresh breath. Supports digestion; helps relieve bloating and gas.

And so, we have the White House inspiring us to not only live a life of health and wellness and of healthy living in general, but to practice living a Low Density Lifestyle in regards to our relationship with the planet.

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Low Density Living – On Planet Earth

The Garden of Eatin’ – A Short History of Gardening at the White House
I’ve been talking all these weeks about how a Low Density Lifestyle can put you on the path of health and wellness, and of healthy living in general. And that is so, so true and so, so important.

A Low Density Lifestyle will make you feel lighter of body and mind. It will also make you be and feel less dense in relationship to our planet. With all the concern about global warming, pollution and toxins in our environment, it’s so important to apply a Low Density Lifestyle to the environment, and tread lightly wherever you go.

For the next couple of weeks, I will be talking about being light in relationship to our planet. First I will talk about sustainable agriculture, organic foods and eating locally; then after that I will talk about the environment and energy.

Earth Day is coming very soon, so this is a good time to bring up these subjects.

The point is that living a Low Density Lifestyle applies not only to your personal well-being, but to the well-being of the greater whole. You can say it extends to the health and wellness of the entire planet, so that the planet can experience healthy living.

You may have heard by now that Michelle Obama has decided to take a segment of the White House lawn and turn it into an organic vegetable and fruit garden. What a great statement to make about the importance of eating organic, sustainable and local foods.

In other words, the Obamas are advocating for a Low Density Lifestyle!

In the above video, you’ll see a history of gardening at the White House. You’ll see that by putting in an organic garden, Michelle Obama is turning back the clock to a time when it was the normal thing to do – just as living a Low Density Lifestyle was also the normal thing to do.

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How Well Do You Sleep?

Now, She is a Great Sleeper! Do you sleep as well as that?

(Please note: YouTube has embedded ads in the video. If you don’t want to see them, below the video on the right it says “Ads by Google” and then there’s a little box with an “X” in it. Just click the “X” and it will shut off the ads.)

One of the signs of being stressed out is not sleeping well. Sleeping well is crucial to relaxation, stress management and healthy living.

Many people have trouble sleeping. They use all kinds of sleep aids/medications to help them. But taking drugs for sleep is not an answer if you’re interested in health and wellness. The answer is learning good stress management approaches.

Do you have trouble falling asleep, or do you have trouble staying asleep? If so, the stress if getting to you.

If you want to have stress management and experience stress relief, then review the articles on 30 Ways to Relax Part 1 and Part 2. The suggestions on ways to relax are also relevant for ways to help you sleep.

The ideal is to sleep like a baby. To hit the pillow and be out like a light. Then you know you have no worries, you have good stress relief techniques, and you’re well on your way to healthy living.

Sleeping well also keeps you in the land of The Low Density Lifestyle.

If you want to see some really good sleepers, see the video above and check out the pictures below for some uncanny good sleepers.

Nighty-night to all!! See you in the the land of dreams!

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Why Play is Good For You

Dr. Stuart Brown on Why Play is Vital – No Matter Your Age

I talked yesterday about play and relaxation, and how conducive play is to relaxation, stress relief and healthy living.  Today’s article is a video from a May 2008 talk by Dr. Stuart Brown.

A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults — and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.

Dr. Stuart Brown came to research play through research on murderers — unlikely as that seems — after he found a stunning common thread in killers’ stories: lack of play in childhood. Since then, he’s interviewed thousands of people to catalog their relationships with play, noting a strong correlation between success and playful activity.

With the support of the National Geographic Society and Jane Goodall, he has observed animal play in the wild, where he first conceived of play as an evolved behavior important for the well being — and survival — of animals, especially those of higher intelligence. Now, through his organization, the National Institute for Play, he hopes to expand the study of human play into a vital science — and help people everywhere enjoy and participate in play throughout life.

Play allows us as adults to stay in touch with the child within. And when you lose that child within, you lose spontaneity, creativity, joy and happiness.

So keep playing, you hear? You’ll definitely find stress relief by playing, and you’ll definitely feel like you’re experiencing healthy living .

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Want to Relax? Then Go and Play!

Over the last two days I told you about 30 Ways to Relax, Part 1 and Part 2. Another way to relax and have stress relief is to let loose, have fun and Play!

When we think of play we think of kids, because we believe that kids should have time to play. But we forget that kids aren’t the only ones who need to play—we tend to think that as adults, we should forget our childish ways and be serious and not play.

Wow, what a boring way to live. And also, what a stressful way to live. No play = living a High Density Lifestyle. No play, no stress relief. No play, no joy.  And no play, no health and wellness, for that matter either.

Play is necessary, no matter your age. Play is so important, in fact, that Dutch historian Johan Huizinga (1872-1945) once described it as the defining characteristic of our species. For Huizinga, humanity is notable not as Homo sapiens, “wise people,” but Homo ludens, “playful people.”

So, what is play good for?

Absolutely everything, as it turns out.

Play is good for healthy living. Play helps manage stress, easing us into relaxation mode. Play releases a whole range of beneficial brain chemicals, which not only make play fun but relieves tension and allows for stress relief.

Play opens up your mind and allows you to think different. Play stimulates the brain in nonlinear ways, causing your creative intelligence to be heightened. This changes the way you see things and allows you to think different. In this mindset, nothing is just what it seems – things take on new forms, problems seem not just solvable but trivial, and we feel empowered to take on the world.

Play unites the mind and body.  In play, the gap between physical sensation and mental sensation is bridged, as both your mind and body enter into heightened states of awareness. As the mind is stimulated from play, so is the body, and as the body is stimulated from play, so is the mind. It becomes a two-way street, and play helps to make you more in touch with yourself.

Play creates social bonds. When you play with others, a bond arises from it. You don’t think about what your differences are and let that get between you – instead you form a camaraderie due to your commonalities. Play unites us as humans – everyone likes to play, and so we bond over it.

Children bond with other children quickly, and the bond is based on playing. “Can you come out and play?” is the common refrain one child will ask another.

So when’s the last time you played?  I mean, really, really played. You know, having fun, letting loose, blowing off steam type of play. Not play in which you work out your tensions and aggressions at the expense of someone else, but good, old-fashioned play that’s fun and is a meaningful manner of stress relief.

When you find that kind of play, that’s when you really feel like you’re living a Low Density Lifestyle and you’re on the path of health and wellness.

If you’re not sure where to start, try this: Stand in front of a mirror, and make really ridiculous faces. Turn your eyelids out, stick your tongue out, snort, chuckle, and make weird noises. Truly embarrass yourself.  That’s right, really make a fool of yourself.

We all need to lighten up.  Being serious, heavy and dense all or most of the time isn’t good.  When you’re like that, you’re caught up in the High Density Lifestyle mode and taking life way too seriously. Chances are when you’re like that, you’re also getting stressed out way too easy.

So, now you know how to manage stress and find stress relief and start on the path to healthy living: Go out and play!

And actually, by making time to play, you become better at dealing with all the serious stuff in your life. You’ll feel better, be more relaxed, have better health and wellness, and enjoy more creativity – and all this will help make the rest of your life better.

And you know why?  Cause then you’ll be living a Low Density Lifestyle.

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30 Ways to Relax: Part 2

In yesterday’s article, I told you about 15 of the 30 ways to relax. In today’s article, I will tell you about another 15 ways to relax.

All told, if you put any of these into practice, it will give you much stress relief and give you a chance to experience healthy living.

And it will also help you live a Low Density Lifestyle.

I don’t know about you, but any opportunity to manage stress and have stress relief is fine by me. I’m sure you would agree with me.

So let’s go down the list and find out about more ways to relax and experience some healthy living.

Ok, so here we go with 30 Ways To Relax. Today, numbers 16 – 30.

16. Breathe. Breath is such a vital part of being able to relax and find your inner stillness. Try practicing slow and deep breathing for a 10 count: deeply inhaling and then exhaling, slowly and calmly. The more you do this, the more it becomes second nature. This will allow you to easily relax and slow down at any point.

17. Lavender. Lavender is an essential oil that is prized for its soothing and relaxing effects. Try spraying your bedsheets with lavender and laying down on them.

18. Yoga. Whether you are naturally flexible or find yourself tight and stiff when you try and do yoga, is not important. What is important is how calming and relaxing yoga can be. You owe it to yourself to do it.

19. Meditation. Sitting still and emptying the mind will slow your body down and allow it to enter into a state of stillness and quiet.

20. Basking in the Sun. Whether at a beach, a lake, or in your backyard, feeling the sun’s energy beating into your body can be very relaxing. Just make sure you’re wearing enough sunscreen. An additional treat is if you’re at the beach, then you can listen to the sound of the waves crashing as the tide comes in.

21. Walking in nature. Being in nature is very invigorating, quieting, soothing and relaxing. Next time you’re feeling stressed out, if you get yourself immersed in nature you will find yourself decompressing in no time.

22. Fishing. This one is for those of you who like to fish – though there’s always a first time to get into it. Fishing is something that teaches you patience. It’s just you, your pole and the water, and you just wait and wait until something happens. Or it might be that nothing happens. But it can be very relaxing and soothing.

23. Vegetable Gardening. Gardening has many rewards, and one of them is how it can focus and quiet your mind, and keep you involved in the cycles of the seasons. Each season has its own energy, and gardening can help you to feel more in harmony with the seasons.

24. Unclutter Your Living Space. If you allow clutter to take over your home, it can make you stressed out. Cleaning up the clutter and making order can create much more calm in your home.

25. Listen to Relaxing Music. Sure, it’s fun to rock out, and of course, as the famous saying goes, music soothes the savage soul. But to allow you to get deep-rooted stress relief, it’s best to listen to music that is calming and soothing. It can be classical, jazz, or some other melodic music. Or perhaps your relaxation will come from you playing on an instrument.

26. Do something creative. Write a poem, paint, play with clay, take photos, bang on a can, etc. Doing something creative can feed your soul. And by so doing, your soul will breathe a little easier and release any pent-up tensions and frustrations.

27. Just Say No. Create boundaries by saying no to other’s demands and requests. This allows you to not take on any more responsibilities and burdens, and allows you to take time for yourself.

28. Say Yes. Sex is very relaxing.

29. Tell Someone You Love Them. By doing this, it opens up your heart and allows your body to relax and let go.

30. Pet Your Dog or Cat. While you stroke your pet, tell them about all the stresses you are going through. Because they’re your pet, they love you unconditionally, so they’ll listen to you and always be there for you.

So that’s it for the 30 ways to relax. There are lots of other ways, and it might be that you have your own best way. Whatever that is, go for it and remember the more you relax and find stress relief, the more you will be on the path of healthy living and living a Low Density Lifestyle.

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30 Ways to Relax: Part 1

Last week I was discussing stress – what stress is, stress and teenagers, 10 warning signs, and a video of life in the High Density Lifestyle lane.

This week I will talk about the opposite of stress: Relaxation. When you relax, you manage stress better and you get outstanding stress relief.  If you relax well enough, you get yourself into the Low Density Lifestyle mode.  And you also get yourself in the mode of feeling FREE.

Relaxation is such an important part of life, and it is something that cultivates healthy living.  Relaxation recharges the batteries, restores energy reserves and allows you to be healthier, happier and live a better quality life.

So, how good at relaxing are you?

In today and tomorrow’s articles, I will give you 30 different things you can do that will allow you to relax. Once you start implementing some or all of these, you will feel lighter and you will be living more in the Low Density Lifestyle.

Don’t forget: relaxation will help you to manage stress and give you stress relief, and will help you have a greater sense of health and wellness.

So, here we go with 30 Ways To Relax. Today, numbers 1 – 15.

1. Complete Your Project. Whatever it is you’re working on, if you don’t have much more to go on it, it’s better to finish it than to keep thinking about it when you should be relaxing. Don’t start another big project that you know you won’t finish, until after you’ve completed your relaxing, in order to keep your mind on the present.

2. Massage, Sauna, & Hot Bath. When was the last time you rewarded yourself with the gift of relaxation by taking time out to concentrate on blissful restfulness? Get a one-hour massage, sit in a wet sauna for awhile, or make yourself a bath at home while listening to some nice and relaxing music.

3. Beat Your Tension Out. Beat the tension out at the gym, on the treadmill, or with the punching bag. You can do this without music or accompanied by some high-intensity music that will get your heart pumping. This might not sound too relaxing at first, but once you’re done exercising and the endorphins have overtaken your mind, you’ll be nothing short of relaxed.

4. Block the Time Out. In order to alleviate guilt about taking the time off, go ahead and schedule in a block of time during which you can hang loose, and not worry about anything. This way your mind knows it can chill, and that when the time comes you can get back to 100% efficiency.

5. Turn Off Distractions. Turn off your phone, door bell, computer, internet connection and anything else that can distract you. If no one can reach you it’s fine, they can always leave a message or call you later.

6. Dress for Relaxing. If you’re going to relax, do so in the right clothes. Sweat pants, pajamas, and loose hoodies are perfect to lounge around in.

7. Get ‘Extra’ Clean. We’ve all slothed around on a weekend morning without showering. We’re supposed to be relaxing, and no one is going to see or smell us anyway, right? Wrong! Before you set out on a day of relaxation, make sure you get extra clean, shower, shave, brush, floss, rinse, and put on clean clothes. You’ll feel like a million bucks!

8. Drink Soothing Tea With No Caffeine. Have a nice cup of herbal tea, and sit with a good book or mood music.

9. Journal. Carry a journal with you during your relaxation time, and write whatever is on your mind. You might come up with some great insights or ideas, or maybe you’ll write poetry. It might be a work-related thought you have, which you’ll be able to jot down so that you can stop thinking about it for now.

10. Write. Write a story about your life, or a piece of fiction – writing can be very relaxing.

11. Release Your Tension. If there’s a problem and it’s on your mind, don’t let it get you all bound up. Get out your journal and start writing. Feel free to vent, and write down exactly what’s wrong. When you’re done, toss what you wrote into the scrap heap, and with it the stress.

12. Visualization Exercises. Without ever having to go anywhere, you can visualize anything you want or any place you want. It can be a white sand beach, snow-capped mountain, fjords and streams, and on the other end of the universe. Sit down, close your eyes, and let your mind wander wherever it wants to go. Put on nice relaxing music if that helps you get in the mood.

13. Giving Appreciation. Take the time to think about people in your life that deserve appreciation and gratitude. You can write them a letter, or send them a card. When you do this, write it from your heart.

14. Bake. Baking can be a pleasurable and meditative experience, and can fill your house with wonderful smells. And of course, once it’s baked, you can eat it!

15. Read a Novel. Find a novel that you know will be interesting and intriguing, and delve into it, letting it take you into another world.

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Ever Have One of Those High Density Lifestyle Days?

Ever have one of those high stress, High Density Lifestyle days?

A day where everything is going in fast motion, going by in a blur at what seems like faster than the speed of light.

It’s a day where you are not getting any stress relief, a day that is definitely not one where you’re experiencing healthy living.

It’s definitely not a Low Density Lifestyle day.

In the above video, you may recognize yourself in there and you may see some or all of the 10 signs that you’re living a High Density Lifestyle.

I hope that’s not you.

The video is good for a lot of laughs, and that by itself will give you stress relief and help you manage stress.

But all in all, if you ever have one of those High Density Lifestyle days, it’s time to slow down, relax, manage stress, and get back on the track of health and wellness, and of healthy living in general.

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