healthy lifestyle

The importance of calcium in our bodies cannot be stressed enough. Calcium, along with vitamin D, is what builds and strengthens our bones and basically keeps them knitted together. A deficiency in calcium can lead to smaller, less noticeable symptoms like achy joints, tingling in the arms or legs, brittle nails, insomnia or muscle cramps. A further depleted calcium intake can result in far more severe symptoms such as heart palpitations, hypertension, increased risk of fractures and even osteoporosis.

I think it’s time we had the “poop-talk.” No one wants to admit that their stomach pains are because they haven’t had a bowel movement in a week, but if you aren’t pooping at least once per day, it might be time to bring in the big guns. Here are 7 ways to finally get your number two moving. 

1. Chia Seeds

Bulgur is processed wheat that is native to the Mediterranean basin region and is one of the earliest processed foods that began being used approximately 4000 years ago. It is made by steaming wheat then drying it and cracking the dried kernels. Bulgur was initially processed by boiling wheat in a huge pot for many days to be sure it was thoroughly cooked; then the contents of the pot were spread out on roofs to dry in the sun.

Archeologists have found that wild barley is native to what is termed the Fertile Crescent, the region that covers modern southern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and northern Egypt. It was first gathered in 9000 B.C.E. for a food grain and was reportedly first used by the Egyptians as cereal. For millennia, people depended on barley for food for themselves and for their horses.

Amaranth is a seed that has been part of the Aztec diet for more than 8000 years, when the Aztecs would collect the seeds in the wild. They also used the seeds to make flour for baked images of their gods during festivals and for tributary payments. The plant began to be cultivated in Mexico approximately 4000 B.C.E. and continues to be a native Peruvian crop.

When things get ugly, really ugly, we can feel called to put up our defenses and shut off our emotions as a means to cope with overwhelm. For the sensitive soul, that is like putting on a blindfold and walking through a busy city intersection. It’s not a good idea to cut off a sense you previously relied on, just when you need it most.

Instead, I want to call on you to become even more sensitive in challenging times.
Here are some key ways to do that without losing your mind.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am the most loyal and dedicated thrift store shopper. Whether I need a basic item for the kitchen or a staple item to complete an outfit, I check out my thrift store first. If I could find everything I needed second hand, I’d never shop anywhere else…but this is not the reality. Even so, your local thrift store is an amazing resource for many reasons.

I have a shocking confession to make.

I have dreaded yoga and meditation a thousand times. Surprising words from a dedicated yoga teacher? Yes, I have dreaded yoga and meditation a thousand times, but I have never once regretted it. Resistance to the practice is something we might not expect, and when it arises it can really pull us off the mat or meditation cushion if we aren’t ready for it. 

You might be pooping wrong. That is, you’re probably pooping wrong if you aren’t using a squatty potty on your traditional toilet. These are big claims, especially if you’ve been pooping your whole life (which you have).

Traditional toilets cramp our intestines, making it harder for our stool to pass through. Squatty potties, on the other hand, allow our insides to straighten out–which is how we’ve been pooping since the beginning of humanity: by squatting. 

The essence of the human enterprise is encapsulated in the pursuit of meaning.

We must live with a sense of meaning, otherwise our lives become greatly chaotic. There must be a deep and abiding sense of purpose in our lives, for without which we slip into trends of banality, triviality, and perhaps even crookedness.

When meaning is lost, we can grow dark. We might capitulate to our more deviant and destructive tendencies. We may give way to warfare and strife. We might even generate sorrow – both within and without.