information gathered from the Pritikin longevity website,
Most people incorrectly believe that other people and events make them angry, locating the cause of anger outside themselves. The truth is that our beliefs and assumptions create anger. We may not like a particular behavior of our partner, friend, child, or colleague, but it is our interpretation of that behavior rather than the behavior itself that determines how we feel.
Below are some of the assumptions that can trigger anger as surely as a red flag provokes a bull! But if we think about them, we can see that they are not based on fact or experience. If we don’t add these assumptions to behaviors and events, we may be displeased or disappointed, but we can remain calm and assess situations rationally.
Assumption #1: Life should be fair.Fact: We know that bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. So much for fairness.
Assumption #2: We can control the behavior of others. Fact: It’s hard enough to control our own behavior, for example, eating right, exercising, and quitting smoking. Have you ever successfully coerced an unwilling partner into changing his or her habits?
Assumption #3: People who hurt us should be punished. Fact: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Do you really believe that doling out punishment improves the quality of your life or relationships? Experience and wisdom tells us that:
1) Most people who hurt our feelings do so out of lack of social skills or self-esteem, which merits sympathy, not rage; and
2) In the all-too-common case of divorce, if you feel wronged, don’t wish your partner ill, wish yourself well! As novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote: “Living well is the best revenge.” So make your own life wonderful instead of making someone else’s miserable.
Assumption #4: Our way is the right way. Fact: There is no right way; there is your way and her way. Assuming that one way is superior is judgmental, implying there is only one correct method.
Assumption #5: We are entitled to what we want. Fact: It sure would be nice, but no one is entitled to what he or she wants. Luck is another fallacy. We make our own luck and reap it when preparation meets opportunity.
Nine strategies for freeing yourself from angry feelings
1. Begin by identifying recurring situations that trigger your anger.
2. Challenge trigger thoughts.
Replace trigger thoughts (“She should have tried harder”) with coping statements (“Other people are not obligated to meet my expectations”). Make up your own coping statements for situations that tend to anger you and substitute them for your usual inflammatory self-talk. For example, if you always get annoyed with your spouse because he does not like to discuss disagreements right away, say to yourself, “He needs some time to relax and calm down. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. We can talk about it later today.”
3. Practice stress management techniques.
A stressed person is more likely to lose control in an emotionally-charged exchange. Practice relaxation using techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing, taught at Pritikin. They can elicit what Dr. Herbert Benson, Professor of Medicine at Harvard University and Director of the Mind Body Institute in Massachusetts named the “Relaxation Response.”
Achieving a state of relaxation combats the effects of the Fight or Flight Response. The Relaxation Response has been scientifically documented to dramatically decrease heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and muscle tension.
New to this? To get started, here is one simple method: Find a quiet place. Sit down and close your eyes for about 10 minutes. Take deep long diaphragmatic (from the belly) breaths. You can also practice diaphragmatic breathing using the word “calm” on the in breath, and “relaxed” on the out breath. Six to eight breaths a minute, practiced for a total of 10 minutes, will very likely get you into the relaxation zone. “Do this twice a day, and frequent anger could become a thing of the past,” counsels Dr. Grober.
4. Learn to resolve rather than escalate conflicts.
Use kind, clear communication. In conflicts, don’t treat loved ones and friends like the enemy. Remember the many reasons you love them, and don’t say anything you wouldn’t want said to you.
Avoid judgments (“You’re playing the victim”) and labels (“You’re stupid”) because they refer to the person, not the behaviors that distress you.
Another tip: Don’t bring the past into the present. Are you an “injustice collector,” someone who remembers every hurt or disappointment? Instead, stay in the moment. Don’t bring up ancient history or other unrelated complaints when you’re angry or displeased. Dealing with the moment – and only the moment – will reduce your anger and pain. It will also make it easier for your loved one to really hear and consider your current problem.
5. Take a timeout.
If you are involved in a discussion that is turning into a shouting match, remove yourself from the situation for five minutes or as long as you and your partner need to calm down and diffuse anger. Just make sure to communicate what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. And always keep your word that “we’ll finish this conversation later.”
6. Don’t assume.
Presuming to know someone else’s feelings or motivations leads to misunderstanding and is disrespectful. No matter how close you are, you can’t know everything about someone else.
7. Acquire assertiveness skills.
People who are assertive ask for what they want, set limits, express their opinions, and feel in control. Assertive people are less angry people because they are taking care of themselves. Learn the difference between passivity, passive-aggression, aggression, and assertion. Passive people don’t ask for what they need and may not even know themselves well enough to identify what they need. Passive-aggressive people “act as if” they don’t have needs; they don’t get mad, they get even! Aggressive people are disliked and/or ignored. Only healthy assertion reduces anger.
8. Problem-solve at work and at home.
Conflict is best resolved through rational discussions of options. With family or colleagues, list a variety of solutions to problems without pre-judging people or problems. Together, discuss the pros and cons of each solution. Given the choices, select the course of action that you all agree is best.
9. Practice taking the other person’s point of view.
Empathy and understanding are potent antidotes to anger and enhance the quality of your relationships.
A new life…
Gain knowledge of these skills, practice them, and gain control of your anger. Next time you see red, don’t charge ahead with passion; sit down with your thoughts. Breathe. Think about consequences.
And consider the belief of many mental health professionals and philosophers, expressed so eloquently by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize: “Taming the mind is the most important task of one’s life.”
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Sweet Potato Salsa
...and just in case you have some extra sweet potatoes left over from making the sweet potato soup below this recipe you can always throw together some quick salsa for those chipotle cheese quesadillas or on top of some huevos rancheros. This salsa is a a great reprieve from the "traditional" you're sure to enjoy.
Ingredients:
2 med. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
(note: if the eyes turn green take those out also!)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chili powder of your choice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tomato, cored and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with sides. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar, sprinkle with the chili powder and cumin, and toss to coat spread the sweet potatoes in one even layer on the baking sheet.
Roast the sweet potatoes for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Set aside to cool.
Scrape the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Add the tomato, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper, and toss to mix. Season with additional salt and pepper.
You'll find the sweet potatoes hearty, the bell peppers are crunchy and the toamtoes, scallion and cilantro will freshen and lighten the schabang to make a fantastic explosion of flavors for you to savor and enjoy with your next brewski!
Ingredients:
2 med. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
(note: if the eyes turn green take those out also!)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chili powder of your choice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tomato, cored and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with sides. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar, sprinkle with the chili powder and cumin, and toss to coat spread the sweet potatoes in one even layer on the baking sheet.
Roast the sweet potatoes for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Set aside to cool.
Scrape the sweet potatoes into a large bowl. Add the tomato, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper, and toss to mix. Season with additional salt and pepper.
You'll find the sweet potatoes hearty, the bell peppers are crunchy and the toamtoes, scallion and cilantro will freshen and lighten the schabang to make a fantastic explosion of flavors for you to savor and enjoy with your next brewski!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sweet Potato Soup
This is a great winter warm up.
Serves 6-8
2 pounds sweet potatoes (make sure they're not yams!)
2 ounces (4 tbs) unsalted butter
1/2 pound shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup rum (not necessary unless you want to kick it up a notch!)
3 to 4 cups vegetable stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1/2 cup cooked wild rice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
1. Bake potatoes in a 400 degree oven until they are tender and can be easily pierce with a fork. Let cool.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the shallots and saute until soft. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the rum if desired and cook for about 2 minutes, or until alcohol has evaporated. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Cut the sweet potatoes in half and scrape out the flesh. Add to the stock, stirring until the potaotes are broken up. Add the cooked rice. Remove from heat and working in batches, prue in a blender until smooth.
4. Return the mixture to the pot, and place over low heat. Add stock as needed to adjust the consistency of the soup, then season with salt and pepper.
For the topping: stir the cilantro, lime zest and 1 tsp of the juice.
Ladel the soup into bowels and top with cilantro lime topping.
Serves 6-8
2 pounds sweet potatoes (make sure they're not yams!)
2 ounces (4 tbs) unsalted butter
1/2 pound shallots, minced (about 1 cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup rum (not necessary unless you want to kick it up a notch!)
3 to 4 cups vegetable stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1/2 cup cooked wild rice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
1. Bake potatoes in a 400 degree oven until they are tender and can be easily pierce with a fork. Let cool.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the shallots and saute until soft. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the rum if desired and cook for about 2 minutes, or until alcohol has evaporated. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Cut the sweet potatoes in half and scrape out the flesh. Add to the stock, stirring until the potaotes are broken up. Add the cooked rice. Remove from heat and working in batches, prue in a blender until smooth.
4. Return the mixture to the pot, and place over low heat. Add stock as needed to adjust the consistency of the soup, then season with salt and pepper.
For the topping: stir the cilantro, lime zest and 1 tsp of the juice.
Ladel the soup into bowels and top with cilantro lime topping.
Christmas Spaghetti
I call this Christmas Spaghetti because when it's all done, it's red from the tomatoes and green for the chard, hence the name Christmas Spaghetti!...it's actually a pure delight from the heavy baked dishes that come along with the season. A friend of mine gave me a bunch of organic red chard the other day. It looked fabulous, i thought to myself i need to find something really special to make out of this chard. It's been a "cooked" holiday season this year as opposed to a "raw" holiday last year. People seem to really enjoy the sights and smells better coming for a kitchen stove and oven rather that a dehyrdrater and vita mixer! Nevetheless, this is a great side dish or main dish if you will...
This is also a quick and easy dish that fills you up and is healthy to boot!
Makes 4 servings.
2 tbs pine nuts
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil (Bariani is preferred)
2 organic onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches red chard, trimmed and chopped (about 14 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 diced organic tomatoes with their juice
1/4 cup cooking sherry (or dry white wine)
1/4 tsp crushed dried red pepper flakes
salt (himalyan pink is preferred)
pepper
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsly chopped
2 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pine nuts on a heavy baking sheet to tast in oven for approx. 10 minutes. Keep checking so they don't get too dark. Set aside to cool when done.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the chard and sauted until it wilts, about 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stire in the tomates with their juice, the sherry or wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, about 7 minutes. Season the chard to taste with salt and pepper.
3. while performing step 2, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring often to prevent tghe pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8-10 minutes. Drain. Add the spaghetti to the chard mixture and toss to combine.
4. Transfer the pasta to bowls, sprinkle with the pine bnuts, olives and cheese on top and serve.
This is also a quick and easy dish that fills you up and is healthy to boot!
Makes 4 servings.
2 tbs pine nuts
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil (Bariani is preferred)
2 organic onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches red chard, trimmed and chopped (about 14 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 diced organic tomatoes with their juice
1/4 cup cooking sherry (or dry white wine)
1/4 tsp crushed dried red pepper flakes
salt (himalyan pink is preferred)
pepper
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsly chopped
2 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pine nuts on a heavy baking sheet to tast in oven for approx. 10 minutes. Keep checking so they don't get too dark. Set aside to cool when done.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the chard and sauted until it wilts, about 2-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stire in the tomates with their juice, the sherry or wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, about 7 minutes. Season the chard to taste with salt and pepper.
3. while performing step 2, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring often to prevent tghe pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8-10 minutes. Drain. Add the spaghetti to the chard mixture and toss to combine.
4. Transfer the pasta to bowls, sprinkle with the pine bnuts, olives and cheese on top and serve.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Think Green! Green Beans, that is....
Are you ready for this? Green Beans are probably healthier than you may think! They are full of beta carotene (which converts to vitamin A in our bodies), Vitamin C, potassium, folate, magnesium, riboflavin and fiber.
Here is why this is exciting….
Beta carotene and vitamin C together have strong anti-inflammatory effects, which helps to protect the heart and can reduce the severity of other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. They also work together to stop cholesterol from building up in the arterial walls and both are important antioxidants. Here’s something you might not have known, though…vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant and beta carotene is a fat-soluble antioxidant which works to stop cholesterol from becoming oxidized (potentially cancer-causing).
The magnesium and potassium of green beans work together to help lower high blood pressure and regulate heart beat. The folate helps to prevent mutation in colon cells. Along with the content fiber of green beans, this is a powerful health protecting combination.
Here’s a great Green Bean Casserole Recipe you can serve on Thanksgiving that will wow the relatives and keep ‘em alive a little longer, if you wish!
Hippocrates Green Bean Casserole
Thanksgiving 2007
1 pound of fresh, organic green beans
1 chopped organic small onion
Grated rind of an organic lemon
¼ tsp fresh organic dill weed
1 cup of plain, organic yogurt
1 cup of whole wheat, unsalted bread crumbs
Organic Vegetable or Chicken Broth
Chop green beans into bite-size pieces and steam for 2-5 minutes. Sautee onion in broth, then add lemon rind, dill and yogurt. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Put green beans in a glass casserole dish and cover with the sauce. Top with bread crumbs if desired and bake at 350F for 15-30 minutes until bubbly.
Here is why this is exciting….
Beta carotene and vitamin C together have strong anti-inflammatory effects, which helps to protect the heart and can reduce the severity of other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. They also work together to stop cholesterol from building up in the arterial walls and both are important antioxidants. Here’s something you might not have known, though…vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant and beta carotene is a fat-soluble antioxidant which works to stop cholesterol from becoming oxidized (potentially cancer-causing).
The magnesium and potassium of green beans work together to help lower high blood pressure and regulate heart beat. The folate helps to prevent mutation in colon cells. Along with the content fiber of green beans, this is a powerful health protecting combination.
Here’s a great Green Bean Casserole Recipe you can serve on Thanksgiving that will wow the relatives and keep ‘em alive a little longer, if you wish!
Hippocrates Green Bean Casserole
Thanksgiving 2007
1 pound of fresh, organic green beans
1 chopped organic small onion
Grated rind of an organic lemon
¼ tsp fresh organic dill weed
1 cup of plain, organic yogurt
1 cup of whole wheat, unsalted bread crumbs
Organic Vegetable or Chicken Broth
Chop green beans into bite-size pieces and steam for 2-5 minutes. Sautee onion in broth, then add lemon rind, dill and yogurt. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Put green beans in a glass casserole dish and cover with the sauce. Top with bread crumbs if desired and bake at 350F for 15-30 minutes until bubbly.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Take Note about Canola Oil's Misperceptions.
Nutritionists seem to love canola oil. Every time fat is discussed on the Today show by their resident nutritionist she mentions Canola oil as a healthy alternative. I read about it in books and magazines. I think it's time to set the record straight. Here is a quote from a book Good Fats and Oil by Siegfried Gursche. Siegfried is an expert on fats and oils. Another book published by Siegfried is Fats that Heal Fats that Kill by Udo Erasmus.
"Canola oil is a fairly recent newcomer on the market. It has gained popularity for two reasons: First because of a well funded advertising campaign touting it as a "heart healthy" oil, and second because of its low price, by which it has gained a huge market share...
Canola oil is actually the product of genetically engineered rape seeds. Rape seed oil is unsuited for human consumption because it contains erucic acid, a very long chain fatty acid which can cause fibrotic heart lesions. By modifying the rape seeds it was hoped to create an oil rich in healthy fatty acids. However, in the refining and deodorizing process, which is done with high heat (450-500 F), some of the good fats are turned into trans-fatty acids (bad fats). Recent studies also show that refined canola oil actually causes a deficiency in vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy heart, and contains traces of the erucic acid that causes heart lesions, especially when the diet is low in saturated fats. Canola oil and other refined oils have no place in a whole-foods kitchen as they have been stripped of all valuable life elements and contain dangerous fats as a result of processing."
"Canola oil is a fairly recent newcomer on the market. It has gained popularity for two reasons: First because of a well funded advertising campaign touting it as a "heart healthy" oil, and second because of its low price, by which it has gained a huge market share...
Canola oil is actually the product of genetically engineered rape seeds. Rape seed oil is unsuited for human consumption because it contains erucic acid, a very long chain fatty acid which can cause fibrotic heart lesions. By modifying the rape seeds it was hoped to create an oil rich in healthy fatty acids. However, in the refining and deodorizing process, which is done with high heat (450-500 F), some of the good fats are turned into trans-fatty acids (bad fats). Recent studies also show that refined canola oil actually causes a deficiency in vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy heart, and contains traces of the erucic acid that causes heart lesions, especially when the diet is low in saturated fats. Canola oil and other refined oils have no place in a whole-foods kitchen as they have been stripped of all valuable life elements and contain dangerous fats as a result of processing."
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Coffee Anyone?
I've had the pleasure to experience recently the joys of an "upside down" coffee as some may call it...i spent a weekend at the Gerson Institute in San Diego learning how to be a caregiver for someone who's either ill or has cancer. It was quite an eye opener. The coffee enema is without question the most unusual part of the Gerson combined regime, and often evokes astonishment in pesons who have never experienced an enema and who emphatically prefer to drink their coffee. From the patients' point of view the coffee enema means relief from various syjmptoms of detoxifciation including headaches, anxiety, bloating and depression. Most importantly, coffee enemas are highly effective for pain management.
The coffee enema has a very specific purpose: lowering serum (blood) toxins. Coffee enemas have a defined effect on the colon which can be observed with an endoscope. The palmitic acid found in coffee promotes the activity of glutathione S-Transerase. This enzyme group is responsible primarly for the conjugation of free electrophile radicals, which the gall bladder will then release. Caffeine enemas cause dilation of the bile ducts, which facilitates excretion of the toxic cancer breakdown products by the liver and dialysis of toxic products form blood across the colonic wall.
The introduction of the 32 fluid oz of coffee solution into the colon will dilute portal blood and subsequently, the bile. Theophylline and theobromine, major constituites of coffee, dilate blood vessels and counter inflammation of the gut. The palmitates of coffee and enhanced glutathione S-transferase are responsible for the removal of many toxic radicals from the serum. Finally, the fluid of the enema itself stimulates the visceral nvervous system, promoting peristalsis and the transit of diluted toxic bile from the duodenum out of the rectum.
Because clinical practice has shown coffee enemas to be well tolerated by patients when used as frequently as every four hours, the coffee enema may be classed as the only non-reabsorbed, effective, repeatable choleretic (any agent that increases excretion of bile by the liver) in the medical literature.
The coffee enema has a very specific purpose: lowering serum (blood) toxins. Coffee enemas have a defined effect on the colon which can be observed with an endoscope. The palmitic acid found in coffee promotes the activity of glutathione S-Transerase. This enzyme group is responsible primarly for the conjugation of free electrophile radicals, which the gall bladder will then release. Caffeine enemas cause dilation of the bile ducts, which facilitates excretion of the toxic cancer breakdown products by the liver and dialysis of toxic products form blood across the colonic wall.
The introduction of the 32 fluid oz of coffee solution into the colon will dilute portal blood and subsequently, the bile. Theophylline and theobromine, major constituites of coffee, dilate blood vessels and counter inflammation of the gut. The palmitates of coffee and enhanced glutathione S-transferase are responsible for the removal of many toxic radicals from the serum. Finally, the fluid of the enema itself stimulates the visceral nvervous system, promoting peristalsis and the transit of diluted toxic bile from the duodenum out of the rectum.
Because clinical practice has shown coffee enemas to be well tolerated by patients when used as frequently as every four hours, the coffee enema may be classed as the only non-reabsorbed, effective, repeatable choleretic (any agent that increases excretion of bile by the liver) in the medical literature.
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