You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.
-Jan Glidewell 

Kathy Fannon
Holistic Health Coach


Recommended
Reading:


"Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?" by Peter Walsh

Clean up the clutter in your house and in your head to feel better about who you are, leading to a healthier lifestyle. (Peter is the host of "Clean Sweep" on TLC.)

Food Focus: Greens

Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky, absorbing the sun’s light while producing oxygen. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.


Dad's broccoli!  
(c) 2009, Kathy Fannon

 
How do greens benefit our bodies? They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy. In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free.
 
Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet, and many of us never learned how to prepare them. Start with this simple Kale Chips recipe or this easy Sauteed Brussels Sprouts. Then each time you go to the market, pick up a new green to try. Soon you’ll find your favorite greens and wonder how you ever lived without them.


My "stuff". (c) 2011, Kathy FannonSpring Cleaning

People like “stuff”. We tend to hold onto it year after year. We save and stock up on things that we don’t know what to do with anymore. Maybe we keep things because they hold precious memories of days gone by, or they remind us of our parents, grandparents, past loves or childhood. To part with these precious possessions seems out of the question. There is a saying that goes, “You have to get rid of the old to make way for the new.” 

This picture, while not glamorous, shows some "stuff" I've recently had to let go of and is the perfect example of the introductory paragraph. The blanket and stuffed animals that I've had since childhood needed to go, mostly because they smelled moldy from being in the basement. And since they haven't been used in almost 26 years, it was time to declutter. I took this picture to remember them by, then cried as I carried them to the garbage can. And while it was hard to throw away memories, there was a freedom in losing the clutter.

If you are feeling stuck or stagnant in your life, try spring-cleaning. Throw out some of that stuff, say goodbye to your past and welcome the new of your happy, healthy future. In a strange way, it brings peace.

Try these three ideas:
  • For good mental and physical health, we actually have two “houses” that need to be spring-cleaned: our physical homes and our physical bodies. Just as we accumulate “stuff” in the form of outgrown clothes, magazines, rusty bicycles, tools and random keepsakes, so do our bodies accumulate old food residues and toxins that need to be cleaned out.
  • To spring clean your body, give it a break from rich and complicated foods by cleansing for a short period of time. Cleansing means paring down your food to just simple fruits and vegetables, lots of water, soups and perhaps whole grains. Without much energy going toward digestion, more energy is available to the rest of your body and mind. Cleansing can sharpen your concentration and can bring improved immune function and better digestion.
  • While you’re cleaning out your body and home, don’t forget to spring-clean your heart. Throw away negative thoughts and habits you’ve been harboring that no longer serve you. Maybe there's somebody you need to forgive, either in person or in your heart. A clean, open heart will allow you to receive all the good that awaits you each and every day. If your heart and mind are cluttered, there is no room for life’s gifts and surprises to enter.
Forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead, while laying aside every encumbrance. (Phil 3:13-14/Hebrews 12:1)

Be sure to check out my website and blog, Be Real, for lots of great information and recipes. New things are added all the time, so don't miss out!

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