Water, Water, Everywhere...

So lately I’ve been obsessed with water. OBSESSED. To the point where every drop looks like this to me:

Yet this is not so for all. Despite the fact that more than half of a human’s body weight is water, most individuals don’t drink nearly enough water. (Further research is necessary for other species, however if you are an elemental, I’m assuming you’re near 100%...) But alas! I was there too once. In fact, let me start from the beginning:

Wait, wrong story... Ah, here we go... When I was younger, I rarely drank water. My beverages of choice were either sodas or soft drinks of some kind. In college, I switched over to juices. I was in love with apple and cranberry juice, or at least I was in love with the sugar. Buster Bluth and I had very much in common during that time.

Then in my twenties, I switched over to just water. As of 2014, I’ve been drinking mostly water for almost 4 years. I do drink some tea, and I do allow for the occasional adult beverages, but for the most part water is the way to go for me. But what have I discovered in my deepening relationship with water? Just drinking water isn’t enough. You can drink ONLY water EVERDAY and still be dehydrated. My life experiences and adventures have shown me that one factor that can indeed play a significant role in preventing a normal human being from feeling like a SUPER human being, and that is 

  

So in light of that, I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned over the years and how they’ve helped me to unravel some of the mysteries of hydration.

1. Drinking water ISN’T enough. You have to drink a certain amount. 

Paul Chek, in his book Eat, Move and Be Healthy, recommends that the average person should drink half of their body weight in water every day. So if you weigh 140 lbs, you should be drinking 70 ounces a day. (If you measure your weight in kilograms, then multiply your weight in kg by 0.033 and that will determine how many liters to drink a day.) Sounds like a lot, but I promise, it gets easier over time.

2. Temperature MATTERS.

And the temperature is LUKE-IAMYOURFATHER-WARM water. 

This might be more difficult for some than others, but it is easier to drink lukewarm or room temperature water. Cold water actually sits into your stomach until it is body temperature, the temperature needed to absorb it. 

In a nutshell this means no ICE. I know, I know, this makes you feel like this:

and as Chuck Noland implies, you feel as if ice in your glass makes you feel civilized... but your body will thank you if you give it more lukewarm water. 

3. SALT is key.

And No, I’m not just talking about Supernatural.

For some people, drinking adequate amounts of water can be difficult, or can cause them to have to pee ALL the time. This can be helped by added a pinch of UNPROCESSED sea salt, Celtic Sea Salt works best. This also helps make sure that people who don’t intake enough salt, get enough as well. And yes, salt is important to stay hydrated, but like everything else, is just as dangerous if you have too much of it. My advice is to put a pinch of salt in your water, but never enough to taste it. If you can taste the salt, you’ve added too much. And yes, I try to put a pinch of salt in all of my water, and No, it’s not always easy. I carry salt with me everywhere (and not just because I’m a Supernatural fan), and it is a lifestyle choice. So this may not be the first step to attempt if you’re looking to up your hydration levels. But if you’ve done everything else easier than this, I highly suggest it. You will be able to tell the difference. Some people even claim that they prefer the mouthfeel of water when salt is added. 

4. WHEN to drink water

I will not lie to you, this was on of the difficult things for me to adapt to, and I do struggle with it sometimes. In the defense of what I’m about to say, however, I find it makes an INCREDIBLE difference. 

There is a school of thought lead by Dr. BATMANghelidj (No, I did not make up that name,

so how cool is that?!?, and YES I refer to him as Dr. Batman) that it doesn’t matter how much water you drink but also when you drink it. I don’t know about you, but my day can go very much like the doctor’s definition of time, so learning the behaviors of when to drink water has been quite the endeavor. But basically, Dr. Batman suggests that you drink:

30 oz of water right before breakfast

30 oz of water right before lunch

16 oz of water right before dinner

Water as needed in between or after (particularly if you sweat a lot or engage in physical activity)

This is supposed to make sure that all of your water isn't taken in kind with the food you eat (as water in food instead of just water) and is supposed to help with overeating since you’ll kind of be somewhat full just from the water. As I mentioned before, this was a Herculean task for me. Thirty ounces of water is a lot. But once you Master it (you'll be free), if you stick to this schedule, you’ll almost never feel dehydrated.

5. Alkaline Water

This is where I’m at now. Having explored the above four suggested habits, I have recently been introduced to alkaline water. Basically, this water has a higher pH than your normal tap water, which can be a bit on the acidic side of things. I will be completely honest, and say that I don’t know enough about it to heavily promote it or suggest it, but if I notice an undeniable awesomeness about it, I promise to share. However, if you’ve had incredible experiences with alkaline water, I’d LOVE to hear about. I’m at a stage where I’m about to level up in Water-nerdiness, and the more I can know the better. :)

And now for something new: 

What I’m currently obsessed with: Alkaline water, Dinosaurs, Peeta Mellark, CHEK Education Institute & Las Vegas initiatives for Going Green 

What I’m currently reading: Game of Thrones, Paul Chek’s Eat, Move & Be Healthy (for a second time) & The Vampire Academy (Yes, I have book ADHD)

What I’m currently watching: How I Met Your Mother, Classic Who, Warm Bodies ( Please also note that have TV ADHD)

What I'm currently stalking to consider to read/watch/buy: Parenthood, Awkward Season Three, A Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch, Boardwalk Empire.

Return of the Nerd

Like any quality super hero or super villain, although I had seemingly disappeared of the face of the earth and presumed dead, I have RETURNED!!

My apologies for my long absence, I juggle quite a few things between full time work and school, some volunteering (which studies say make you happier) and trying to achieve a healthy, happy, holistic lifestyle. To be honest, my next post was to be about time management... the Ironman of all Ironies. And I still plan on writing it... after I work out a couple of kinks...

Yet as for the year of 2014, as with the beginning of every new year, there is, of course, a new opportunity to try yet again and follow the muggle social norm to create resolutions to adopt better or positive behaviors. I don’t favor the term “resolution,” so much, and tend to view these things more as goals, since I know can accomplish those, and I like my track record with goals (I don’t consider myself to have been as successful with resolutions). I also like to keep in mind that people, circumstances and goals change, and it makes sense that goals are more easily changed than resolutions...every so often I can be capable of being practical.  And so the top three goals I have for this year (at least for now) include:

• More blogging! With more of a reflection of me, than the perfect posts I want

  

  I don't mean this kind of
   alien spider star.....

  everyone to read; I can literally spend an unbelievable amount of time editing (I’m a grammar Nazi...). It has also recently been brought to my attention that writing everyday has holistic benefits, so I’m reaching for the stars. Caveat: this could lead to more random, and more opinionated posts. I hope you're ready :)

• Eat more efficiently - I cook most of my meals at home, and I’m pretty good about being frugal and conscientious of what I buy. However, I do know that out of what I do buy, some vegetables often get pushed to the back of the fridge, or other spoilables are sometimes easily forgotten and go bad (I swear my fridge is made of oubliettes). This bothers me less as a waste of the money spent on these foods, but more as food wasted when there are so many hungry people in the world. I’m going to make/invent/use some system so I don’t waste good food. If I make a brilliant discovery I'll be sure to share

• Give more -  In several senses of the word. Give more of my time to volunteering. Give more time to myself to do nothing (sounds selfish, but it's important to recharge). Give Peter Capaldi a chance to wow me as the Doctor (despite my waterworks meltdown at Smith’s departure). And any other positive way to interpret this goal. 

And with those in mind, I would like to wish those who happen upon this blog - and those who don’t - an INCREDIBLE new year. 

Make it a good one!

Bigger on the Inside

For most muggles and non-Whovians, Bigger on the inside is an impossibility that doesn’t exist, and barely, if ever crosses someone’s mind. HOWEVER, if you’re familiar with Doctor Who or a true die hard fan of The Doctor, Bigger on the Inside means something more, as you can see in these two clips:

In short, Time Lord Science is amazing.

Or perhaps you’re more familiar with the wizarding world of Harry Potter, and like Harry in the clip below you just “love magic.” For you, Bigger on the Inside is a little more like this:

Yet for most of us, both Time Lord science and magic aren’t readily available, and so Bigger on the Inside can’t literally be applied to our homes or our cars or our offices. BUT, that doesn’t mean that we can’t make our living spaces FEEL bigger on the inside. 

Is this possible you ask? With basic Feng Shui it is!!

One of the basic principles of Feng Shui is de-cluttering living spaces allowing for more energy flow. In fact, in Feng Shui, before you can even begin to truly transform your house, you have to de-clutter it first.  I recently started going through clutter from as small as papers and unread mail to pieces of furniture I just didn’t need, and the impact on my apartment and my life has been amazing!

Why live like this: 

When you can live in a home that clear of clutter, like this:

So What is Clutter Exactly?

Feng Shui defines clutter as blocked energy that drains energy from you while lowering the quality of your life. 

For the average person, clutter is anything that you don’t use, like or have a place for.

For sci-fi fans, think of clutter as space junk that’s somehow found a way to attach itself to your ship. It’s slowing you down and is only going to cause problems. Nothing good every really comes of space junk...

What to do about it

So in order to honor, or attempt to figuratively mimic Time Lord science and wizarding magic there are three easy rules to get started on de-cluttering your home or office.

IF YOU DON’T USE IT, GET RID OF IT. If you haven’t used it in the last 6 months to a year, do you really use it? When is the last time you did? If you haven't ever used it or used it recently, it should probably go. However, getting “rid” of something you might need in the future doesn’t have to be definite. You might be able to lend such an object out to friends or family, and then borrow it back if you need it later. Or if you’re feeling extremely giving, you might give it to someone who has much more need of it that you.

IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT, GET RID OF IT. This may sound silly, but sometimes we hold onto things because people gave them to us, or we haven’t had the time to go through it. But if you generally don’t like something that is just adding to the clutter, get ride of it. Again, you don’t have to throw it away, you can give it away or donate it.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PLACE FOR IT, DO YOU NEED IT? IF NOT, GET RID OF IT. People tend to acquire things. Or at least I know I do. But that doesn’t mean you want, need, or have room for the things you acquire. But what if you actually do need it? Yes, that is an extremely valid argument. but the truth is if you really need it, you’ll find a place to put it, even if that means moving or getting rid of something else in order for it to have a place.

By following these three steps, you really can make a big difference in your home, and in your life. Bigger on the inside, really is a big concept, and capable a great and wonderful things just like magic and Time Lord science. And if you’re really interested in taking the next step in de-cluttering your home you can find more information and links here, and a year long, little by little monthly plan here.

So get out there and start de-cluttering! Allons-y!

Really REALLY Great Hair.

And if you’re a Whovian, you know that the 10th Doctor has it, and it’s a really big deal. 

People want to interact with it:

People and birds try to recreate it:

And there’s also a who population who consider taking care of such hair to be their dream job:

 or dedicate their blog to it (Oh Yes! There's more than one...):

http://davidtennantsawesomehair.tumblr.com/

http://davidtennanthairporn.tumblr.com/

http://davidtennantshair.tumblr.com/

Yet, for me at least, trying to obtain and manage really REALLY great hair can be difficult. When you’re holistically aware, shopping for shampoos and hair products can be as difficult as shopping in a grocery store (without a tricorder), particularly when you consider ingredients. There’s also the issue of cost. Like groceries, going organic or requiring products to be free of certain ingredients CAN be pricey.

Now there are many theories and schools of thoughts about hair: How often do I wash it? When is it too dry? Why is it too dry? How important is conditioner anyway? How do I get rid of the dandruff?... and so on and so forth. However, I think that one of the biggest debates when it comes to health and shampoo is the subject of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) - the stuff that makes all the bubbles- and similar derivative ingredients. 

The Debate

The traditionalist side of the argument is that SLS does not lead directly to cancer. Shampoo is shampoo and we’ve used if for years. If there is a threat, its only a mild one with SLS acting as an irritant to skin or the scalp. Most studies support this argument, and unless you eat 16 pounds of it, or let it sit in your hair for 12 plus hours, you shouldn’t really be worried. The bottom line: Life’s too short to worry about the marginal probability of potentially hazardous shampoo ingredients.

However, no one has yet carried out long term studies of the effects of SLS, so in the short run, it appears that SLS doesn’t cause cancer, but for the long-run, people only really have theories. There’s no real proof, and at one point in recent history, there was a big Sodium Laurel Sulfate scare, and large numbers of people swore off of SLS products. The hardcore anti-SLS fundamentalists will swear up and down that SLS is toxic, and directly contributes to cancer.  Sodium Laurel Sulfate is what is commonly used as a chemical to clean industrial floors. The bubbles aren’t worth it. LUKE[I AM YOUR FATHER] WARM members of this side believe that SLS may not be a direct cause of cancer, but as an irritant may lower the body’s defenses against other negative stressors. Their bottom line: Life’s probably too short because of hazardous shampoo ingredients.

So Now What? Do I stay away from Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Or is it okay? 

According to research, you should be okay if you use products that have SLS. Especially if you’re not eating your shampoo (or your toothpaste... Yes, the bubbles in toothpaste are sometimes created by SLS too).

In my personal opinion, however, I try to stay away from SLS products. I just can’t bring myself to buy shampoo with SLS in it, especially not when I have a choice. I find the LUKE[I AM YOUR FATHER]WARM anti-SLS rationalization to be practical, and therefore, I stay away from the sulfates, although I DO like bubbles. And if I’m staying at a hotel and forgot my shampoo, or am borrowing someone else’s, I don’t let it bother me because 90% of the time I’m being proactive about protecting myself from an unnecessary hazard. But I can’t pay money for it. I can’t.

But here’s the good news, and the reason why I’m sharing info about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (besides the opportunity to blog about The Doctor):  It’s QUITE easy to be sulfate free. Now more than ever! You don’t have to pay outrageous amounts or only order shampoo from the interwebs to get it. Yes, you may pay more than you would for some of the more common shampoos, but then again maybe not, and you don’t have to pay $20+ per the bottle either (although you most certainly can if you want).

 Most stores now also carry sulfate free shampoos including stores such as Target and Walmart. Both of which carry Organix shampoos, and Aveeno’s sulfate-free line. 

No BUBBLES!

So when you are on your quest for Really REALLY Great Hair (which is important because Really REALLY Great Hair really is Wibbley Wobbley Sexy Wexy), remember that you are also responsible for protecting your scalp, and your health (and the universe). Next time you’re picking out your hair products, try out the sulfate-free shampoos. Who knows, you might be contribute more to your overall health, or someone may start a blog about your Really REALLY Great SULFATE-FREE hair.

Personal Pandoricas

I recently read a blog post by Paul Chek on Happiness, and a concept called Buddha’s cage. And while I can’t speak for everyone, Happiness is a pretty big thing for me, so Paul’s post got my attention, and after a day of pondering, I think I’d like to share.

 In his post Paul wrote something that really resonated with me:

“I’ve found that a huge amount of people’s inability to create sustainable happiness in their lives is because they allow themselves to be governed by other people’s opinions and expectations at the expense of their own.”

Captain Mal Reynolds

I’ve been a people-pleaser all of my life and it wasn’t until the last few years, that I recognized this and discovered that it could be extremely unhealthy. So when I read this statement, I thought: I know exactly how that goes, and unlike floral bonnets, it usually ain’t pretty.

Chek then went on to describe what he teaches to be a Buddha’s cage: limitations created from attaching our sense of personal happiness to mental, etheric, emotional or physical experiences or expectations. 

A Great way to remember these elements is by acronym: MEEP.
Which of course reminds me of Road Runner: Meep Meep.

As a result these limitations end up closing us in, not only creating a false sense of happiness, but also acting as a barrier to reaching true happiness, or reaching personal potential.  Paul Chek’s diagram of a Buddha’s cage looks like this:

My first thoughts and reactions to this picture took a while to develop, as my brain sifted and scanned through everything I know (or think) is true and ways to analyze and connect with the information presented to me, and find a sci-fi equivalent. My first “search result” in my brain was this:

A Pandorica. 

For you Whovians, this might give you an idea where I’m going. Everyone else, please bear with me: This image depicts more than just a box.

In the universe of Doctor Who, at one point, all of the Doctor’s foes form an alliance to create the ultimate prison for the most dangerous person in the universe. Or at least who they consider to be the most dangerous person in the universe: The Doctor. This prison, the Pandorica, is equipped with every type of barrier to keep the Doctor in: deadlocks, time stops, matter lines, and a restoration field to prevent escape by death. The Pandorica is indeed a comprehensive prison.

The Buddha’s cage Chek describes is actually very similar. The cage people tend to build around themselves is just as comprehensive including the mental, emotion, etheric and physical limitations (MEEP MEEP). But unlike the Pandorica, outside enemies are not the creators of such a prison, but in fact, the creator of our Buddha’s cage is none other than our greatest inner foe: ourselves. 

And it’s really easy to start building a Buddha’s Cage or what I like to call a Personal Pandorica. Most people, whether they know it or not, already have one, and some determined souls have found a way to break free. The types of limitations that create a cage on your happiness and personal growth can develop out of anything and everything from the perceptions and expectations of others (this can be anyone: family, friends, co-workers, professors, strangers), to your emotions and/or emotional ties to expectations of others (such as getting approval from those you admire), to physical limitations such as body-weight, self-perception, or past injuries; There are infinite sources of material to build bars or walls.

The Next Step: Escaping your Pandorica

As with most things, the first step is awareness, now that you’re aware of the limitations you have imposed, or have allowed others to impose on yourself, what do you do next?

In my personal experience, it takes time to break down these barriers, but as soon as you discover them, the demolition process can begin. It wasn’t until about a little over a year ago that I started to discover the limitations I had imposed on myself for most of my life. I’m now working towards breaking down 25 years of limitations and negative thoughts that hindered me in attaining happiness, moving forward and approaching life’s next big adventure. 

So how to plan your escape:

Scofield from Prison Break

Well first you get a full body tattoo of the prison you want to escape from since your brother Lincoln... Oh wait, sorry, wrong show...

In my personal opinion, the story line of the Pandorica, and the tale of Rory and Amy (The Pandorica and the Roman soldier) in Doctor Who is one of the greatest love stories ever. I also think that escaping Buddha’s Cages and Personal Pandoricas also requires the same element of love, but applied differently: self-love and a developed sense of self-worth. 

When we are young and we need others to make decisions for us, we rely on the perceptions and expectations of others to guide us to safety, and to the right choices. However, when one graduates from a child to an adult, there is also a need to graduate from relying on the opinions and expectations of others to, trusting oneself to make the decisions. As an adult, no one knows you and what’s going on in your life better than you, particularly in terms of what makes you happy. And many times others won’t be able to understand all of the challenges that you face. As a result, the expectations and opinions of others are not always going to align with what you think, like, want, or most importantly, need. This doesn’t mean you can’t still ask for advice or listen to the recommendations of others, but it does mean you can’t let others set the standards for your happiness. As soon as you let others decide what will determine what makes you happy, the door to your cage or Pandorica is as good as locked. Oops.

So next time you feel your happiness being threatened or being absent, ask yourself:  Is it because of what others think of you? Or what someone told you? Why does their opinion matter? How do you know they are telling the truth? If you think they are telling the truth, is it the absolute truth? Or just how they see it? What will their opinion matter six months from now? A year? 10 years? Are they setting the standards for your happiness? Why?

I find these types of questions to be extremely helpful. The biggest gray area I have is when professional opinions or advice is given. These professionals have experience and knowledge that I don’t, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean they know everything, especially about me. The most difficult area of my personal Pandorica to deconstruct is the limitations that come the expectations of family and close friends: I want them to be happy, but when I let them set the standards of my happiness, my life turns into a lab of gloom and doom where things go boom.

This kind of oxygen mask.

Someone once told me that surviving life is like surviving a plane crash: You must put on your own oxygen mask first before you can help others put theirs on.

Not this kind of Oxygen Mask.

This principle suggests that once you have your own oxygen mask on you will be able to help others, many more so than if you yourself were running out of oxygen in the process. Likewise, once figure out your own happiness, you can help others find theirs, many more so than if you yourself were unhappy.