Daily Inspiration

I subscribe to “Gail Lynne Goodwin’s Inspire Me Today”, and I will like to share yesterday’s words of brilliance with you.

 Today’s Brilliance^™: Dr. Ramani Durvasula

Dr. Ramani is a professor of psychology and the author of the upcoming You Are WHY You Eat, a new look at eating, loving, living and walking away.

Goethe famously wrote “One lives in this world but once…”

If that is the case, ask yourself, “What do I want my life to look like?” Then make it look that way. In making that journey, here are some provisions for your psychological backpack:

• Do not  invite regret into your life. Instead, take chances, try new things, and  take the path less travelled.  Regret never dissipates, and second chances are rare.
• Beware  of scripting your life…. Storytelling can trap us in other people’s  scripts.  Let life happen rather than forcing it to fit someone else’s idea  of what a life should look like.
• Everything  is temporary, good feelings, bad feelings, and feelings in between.  Don’t  like how you feel today? Hang tough, it will change.
• Failure  is good, because it kicks us into new routines, keep setting the bar a little higher, and keep learning from those mistakes.
• Sleep. It’s the only miracle cure we have. Everything is a little easier with  some rest under your belt.
• Stop saving for a rainy day. So many people spend so much time preparing for  the future that they miss the miracle that is unfolding in front of them.   Don’t be fiscally irresponsible but don’t let opportunities pass. Imagine  waiting 10 years to take a trip, but then that day arrives and you are too  ill to make the journey? Do it today.
• Do what  you love and the rewards will come. They may not be financial, but it’s  easy to live in a small house if you are living a life full of meaning and purpose.
• Spend a  little time outdoors each day, it was what we were meant to do as a species.
• Pay  attention to the cycles of nature – moonrises, sunsets, tides, and  seasons.  They matter.
• Put the  smart phone down and lift your head up. Spend time with people. Look into their eyes when they talk, listen to their stories. Every person has  within them a library of knowledge and fables, and if you listen, you will  get a hell of an education. I have learned more from broken conversations  with women around the world than I have from some of my professors at  university.
• State  your dreams out loud, once you do, you have made a promise to the universe  and will be more likely to enact it. Dreams, like music, must be shared,  but only with those ready to hear them.
• Don’t  throw bad money after good. When something is done, walk away. Pointless  persistence is lazy.
• Surround  yourself with people who are advocates, who help your dreams take flight,  who watch you make mistakes quietly, and who love you afterwards. Quietly  split off from those who silence your dreams, clip your wings, and keep  you on the ground.
• Travel.    Each time you do, you open a chamber in your heart you did not know  existed.
• Watch  children play. Every baby is an existential scholar, more mindful and present than any Buddha.

 

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The Cure Is in the Kitchen

The Cure Is in the Kitchen

By Aine McAteer Oprah.com | June 14, 2010

Chef Aine McAteer has long touted the connection between what we eat and how we feel. She now reveals her number one “kitchen medicine”—ginger—and shares some natural remedies using this tasty root.

When I was a young girl growing up in rural Ireland, one thing I knew for sure was that whatever ailed me, my granny had some sort of a concoction to cure it. This was often motivation for me not to get sick or to will myself well, as these “medicines” were not exactly culinary delights.

She had us eating boiled nettles to build our blood and drinking barley water to cure colds and coughs. Castor oil was administered for tummy upsets and constipation, and when there wasn’t a twig or a leaf to cure something, holy water to the rescue! Our warts were rubbed with black snails, our sprained ankles wrapped in leaves from the palm tree and our infections drawn out with hot bread poultices.

In more recent years, I seem to have regressed to the ways of days gone by. Being told at age 19 that I would be dependent on medication for the rest of my life was motivation enough for me to seek out natural alternatives. In the days before Google, I had to search far and wide only to be directed back toward the wisdom of my grandmother.

I discovered that I could cook my way to better health, and this was a very enlightening discovery. I became a girl on a mission and continued to discover every day the magical connection between what I ate and my health and vitality. Now, if I feel unwell, I look no further than my kitchen cupboards to find a remedy.

When it comes to kitchen medicine, my number one ally is fresh ginger. Here are just a few of its many benefits:

• Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and can help reduce inflammation associated with conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism and ulcerative colitis. It can either be taken as a drink or combined with a few drops of fresh ginger juice or 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and massaged into the affected area.
• For a sore throat, make an infusion of grated ginger in lukewarm water to gargle.
• Ginger is a natural decongestant and will loosen and expel phlegm in the lungs, so for a cough, cold or other chest conditions such as asthma and bronchitis, drink warm ginger tea. To increase the healing benefits, add a teaspoon of manuka honey, as it is said to have many health benefits, including antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. To make ginger tea, simply peel a 1- to 2-inch piece of ginger. Cut it into thin slices and simmer with 2 to 4 cups water for about 15 minutes. Strain and drink.
• Ginger is a known digestive aid. It is said to have the ability to enhance fat and protein digestion and increase the production of healthy intestinal flora. The enzyme in ginger called zingibain is said to have similar properties to papain in papaya, known for its ability to help digest protein.
• For lower backache or tension in the kidney area, there’s nothing more healing than a ginger compress. Grate a big knob of fresh ginger and tie it in a piece of cotton or muslin. Infuse it in a pot of hot water. Then, wring out hand towels and place them over the area of tension or pain and put a large towel on top to keep the heat in—you want to make sure it’s as hot as you can bear, but not burn. Change the towel several times until the area is red. It’s easier and more relaxing to have someone else administer the compress. You can also apply the compress to the chest area to treat a cold.
• Sip on some warm ginger tea to calm an upset stomach. It’s also an excellent remedy for nausea or seasickness, so take along a flask of ginger tea if you’re taking to the water. You can also take it in tablet or capsule form.
• Ginger tea or tablets can also be used to treat morning sickness, but take in moderation during pregnancy. It has been used medicinally to stimulate menstruation, so there is some concern in scientific circles that it could possibly cause miscarriage. There have been no documented cases of this happening, so most herbalists will recommend ginger in small doses to ease morning sickness.
• Ginger is a natural breath freshener, so chew on a little piece to help relieve bad breath.
• Ginger is an excellent dandruff remedy. Grate a knob of fresh ginger and squeeze out about 1 tablespoon juice (you can do this using a small strainer or squeeze between two spoons). Mix with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and massage into the scalp. Leave on for about 30 minutes before washing out. Repeat three times a week until the condition improves.
• Take a ginger foot-soak to improve circulation throughout the body. It has antifungal properties, so is effective as a footbath for treating conditions like athlete’s foot.

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