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Parenting Never Ends

10/26/2020

As I was making my 19 year old's dentist and orthodontist appointments today, I was thinking to myself how even though our children act so grown up in their teen years, they also act like kids. I title my son a man-child. They still need us to guide and nurture them, to reason big decisions out together, to be a sounding board for the inevitable mistakes and woes, etc. Parenting never ends. When my eldest brother would visit my parents in another state for a family celebration, my dad would instinctively grab his elbow or hand as they crossed the street. My brother was in his late 50s at that time! As I witnessed this caring gesture, I wondered if I would be that way later on. And, I am. I still worry if my children eat their veggies, take their vitamins, exercise, drink enough water, surround themselves with supportive friends and colleagues, etc.

Parenting never ends. I celebrate the milestones with my kids, and I am more excited about their small victories than they do, well, because I relish in their joy as much as in my own joy. This made we want to write about it. Are you out there, parents? Parents of adults or nearly adults, how has your parenting and care, concern, connection developed into something more and more as the years have gone by? If you have a good relationship with your kids, how has it changed over the years? I want to hear from you and learn from your stories.

Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorself on Instagram and Twitter
KJ Landis on Linkedin
Superior Self with KJ landis on Facebook

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Live in This Moment

10/19/2020

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So many of us are wrapped up in plans for the future or dwelling upon the past that we forget to truly live in the moment. The global pandemic has brought the world to a screeching halt of the systems and machinery we are used to in our lives. The health, wealth, political, and emotional systems are fragile at the moment. The tensions are rising daily as the news escalates along with it. So what are we citizens of the world to do?

Breathe, slow down, as that is the definitively guided message, and live in this moment. Acknowledge that right now, so many things suck. And this gives us permission to be in the moment. We can breathe deeply, look around, and really see the little details that are still the most important things around us. We can engage with our family and friends in a real, moment to moment togetherness, especially if we have been laid off. We can go walk or run or jump in nature. We can play with our children because we now have the time. We can listen to the wind, rain, and seek out the birds, bees, butterflies, and flowers blooming right in front of us. Even with no income, we can laugh, cry, read a book, sing, and dance. We can make our own kind of music. We can write, writing in journals, writing letters, write that book you have always tinkered about in your head but never had the time. We can hand write things instead of only using electronic keyboards! Cursive writing is a gift that connects us to our past, as is calligraphy.

With all the drama that is in the world, we can be using it as an urgency to live in this moment. This moment truly deserves the best of you, a creative and resilient you, a loving you.

Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorself on Instagram and Twitter
KJ Landis on Linkedin
Superior Self with KJ landis on Facebook

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Let's Talk About Soy, Baby!

10/12/2020

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LET’S TALK ABOUT SOY, BABY!

There has been a lot of information in the media about soy in recent years. Some paint it as a pretty picture, a vegan’s protein dream. There is a health “halo” surrounding soy. Others look at soy as the body’s own personal nightmare. Let’s first dig into a little bit of the history of soy in the human diet, and then move into the nutritional profile of it, both pros and cons.

The soy bean crop originally was used thousands of years ago in Asia as a top crop, like fertilizer. It helped other crops grow because it fixed nitrogen in other crops and assisted in the absorption of oxygen.

Soy beans and their products were not even eaten by humans until 2500 years ago. The first form of soy being eaten was fermented soy made into a kind of paste, similar to our modern day miso. The miso paste and salt was utilized to preserve meats longer (as there was no refrigeration in those times). It was also added to soups.

In ancient China, monks were given tofu because it reduced their desire for sex. The testosterone hormone levels in the monks reduced and they could focus on their ritual duties much better. The tofu and soy products kept them, for the most part, honoring their vow of celibacy. In addition, the estrogen levels of the monks were elevated.

Nowadays the United States of America is the largest grower and exporter of soy in the world. Unfortunately, most of it is genetically modified and the seeds are owned by the giant company Monsanto.

Soy beans contain anti-nutrients, which are harmful to humans. In order for them to be non-damaging to us, they must be fermented or soaked. The soy products in our supermarkets are not as healthy as once thought. Soy is found in almost every packaged processed food. Personally, I can only find one brand of organic, wild sprouted, non GMO tofu in my grocery store. After reading and researching the truth about the hormone levels that can be altered by soy, I eat it sparingly.

In all of the products that the incredible edible soy is made into, it still is not a high source of protein. It is only about 61 percent protein and not all of that is bioavailable to the body. The rest of the nutrient makeup are carbohydrates and fat.

Basically, soy products are highly processed foods. It takes a lot to make soy milk and oil palatable (taste good). We don’t find any soy products in nature, like a fruit, vegetable, flower, seed, or animal.

So if you enjoy soy products as I do, once in a while, just have the knowledge that it mimics estrogen in the body. Try not to have it daily, and read the ingredient labels on processed foods, junk foods, and shelf stable products to see where soy is added. Knowledge is power.

Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
@superiorself on Instagram and Twitter
KJ Landis on Linkedin
Superior Self with KJ landis on Facebook

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Music

10/5/2020

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There is a strong connection between all of us and music. Whether you believe in the power of God or not, you believe in the power of music, I have never met anybody who has said anything neutral or negative about the impact of music upon his or her life. If you do believe in God, then you know music came as a gift from our higher power. When we didn't have shiny instruments, as in the caveman days, we used our voices, rocks, sticks, shells, and whatever else we could. I believe music is innate. If we aren't exposed to it, we create it.

When I was a child I played outside in the summers until it became dark. Years later, my mother told me that on many days and nights she would know where I was playing, inside and outside of the house, by my voice. I sang throughout the day. I observed that when my children were little, and even now, as teens, when they wake up in the morning I hear them singing. My daughter sings along to the stereo as she does homework. My son sings in the shower every day. Even when we seek silence, there are tones we cannot avoid.

Today, in this climate of world unrest, I encourage you to seek refuge, healing, and peace through music, as our ancestors did, as we do, even without being always conscious of it. Music truly is in the fabric of our lives.

What are your thoughts on music? I want to know!
Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
KJ Landis on LinkedIn
@superiorself on Instagram and Twitter
Superior Self with KJ Landis on Facebook

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Parenting Never Ends

Live in This Moment

Let's Talk About Soy, Baby!

Music

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