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FANNY PACK LOVE

11/30/2015

Okay, many of you are wondering what the title means in this week's blog! If you aren't from the USA, you may not have even heard of the term fanny pack.

A fanny pack is like a small purse attached to your waist with a nylon belt and a plastic clip closure. It usually is used for travelers, and one can spot tourists by their fanny pack giving them away. It allows the wearers to be hands free, with all their belongings at their waist. The fanny pack has lots of zippered pockets and can even be colorful, although most folks buy black. I think it became popular in the early 1980's. In the early 2000's, there was a resurgence of the couture fanny pack during New York fashion week.

These days, mostly tourists use them. Well, I admit to using one, almost daily. Yes, I will wear the scarlet letter with pride. I love my extra large fanny pack. I use it for hiking, jogging, and shopping when I don't want to carry a large purse or backpack, and it has secret pockets for secret things (mad money, anyone?)! My fanny pack is black, and I put my valuable things in there, like my wallet, coins, keys, and Chapstick. Then, I throw the fanny pack into my big-ass bag, and I'm ready to go! When I shop, I know immediately where my wallet is (fanny pack) because my purse is so large, that it would slow down the lines at the checkout stand considerably if I had to dig through that to find my wallet.

When I go jogging or hiking with my fanny pack, I'm so unattractive and clunky that anybody who would have thought of approaching me for a hook-up steers clear, and I never wear matching clothes or bandanas with my outfit anyway. Even the homeless and would-be perpetrators cross the street. I'm definitely safer on the city streets because of my fanny pack. And if you ever run out of zip loc bags, toilet paper, paper towels, or a water bottle, I have got you covered (that is, if you know me and are with me, because otherwise you may have already run the other way).

So, may I ask for a few moments of silent thanks for the inventor of the unfashionable, tacky fanny pack? It has enhanced my life immeasurably over the years.

What's your experience and opinion of my beloved fanny pack? I want to hear from you!

Blessings,
KJ Landis
Join me at superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
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How I Slow My Mind Down

11/23/2015

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We are so inundated with tasks on a daily basis. Then someone or something irks us at work, the store, on the phone, etcetera. How we deal with the stress and the things we have to do every day in this modern society can play havoc on our physical body. Out physiology reacts to our mental reactions as well as to our food intake.

When I need to slow down and avoid being unnecessarily pressured, mad, sad, or worried, I count up and down from 0-10, slowly in my head. I inhale with the first number and exhale with the second number. After about 1 minute, the storm in my head and body relaxes a bit, and I can calm down enough to attend to the needs of myself and the loved ones who need me. I also clench my fists tightly as long as I can and then go limp. A rush of warmth and calm ensues. Another daily slowing down of my mind and body is self care through Bikram Hot Yoga. The teachers are doing all of the detail work and speaking, so I can let go of control and take in their words and just follow along. Giving up control and allowing someone else to guide me is a gift, especially if we trust that person.

Studies indicate that prayer, meditation, relaxation exercises, yoga, and other restorative practices help speed up the healing processes in many areas of our health. It actually soothes the nervous system, as well as deepens self awareness (CHOPRA.COM). The ancient roots of mindfulness have modern applications. We can improve depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and conflicts (HELPGUIDE.ORG). The more one practices, the better the benefits. Regular yoga practice, in any style, benefits high blood pressure, diabetes, artheitis, pregnancy, and even heart disease (WEBMD.COM).

I encourage you to turn the internal engine off, and also keep your internal engine from overheating, with some sort of practice that allows you a relief from stressful moments in your very busy lives. This has helped me tremendously and I am a nicer person because of it. I am also a safer person because of it!

What do you do for relief and stress reduction? I want to hear from you.

Be blessed and safe this holiday season,
KJ Landis
Join me at superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
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[email protected]
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FERMENTED FOODS

11/16/2015

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As far back as recorded history, we have evidence that humans fermented foods. Fermented foods extended the shelf life of ancient foods that might have otherwise spoiled: Examples are cured and aged meats and fishes, fermented vegetables, cheeses, yogurts, and alcohol. Fermented foods are associated with boosting the immune system and aiding digestion. They actually feed the intestines with good bacteria called probiotics. Let's look at the words probiotics and antibiotics.

PROBIOTICS=PRO+BIOTICS
That means PRO, which is for, or yes, and BIOTICS, which is from BIO, which is life. Yes to life, life in our digestive system.

ANTIBIOTICS=ANTI+BIOTICS That means ANTI, which is no, or against, and BIOTICS, which is from BIO, which is life. No to life, against life in the digestive system.

The good bacteria living inside our digestive tract is there to help absorb the enzymes and nutrition from the food we eat. It also weeds out the bad bacteria that passes through. Eating fermented foods (probiotics) not only increases the absorption of the vitamins and minerals of the fermented foods, but helps with absorption from ALL the foods we eat. We need a huge variety of probiotics in the intestines to live well. We have more types of probiotics in our intestines than the total cells in our entire body. There are billions of types of probiotics in our GI tract. We need to have a varied garden, so to speak.

When we eat processed foods, the standard American diet, take antibiotics for every little ailment, and do not replant our garden, we may suffer with a barren garden. Then the immune system may be suppressed and we may become more susceptible to colds and flu. We may eventually suffer what is called leaky gut, where digestive acids and food particles actually leak through the intestinal walls and float freely throughout the body causing pain, gas, heartburn, food sensitivities, allergies, etc.

Fermented veggies are a great source of probiotics. If we make it ourselves, and vary the veggies we use and eat, we can have a plethora of the good bacteria, and replant our garden. We will have a beautiful intestinal garden.

Don't be misled by regular store bought pickled veggies and sauerkraut. They add vinegar, sugar, salt, and sometimes citric acid or preservatives. Then they heat treat the mixture to pasteurize the veggies. It tastes wonderful, and makes them last a long time at room temperature on the store shelves. The pasteurization, the heating, kills the benefits of the fermentation process. There are no probiotics in them at all. You may, however buy raw, fermented varieties of veggies at health food stores and higher end grocery stores. Just ask your local specialty store. They will always be refrigerated.

HOW DOES FERMENTATION WORK?

The natural bacteria feed on itself, and feed on the fibers and starch in the veggies. That's why if you are on a low sugar eating protocol, you can have Kombucha or beef jerky because the sugars are eaten by the bacteria in the process and very little is left. The sugars and starch in the fermented food turn into lactic acid. That is how it becomes sour tasting, pickled tasting. That is also how it creates the various good bacteria and vitamins. This extends the natural shelf life of the veggies or proteins. In the ancient days they would put it in the shade or in a cave or under ground for storage after it was done fermenting. Even though the fermented foods tastes sour and acidic, they create an alkaline environment in the body, which is great for our health. Cancer and inflammatory diseases have a hard time thriving in an inflammatory environment. If 80% of our immunity begins in the gut, as many doctors tell us in the mainstream media, I want to fill my gut with fermented foods.

PREBIOTICS

Let me touch a little upon prebiotics because this word is often used in conjunction with probiotics. Prebiotics are food for the probiotics. Water, plant food, and sunshine feed your backyard garden, right? Prebiotics feed the intestinal bacteria. We find prebiotics naturally in food sources as well, in plant sources. They are fibrous plants.

The highest sources of prebiotics we can eat are:
LEEKS
ONIONS
GARLIC
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
ASPARAGUS
CHICORY ROOT
RADICCHIO
ENDIVE
BURDOCK
ARTICHOKE
DANDELIONS
BANANAS/PLANTAINS

We cannot digest these fibers, but the probiotics in our intestinal garden can. Whatever is not used, we eliminate.

OK, Let's make some fermented foods!

I want to hear from you! What has been your personal experience with fermented foods? Have you made them yourselves or at my workshops? What are your favorites and what do you despise (if any)?

Blessings,
KJ Landis
Join me at superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
Superior Self with KJ Landis on Facebook
SuperiorSelf on YouTube
[email protected]
SuperiorSelf on Twitter
KJ Landis on LinkedIn
superiorself on Instagram

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No Judgement, No Pressure, Just Love

11/9/2015

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When an individual first comes across my website and Guide to Wellness from Within, they get excited, because this may be a real answer to their fat loss and solution to their chronic conditions. Then they finish reading the guidelines, and all of a sudden they may find themselves resistant and stressed out. It may feel like pressure, or one more thing to do on their never ending to-do list.

Take a deep breath my friends, family, and tribe. I'm not here to judge or to put pressure upon any soul. I'm here to love and support you along the way to food freedom. What you are feeling is a push back from the universe. There's a phrase I hear many times in the Conversations with God series by Neale Donald Walsch. I find myself repeating his words many times a day, "That which you resist, persists."

I know it is scary to attempt a lifestyle change for the better. We are very comfortable in our own skin and our routines, our habits. But, something brought you here to this website, this guide, this shift. You wouldn't have read through the pages in here or in my books of you weren't ready. Take as long on each step as you like. This is not about rules, but about life. Every person is unique in every person's needs in the mind, body, and spirit realm is individual. Take my guide to your doctor or health practitioner and have them go over it with you. Or, better yet email me and we can set up a free consultation and a coaching system that will work within your needs, your goals, your health, and your budget.

I offer you an individualized approach to your vitality, flexibility, strength, and energy as we get older. My work offers you free healthy meal ideas, a spiritual and mindful practice, and ideas for physical fitness that will help you in the space in which you are in right now. I meet you where you're at. I teach you how to not fear dietary fat, how to read food labels, the secret names for MSG and sugar in products on the shelves, and how to build a tribe of support when making any lifestyle change for the better.

There is no judgment, no pressure, just love. When you reach food freedom, a lot of other doors in the multifaceted gem of your life will open. The nine steps in my Guide to Wellness from Within may take place in the course of nine weeks, nine months, or nine years. We all have our own process is to go through. I understand that.

I want to hear from you!
Blessings,
KJ Landis

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Laughter as a Healer

11/2/2015

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I am so happy this week because I laughed so hard until tears came rolling out of my eyes. My three favorite sister-cousins came here for my birthday, and we went sightseeing all over the Bay Area. We danced, shopped for bargains, watched belly dancers, ate amazing organic food, hiked in three locations, and were attacked by seagulls! We created an even tighter bond. Old wounds were healed by the power of laughter and nature! These three women are my soul family. Thanks, God.

Laughter is so empowering and freeing. What makes you laugh until you forget your troubles?

I want to hear from you!
Blessings,
KJ Landis

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FANNY PACK LOVE

How I Slow My Mind Down

FERMENTED FOODS

No Judgement, No Pressure, Just Love

Laughter as a Healer

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