Move Your Body With Love

I’m not going to go into why exercise is important. We all know it’s good for mind, body, and spirit. Physical activity has got great benefits that you can’t argue against. It relieves stress. It helps us sleep better. It gives us our sexy back. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

It's 7 degrees and I'm doing random exercise in the street. Just keeping things interesting.

Still it’s often a struggle to just get up and do it. Time spent exercising is time away from work (time that is super precious especially if you’re self employed), time away from the couch and Downton Abbey, and time away from cuddling with your sweetheart. I get it.

So what’s gonna get you up and moving it for at least 30 minutes a day everyday? Love. I’m not talking about loving long-term benefits like losing weight or increased energy (but yeah, you will get them). I’m talking loving your practice. You’ve gotta love the experience of the exercise practice more than you fear what missing a moment of work will cost you or more than you fear confronting your own inner dramas and feeling alone.

7 Benefits of Blogging Your Hobby

I'm teaching an intro to blogging class Saturday at Learning Connection on Wayland Square in Providence on Saturday 12-3pm. The class is called "Blog Your Hobby" and you can still register here. I'd love to have you!

So excited about and grateful for this opportunity to guide hobbyist as they begin their journey of sharing their passions with the world.

The benefits of starting a blog based on your hobby are many. Here are just a few that I've experienced:

• Begin flexing your "I Do What I Love" muscles. This is going to help you grow in so many areas beyond blogging and your hobby. Buffing these muscles strengthens you to pursue any other dreams so you can create a life you love.
• Increase self-confidence. 
• Confront and overcome fear of being judged.

Do You Know Which Foods Have The Most Pesticides?

In addition to being hazardous to our ecosystem, many pesticides pose health dangers to people. As acknowledged by U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems, including:

• brain and nervous system toxicity
• cancer
• hormone disruption
• skin, eye, and lung irritation

Eating lots of fresh produce is always a healthy choice, especially when compared to eating a diet high in processed foods. Still, choosing organic foods is the best way to reduce exposure to toxic pesticides.

If your grocery budget is limited it's a good idea to know where to prioritize spending and where you can save if you need to. The Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists, awesome resources provided by Environmental Working Group, are great guides for doing so.

I'm a Buddhist.

I practice Nichiren Buddhism with Soka Gakki International (SGI). At every monthly discussion meeting, we share an experience of faith. I shared mine on Saturday. I wanted to share it with you here today too.

I was first introduced to Nichiren Buddhism and SGI by a fellow student in a writing workshop. My mom had been diagnosed with lung cancer and I was feeling desperate to help her. My classmate compassionately suggested I chant and invited me to her house to show me how to do it.

We met one morning and chanted Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo side by side. I chanted that I wanted my mom to have a successful surgery and to be healthy and happy. I threw in that I wanted the owner of the shop I worked at, to hire me to organize her office. I’d just started a cleaning & organizing service and the chaos of her office had been driving me crazy for years.

When I got to work later that day, the shop ower told me she wanted to support my business and asked me to organize her office. My mom had her surgery in a couple of weeks. They removed ⅔ of her left lung and she recovered quickly. She hasn’t had any problems with her lungs since. Within a few months of her surgery, she also got treated for a thyroid condition. Her disposition switched from being negative, depressed, and anxious to positive, happy, and hopeful. I hadn’t known my mom to be this way in at least 17 years.

Meatless Monday: Raw Red Cabbage Will Make You Gorgeous

Red cabbage has some amazing health benefits. I'm impressed by how many beauty benefits it has. Red cabbage is rich in vitamin A which acts as a natural moisturizer and keeps skin soft. Raw cabbage provides good roughage for healthy poops, which is key for gorgeous skin too! Red cabbage is also abundant in vitamin E which aids in producing a glowing complexion.

In addition to being good for you, it's pretty darn cheap and stores well in the fridge. Win, win, win!

Here are three ideas for adding more raw red cabbage to your diet.

Image via PBS and Aube Giroux

Make this yummy zesty red cabbage slaw. I love the simplicity of the ingredients: red cabbage, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and tamari. This was a hit at a recent potluck. It's delicious with veggie kielbasa, but I've also taken to just snacking on it. It is very easy to make and days later the leftovers are just as delicious as the day you made it.

Add red cabbage to your sandwich in place of lettuce. You can shred it or just pile on a few leaves. It's good in burritos and tacos too.

Use red cabbage in place of a wrap or a tortilla. Pile your favorite raw veggies, hummus, avocado, sprouts, tofu, or whatever makes you happy onto a red cabbage leaf and roll like a burrito.

How do you enjoy raw red cabbage?

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How to Clean Copper Pots

The Winter 2013 issue of Edible Rhody features a story about Jim Hamann, a beekeeper who lovingly refurbishes vintage copper pots.

Gorgeous copper pot photo via Adam Liaw.

If you've got copper cookware that could use some TLC, try Jim's recipe for natural copper polish.

• 1/2 c white vinegar
• 1 TBS salt
• 3 TBS flour, or enough to make a thin paste

Got burned food in your copper pot? Don't scrub it or you'll ruin the soft tin lining. Jim recommends removing burned food from a copper pan with hot water and a squirt of dish soap.

If you have inherited any copper pots from your granny, I suggest you heed Jim's advice. Did you know those things are superexpensive? I just saw a set of copper cookware for $1,500 on Amazon! Hot damn!

Thanks so much for reading this blog entry! I hope it was helpful. Let's stay connected: Newsletter // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin' // YouTube

Consider supporting this blog by shopping via my Amazon shop or buying my green cleaning eBook. Thanks.

5 Peanut Butter Sandwiches Gone Wild!

I am so into peanut butter sandwiches right now. Here are five great PB sandwiches I've enjoyed recently. They're all healthier and more interesting than peanut butter and jelly.

Peanut Butter + Baby Spinach + Honey (about a 1/2 tsp of honey is enough for ultimate yumminess). Note: Try it closed-faced so it's easier to bite into without having spinach fly in your face.

Peanut Butter + Apples + Spinach + Cilantro + Sriracha. Think Thai food. I had this at Benefit Juice Bar & Cafe. If you ever are in Providence visiting RISD this is a great place to grab lunch. 

Peanut Butter + Cucumbers. Medium thickness slices, about as thick as your pinky nail, work best. I don't understand why this is good but it is.