Reclaiming Wellness

Spring has arrived!

I saw my first Robin yesterday, truly a sign that Spring has finally arrived.  The crocuses, daffodils and other early bulbs are peeking through the earth and reaching for the sun.  What a wonderful season...

The winter has been very challenging for my family, and I have been very silent.  We've had a death in the family - not unexpected but still a great loss; my husband had a heart attack with bypass surgery - he has just returned to work and is doing very well; my daughter had sinus surgery, and I recently had sinus surgery and nose reconstruction (weak cartilage - I never even heard of that!).  Tucked in between these major events have been other challenges that have stretched all of us.  Understandably, we are glad that the winter is over and that we are in a new season of growth and renewal.

Times like these bring up a variety of feelings and emotions including, fear, fatigue, confusion, a sense of mortality, gratitude, blessing, and renewal.  It is easy to get caught up in what is hard and scary, and all of those feelings must be acknowledged.  But, what I have learned is that the blessings outweigh the challenges, and gratitude is essential. We are grateful for gifted and caring physicians, nurses, technologists; friends and family who have supported us in so many ways; thoughtful strangers who crossed our paths; our church family; our work family; especially, we are grateful for more time together.

In this lovely time of Spring, I wish you peace, joy and many blessings.

Jana

Jana went 13.1 on the 13th!!

Dear Family, Friends and Colleagues!

October 13, 2007 dawned clear, cool and beautiful!  It was the perfect day for the more than 14,000 runners/walkers who were participating in the Baltimore Running Festival and the energy in the air was palpable.

For the 115 participants from the Maryland Leukemia & Lymphoma Society team, it was the culmination of a commitment to raise funds for research and patient support by challenging ourselves to participate in this endurance event.  Together we walked, ran, talked and laughed countless miles together, and along the way we raised more than $250,000!  At the Friday night pasta party, we met some of the patients and families whose lives have been touched by the LLS TNT program, and we were reminded that what we were doing really was making a difference.  I am so proud to have been a part of that team.

My goals for the day of the walk were to finish in less than 4 hours (which I did – 3:45) and to have fun (which I also did!).  The people of Baltimore were wonderful; they lined the streets in their neighborhoods, cheered us on, gave us high-fives, applauded us, offered food/drink, and waved and smiled.  There were even two Baltimore “Hons” who were giving away hugs!  The police were also great; they kept us safe by managing the traffic (I’m glad that I was walking), and also cheered us on.  It was a wonderful day and I look forward to doing it again!

Your contribution to my effort was so important and I thank you again.  As you can see from the total that was raised by only 115 people, all of the donations – large and small – combined to form a very impressive total!  I also want to thank my coaches, teammates, my daughter Carrie (she’s the one who got me to sign up!), the LLS staff, and everyone who helped along the way.  (It's not too late to donate.  Just go to www.active.com/donate/tntmd/tntmdJMeacha before December 1!)

Next year is the 20^th anniversary of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program and I expect that I will be involved again; I also want to invite you to join me!  It will mean more than you can imagine…

Peace and blessings to all,

Jana

A TEASPOON OF WATER...

Do you realize that there is no new water?  That the water that you drink, that fills the oceans, rivers, lakes and aquifers is the same water that has been around since the beginning of time?

Here are some facts about water:

·      Water is odorless and tasteless.

·      Water is the only substance that occurs at ordinary temperatures in all three phases: liquid, gas and solid.

·      75% of the earth’s surface is covered by water.

·      97% of the water on the earth is in the oceans.

·      3% of the water on earth is freshwater.

·      2% of freshwater is frozen (that number may be diminishing with global warming).

·      1% - only 1% - of the water on earth is available for drinking.

·      You can survive about 30 days without food but only 5-7 days without water.

The statistics above make it very clear that most of the water on earth is undrinkable, but I have found that it can be difficult to understand what those numbers really mean.  Someone once shared the following illustration with me and it helped me actually grasp the concept of how little fresh water there is on the earth: "If a large bucket of water were to represent the sea water on the planet, an egg cup full would represent the amount of water locked in ice caps and glaciers and a teaspoonful would be all that was available as drinking water."

So, what are we doing with that teaspoonful of water?  What does it mean to our future that we have contaminated it with chemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, industrial wastes, sewage, pesticides and herbicides?  What responsibility do we bear to protect this amazing resource?  What can we do now to ensure that the water that we use for drinking and bathing is not harming our health?  It is estimated that 5000-6000 children die every day from drinking dirty water.  What can we do to stop that horrendous loss?

Water is one of the most precious and vital resources in the world, and even though it appears infinite, as it does in that wonderful photograph above (Manual Antonio, Costa Rica) it really is not.  It is even predicted that many of our future conflicts will be centered around water supplies.

As I read the paragraphs above, I know that the issues can feel overwhelming.  Please bear with me, that is not my intent.  What I believe is that knowledge and understanding are the vital first steps toward making the changes that are so necessary.

In future posts we will be discussing where our water comes from, what we can do every day to protect our water, and what we can do to protect ourselves.  As Mahatma Gandhi said: “We must become the change we want to see.”  Each and every one of us has to power to make simple changes that collectively can impact the future of our own health and our world. 

I wish you peace, joy and many blessings,  Jana

TNT Update: 32 days to go!

September is Awareness month for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma

    

     Well, the date is drawing near and both fundraising and training are getting a lot of attention!  I walked 8 miles on Saturday in only 2 1/2 hours, which is a whole lot faster than I was walking when I first started.  I never cease to be amazed at how our bodies will respond to attention and exercise.

     I have raised $1132 of the required $1500 and have only 15 days left to raise the remaining $368.  In addition to accepting direct donations, I also have raffle tickets for an awesome 7-day Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Cruise lines...imagine sitting on your own balcony, watching the sea go by...tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.

     Even when we are having fun working with the TNT team, we are also often reminded of why we are doing this volunteer work.  One participant, with her voice breaking and tears in her eyes, recently shared the story of her brother who died this past April from sarcoma.  Another told of us a life-long friend who thought he had beat back leukemia, only to have it come back with a vengeance; he has also died.  And we found out that one of the honored teammates, a 6 year old girl named Cameron, lost her battle against leukemia.

     While these people, and too many others have died, many thousands more are alive because of the research that has been done, research that is supported by the LLS and TNT.  This is important work and I do ask your support.

• To contribute online, go to http://www.active.com/donate/tntmd/tntmdJMeacha
• To contribute by check, make it to LLS and mail to Terra Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box, 397, Laurel, MD  20725-0397.
• To purchase raffle tickets, send a check made out to LLS, tell me how many tickets you want and send it to the address above.  I will get your tickets to you right away!

     Let's not forget that the main goal is to prevent getting these awful diseases by supporting our immune systems through proper supplementation, lifestyle and thoughtful living.  We will continue to address these concepts and will start the series on water next week.

     I wish you peace, joy and many blessings,  Jana

It's Raining!

We are finally getting some good rain in Maryland.  A blessed, slow rain that will actually be able to penetrate the incredibly dry earth.  It's the kind of rain that lasts for several days and is a weather pattern that we have not seen all summer.  The farmers have suffered terribly - there have been huge crop losses - and trees and plants everywhere have looked dry and parched.

It started raining quite hard when I was out on my training walk this morning. I was dressed appropriately and it felt really good to be outside in the rain.  I don't know about you, but as a child, playing outside in the rain with my brothers and sisters was something that we did all the time!  And, since we don't know what the weather will be on October 13 (the day of the Baltimore Marathon and my fund-raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.active.com/donate/tntmd/tntmdJMeacha), we continue to train regardless of the weather.

Weather and climate change are two topics that we hear about all the time, and there is no doubt that we are in a state of change.  Both affect our lives, our health and our planet profoundly.  I believe that the more that we understand the consequences of our actions on the planet, the more willing we will be to do what we can to mitigate the negative consequences.  We have the resources and a lot of knowledge; now all we need is the will to act.

So, I am going to start a series on water!  Water is a precious resource that most of us take for granted; yet there are thousands who die or suffer illness every day from lack of a safe supply of water.

We will look at water as a resource - the effect of toxins - municipal water filtration methods - wells - and what you can do to both protect yourself and our planet.  It may sound like a dry topic (no pun intended...) but is really quite interesting!

Keep in touch - I wish you peace and blessings!

Jana

On The Road Again...

Have you ever wanted to participate in an athletic event that you knew would stretch the boundaries of your bodymindspirit?  The thought of doing so brings about many feelings...anxiety, excitement, curiosity and many big question marks.

I don't know how it would be for you, but when I first thought of riding a century (yes, a 100 miles on a bike in one day) to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 1999, I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it.  Up to the time that I started training, the most I had ridden in a single day was 30 leisurely miles, far different from a focused 100 miles in a single day.  Yet, with training, focus, support and commitment to raise money for a good cause, I was able to achieve that goal.  What a high that was!

Now, I'm on the road again, except this time it is with my feet, not my bike.  I have signed up to walk a half-marathon - 13.1 miles - in the Baltimore Marathon on October 13, 2007 to raise money for the LLS.  I must give my daughter, Carrie, credit for getting me involved with the LLS again.  She had decided to do the half-marathon, and I decided to join her. 

So, we are now walking regularly during the week and training with our team on Saturday mornings. LLS does a wonderful job of organizing training and teams, one reason why I am happy to be a part of their mission again.  They also do a wonderful job with the funds that are raised: over 75% of the funds raised go directly to research or support for families.  Equally amazing is that since 1988, more than 300,000 volunteer participants have raised more than $700 million with the Team in Training program!

I'll be writing regular updates about my training and experiences with Team In Training and LLS, including my progress toward reaching my fundraising goal, which is $2500.  And, I am boldly going to let you, my readers, know two ways that you can contribute if you wish:

• Online donations are gratefully accepted at http://www.active.com/donate/tntmd/tntmdJmeacha
• Checks made out to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society can be mailed to Terra Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 397, Laurel, MD  20723

Please feel free to send this message to at least 5 friends/associates/family members.  All donations are accepted with great gratitude and are fully tax deductible.

Have any of you had experiences with similar events?  If so, are you willing to share your feelings and experiences?  Let me know at reclaimingwellness@gmail.com.

I wish you peace, joy and many blessings,  Jana

Keep thinking 13 on the 13th...

AWOL and Stress

Oh yes, I have been AWOL and for that I do apologize.  Somehow the weeks have flown by and even with the best of intentions, I have not submitted any new postings.

The past few months have been a reminder to me of the consequences of too much stress: not sleeping well, not eating as well as I should, not scheduling my time well, not focusing well, not always following up the way that I should...not a good way to live life.  Even the health coach sometimes has to take a step back and re-evaluate her response to life.

Hans Selye, M.D., Ph.D.,D.Sc., was one of the first researchers to study the physical consequences of too much stress and as such is known as "the father of the stress field".  The simple explanation is that Dr. Selye found that when we are overly stressed, our bodies maintain a constant "fight or flight" state with all of the accompanying hormonal and physical changes.  This "fight or flight" response is essential to our survival as a species!  It prepared our ancestors to run away from tigers and other predators, and while our stressors are different today, we also need “fight or flight” in order to survive significant threats.

What is important to know is that our bodies are not meant to be in the "fight or flight" state constantly.  When that is the case, our bodies never enter a vital rest period and over time, our bodies will exhaust themselves.  While reading Dr. Selye’s research is very interesting, it is not required in order to understand that being constantly stressed is not a good thing.

So, what to do?  There are countless resources available today that can help with stress reduction; the key is to find what works for you.  I can share what I have done and perhaps it will help you also. 

·        I absolutely love classical choral music and have been listening to it a lot. 

·        I am exercising more.

·        I am eating better.

·        I make sure that I laugh out loud even if I don’t always feel like doing so.

·        I make sure that I stay connected to family and friends, especially those wonderful grandchildren!

·        I take slow, deep breaths whenever I start to feel stressed (especially when I am in traffic…)

·        I take quality supplements.

·        I am reading more, both fiction and non-fiction.

So, where are things now?  Our house is on the market, I am still in Maryland and David is working in Virginia.  Other than being apart during the week, things are more stable than they have been for some time and that is a good thing!

A favorite saying of mine is “Let me live as a child in the sun”.  Imagine a child playing outside on a beautiful, clear day; this child has no cares or worries and is truly present in this moment.  May all of us be blessed to live our lives as that “child in the sun”.

I wish you peace, joy and many blessings,  Jana

Life Changes

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"...John Lennon

I don't know about you, but that quote speaks to me all the time.  My own life journey has certainly followed a different path than I expected and continues to do so.  While that can be exciting and has definitely opened places and events to me that have been unexpected and wonderful, it can also be stressful.  My husband and I are now in the midst of one of those unexpected life changes and the story is yet to be finished.

David has taken a position in another state and will be commuting home on weekends until our house can be sold.  Our house does need some work, so I will be overseeing that and getting it ready to put on the market.  Given that the real estate market is not what it was a couple of years ago, we are not sure how long we will be living in this state of change.

Moving to a new state means far more than just picking up possessions and transporting them to a new house.  It means leaving all that is familiar - places, people, patterns, expectations - and going to a place that has many unknowns.  I have spent most of my life in the same area; I know how the wind blows in a storm, when I can plant flowers, I can anticipate traffic patterns, and I recognize the feel and smell of the place.  I know that I will learn those things in my new city and home, it will just take some time.

I'll be sharing this journey with you as it progresses.  There will no doubt be some wonderful surprises along with the sense of loss that is an integral part of such a major life change.

I wish you peace, joy and many blessings - Jana

Does this make sense?

How often have we seen this happen...take this pill, don't take this pill...eat this food, don't eat this food...don't do this exercise, better start doing this exercise...Is it any wonder that all of us are confused by what we see in the media?

I'm no different than any one else and I find the many mixed messages sometimes frustrating and annoying.  So, I have come up with a solution that works for me and offer it to you!  It is, simply, to ask the question "Does that make sense?".  My daughter (the music teacher) is the one who introduced me to that simple question; it is one that she taught my granddaughter to use when she was struggling with math.  Very simply, look at the formula/issue/report and ask yourself "Does this make sense?"

Let's look at an example.  Recent reports have stated that eating beef may increase the chance of getting cancer (enter "eating beef and cancer" in your search engine and see what comes up!).  Honestly, that does not make sense to me.  After all, humans have been eating beef for centuries and it does not make sense that it has suddenly become toxic to us.  However, if the reports are accurate, then what has caused the sudden change?

Here's my take on this and what I believe has caused the change.  A very large part of our food supply no longer comes from family owned farms; food is now big business and the process of raising cattle is no exception.  They are fed food that is not natural to them (grain instead of grass), they are pumped full of hormones, antibiotics and who knows what else, they don't get to wander in pasture, and they are stressed.  Hmm, maybe that beef is not so good for us...

My solution?  Eat beef that has been naturally raised!  It is amazing how good pastured, also known as grassfed, beef tastes and yes, it is actually good for us.  It is interesting that when food tastes really good that we are satisfied with smaller servings, and I certainly find that to be the case with pastured beef (and dark chocolate...)

I buy mine from West Wind Farm (www.westwindfarm.biz), a family-owned farm that is located in West Virginia.  If you happen to live in the Washington, DC / Baltimore MD area, they deliver locally; unfortunately, they do not ship.  However, there are sources available all over the country and I encourage you to search them out.  A good resource is www.eatwild.com; you can also enter "grassfed beef" in your search engine and explore what comes up.

Does this make sense?  What a great question!

I wish you peace, wellness and abundant blessings,

Jana

Diva Time - The 2006 CCBC Women's Expo!

I love a good expo, and the 2006 CCBC Women's Expo (www.womensexpomd.com) in Catonsville, MD this past weekend was top-notch, and not just because I was one of the vendors.  I have participated in quite a few expos over the years, and have not found another organization that works as hard for its vendors as this one does.  And what makes it even more exciting is that the purpose of this expo is to raise funds for the AAWCC   (www.aawccnatl.org/mc/page.do), a non profit national organization that is dedicated to helping women in community colleges with tuition and other financial assistance.

Patsy Anderson, the promoter and a dear friend with high energy, works throughout the year to make sure that this expo gets better every year.  But, she does not do it alone.  All of the women who work to make sure that this event is a success deserve a lot of credit, and they are Kathy Arnold, Sue Fowler, Nancy Mayer, and Charolene Oliver.  I'm also sure that there are many others who help whose names I do not know and I offer my thanks to each of you for what you do.  And to all of you men who are reading this, these expos are not for women only!

At my booth, Terra Enterprises, Inc. we offered cool and refreshing samples of Wellness enhanced water - it truly does taste different - and provided information on glyconutrients and health coaching.  The men and women who attend events such as this one are fun, educated and interested in finding out what is available - talking with them truly does make the time fly.  I had a lot of help from several people - my husband, David; my friend, Alice Selby; and my granddaughter, Meghan.

I did have the opportunity to offer a workshop titled "Food is Not the Enemy! Common sense tips on keeping your food safe, delicious and nutritious", and found the audience to be very interested and engaged.  There will be more postings about the information contained in this workshop, so sign up for updates and you won’t miss any of this really good information!

There were author discussions for the recently released anthology, "The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs".  My chapter is titled “The Accidental Entrepreneur” and is a brief story of how I found my way to my soul purpose.  All of the stories – 25 in all - are compelling and indeed informative; the book is available through this website and will make a wonderful gift for yourself or for any woman in your life.

Keep in touch – Peace and blessings, Jana