What I Want Vs What I Really Want

Whatever goals you set for yourselves, you need to want it not just with your thoughts, but with your whole being. For example, say you consciously want to lose 20 lb; however, you subconsciously believe that changing your eating habits will ruin your happiness. Then you will be torn apart by this misalignment! In the end, your subconscious mind has the upper hand, as it controls 95% of human behaviour. This explains why only 8% of the people succeed in achieving their New Year Resolution.

As an Energy Healer, my goal is not only to resolve pain/illnesses, but also help people find their happiness. One tool I offer my clients is called the Happiness Session, which helps them synchronize what they want consciously with their whole being. This way, their subconscious mind is helping them achieve their goal rather than resisting it. While what brings Happiness is unique to each person, following are the most common areas that my clients have identified:

1. Spending time with friends and family (including pets)
2. Seeing loved ones happy
3. Health (Losing Weight, Eating Better, Exercising, Resolving Pain and Illnesses)
4. Meaningful connection with other people (and with God), such as helping those in need
5. Having fun (Travel, Hobbies, Sports, Nature)
6. Success

Interestingly, money has not been identified as a source of happiness for most; although it is recognized as a tool to achieving the other happiness areas.

When your happiness picture has conflicting items in it, it becomes very hard to achieve any of them. For example, you enjoy spending time with friends while having a big meal at your favourite restaurant, but you also want to lose weight. You end up either focussing on only one of the two, or struggling to keep both going. However, when your whole being is aligned with your happiness goals at the big picture level, you will find it natural and effortless to do both and you will come up with creative ways of achieving your goals that you never thought of before. In this example, my client found that by having 3-minute organic green smoothies during the day, she gets all her nutrition needs while at work and also finds that her appetite is well under control. Now at meal times, she does not feel like over-eating and she can enjoy going out with her friends without ordering a big unhealthy meal.

If you feel stuck in getting to what you want and enjoying everything that life has to offer, then why not find out what happiness means to you? After all, you are most creative when you are happy.

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Diana is a Certified Quantum-Touch® Practitioner.  She uses energy healing to help people to "say good-bye to pain and say hello to happiness".  Her special interest is healing for head injuries.  She is currently documenting effectiveness of energy healing for people who have suffered concussion.  You can contact her at diana_cheng@telus.net, or visit her website at www.Good-Bye-pain.com

Tofu Musubi

Adapted from my
Spam Musubi recipe


Picture from Bread without Butter blog
 
INGREDIENTS

Half package of firm tofu
1/4 cup tamari / soy sauce (low sodium is best, if you have)
1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup cooked sushi rice
2 sheets of roasted seaweed, cut in half


DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, begin dissolving sugar into tamari/soy sauce. Remove from heat once sugar is completely integrated.

Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick pieces and press excess water out using paper towels. Heat up a frying pan on the stove top with one tbsp of vegetable oil. Lightly salt pressed tofu and pan fry over medium heat for 5 minutes each side, or until just starting to brown.

Add generous amount of the sauce to the tofu and cook off for another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce. Remove tofu slices from heat and let marinate in the sauce.

Using a bamboo sushi mat, or any non-stick flexible surface, lay down the halved seaweed sheet. Place a 1/4 inch thick layer of sushi rice, covering about 1/3 of the seaweed sheet. Place a tofu slice on top of the rice.

Wrap the seaweed around the rice and tofu, using water or extra sauce to seal the seaweed. Use the mat to gently press musubi into a rectangle.

Hello Honey!

Honey is amazing, not only for its preservative qualities (3000 year old honey still good to eat!) but also for its abilities in healing. Dab a bit of unpasteurized/raw honey on zits, canker sores, or cold sores. The honey is anti-bacterial, antifungal, and contains enzymes that reduce inflammation. Mix ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon into a teaspoon on honey and take orally to help with colds too!

The Impact of California's Drought Conditions

Drought. A period of dry weather, an extended shortage of water, in other words a huge problem for food production. The western United States, California especially, has been experiencing record low rainfall for the past five years with this year being the worst to date. There isn’t a single aspect of water usage that hasn’t been impacted by the shortage.

10 communities have been put on emergency water rationing; taking five minute showers and squeezing every possible re-use out of the water they’ve been allotted. Even with the rationing, it is predicted that their water reserves will run dry within the next two months. The rest of the state has been under voluntary water restrictions, but there is already talk amongst the government of implementing mandatory regulations until the drought is over.

Farmers will be leaving over 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares) empty this year. Those fields that have already been planted show little to no growth without vital rain water. Ranchers and Dairy farms are already struggling to feed their herds and have begun selling off their livestock to pay for feed for those precious few they can afford to keep.

What does this mean?

For farmers it means they will have to cut back, let workers go, scrimp and save as much as they can to keep their farms afloat until the rain returns. Dairy farmers and ranchers are sending livestock east where there are still green pastures to feed them. Those whose livestock are remaining in California are relying more on hay and feed mixes instead of the meager fare available in the dry fields. Those lucky to have foreseen  the shortage stockpiled hay during the previous year, but how long will those supplies last before they too are forced to pay to bring in feed from out of state?

For you, the consumer, the impact will be to your table and your wallet. The demand for food is only increasing, but with fewer crops are being planted the supplies are going to be low. Row crops especially, like tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, cantaloupes, garlic, peppers and corn, will suffer a drop in production and cause prices to rise. Long term crops, like almonds, grapes/raisins, walnuts and olives, will also see a sharp decline as farms are forced to prune back trees and vines to cut back on water consumption. Pruning will allow the plants to survive on less water, but that means they won’t be producing anything. For nuts especially, this will impact supplies for years.

Expect to see California wine prices soar as well as wineries fight residents to use water for a “luxury item” or are forced to look for alternative water sources by digging new wells and implementing irrigation systems in areas that used to only rely on rain fall.  Considering that California produces over 90% of wine in the United States, we can expect to see less wine from our southern neighbour and more imports from overseas hit the shelves as retail locations balk at higher prices.

Citrus Peppered Salmon with Roasted Root Vegetables

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens


INGREDIENTS

4 medium carrots, chopped
2 small yams, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt or salt
4 skinless salmon fillets
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper blend or black pepper
1 cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a baking pan combine carrots, yams, half of the oil, and half of the salt. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting time. Transfer vegetables to a platter; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, sprinkle salmon with the remaining salt and the pepper. In a skillet heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add salmon; cook for 3 minutes. Turn; cook for 3 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer to platter with vegetables.

Add orange juice to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, about 2-3 minutes or until thickened; spoon over salmon.

Go Bananas!

When baking, replace the fat called for in a recipe with mashed ripe bananas, fruit or squash puree, plain, fat free yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese. Use a substitute that will compliment the baked item you are making; bananas are great for pancakes and applesauce works well for most quick breads.

For the measurements, 3 mashed bananas can replace 1/2 to 3/4 cup; the other substitutes can be measured 1 for 1. If you don't like how it turns out, only replace 1/2 or 3/4 of the fat and see if that is any better.

“Ocean Wise” - Sustainable Seafood

Vancouver Aquarium states on their website that “90 percent of all large fishes have been caught. Due to unsustainable fishing practices, we’re now fishing the world’s last 10 percent of shark, swordfish and tuna.” They also mention a scientific study that estimates a world-wide fisheries collapse by 2048. That’s a pretty dire prediction for something that is only 34 years away and well within most of our lifetimes.

In order to promote change in fishing practices, the Aquarium launched the Ocean Wise conservation program in 2005 to “educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood.” They have created a comprehensive list of seafood species with their current status (Ocean Wise, Under Review, or Not Recommended), Variety, Wild/Farmed, Harvest Method, and Region.  Interested in seeing if where your menu favourites fall on the list?
Different seafood species are allowed to carry the Ocean Wise label if the following parameters are met:

1. Abundant and resilient to fishing pressures.
2. Well managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research.
3. Harvested in a method that ensures limited bycatch on non-target and endangered species.
4. Harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.

Seeing this symbol at market and on their menus allows people to make informed choices about the food they are eating and by word of mouth and pushing from the consumer level, Ocean Wise has spread.

Since its inception over 1000 restaurants, suppliers, and retail locations across Canada and the United States have pledged to serve or carry Ocean Wise seafood. In fact, in order to carry the Ocean Wise symbol on their menus, restaurants are required to stop serving at least one unsustainable item. Many of these restaurants have removed unsustainable items from their menus entirely.

The biggest problems Ocean Wise attempts to address are:

Overfishing – Some seafood populations have depleted to unacceptable levels based on the current rates of consumption. Species at very high risk include Chilean Sea Bass, Imported King Crab, Japanese Eel, Atlantic wild-caught Flat Fish (including flounder and sole), and all species of Shark.

Bycatch – 25% of what is caught by commercial fishing boats never makes it to the dinner table. Most of these get tossed right back into the ocean and die due to trauma from being caught. Certain types of fishing practices yield even higher bycatch than others; these include surface longlining and bottom trawling. The methods of fishing with the least likelihood of bycatch use Seines, Longline, Pots/Traps, Pelagic Fish Trawl, or High Sea Driftnet.

Habitat Damage – The loss of coral reefs, kelp forests, mangroves, and wet lands also have a huge impact on species reproduction and survival.

For information on how to support Ocean Wise at local businesses, check out their website or their free iPhone app. They give up-to-date information on local businesses, markets, and suppliers who sell Ocean Wise seafood, offer information on different seafood species and the phone app has a fun little picture gallery as well.