The Healthy Horseman

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

2012-02-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

I think this video is a must-view of anybody and everybody. Very informative. Let me know what you think. Also, please feel free to share links to other videos. I'll check them out.

Dachia

Best lessons from Anthony Robbins Part 6

2012-01-17T13:11:00.008-05:00

The last part of the series! Now is a great chance to go back through and watch them all again, in order, all at once. It's still January, still plenty of time to get focused on the changes you want to make and blow through whatever has stopped you in the past. Most of the time what has stopped us... was us. Let's break that pattern.

Dachia Arritola

Best lessons from Anthony Robbins Part 4

2012-01-15T13:06:00.001-05:00

Another block of three videos taken from a series of videos- all part of a single session with Tony Robbins. Again, my hope here is that you benefit from watching these videos and find what has been blocking you from your success and blow through it.

Dachia Arritola

Best lessons from Anthony Robbins Part 3

2012-01-14T13:02:00.001-05:00

This is part 3 of the Tony Robbins series, and includes 3 videos. Let me know how you are doing.

Dachia Arritola

Best lessons from Anthony Robbins Part 2

2012-01-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

So, this is Part 2 and includes 3 more videos, which are all part of a series (one session) of a Tony Robbins session. Again, please let me know if you need any help getting your path clarified and getting started on it. Of course, I also would love to hear about your success.

Dachia Arritola

Best lessons from Anthony Robbins Part 1

2012-01-12T12:58:00.002-05:00

I came upon a series of videos that I want to share with you guys. There are too many to include in one post, but I do hope you return to check out the others. Obviously they are all from session, however I felt they could stand on their own quite well. As we are still so close to the time of year that people are making resolutions and trying to get things changed in their lives, I hoped this could help.

I'll include three videos per post, generally. Let me know how you are doing. Let me know if I can help you.

Dachia Arritola

A Little New Years Help from Tony Robbins

2012-01-10T12:46:00.001-05:00

Recently, a friend was making a joke about hoping she finally gets what she really wants this year. It doesn't matter what she wants. I was thinking of her, a fellow horseman, when I came across this great, short video. I can never hear this sort of thing too much, and I know from my own personal life, this advice is spot-on.

If you need any help finding your clarity, let me know. I'd love to help you.

Dachia Arritola

The Healthy Horse... and his human

2012-01-07T09:41:00.002-05:00

I have been house-sitting recently, catching up on some research and writing. I do appreciate the down-time that house-sitting offers, but it also puts me in situations where my dietary patterns are challenged. In simpler language, sometimes I cannot take enough of my food with me to cover the time I am away from home. This particular job left me without my usual morning slosh for a few days. So, I turned to oatmeal. It was easy and available and I knew how to prepare it. I use uncooked oatmeal in my slosh blend. I am exceptionally lazy in the kitchen. My food must be incredibly quick and easy while still being very nutrient dense. This is one reason why I eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables.

Back to the oatmeal. As I tend to eat far more food than most people my size and age (or even those that are larger and younger), I consumed 3 servings of oatmeal. Typically, my slosh satiates me until around 2:00 or 3:00 PM.

Let me say here that my slosh is very nutrient-packed, and as I said, already includes oatmeal. Oatmeal, while very healthy and nutritious does not offer the same nutrient density that the slosh does. Period. But in a pinch, it is a great alternative. I felt satisfied till nearly 2:00 PM. I would then have a large salad (large by my standards would be about the equivalent of 10 servings or more) with other cut up veggies, making up as many nutrients as possible.

Oats fill the bill when it comes to reducing hunger and keeping you on your diet plan. The soluble fiber in oats fills you up by creating gels. The gels delay stomach emptying, so you feel full longer, which helps with weight loss.- Discovery- Fit and Health

I encourage you to keep some whole oats available in your home. They are not expensive, keep quite some time, if you keep the bugs out, and can be cooked up any time of the day. You can even dress them up with some raw fruit such as blueberries or strawberries. If you have a great recipe that utilizes oats without a lot of extra junk like sugar, I'd love to hear about it. Muffins, cookies... tell me about it.

Dachia Arritola

Helping to improve your quality of life- by Ben Baugh

2012-01-06T18:51:00.001-05:00

I was recently interviewed by Ben Baugh, for the local newspaper, and thought I would share that article with you.

WAGENER -- While working for a retired family therapist, Dachia Arritola found her calling in life - helping others improve the quality of their lives by being a life coach.

Although the horsewoman has been providing her expertise primarily to other horsemen or people in the equine industry, Arritola also works with people who aren't involved with horses.

Arritola's motto is "Mentally, emotionally and physically fit for the person."

"There are so many people that spend so much of their time, so much effort, so much money on their horse and getting the horse perfectly trained and getting the horse perfectly fit and getting the horse out and schooled," she said. "The horse is only half the equation. You have to be responsible and responsible to your partner, which is the horse."

People come to coaching for a number of reasons but predominantly because they want change, said Arritola.

"I've found that the majority of people that have come to me think that they're coming to me with one little thing that they want answered," said Arritola. "What I do is called co-active coaching or holistic coaching because we're looking at the person's whole life and dealing with everything that has deal with their life."

When someone does something it impacts every other aspect of their life, said Arritola.

The coaching continues even after the one-on-one, Internet and phone-based consultation sessions come to an end as Arritola provides her clients with resources to help them stay focused.

"We want people to be self-sufficient," she said. "We want to give them enough tools, so they can say, 'I can get it from here, thanks.'"

Arritola and her business partner, Vicki Buehler, are based in the Black Hill of South Dakota and are in the process of building an on-line forum to provide support, she said.

"The people who come to us generally want something better," said Arritola. "They know there is something better, so it's a little bit of reconditioning. It's not like we're going from ground zero. If there's something that didn't work, we'll talk about why it didn't work. You have to keep trying other ideas. We're not going to wallow into why it didn't work. We want to stay positive and focused on what's going to work. Everyone has something that they can build on. Everybody has some innate talent."

One of the major problems people come to life coaches for help with are issues having to do with communication, said Arritola.

If one wishes to be happy, it's a conscious choice that an individual will make, said Arritola.

"You should be happy now and be happy where you are, but don't necessarily be satisfied," said Arritola. "You can enjoy and appreciate where you are, while you are moving to the next place."

People should have a course of action and stay that course, she said.

"There's a Chinese proverb that says, 'If we do not change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed,'" said Arritola. "That's coaching in a nutshell. Co-active or holistic coaching combines your personal and professional lives. Everything is looked at and talked about because everything is intertwined."

Arritola and Buehler will travel and can provide consultations via phone and the Internet, as well as in person.

For more information, visit Dachia.com.

Tips from Arritola:

1. Envision yourself achieving the goal.

2. Place reminders of the achievement of the goal in front of you – pictures on the refrigerator, ceiling or car visor.

3. Break down your goal into small but substantial steps.

4. Give yourself a reward for achieving some of those steps or all these steps – small rewards for small steps and big rewards for big steps.

5. Be clear about what your goal really is. Define it clearly. Lots achieve huge successes but don’t feel they have because they didn’t define it well. So, they constantly struggle for some illusionary goal. They spend a lot of time kicking themselves and not congratulating themselves.

Another great resource is the Center of Empowerment.

Dachia Arritola

I Am

2012-01-04T07:06:00.003-05:00

You know how sometimes somebody tells you something and then you hear it again and then you hear it again, from different people? That's what happens to me quite a bit. Well, this time, a very good friend of mine suggested a movie I had never heard of. The next day I heard the name of the movie again, and I knew it was going to be good. A couple days after that, I heard that it was going to be shown on the Oprah network. Well, by then I was sold.

And it was great. This is the description we found at Amazon.com

Ace Ventura director Tom Shadyac takes a sharp left turn in the documentary I AM. After a bike accident that results in cuts, bruises, and a concussion, he sinks into a depression, and considers the state of the world. He wonders why it's in such a mess, and decides it's because of aggressively competitive people like him: Americans who strive to amass wealth at the expense of their well being, their interpersonal relationships, and the environment that sustains them. He illustrates the point with repeated shots of his private jet and extravagant properties, then proceeds to speak with famous figures who emphasize compassion, like sustainability activist David Suzuki, linguistics professor Noam Chomsky, progressive historian Howard Zinn, and environmentally conscious CEO Ray Andersen (star of The Corporation). He also speaks with his father, Richard, who cofounded St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (Zinn and Shadyac Sr. passed away prior to the film's release). His heart is in the right place, but I AM doesn't quite add up as Shadyac seems to be simultaneously bragging (about his movies and possessions) and beating himself up (about those who have less). His documentary also covers much of the same ground as One Peace at a Time, though that may be purely coincidental. By the end, he downsizes in order to lead a more constructive existence, though it's hard to tell whether this is a permanent shift, an advanced case of midlife crisis, or a holiday from Hollywood until the next potential blockbuster comes along. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Tom Shadyac's Film as seen on Oprah
I AM is the story of a successful Hollywood director, Tom Shadyac (Liar Liar, Nutty Professor, Bruce Almighty), who experienced a life threatening head injury, and his ensuing journey to try and answer two very basic questions:

What's wrong with our world? and What can we do about it?

With a film crew of four, Tom visits some of today s great minds, including authors, poets, teachers, religious leaders, and scientists (Howard Zinn, Lynn McTaggart, Desmond Tutu, Thom Harmann, Coleman Barks) searching for the fundamental endemic problem that causes all of the other problems, while simultaneously reflecting on this own life choices of excess, greed and eventual healing.

We started by asking what's wrong with the world, and ended up discovering what's right with it.

*****
I hope you love this movie as much as I do. I would love to hear from you about it or anything else.

Dachia Arritola

The Infamous and Sometimes Nefarious New Years Resolution

2012-01-01T12:04:00.001-05:00

Like most people, I think about the new year and what it has in store for us. Also like most people I like to pretend I have a lot of power and actually try to plan it and to change the world!

Actually.... I don't just pretend that, I am completely convinced of it. As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." So what does that mean for us? What does it mean to the Healthy Horseman?

It means anything. Anything we want, anything we need... anything, is within our reach... but we do need to actually reach for it.

Reaching for what we want means first of all, recognizing what we want. Imagine you are standing in front of the open refrigerator, and you see an orange and a bunch of grapes. You are hungry and you want just one thing. But which one. You actually have to make a decision and THEN... you have to take action and reach for it. It doesn't do any good to make the decision between the orange and the grapes if you just continue to stand there and look at them.

I get the feeling that there are many of us who are doing just that. I have spoken with clients who became very excited about their decisions, and felt great about them... and then didn't act on those decisions. Sometimes they would make a decision and just before they take that first step, they feel they are faced with another decision.

So, back in front of the fridge, they make the choice for grapes, reach for those grapes and then they notice an apple. More than likely, as is my case far too often, you notice a piece of cake, and you are no longer reaching for that bunch of grapes. You might not be reaching for the cake, but it certainly has your attention.

And that is what happens to so many of us. We get blindsided by ourselves. But remember, all the power we need is within us.

One way to avoid our self-sabotaging habits is to change one of our first steps. Before we open the fridge, we decide what it is we want and why. We envision how we are going to feel after we take action on our decision. When we choose the grapes, and take out the grapes and eat the grapes, we will feel good about ourselves, satiate our mild hunger, add some needed nutrients to our bodies and be ready to move on a different decision.

However, it is often far too difficult try to get focus in the thick of it. Leaving aside the fridge metaphor, if you are trying to make a decision about which major to choose for college, it is best to make that decision before you apply to one.

I know this will sound somewhat simplistic, but I think sometimes the obvious is left out of our decision-making paradigms. Before you start making New Year resolutions, take some time to really focus on who and what you want to be. How yo want to live. Describe your perfect day, week, year. Write it all down. Break that down into steps which you can start taking today and write those down, as well, detailing which ultimate goal this particular step is moving you toward. Now... you are ready to start stepping.

Back to the fridge- if you decide before you open the fridge that you want some fruit, because it is packed with nutrients, won't over fill you, satiate your hunger, and feel good afterwards, you won't be sidelined as easily by the cake. You might have to make a decision between types of fruit, but in my opinion that is a great problem to have. Any fruit is a good choice and will keep you moving toward your ultimate goal.

If you decide that you want to spend a lot of time with your horse or family, when you are offered a great-paying job that keeps you away from your horse or family for 60-80 hours a week, you can look back at your written goal and judge whether this opportunity moves you closer to the life you want.

I have been witness to countless New Years resolutions that frankly, had no hope of success.

"This year, I'm going to lose weight." How much? Why? What will that feel like? How do you plan to do it?

"This year, I'm going back to college." For what? Which college? Just go back or attain a certain number of credits? Do you want a degree? Is that degree a step to the life you want? To the person you want to be?

Please don't misunderstand, whatever it is you want to achieve, you can achieve... in a realistic period of time, given a realistic process of achievement. It's these last two items that are so often left out of the New Years resolution. Here is where it is a good idea to get help if you need it. Many of us are living such full and chaotic lives that we don't realize that we keep making the same decisions time and time again, but don't seem to be gaining any ground. We also are easily confused (without our knowing it) by the myriad of other choices we have.

If you go grocery shopping with a detailed list, you don't need to even look at the other 45,000 options in the store... they are not on the list. But if you go shopping without a list, everything is a possibility. And what would have taken half an hour, can now be a project of several hours. This same idea holds true for the rest of our lives. If we don't have a clear plan, a destination that could have taken a year can now be a lifelong trek through hell. Keep in mind, that we always end up where we are going... often times, that's the problem.

Dachia Arritola

The Soul of Money

2011-12-30T17:41:00.001-05:00

A good friend of mine suggested a book to me and now I am suggesting it to you. I know that many of us simply do not have a healthy relationship with money. We look at it as something necessary and we do what we must to get it, but we are often kicking ourselves for what we agree to do for it. Many of us have such an unhealthy relationship with money that we subconsciously sabotage our efforts and thus keep a good distance between it and us.

I have been working on my own personal relationship with money for several years now. Books, such as The Soul of Money, have really helped me understand the phenomenon, and make some changes. I hope this book has some benefit for you, as well.

The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life, Lynne Twist

Description: The Soul of Money is a wise and inspiring exploration of the connection between money and leading a fulfilling life.

This compelling and fundamentally liberating book shows us that examining our attitudes toward money– how we earn it, spend it, invest it, and give it away–can offer surprising insight into our lives, our values and the essence of prosperity. Through moving stories and practical principles, Lynne demonstrates how we can replace feelings of scarcity and guilt with experiences of sufficiency and freedom. Lynne shares from her own life and work, a journey illuminated by remarkable encounters with the richest and poorest people on earth, from the famous (Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama) to the anonymous but unforgettable heroes of everyday life.

This is the book excerpt supplied by the author:
Making a living that affirms life

Each of us experiences a lifelong tug-of-war between our money interests and the calling of our soul. When we’re in the domain of soul, we act with integrity. We are thoughtful and generous, allowing, courageous, and committed. We recognize the value of love and friendship. We admire a small thing well done. We experience moments of awe in the presence of nature and its unrefined beauty. We are open, vulnerable, and heartful. We have the capacity to be moved, and generosity is natural. We are trustworthy and trusting of others, and our self-expression flourishes. We feel at peace within ourselves and confidant that we are an integral part of a larger, more universal experience, something greater than ourselves.

When we enter the domain of money, there often seems to be a disconnect from the soulful person we have known ourselves to be. It is as if we are suddenly transported to a different playing field where all the rules have changed. In the grip of money, those wonderful qualities of soul seem to be less available. We become smaller. We scramble or race to “get what’s ours.” We often grow selfish, greedy, petty, fearful, or controlling, or sometimes confused, conflicted or guilty. We see ourselves as winners or losers, powerful or helpless, and we let those labels deeply define us in ways that are inaccurate, as if financial wealth and control indicate innate superiority, and lack of them suggests a lack of worth or basic human potential. Visions of possibility dissolve. We become wary and mistrusting, protective of our little piece, or helpless and hopeless. We sometimes feel driven to behave in ways inconsistent with our core values, and unable to act differently.

The result is a deep division in our way of being, in our behaviour, and in our sense of our own character and integrity. This dichotomy, this break in our truth, not only confuses us around the issue of money, it also keeps us from integrating our inner and outer worlds to experience wholeness in our lives, the exquisite moment when we feel at peace in the moment, a part of and one with life. This quieter experience of wholeness has been largely lost in our culture, overtaken by the noise and scramble around money. The gap exists for all of us — myself included — and is at the very heart of the toughest struggles in life for all of us.

Money itself isn’t the problem. Money itself isn’t bad or good. Money itself doesn’t have power or not have power. It is our interpretation of money, our interaction with it, where the real mischief is and where we find the real opportunity for self-discovery and personal transformation. The stories I’m about to share come from a journey through extremes, from circumstances of stunning wealth and shocking economic poverty, from people and places continents away from this country. But I have seen the same lessons play out closer to home, in the everyday struggles and choices we make with money, and our expectations, dreams, fears, and disappointments around it.

You may have to look closely to find the money thread in your own story, but it is there and it has meaning. You can begin the process of examination, and transform the mystery of money, and the field of play that money represents, into a different kind of place. Your relationship with money can be a place where you bring your strengths and skills, your highest aspirations, and your deepest and most profound qualities. Whether we are millionaires or “dollar heirs”, we can actually be great with our money and be great in our relationship with it.

Dachia Arritola

Making Life Hard... for who?

2011-12-20T07:32:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I was on the phone with my dad, discussing my impending move several states away. He asked me lots of questions, as he usually does. Do you have a place to live yet? No. Do you have a time schedule? No. Do you have a job there? No. Do you have plenty of money for the move? No. Do you have plenty of money for a down payment? No.

He became quiet, as he does. Finally he said, "Do you intentionally make life hard for yourself?"

I smiled and took a deep breath before answering him.

My dad likes to analyze things. He can spend hours, weeks, months or years analyzing... getting all his ducks in a row, and playing "if-then". It is a trait he passed on to me and a trait I eventually learned to tuck away in the back of the closet. There was a time that I would not be able to move forward because I was working out the plan of moving forward. I realized I was spending far too much of my present time analyzing and thinking about the future, and not really living right now. And I made a conscious decision to stop.

Some of us need to consider every point and sub-point before we venture forth. Some of us are born with the ability to just put our faith in the universe and we will always land on our feet. And some of us work hard to become that person.

I could feel my dad's anxiety through the phone I knew he was mulling over his concerns. He was fretting over his word choices. He knew that he and I just did things differently. And I knew my way of life was a bit tormenting for him.

I took my deep breath and remembering how I had moved across the country with less of a plan and landed on my feet, I said, "I'm gonna be fine, Pop. I always am."

I know my life is seen as hard and insecure to many people. We all live our lives as we decide to. Some of us cringe at the insecure and fly by the seat of our pants crowd, and some of us shudder at the 9-5 workday, with car payments and mortgages. We need to remind ourselves that just because that life is not what we would pick for ourselves, does not make it any harder for the person who did.

Dachia Arritola

Quicksand and the Natural Horseman

2011-12-17T07:13:00.000-05:00

I was watching one of my favorite movies the other day, The Replacements. I challenge anybody to watch the Cheerleader try-outs and not bust a gut. But that isn't the point of this post. There is a scene in the movie where the coach asks the players to describe their fears. And Shane Falco mentions quicksand. He says,"You're playing and you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another. And another. You try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can't move... you can't breathe... because you're in over your head. Like quicksand."

I have watched this movie many times (I simply cannot get enough of the cheerleader try-outs) and each time I hear Shane talk about quicksand, I feel something different, or think about a different aspect of my life or someone else. So, I wanted to share it with you because it might get you thinking like it does me.

How often do we have something go wrong in our lives and then another, and we seem stuck. We don't move because we feel we can't. But if we think about it logically, perhaps ahead of time, are we ever actually in quicksand? I mean, how often are we in positions when we really cannot do anything?

When we learn a new skill in Natural Horsemanship, we put it in our quiver and wait till we need it, or think we need it. Horse is bulging to the left when asked for canter from walk, try this arrow. We pull the arrow out of our quiver and see if it works. We are not stuck. We are not stuck until we have used every single arrow in our quiver, and even then we have a cell phone. We are not stuck.

However, we rarely have a quiver of arrows in our own lives. We could create one, though. We could say to ourselves, "ya know, self, if I lost my job in the next couple months, I could call my uncle, or take that course while getting unemployment compensation." Don't misunderstand me: I do not suggest you spend a lot of time thinking about losing your job, because what you think about- you bring about. However, a couple minutes working the brain on scenarios, and then new ones... that can be useful. That can help keep you out of quicksand.

There will still be times, of course, when one thing goes wrong and then another... and another. But if we take some time to ourselves and put some arrows in our personal quiver, we can keep our head above the quicksand until we find something solid.

If we can work through a number of possible scenarios before they are ever on the horizon, not only do we avoid quicksand, but we also therefore, build confidence in ourselves. We might be able to take advantage of opportunities that before had left us frozen.

The term quicksand can have a couple different meanings for us. In one, as stated above, something goes wrong and then another. But quicksand can also be used to describe our paralysis due to fear. I have a job and have another job offer and I am frozen. What if the new job doesn't work out? What if the current employer learns of the job offer and thinks I am unhappy? What if the new offer doesn't pay as much as they said? What if I have to move? And we sit frozen in analysis paralysis.

The more thinking we can do about possible scenarios, the less likely we are to be frozen by any scenarios, even ones we never thought of. Learning how to think through possible scenarios, working the brain, is a great skill to hone. An arrow to add to the quiver is simply thinking. Let's avoid quicksand with our horses and with our selves.

Dachia Arritola

Mental and Emotional Fitness... and observation

2011-12-14T09:55:00.001-05:00

My horses and I have lived all over the country, from one ranch to another. At one place, a few years ago, there was quite a bit of activity out on the road as the county was replacing a culvert. Harcala, me Fell Pony gelding was in a field where the work could be seen, and rather than go to the other end of the field away from the chaos, as the other horses did, he and his friend, a mule, trotted out to see what was going on.

That is what I have come to expect from my horses . He and the mule stayed out there for hours watching and grazing intermittently. It is through these types of experiences that I believe that my horses have become such solid trail mounts. As a natural horseman, I believe all horses can benefit from such experiences. Each experience my horse witnesses, each challenge he meets, makes him more mentally, emotionally and physically fit.

As Natural Horsemen, we all know this... but how can we extrapolate from this and enhance our own fitness levels?

Step out of our comfort zones, is of course the most obvious way, but simply taking time to look around is possibly the best, and least utilized. We all have busy lives. We are all certain we have far more on our plate than anybody else. We all think our time is precious, and it is. And there is possibly no better position to be in than observer.

How much have we learned about our horses just by observing them? We sit on the fence or out in their pasture. We lean on their backs. We lay out on a blanket and just watch them. We see their ears perk up at distant sounds. We see theirs eyes move across the horizon as they graze. We can see them shiver off a fly on their shoulder or the neck or rump. We can often know what's going to happen before what happens happens. This is the same skill we need to hone in the rest of our lives.

We need to quietly watch. Watch everything. Be aware of everything. Not to judge it but to understand. To sit in wonderment. What will this person do now that he dropped his pencil? Does she want him to kiss her? Will this lady hug her kid or kiss his cheek before putting him on the bus?

Embrace your curiosity. Feel the wonder as much as you can.

Yes, you are busy... but you owe it to yourself to take a moment and observe life. The lives around you and yours as well. You mental and emotional fitness levels are worthy of your attention and time.

Dachia Arritola

Alternative Therapy for The Healthy & Natural Horseman- Red Light

2011-12-11T08:01:00.001-05:00

While we have some fantastic medical resources and knowledge in this country, I am interested in utilizing natural healing methods whenever possible. That is one reason I became involved with Essential Oils, after nearly ten years of watching their use by friends and family. I knew they worked and I knew they were safe.

As Natural Horsemen, many of us have already heard about and/or seen the great benefits of red light therapy. I first heard about this healing modality nearly ten years ago. Close friends and family became involved in its use and I have since seen how effective it can be. Only recently, however, did I have a conversation with an old high school friend with a great deal of knowledge about such matters. While I had spent my research time learning how the light affects the body, he gave me some insight into the actual light itself.

We have heard many terms associated with the use of the lights, and I have learned that many of these terms are inaccurate. A friend of mine, someone I have known for 15 years or more, has been involved with these lights and decided to produce them herself in order to get a better quality light for less money in the hands of people. It was through my efforts to help her find a lab to test her light that I found that most of the marketing for such lights is using terms and words that really have no meaning. But they sure sound good.

I have seen these lights used a few times. I even used one myself on another friend from high school. They do work. However, there are many companies that are taking advantage of the public's ignorance (as they did me), and charging outrageous amounts of money for terms that have no meaning in the grand scheme of things.

I'm looking forward to the arrival of my new light next week. I will, of course, share what I learn about it. I have also been privy to some great healing techniques using magnets. I'll tell you about that, too. If you have knowledge about healing modalities, I'm interested in hearing about it.

Dachia Arritola

The Day After A Great Natural Horsemanship Clinic

2011-11-28T14:20:00.000-05:00

I'm winding down from a fun-filled and exhausting weekend here at Avalo Farm. We hosted Karen Rohlf of Dressage, Naturally for a two-day clinic. She arrived Friday night and I heard of Karen sightings while I was feeding horses Saturday morning. Karen introduced us to several ideas and and then we talked about how similar so many of the greatest horsemanship philosophies were. If you want to know more about Karen Rohlf and Dressage Naturally, you'll need to attend a clinic.. or host one.

We had people from all over the country take advantage of the clinic- climate and the facility. What does this have to do with The Healthy Horseman? The whole weekend, it seemed everything that Karen said had me thinking of its human similarities. We do this and that with a horse and the horse will do this or that. And I kept thinking about what a person would do if we did this or that. So much of Natural Horsemanship is developing a relationship with your horse. So much of Natural Horsemanship is developing communication skills. We don't want to have to ask heavily for a bend, or a turn or whatever we want. We want to ask lightly and the horse responds with suppleness ad agree-ability.

Isn't that what we want in the rest of our lives, as well? We want our significant other to pay attention to us, to be listening... to understand what we are saying, feeling, communicating. Of course, our significant other wants the same of us. These are basic human needs. To be heard.

Our mental and emotional fitness is very much linked to this need to be heard, to be understood. We have seen how our horses can respond to a feeling of saying something, feeling something that is not heard or understood. They don't meet us at the gate. They walk away when we approach. They don't look at us. They stop listening to us. All these responses are what we can expect from our family and friends. Our significant other might find reason to stay at work later.

At the clinic, we had several simulations to help us understand how we can better communicate with our horse. Simulations designed to help us feel what our horse is feeling. Now, what do we have in our human world that can help us to understand what the people in our lives are feeling or trying to communicate? What do we have to help us be more clear about ourselves?

We have the same clinics, trainers and simulations. Four keys of Natural Horsemanship are: Relationship, Understanding, Communication, and Trust. Everything we learn about how to relate to our horse extrapolates to our relationships in the rest of our lives.

Sunday night, as we all said good-bye, and horses were loaded up and campsites mucked out, I had a full plate. I was thinking about everything I had heard and learned and felt and how my relationship with my horse would be better. I was also thinking about how my relationship with my family and friends and acquaintances would benefit, as well.

I encourage you to attend clinics, read books, watch DVDs and always be open to information. I would also encourage you to be open to how the information could touch you in ways that the presenter might not have anticipated.

Dachia Arritola

Post Thanks-Giving Post

2011-11-26T06:49:00.000-05:00

As a nutritarian, you might guess that my Thanksgiving is a bit different than most. It isn't centered around food, but my family and friends. It could be centered around delicious food- there is plenty of very yummy real foods that a health-conscious person can partake in. I don't center my life around food because life has so much else to offer, like.... family and friends.

Living several states away from my human biological family, I embrace my local adopted family, here at the farm. We had work to do to prepare for a Karen Rohlf clinic, but we still made time for a small meal and a movie on the bed... everybody. Geneviève Benoit, a Natural Horseman friend of the family's from Quebec, was visiting for a couple days, and we are always thankful for the safe arrival of wonderful people.

I was finally able to catch up on my mare's hoof filing, AND finish my boy's mane braiding, we are all three thankful for that.

I have so much to be thankful for that I'm really thankful for not waiting to one day to be thankful. I have two fuzzy little dogs that I finally trust to be loose in the house when I'm out most of the day and whom I love to share my bed with while eating dinner, watching a movie and doing computer work.

I have 4.5 (maybe 4.8) horses that are in great health and spirits and easy keepers. I have a purebred Fell Pony foal due in early Spring. (Fell Ponies are a very rare breed, only a few hundred in the country). My minivan still runs. I have a couple of great jobs like Dog Rescue Transport and house-sitting.

Overall... I'm just thankful. And the more thankful I am, the more I find to be thankful for. A happy little upward spiral.

I hope all of you are in thankful positions.

Dachia Arritola

Stoicism... and what we can learn from our horse.

2011-11-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

In the last few years, on a large natural horsemanship facility, we have had our share of health issues with horses. Nothing unusual given the large number of horses that live either temporarily or permanently. Something that I found interesting is that the most serious health issues arose from the most stoic horses.

The horses that had the drive to work through anything and not show any discomfort were the ones that needed a long time to recover. They braved months of pain, without sign or symptom, for reasons we can only guess, and eventually had to be put on leave. As you can probably guess, these particular horses did not welcome or appreciate the down time. They wanted to go out. They wanted to go play and work. They did not want to stand in their field or paddock.

They often had to be sequestered in even smaller areas as they would continue to re-damage themselves, setting their rehabilitation back weeks or months. This increased their mental strain.

I know that many of us were raised to just 'push through.' You don't complain about your headaches, you just take an aspirin and get on with life. Don't worry about that swollen knee, you need to get to work, and pay the mortgage. It's possible that the men of this country are under even more pressure to just suck it up, be a man... don't be a cry baby.

I would like to suggest that we could learn a thing or two from our equine partners. One, that just pushing through is not always the best idea. There may be times when the body is under only mild stress and going further is what is needed to accomplish the task and build the body stronger. But there are times when it isn't.

We need to pay attention to ourselves. We need to be clear about just what we are feeling, doing and why. We might have a knee-jerk reaction that we must go to work and somehow convince ourselves that we are putting our families first, but we aren't. There is a time for appropriate selfishness.

We must put ourselves first sometimes in order to have the option of putting our families first later. We are not putting our families first when we run ourselves into the ground and the entire household comes to a grinding halt because it must care for us now. I sometimes wonder if there is a secret mischievous martyr at work sometimes. A person who publicly gives and gives and gives, with seemingly no concern for their health and well-being, until they are in need of everybody else putting their lives on hold to care for them.

Sometimes we need to be strong and push through life's little obstacles...and sometimes we don't.

Dachia Arritola

A Mini Guide to Using Essential Oils

2011-09-13T07:23:00.000-04:00

I will be creating a mini guide to using the essential oils with your horse(s), but this is a good start for us to help ourselves. Making us more mentally, emotionally and physically fit (and balanced).

* Basil : Anti-inflammatory, helps intestinal problems, muscle spasms, headaches, and mental fatigue. Dilute with carrier oil.

* Bergamot: Analgesic, anti-depressant, anxiety, female hormone balance. Anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, allergies, sedative.
* Cedar (Canadian red): Anti-bacterial, antiseptic, follicle stimulant, helps dandruff, hair loss, respiratory system.
* Cedarwood: Purifies animal odors. Helps cellulite, bronchitis, hair loss, dandruff, and oily hair. Tones lymph system.
* Chamomile (roman): Skin care, acne, boils, rashes, and hair care. Helps relieve migraine headaches and inflamed joints.
* Cinnamon Bark: Always dilute with carrier oil. Helps with strep and virus conditions. Strengthens circulatory system.
* Cistus: Stops viruses from mutating, anti-microbial, works directly on immune system.
* Clary Sage: May help PMS and hot flashes, helps regulate hormones and relieves menstrual cramps. Use during labor.
* Clove: Used in Egypt to strengthen respiratory system. Improves memory, anti-viral helps toothaches and gum pain.
* Coriander: Cairo University research: lowers glucose levels by normalizing insulin levels, supports pancreas function.
* Cypress: Anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, lymphatic decongestant. Used for arthritis, bronchitis, circulation, cramps, parasites.
* Dill: Helps lower glucose levels by normalizing insulin levels. Pancreas support bronchial congestion and liver deficiencies.
* Elemi: known as the "poor Man's Frankincense". relives aches and pains, earaches, bronchitis, skin infections. Increases energy.
* Eucalyptus: Assists respiratory system, sinuses, flu, and allergies. Helps hypoglycemia and Candida.
* Fennel: assists the adrenal cortex, helps break up toxins and fluid in tissue. Balances pituitary, thyroid and pineal glands.
* Fir: Known to fight airborne germs and bacteria. Can help reduce symptoms of arthritis, rheumatism and fevers.
* Frankincense: Has helped some cases of cancer. Works on immune system. Has reduced tumors and external ulcers.
* Geranium: Anti-depressant, may assist dissolving stones, helps shingles and ulceration, deodorant, bug repellent.
* Ginger: Anti-parasitic, relieves sprains, breaks up chest congestion, colic and indigestion, For motion sickness and chills.
* Goldenrod: supports the circulatory system including cardiovascular problems, urinary tract and liver function. Helps with impotence.
* Grapefruit: Good for acne, flabby arms, reduces cellulite. Relieves water retention.
* Helichrysum: Anti-bacterial, reduces bleeding in accidents, skin regenerator, helps repair nerves.
* Hyssop: Don't use on children. Thins mucous, for bruises, immune stimulator, anti-viral. May help asthma sufferers.
* Jasmine: Helps childbirth, labor pain, frigidity, and coughs. Anti- spasmodic, muscle spasms and uterine disorders.
* Juniper: A nerve stimulator, natural diuretic and cleanser. Reduces dermatitis, eczema and acne.
* Lavender: Universal oil, can use pure. May help allergies, all types of burns, ulcers, insomnia, diaper rash, to name a few.
* Lemon: Germicide, purifies air and water. Relives heartburn, anti-parasitic, stimulates white and red blood cell formation.
* Lemongrass: Mosquito repellent, helps connective tissue repair and regenerate. Reduces varicose veins. Sedative
* Marjoram: Especially good for tight muscles, may calm spasms and respiratory problems. Insomnia.
* Melaleuca: (Tea Tree Oil) Used in war for gangrene and wounds. Can be taken before, during and after radiation treatment.
* Melissa: Powerful anti-viral, anti-depressant, skin problems and eczema. Regulates menstrual cycle and calms emotions.
* Mountain Savory: Kills all airborne bacteria and viruses. Discovered in 1996 lab studies. Best to diffuse. Anti-bacterial
* Myrrh: Helps gum infections, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, wrinkles, and hemorrhoids. Can help abnormal vaginal discharge.
* Myrtle: Helps treat hypothyroidism. Used for chronic coughs as an expectorant. Fights colds and flu.
* Nutmeg: Good for chronic bowel disorder. Eases digestion difficulties. Good for circulation, gout, flatulence, neuralgia.
* Orange: Reduces fluid retention, overcomes sadness, calming to children, aid digestion, mouth ulcers and gas.
* Oregano: Strong anti-viral and anti-fungal. It stimulates and helps protect the immune system.
* Patchouli: Helps relieve anxiety, influences physical and sexual energies. Used for centuries for skin care and wrinkles.
* Peppermint: Keeps one mentally alert and awake. Relieves some headaches. Digestion. Reduces fever, nausea, and vomiting.
* Pine: Hormone-like, anti-diabetic, cortisone-like, antiseptic, anti-fungal, used on sore muscles.
* Ravensara: From Madagascar, the oil that heals, helps flu and hay fever, respiratory problems and walking cramps.
* Rose: Anti-aging, anti-depressant. Great for skin.
* Rosemary: Mental stimulant, fights Candida, good for dandruff helps open bile duct. Helps reduce cholesterol
* Rosewood: Known for slowing the aging process. Used for skin care, acne, eczema, vaginitis.
* Sage: oral infection and skin condition. Asthma, bronchitis, menopause, and menstrual irregularities.
* Sandalwood: Stimulates pineal and pituitary glands to enhance meditation. Helps with cystitis and urinary tract infections.
* Spearmint: Helps to reduce weight. Good for colic, diarrhea, nausea, helps balance metabolism, stimulates gallbladder.
* Spikenard: Antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, used as a deodorant and skin tonic.
* Spruce: Helps reduce weight. Beneficial for bone pain, arthritis, rheumatism, aching joints, prostatitis.
* Tangerine: Assists dissolving of cellulite, improves circulation, treats dizziness, laxative, cleansing the lymphatic system.
* Tansy (Idaho): Anti-bacterial, supports the immune system, soothing to the bowels. Has been historically used by Gypsies as a "cure-all".
* Tarragon: Relief and balance to intestinal tract. Neuromuscular antispasmodic. Anti-microbial and antiseptic. Colitis, hiccups.
* Thyme: Anti-bacterial. Respiratory problems, digestive complaints, treatment for gastritis, bronchitis, asthma, laryngitis.
* Valerian: Sedative and tranquilizing to the central nervous system. Treats sleep disorders, insomnia, stress, tension.
* Vetiver: Anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory used for arthritic symptoms. Antiseptic, warming properties to help hypothermia.
* Wintergreen: Analgesic, anti-spasmodic, natural cortisone, may relieve arthritis, bone, joint, and muscle pain. Helps back pain.
* Ylang Ylang: Anti-depressant, alleviates headaches, hot flashes, and hypertension. Is very calming.

Dachia Arritola

Stress- the good, the bad, the ugly.

2011-08-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

I think I posted about stress some time ago, but recent events have urged me to bring it up again. When I was in grad school, the obvious was brought to my attention. Stress is neither good nor bad. It just is. The thing that we are reacting to is the stressor and the reaction itself is stress. Still with me?

If I lift a one pound weight, I am not stressing my body. If I lift a ten pound weight repeatedly, I am stressing my body. The weight is the stressor, the fatigue of the muscle is the stress. I point this out because I hear so often how people want to reduce the stress in their lives. Oftentimes, it is not the stressor they need to confront but their reaction to it.

Having a deadline is not the problem. Tearing our hair out, yelling at the dog, and raiding the fridge might be something we should pay some real attention to.

Years ago, I remember reading an article discussing fear. The author pointed out that snakes and spiders are not scary. Several people can look at that snake or spider and a couple are not affected at all. A couple are frightened. A couple are fascinated. Therefore, it is not the object that is scary but our learned response.

I think the same goes for stress (stressors). Lots of people have deadlines. Lots of people have kids. Lots of people are trying to achieve some level of discipline with their horse, but some are "stressed" by it and others are not. In fact, some of these people are exhilarated by the experience.

I think, perhaps, something that sets us apart from each other is our expectations. Too many of us expect ourselves to handle certain situations with ease. Many of us think we can do something without thought. Having these expectations sets us up for failure.

As natural horsemen, we try to meet our horse with an open agenda. The relationship comes first. Whatever we can accomplish above and beyond that is frosting... but not expected.

If we assume/expect that we should be able to cook, balance the checkbook, drive, raise kids, train horses, be employed, and respond to email quickly and do this all well... we have created lots of opportunity for an unhealthy stress.

It would seem the solution is obvious: reduce our expectations and change our views and therefore our responses. When faced with a deadline, take a deep breath and accept that you will do your best, but if you don't meet it, life is still great.

If I suck at balancing my checkbook, then I need to just keep more money in there, in case I screw up. If I cannot respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner, and it reflects poorly on my business, then I need to hire somebody to do that for me. If I cannot cook a healthy meal, I need to find a solution.

What I won't do is sit there and kick myself repeatedly because I am not doing everything at 110%. It is simply not possible to put yourself into all your projects completely. The more projects you have, the less you have to put into each of them. This is basic math. Set yourself up for success. Set yourself up to be able to deal with the stressors in your life in a healthy way, so that you come out of it stronger, fitter, and more balanced.

Dachia Arritola

Using an Essential Oil

2011-08-09T07:17:00.001-04:00

I have recently been learning about essential oils and how they can benefit my life as well as my horses. As a natural horseman, I am often seeking natural remedies. Thought you might be interested in this. We can use this essential oil for ourselves, our horses, our dog... etc.

Straight from Essential Oils Desk Reference-

Idaho Tansy is one of the most versatile oils for animals. It is purifying, cleansing, tissue-regenerating, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic, and is used for bruised bones, cuts, wounds, and colic. It repels flies.

I'm looking into how to best use it and what to use it with. I always need bug repellents for my horses and for me. We rarely have colic issues here, even with an average of 20 horses on the farm, but if we do, I want this stuff on hand. It is recommended to have this oil, as well as several others, in our first aid kit.

Dachia Arritola

On the Road, again.

2011-08-05T08:10:00.001-04:00

This last weekend, I was on a rescue dog run (driving rescued dogs from the south to the north), and I found that even though the run was not any more physically demanding than usual, I was very tired and on Sunday I was dizzy. I tried to sleep as much as possible when not driving, and still I was tired and dizzy. Now, on Sunday, we just drive, for about 8 hours. We drove all the way home, and then I drove from home to my house-sitting gig, and I was still dizzy. The next day I drove back to the farm to pick up a few things for my absence, and I was still dizzy. A good friend was at the farm, playing with her horse and suggested dehydration.

That statement of the obvious hit me in the head. It suddenly occurred to me that as careful as I am usually to drink lots of water, I did not have much water since early Saturday. I had my last bottled water and made a mental note to pick up another at a fuel stop. I forgot and between dropping off dogs and taking naps, I just didn't think about it.

Dehydration has lots of symptoms, including thirst, headaches, fatigue, nausea, constipation, dizziness or lightheadedness.

This is something I know. I mean I am a nag about drinking enough water, and yet... I didn't. I wonder how often we, as Natural Horsemen, do that in other aspects of our lives. We know things. We know them well. We do something all the time, and then one day, we let it slide without notice. How many times have we done something with our horse and then we forget to do it, or are in a hurry, or just think it isn't that important... and then weeks or months later, we realize how we have set ourselves up for failure?

Even when we really know something, we sometimes need to be reminded of it.

Dachia Arritola

Food and Its Effects On Us

2011-08-02T06:20:00.001-04:00

I shared this video a few months ago, and a few people had asked to see it again. I thought it was worth sharing again, as it is one of my favorite videos.

Dachia Arritola

Where to turn...

2011-07-31T06:19:00.001-04:00

I have been doing some research recently that I wanted to share with, but straight from the source. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine always has some great information to check out. Here are a few of my favorite parts from this article:

"Between 1995 and 2009, USDA distributed more than $246 billion ($246,000,000,000) in subsidies." ..."The USDA refers to fresh fruits and vegetables as “specialty crops.” Specialty crops do not receive subsidies."

I clicked around to other areas and found more:
"Between 1909 and 2007, the average American’s meat intake increased from 124 pounds per year to more than 200 pounds per year. Cheese intake rose from less than 4 pounds to nearly 33 pounds per year. Intake of sweeteners and added oils rose as well."

"Current trends in overweight and obesity are primarily attributable to increased food intake, rather than to reduced physical activity. Although some have blamed physical inactivity for children’s weight problems, changing dietary habits have played a much greater role. Practically speaking, it is difficult to increase daily exercise sufficiently to compensate for American’s markedly increased calorie intake. For example, a one-hour bicycle ride burns 240 calories and, in comparison, one small order of french fries—which are consumed in much less than an hour—contains nearly the same number of calories. A 2011 review of school-based interventions found that weight loss could be achieved by diet changes alone, while exercise without diet changes was not effective."

We owe it to our partners, as well as ourselves and family, to be the best we can be. It takes energy to play well. As healthy and natural horsemen, we know there is so much more to horsemanship than how we sit in a saddle. Playing online and at liberty with our horses are incredible ways to build relationship and communication skills as well as see where our skills are lacking.

We need to have mental, emotional and physical fitness to play well. That takes proper nutrition and exercise. Clearly, we need to be seeking good leaders in our quest. Just as we do not listen to the masses where the health of our equine partners is concerned, we must find and qualify our own health/fitness experts.

Dachia Arritola

Where the money goes...

2011-07-28T06:21:00.001-04:00

Ten years ago, the Healthy People 2010 plan aimed to reduce the toll of obesity by 2010. At that time, our obesity rate was 1 in 4. Ten years later, it is one in 3. Talk about epic fail. We suffer more now than we did, and it still continues to worsen.

In that same 10 years, the prevalence of diabetes has gone up too. so, now Americans are suffering from a higher prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension... How is this possible?

Well our health is directly linked to our food choices, which in turn are influenced strongly by our government and her policies.

We need to look elsewhere for our food choices and health guidance. Why? Take a look at this graph.

When we see these proportions change to fruits and vegetables getting the 63% and the meat and dairy getting less than 1%, we'll start seeing progress in the goals of health across the country.

Dachia Arritola

Curiosity and The Healthy Horseman

2011-07-25T06:34:00.003-04:00

A few days ago, I was talking with a good friend ho had just returned from a trail ride on her young horse. She described coming upon a plastic bag on the road and her horse initially was startled, but then boldly approached and touched it with his nose. After determining it was nothing to be afraid of, my friend offered him a treat for being bold and curios. A little later on the ride, the horse went out if his way to approach another obstacle and sniff it out. Again she rewarded him with a treat. As they came home, they passed the mailbox and after several steps closer to home, he turned around and went back to the mailbox, quickly put his nose on it and turned in expectation of a treat, which he received with a laugh.

What I find so cool about this is that he was going home. He was between home and the mailbox and turned around to go back to the mailbox on his own accord. This horse has a pretty healthy and normal appreciation for treats. I have a horse who becomes unruly when a treat is involved. She is so food-motivated, she cannot focus on the most simple of tasks when food is involved. Would she turn around and go back to check out an obstacle if she were facing home? Possibly.

So why did this guy? I don't think he was after the treat but the feeling of accomplishment and appreciation from his human partner.

And that got me thinking. How do we, healthy horsemen, encourage ourselves and others to be bold, curios, face challenges?

I don't actually have an answer or and particular advice in this except to say that we somehow need to find a way to encourage ourselves and those around us to challenge ourselves... face obstacles with curiosity and fun. If we can find something that so motivates us, imagine what we could accomplish and overcome.

What can we promise ourselves, as a treat, or just to feel incredibly good about ourselves? How can we show our incredible appreciation to those in our lives?

That same relationship my friend has with her horse, who will turn away from home to check out a mailbox to impress her, we can have with our own horses, dogs, children, best friends, and lovers.

Dachia Arritola

Bill Maher - Interviews Dr. T. Colin Campbell ~ Forks Over Knives ~

2011-07-23T14:11:00.000-04:00

There is a movie out called Forks Over Knives. This film examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. In effect... it's a film that save your life. This little interview discusses it very briefly. I hope you guys check out the movie when it arrives locally.

Dachia Arritola

Filling My Plate... in more ways than one

2011-07-18T11:06:00.000-04:00

I had been ahead on blogging, but in the last couple weeks I ran through them pretty quick. I hope to catch up this next weekend, while house-sitting. A few quick updates: in April I went back to WI for a few weeks and from there out to CA and back to pick up my mares that had been leased for a few years. So, I have a long blog on that trip to prepare. When I returned home to South Carolina, I was playing catch-up for a few weeks after that. There is another blog there.

In addition to all that, I have continued doing the rescue dog transport runs up the coast, and there are several blog postings in that. In all these blogs I'll share with you how I've tried to remain mentally, emotionally and physically fit... not always an easy task.

I have a few new recipes, and have found some great tips and advice, and a few stories. So, check back in a couple days. Hope all of you are having success balancing your lives and staying fit.

Dachia Arritola

Testing Your Vitamin D Levels

2011-07-11T07:16:00.001-04:00

If you have been following my blog for a while, you have probably read my opinion on blind supplementation. I oppose it. I think the supplementing of this country is way out of control and far too many people are taking supplements that they either don't need, are not doing any good becuase the company produces junk, and that they have convinced themselves are their magic pill to good health despite their horrible diet. This little video might help you understand more about one vitamin and our needs. As Natural Horsemen, we seem a little less likely to add some newfangled potion to our horse's diet, but we seem just as eager as the masses to add it to our own dietary intake. I do think that some of us need supplementation. I also think that if we want to know, we need to test. Don't be reckless with your body.

Dachia Arritola

Excerpts From the Big Guys!

2011-07-09T07:38:00.001-04:00

I came upon this article that I really enjoyed and thought you might too. This isn't the whole thing. If you like this, I'll bet you could google this guy and find more great stuff.

Health Depends Largely on Lifestyle-Neil Nedley, M.D.

Many erroneously believe that inherited traits (genetic factors) are the primary factors determining their quality of life and how long they will live. For the vast majority of us, our health is primarily dependent on two other factors: (1) what we put into our bodies, and (2) what we do with our bodies. A simple word that encapsulates both of these concepts is “lifestyle.” The good news is that even though we cannot change our genetics, we can change our lifestyle. Those lifestyle choices can prevent or forestall the development of diseases for which we are genetically predisposed. Regarding the most common diseases, Dr. Lamont Murdoch of Loma Linda University School of Medicine has put it aptly: “faulty genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

I have often wondered why people take better care of their cars than their bodies. I have yet to meet a person who said, “God has a plan as to when my car should ‘die,’ and I do not need to worry about it. I don’t need to check or change the oil, or perform any routine maintenance. And I don’t need to worry about the type of gasoline I use.” We recognize the necessity of proper care to get the longest life and best performance out of our automobiles. When will we realize that proper care also gives our bodies the longest life and best performance?

Dachia Arritola

Olive Oil -- It's NOT good for your heart!

2011-07-07T07:33:00.001-04:00

As a Natural Healthy Horseman, I gotta tell ya, I do love good food. I do use olive oil for various food-related endeavors, but I do not think of it as a health food. The video here is the main reason why. I do not always eat healthy, but I don't kid or convince myself that it is good healthy food. I also eat plenty of really healthy good food to make up for the junk that I do consume. Anyway, watch this quick video and hopefully it will be easier for you to stay honest about how well you eat.

Dachia Arritola

The China Study...and Healthy Horsemen

2011-07-05T07:32:00.001-04:00

As a Healthy and Natural Horseman, I am always looking to expand my knowledge. I happened to read The China Study several years ago, and suggest its reading to most clients. I just wanted to share this little excerpt with you and hope you get as much out of it as I did, and will get yourself a copy either from the library or Amazon (which is linked).

Excerpt from the foreword of The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health...

If you are like most Americans today, you are surrounded by fast food chain restaurants. You are barraged by ads for junk foods. You see other ads, for weight-loss programs, that say you can eat whatever you want, not exercise and still lose weight. It's easier to find a Snickers bar, a Big Mac or a Coke than it is to find an apple. And your kids eat at a school cafeteria whose idea of a vegetable is the ketchup on the burgers.

You go to your doctor for health tips. In the waiting room, you find a glossy 243-page magazine titled Family Doctor: Your Essential Guide to Health and Well-being. Published by the American academy of Family Physicians and sent free to the offices of all 50,000 family doctors in the United States in 2004, it's full of glossy full-page color ads for McDonald's, Dr. Pepper, chocolate pudding and Oreo cookies.

You pick up an issue of National Geographic kids, a magazine published by the National Geographic Society "for ages six and up," expecting to find wholesome reading for youngsters. The pages, however, are filled with ads for Twinkies, M&Ms, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Hostess Cup Cakes and Xtreme Jell-O Pudding Sticks.

This is what scientists and food activists at Yale University call a toxic food environment. It is the environment in which most of us live today.

The inescapable fact is that certain people are making an awful lot of money today selling foods that are unhealthy. They want you to keep eating the foods they sell, even though doing so makes you fat, depletes your vitality and shortens and degrades your life. They want you docile, compliant and ignorant. They do not want you informed, active and passionately alive, and they are quite willing to spend billions of dollars annually to accomplish their goals.

You can acquiesce to all this, you can succumb to the the junk food sellers, or you can find a healthier and more life affirming relationship with your body and the food you eat. If you want to live with radiant health, lean and clear and alive in your body; you'll need an ally in today's environment.

Dachia Arritola

Essential Oils for Mental and Emotional Fitness

2011-07-02T07:13:00.001-04:00

I recently came across some information regarding Essential Oils and health. I thought it might be useful and wanted to share it. Some of us are doing our best to be healthy and fit. Some of us are dealing with bigger challenges than others. And some of us could use a little help. I want to add that the essential oils discussed here are Young Living Essential Oils, and it does make a difference where you get your essential oils. The place where I got this info lists two rescues, one for dogs and one for cats, in case you want to support one. Email me for that info. Following is the information as I found it:

The penetrating characteristics of essential oils greatly enhances their ability to be effective. Essential oils will penetrate into the body when applied to the skin. Placed on the foot they will be distributed to every cell in the body in 21 minutes. They will even penetrate a finger or toe nail to treat fungus underneath.

Essential oils stay in the body about 20 minutes to two hours, and leave no residuals. The effects and frequency are accumulative when the mental attitude changes. We must have a desire to change and work at it or the old programming will keep coming back. Oils are a precursor to set up stage for action and a catalyst to do the work (the bloodstream). Oils go where the need is present and are activated in that area. Testing on thyroid, heart and pancreas showed that the oils reached these organs in 3 seconds. When layered, one oil applied over another, it is faster. The body absorbs the oils fastest by breathing and second fastest by applying to the feet or ears. Essential Oils also cross the blood brain barrier. They piggy-back the energy waves to get into the cells.

All the essential oils deliver cell wall penetrating oxygen, and it is the unhealthy cells that need the oxygen for the road back to health. When the cell wall thickens, oxygen cannot get in (life expectancy of a cell is 120 days to 4 months). Cells divide making 2 duplicate cells, and if it is diseased it will make 2 new diseased cells. When we stop the mutation of the cells (create healthy cells) we stop the disease. Essential oils can restore cells to normal in 7 seconds.

As Natural Horsemen, there are times when we need a little help getting balanced. Mentally, emotionally and physically. That's true for our horses, too.

Dachia Arritola

Because It's There...

2011-06-30T06:32:00.001-04:00

This may be a great reason to climb a mountain, but it is a poor reason to eat something. I was recently at a horse fair and one of my "roommates" (6 of us in a 3 horse slant load trailer), found herself eating CRAP because it was there. I must admit, I was also not eating as well as I would have liked.

I was working the consignment tack sale during the day- about 12-14 hours on concrete. I was allowed to take as many breaks as I wanted, but I didn't. We were also fed lunch and had snacks available to us. However, I did not partake in most of it, as I felt it was just not good enough to do so. I had made sloshes and salads before I left for the fair, and I did well at eating this when I was back at the trailer. But I was not at the trailer till the sale closed at night, so during the day I drank a lot of water, and ate a few things just to keep me going.

Obviously, this is not how I should have been eating. I should have had something along with me that I could have taken to the sale and stashed in my work area. I'll do better next year. Even if I were to just make a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for during the day, I would be better off than eating what was available at the sale, which was only slightly better than fair fare.

I try to be a bit more flexible about what I eat when I am out and about, but "because it's there" is not a reason I want to use to eat something. Neither is "because I'm starving." I want to plan ahead, and do what I can short of becoming a major pain to the other 5 people sharing my 3-horse slant-load accommodations. I only have so much room either under my cot or in the community cooler. I have to decide where my priority is.

My slosh is a given. It takes up minimal space considering how nutrient dense it is. A salad is questionable as it takes up a great deal of space. Something else I think about is how long will I have to eat this way? This fair was 4 and 1/2 days. I ate well for the days leading up to it and then for the couple days after it. I had my slosh each morning, and salad at night, so it was just the middle of the day that had questionable nutritional benefit. I didn't dig into the chips and sodas and other assorted non-foods that were at the trailer and also the tack sale. I am not drawn to those items anyway anymore (for the most part), but even those that did call to me, I was able to tell myself I was not in a good position to partake.

At holiday parties, when it is one night of junk, I don't worry about it. I eat well otherwise. My body has the ability (the tools) to deal with a night of poison. It simply pushes it right on through. But a few days of this and even MY body would be taxed. So, I think about that when on the road and elsewhere.

This is true for my exercise, as well. For the first two days at the horse fair, I went for a walk of a couple miles around the place. The next two days it was rainy, cold and icky. Luckily, I had been keeping up with exercise before I left for the fair and planned to pick it up upon my return. Also, I was working hard physically at the sale.

So, all this to suggest you set yourself up for success. If you are going to be away from home, what can you do to prepare? What can you take? How can you prepare yourself with nutrient dense food and optimal exercise to balance out the lack of when you get there, and then plan to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible.

Whether driving past a Chic-Fillet or eyeing a bag of chips, "Because it's there," is not a good reason to dive in.

Dachia Arritola

Mark Hyman at TEDMED 2010

2011-06-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

As Natural Horsemen, we often think about the process of our training rather than simply the end result. If our horse has difficulty taking a right lead, we question the why, and don't simply force the horse into compliance. we have his teeth looked at and get chiropractic adjustments, or sit back and think about what has led to this particular circumstance.

It is my feeling that this process is important in most endeavors in our lives. If we have to refill our car tire every few days, we might want to check for a leak. This seems obvious and yet so many people don't use the same form of common logic for other aspects of their life. They have the same arguments and the same feelings over the same things time and again. Taking some time to think back to the beginning might prove more beneficial.

This last year, at the TEDMED conference, Dr. Mark Hyman discussed that very idea regarding health and medicine. I hope it is a thought-provoking and interesting for you as it was for me. Let me know

Dachia Arritola

Eating with Rip

2011-06-24T06:39:00.000-04:00

Rip Esselstyn is one of my favorite speakers, I hope you enjoy him too.

Dachia Arritola

When I'm ready....

2011-06-21T06:32:00.001-04:00

How many times do we say that to ourselves in a month, day or week? I'll do this when I'm ready. But sometimes, we just have to do stuff, even if we aren't ready. There are times when our horses need to do things when they aren't ready. I can tell you from experience that living in the future is somewhat addicting. Planning and making lists for "that day" is an easy pattern to fall into. I can also tell you from experience that good relationships, or relationships that could have been fantastic, can become sick and die from living in the future and not embracing the here and now.

As stated above, though, sometimes we all just have to do things we don't feel ready to do. Sometimes we spread our wings and soar high and long. And sometimes we spread our wings and take a nosedive of a couple stories, doing a faceplant into less than soft ground. But the feeling of preparedness was the same. In fact, there are times when we feel completely prepared, and have the same outcomes. So, what is the difference?

I don't know... but I know that whether we succeed or fail has little to do with whether we think we are ready or not. That is not to say that if we convince ourselves we cannot succeed because we are not ready or for any other reason, that we can just as easily succeed. That is really unlikely. I am talking about a small doubt or a small bit of faith having little to do with our chances.

Of course, having some faith makes things a lot easier to continue. If you have some faith, you can turn it into a real belief and that could really shift the scales in favor of success. Given the choice between having faith and having doubt, I would suggest that having faith is just far more enjoyable and packs more future than the other.

However, back to the question at hand- when are we ready, and does it really make any difference? Again, I don't have an answer, but I can tell you that from my own life I have learned to more often than not, take the chance and spread my wings... flap vigorously, but I still might do a faceplant... and I may not. So what? In the grand scheme of things, so what?

Let's look at it from the Natural Horseman point of view. Our horses have thresholds. Some of them are taking a step outside their stall or paddock and some are at the end of the driveway, and some are at the river's edge. We challenge our horses to cross their thresholds despite their argument that they are just not quite ready. Sometimes, they timidly put a hoof over the line or in the water and they realize they are fine. Sometimes they launch themselves over the line or into the water, and continue to explode while we do our best to remain calm and vertical, until they are done. With luck, they take a moment (sometimes several) and realize they are still alright. Also with luck, they learn to handle these thresholds better each time they are faced with them.

The same is true for us. We can learn to face our challenges better and say, "well, I don't think I'm ready, but I'm going to do it anyway."

Dachia

Communication.. and what I learned at the "tricks" clinic.

2011-06-18T06:23:00.003-04:00

We recently hosted a clinic at Avalo Farm, teaching three fun tricks to our horses. The clinician happened to be my sister, Shannon Arritola, who has been a natural horseman for about 15 years. Shannon has been teaching horses tricks for longer than that. During the introduction of the day, it was explained that there are dozens or even hundreds of ways to "get a horse to do something." For example, if we want to get our horse on a pedestal, one of the "tricks" we were to learn that day, we can pick up one foot and place it on the pedestal and then another and eventually we can get the horse up there. We can also just try to pull the horse up there by standing in front of the pedestal and pulling him towards us over it... and of course stopping him "up there"....

We can somehow maneuver the horse to get on the pedestal and maybe teach him a cue for that activity. But we have not communicated anything except the final task. When I do this, you get up here. This is communication, but at its most basic element.

Shannon wanted to see us communicate a process to the horse... small steps that add up to an understanding that other tasks could be built on. If we simply create a cue and somehow get the horse to do the deed, then each time we want to teach something to the horse we are starting over. However, if we teach them a process based on a language, then we can return to that for each thing we want to teach, and overall it will take less time.

Obviously, as Natural Horsemen, we already know this, so what does it have to do with our own mental, emotional and physical fitness? Well, I was watching the participants and taking pictures and listening to their questions and the answers and there was something I noticed. Most of the people had come from normal horse backgrounds (not Natural) and just about all of them seemed more quickly frustrated than the few who had Natural education. They wanted quicker results. They wanted to skip steps. They wanted to simply place a horse's foot on the pedestal and then pull the 1200 pound horse over the pedestal and stop him on top.

And that's when it hit me. I wondered if the Natural Horsemen among us were more likely to take their time in life and the normals were more likely to look for shortcuts.

I have often found myself in situations where, in the past, I would be more likely to try to hurry the process along- to move quickly and somewhat chaotically. For example, in the past, I would plan to go into town and grab keys and move in a flurry of activity and then at the end of the driveway realize I didn't have my grocery list, or debit card or even driver's license and I would continue onto town feeling I MUST get to town RIGHT AWAY!!! And now, I plan to go to town and I Physically stop myself and go through the things I think I'll need. I tell myself that I'm not in a hurry. Therefore, I more often than not have what I need and I figure out where to go first and second etc, and be as efficient as possible.

It is possible that this ability to just stop and think and move with purpose has come from aging quite gracefully, but I know many people who have achieved my same age without learning to move and think and be a bit more left-brained in their life.

I have found an interesting pattern. Living and working on a Natural Eventing and Performance training and Sales Facility, I have the pleasure of meeting Natural Horsemen from around the country and the world, as well as Normals. I think that the Naturals have a higher propensity to live their regular lives in a more left-brain mode than the normals, who generally seem to show many more right-brain tendancies when performing their normal activity.

This is not to say that everybody I know who practices Natural Horsemanship lives less chaotically than those who don't. But the more they throw themselves into the practice the more thoughtful and less chaotic they become.

I watched one woman at the clinic trying to force her horse onto the pedestal and I wondered what else in her life might be getting force instead of process. I wondered how she dealt with her kids or husband or co-workers. I watched a couple of young girls start with natural technique, give it up quickly in favor of speed and completion, and then return to natural when Shannon helped them see that the natural and slower process was real communication that could be built on later when they wanted to teach something else. I wondered how this might affect their lives. I wondered if this tiny little taste of Natural Horsemanship might help these young kids to see the incredible benefit of taking the time it takes so it takes less time.

We can see this easily when working with horses, but I see it when I start my car and do not hurriedly turn the key while trying to fasten my seat belt and close the door in the same split second. I consciously breathe out and shake out my shoulders and think about where I am going and why.

It is with this same clarity of purpose that I think about my next day, week or years. My communication with myself is just as important, if not more so, than my communication and process with others. I need to take time and just think about what process I need to take/make to achieve my goals, rather than simply chaotically rush headlong in the direction I think I am heading. How about you?

Dachia

Dr. Fuhrman -- Value of High Fat Foods

2011-06-15T06:14:00.002-04:00

Dachia Arritola

The Perils of Dairy

2011-06-12T06:23:00.001-04:00

Dachia Arritola

The Truth about MSG Monosodium Glutamate Clinical Nutrition

2011-06-09T06:26:00.003-04:00

Dachia Arritola

Tradition vs Standard Operating Procedure

2011-06-06T06:47:00.003-04:00

Many years ago, I was working at a large national chain store. It was there that I learned the meaning of Standard Operating Procedure. I also learned that I was not cut out for this line of work or any work which utilized that phrase. While I do believe that all companies benefit from a basic way of doing business, where everybody involved can have certain expectations, I also believe that the downward slide of most companies can be traced back to the overuse of standard operating procedure.

I was in a middle-management position and had tried on occasion to change procedures in order to make things run more efficiently and smoothly. I was repeatedly shot down, if I was even heard. My suggestions did not fit with standard operating procedure.

Now let me introduce a word that I had trouble with, but now like- tradition. Tradition is opening Christmas presents either Christmas eve or Christmas morning, on a regular basis. Tradition is watching James Bond and eating pizza on New Years Eve... every year. Tradition is going for a horseback ride the first snow fall of the year, every year. Tradition has some flexibility and enjoyment built in to it.

How we view things makes a big difference to how we feel about things. I like tradition (except stupid ones), but I abhor "SOP." At Avalo Farm, we have some standard operating procedures. With all the working students and visiting students from abroad, it makes sense to have some things cut and dried. A few things that we always tell the students, and often in the same way. However, if a student has an idea, proposes a change, we always hear it. And sometimes, we even give it a try. One time, the idea was so good we embraced it immediately and implemented it right away.

As human beings, we need both security and flexibility. If we get it in our heads that something is written in stone and cannot be changed, we can create a claustrophobic environment. we can smother ourselves in SOP. But if we change some (or all) SOP to a more flexible "idea" or "tradition", we set ourselves up for more success.

Dachia

Getting Over It

2011-06-03T06:56:00.001-04:00

A couple days ago, I was at a clinic with many friends and their horses. As each pair went over their jumps and did their exercises, everybody was feeling pretty confident and happy with their success and partnership. And this is how it should be. Not long after a particular team did their jump, the human made a comment about how amazing this must be for their horse who had a less than natural (or even human) owner prior to this one. It was stated again that the horse had a lot of baggage and turmoil to get over because of his poor handling prior.

I had heard much of his story before; it had become a somewhat public history as he was pulled from the slaughterhouse apparently within minutes of the end of his life. And the reason he was there was because his owner was ticked off that he refused a jump. I am not making any judgment about his previous owner or what he went through.

Let your bad feelings and memories float on out to sea.

I asked the current partner how long she had had him. "Four years." And I said, perhaps it was time she got over his past. I thought the horse probably had. I am not belittling what he went through. I am not excusing the previous owners actions, whether true or not. I am not suggesting nothing ever happened. What I am suggesting is that we move forward... all of us.

All of us, humans and horses, have things that have happened that were not all that nice. That's life. But there comes a point when we just have to leave therapy and let it go. Drudging up the past and our feelings about what happened keeps us anchored there. We need to stop reliving it and live something else. We need to accept whatever lesson we have gotten from it and apply it elsewhere.

Telling the same horrible story over and over is living it out each time. Let it die.

I know of a young woman who was recently approached by an estranged family member who wished to repair the relationship. The young woman said she could never forgive the fact she was not more involved in the wedding of the relative... 8 years prior. 8 years... She has been carrying that anger around for 8 years. I'm sure it was painful and clearly cut deep... but get over it. You don't have to forgive the person who wronged you, but if venom pours from your lips as you discuss the idea, I simply suggest you revisit your decision-making paradigm... and maybe tweak it a bit.

Years ago, I had interviewed a competitive fitness champion. We became friends and I learned, as she did, that her husband was a gambler and had lost thousands and thousands of their nest egg. Within three days, she had filed for divorce. I thought her initial purpose was to save her fitness business from any further legal woes as creditors came out of the woodwork. However, she then expressed to me what her feelings were. She loved her husband... but this marriage was over. She felt very strongly that although she might consider dating him in the future and slowly building something, what had been built, was gone.

At the time I thought this was a bit extreme, but in retrospect, I really like what she did. She was very ticked off and sad and a plethora of emotions for a couple days, but then moved on. She let that go, divorced herself from it... and moved forward.

There are times when we need to hang onto our anger a little bit. There are times when we need to wallow in sadness. But there are times when we need to put some feelings and memories in a closet and close the door. Better yet, sweep them out the front door and let the wind carry them elsewhere.

Dachia

Diet Soda Makes People Fat? - Clinical Nutrition

2011-05-31T07:24:00.002-04:00

I came across some information that I thought was interesting. While I do not know about this man, in particular, I was able to corroborate much of what he says in this video. The subject here is artificial sweeteners and how you might not be doing yourself any good by drinking "diet sodas".

Dachia

How do you become something you aren't?

2011-05-25T07:03:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite phrases. When I first heard the line (in a movie, of course), I thought the person was asking how we sometimes are seen differently than we are. Then as the speaker went on, I realized there was more than one way to take the question. In fact, there were three. I then thought his question was how do we, with intent, become something we are not. How do we go from where we are to someplace else? How do we go from who we are to the somebody we want to become? And the third interpretation for me was, how did we go from this person over here to this person we are now? Whether we wanted to or not.

I love all these questions. I think all these questions are questions we should ask ourselves continuously. I enjoy thinking about these questions.

Let's take the first interpretation. How can we be seen by others as something we are not? How can we enter a room as ourselves but we are seen as somebody/something else? Is it a big deal? Should we care if somebody makes assumptions about us that aren't true? Well, it depends. If you are entering a room of strangers, say the grocery store, and they think you are democrat and you are republican, I would venture to say that you probably shouldn't care. However, if you are entering the PTA meeting and the fellow parents and teachers think you are a bit hard on your kid, you might want to attempt some damage control. We all are constantly being viewed with different eyes. Eyes of people who don't really know us. Eyes of people who may think they know us. Eyes of people who may have made snap judgments but don't know it.

As Natural Horsemen, I know we are all nodding along when we think about all the people who think they know what we are all about but really don't know the first thing. They see a rope halter and they know all they need. Sometimes we determine that it is in our best interest to let people think what they wish and other times we decide that it is for the best to try to clarify our position. Every one of us is different and will have different reasons and responses. That's just one of the very many things that make us so interesting.

The second interpretation is where we are asking ourselves what the process is for going from who we are to who we wish to be. For example, let's say we are a high school graduate and want to become a teacher. How do you get from one place to the other? There are a number of paths any one of us can take. We can shadow the teacher and get a taste of the life. Maybe become a volunteer in a school. Maybe become a teacher's assistant? Assuming all that goes well, we start looking for colleges that offer teaching credentials. We may need to test into the program, which might require studying. We may need a loan to pay for the education. But all these paths can take any individual person to certain place, and all are different.

Perhaps our goals are a little closer to home. Maybe we want to go from a being a good natural horseman to an excellent one. That process might include finding a mentor and immersing our self in a program. Again, there are as many paths to our goals as there are us. We may look online for horseman who accept working students. We may look for a paid job with a natural stable. We may place an ad online detailing what we are looking for and what we have to offer. That's how I did it.

The last way that I interpreted that question is possibly the most interesting for anybody who is trying to become mentally, emotionally and physically fit. How many of us have taken a good long look in the mirror and asked ourselves how we got here? We can remember a week ago or a year ago or a decade ago, and this is not who or what we were. We wanted to be a dentist and we are working a factory job. we may have wanted to write a book of poetry and we find ourselves sitting on the couch night after night, unable to motivate ourselves to do anything more.

We may look in the mirror and see that we are far more overweight or out of shape than we thought, and certainly much more so than we were months or years ago. The question of how we got from our starting point to this point looking in the mirror is an important one. The better we understand our path the better prepared we are to change it. And that brings me to the more important question stemming from this: where and how do we go from here?

I cannot count how many people I have heard lament about a current situation, but then stop and don't continue with the next step: change. Again, there are millions of ways to change. The first step is to make the decision that change is what you want. The second step is to figure out what that change will be. Depending on what change you decide (not wish) to make, you might need help. If you want to lose a little weight and have a firmer, stronger body- you might be able to achieve that on your own. If you have attempted this change before and know that you do not have to tools to do this on your own, you can hire health coach or a personal trainer.

If you want to progress on your journey in Natural Horsemanship, you may be able to get your hands on some DVDs or books and guide yourself along. You may also decide that you want to move faster or feel you need some direct supervision and coaching.

You might decide that you are going to change jobs but don't know to what. You can get on your social media and ask every Tom, Dick or Harry what their opinion is (which should be weighted by how happy they are in their own personal lives) or you may realize that one-on-one attention with a life coach is just what you need.

The point to all this is that while it is important to ask the question "how did I get here," it is more important to move to the next question, "now what?"

Dachia

The Low-down on Cereal

2011-05-22T06:50:00.009-04:00

When I was a kid, we would rarely be allowed to have the high sugar cereals that are known to be kid's favorites. When I had my own money, either from an allowance or a job, I would often spend some on cereal. My favorites were Cap'n Crunch and Froot Loops. Many years later, I was visiting my brother and his family and his kids were eating Cap'n Crunch (not a usual fare for the household). My brother mentioned that he had recently had some of the cereal and it tore his mouth up and didn't taste as good as when we were kids. I had some, and I agreed.

I had read a book called Beating the Food Giants, by Paul Stitt, whom I had met through my sister. Paul was a biochemist who had worked for a few of the food giants, including a cereal company who tasked him with cutting half a cent off the cost of production. You can read all about this and why Mr. Stitt no longer works for them. He since then founded Natural Ovens in Wisconsin, which is how my sister met him (he had horses in need of natural horsemanship).

Now, back to the discussion on cereal. I know many parents who are convinced they have no choice when it comes to feeding their kids. They believe that their kids will starve themselves before eating something healthy or giving up something high in sugar. As an adult who can remember most of my childhood, let me first say that is silly. I would have preferred my sugary cereal but Mom wouldn't allow it as a regular thing. That's part of being a mom or dad. You make decisions.

However, let's discuss other options. We all know that most of the kids that are marketed to kids are really high in sugar. I'll tell you, though, I was surprised to see just how much. For example, Froot Loops is 42% sugar. That's nearly half. Half the box is sugar. Froot Loops is not out there all alone... these numbers are pretty typical. Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Pebbles, Kellogg's Honey Smacks... synonymous with sugar. May as well feed them a glazed doughnut.

According to a study done by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, two groups of kids were offered various cereals and combination's and they found that the kids who were offered the lower sugar cereal ate it happily. Plus, they ate a serving, not gorging themselves on the cereal like the higher sugar cereal consumers tended to do. Another plus was these kids tended to partake in the fruit that was offered on the table. I can tell you from my experience that when I am consuming a high-sugar cereal, I'd eat the whole box in one sitting and have zero interest in anything else.

Even kids who added sugar ( from packets on the table) to their lower-sugar cereal were eating half as much sugar as the high sugar group. The lower sugar cereals that were included in this study were original Cheerios, Rice Krispies, and Corn Flakes, all of which have 1 to 4 grams of sugar per serving, as compared to the higher sugar cereals mentioned above which had about 12 grams of sugar per serving.

So, let me summarize this. The kids who ate the higher sugar cereal ate way more of their cereal than the kids who ate the lower sugar cereal. The kids who ate the lower sugar cereal, even adding sugar to their cereal at far less sugar than the other group. Furthermore, the kids who ate the lower sugar cereal ate more fruit than the higher sugar cereal.

So, the point to this is that you can feed your kids a better cereal, they will eat it, they will be happy, and overall it will be much better for them than the high sugar cereal. Of course, ultimately, you will find that your kids will eat fruit and maybe some oatmeal, and be happy, satisfied, healthy... but in the meantime, at least choose a better cereal.

Oh, and this is the book I mentioned. Trust me you can find it second hand, just keep an eye for it. not sure why prices are so high on Amazon... I have found these books in thrift stores. Check your library. Ask for an inter-library loan if they don't have it. Check this link so you know what it looks like.

Beating the Food Giants

Dachia

John Robbins "Healthy at 100"

2011-05-19T07:14:00.004-04:00

I wanted to share another quick little video with you. This is an excerpt from an expo in 2006. The speaker is John Robbins, an author whom I came across many years ago and helped me to see I needed and wanted to change my lifestyle.

I would make one suggestion when watching this video: find a quiet place. He is a fairly soft-spoken guy.

John Robbins has written a handful of books. I have read three of them (his first three), but have faith the other two are just as good, and they are on my wish list.

If you have an interest, you can probably find them in a library. Take a look here and read reviews and maybe figure out which one you want to check out first. You can also find his early books in thrift stores.

May All Be Fed: 'a Diet For A New World : Including Recipes By Jia Patton And Friends

Diet for a New America

Reclaiming Our Health: Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Sources of True Healing

Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples

The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less

See ya later (maybe at the library?)
Dachia

Secrets of Happiness

2011-05-16T07:09:00.029-04:00

Norway Alexandre Dulaunoy/Flickr

According to Forbes, Norway is the happiest country in the world. In all the traveling I have done, I have never seen Norway. Actually, I have never been to any of the countries in the top 5 list of happiest countries. So, how did Forbes arrive at their conclusions? And is there anything in there of benefit to the natural horseman? Well, in a word... "yes."
... happiness is much more than money. It's being healthy, free from pain, being able to take care of yourself. It's having good times with friends and family.

"Furthermore, happiness means being able to speak what's on your mind without fear, to worship the God of your choosing, and to feel safe and secure in your own home." -Forbes

Several years ago, I was listening to a guy describe another guy who was not happy in his life. He felt like a zero and by all outward appearances he seemed to have a great life. The guy had a profitable business, lovely wife, good kids, and the list goes on. So what was the problem? Well, as it turned out, he simply had not defined success. He hadn't thought about happiness except to conclude he wasn't there yet.

So, what does happiness mean? Of course, happiness is actually just a decision we make. When we say, "I'll be happy when: my lover gets home, I get a raise, my horse meets me at the gate," these are all decisions. We can just as easily say, "I'll be happy... right now."

However, having said that, there are things that make that decision easier to make and easier to achieve... for those of us who do not have the self-discipline of a Tibetan Monk.

Education ranked high on the list Forbes was using. Countries with the highest education ranked happier (in that category) than countries that ranked lowest. What does that mean to the natural horseman? Well, it would seem to me that we can and should be seeking opportunities to further our education. All of us can make time for things that are important to us. If learning and feeling good about your education is something that gives you personal satisfaction, act on it. There are thousands of opportunities to further your education in just about any topic- local community college, online courses, books, and more.

Even if education is number one on your list of priorities, you need more in life to feel satisfied. Social cohesion, having faith in others, was on that list of Forbes, too. Countries who trusted their fellow countrymen ranked well. What does this mean to us? We can learn to trust. Yes, we can get burned, and then we can trust again. If you have a horse that steps on your foot, you might (in the future) be a bit more careful where you place your feet (assuming he was just clumsy and did not intentional step on your foot). However, let's hope you don't decide to never stand next to him or any other horse. If he did step on your foot on purpose, and he continues to make that attempt, then you might decide to not stand next to him until there is reason to believe he won't make the attempt anymore... but, using him as a reason to not stand next to any horse is cutting out a huge potential for warm fuzzies.

Right along with faith in others is helping each other. Start helping others. Help others with no strings... just help them because you want to. Most of us have talents or skills that are valuable and we probably could be paid well for. There are lots of people who could use help with that very task. I know a couple lawyers that I went to school with, who do pro-bono work. You don't have to have a law degree to help others though. Volunteer at a homeless person or animal shelter; be a foster parent for rescued dogs, cats or horses; become a big brother or sister, read to the blind, mow somebody's lawn....

Additionally, you don't have to be appreciated for all you do and the value you have and provide. You know your value. You know that other people doing this "job" get paid a lot for it. You are doing it for other reasons. Take pride in your worth and that you are helping somebody out.

In the Forbes study, civil liberties were important to a feeling of well-being. So, somehow we need to fit that into our day. Maybe go for a horseback ride because we want to and not just because it was on the agenda or we are trying to accomplish something. Maybe go for a drive. How about a roadtrip? Maybe a good book in a hammock in the back yard. Find something that gives you a feeling of freedom and independence.

Moving on- we need to find our physical environment attractive or satisfying. Feeling we are surrounded by physical beauty is a big plus. If you do not live in a place that makes you feel this way, then make an effort to get to a place you do. Whether it is an art museum or a hike in the woods, you need to do it.

I would think the best advice I could offer is that you need to figure out what you like. Do you like warm weather or hot or cold? Do you like nature or tall buildings, or do you like park benches? Do you like quiet or noise? You need to answer all these questions for you. Often, when we are 'attached' to somebody, we negotiate our needs so that we can have things with the other person. Well, that doesn't work well all the time. You really do need to see to your own needs. As natural horsemen, we are often better at giving our horse what it needs than we are at figuring out our own.

If you want to live a long and happy life, make that decision and act on it. You are responsible to you as much as anybody, if not more. If you let your well run dry, you won't have anything for anybody.

Be happy (make it a priority),
Dachia

Emergency Medical Care for Natural Horsemen

2011-05-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

We spend quite a bit of time with our horses and as intelligent rational people (ahem), we try to stay as safe as possible while still... you know... spending time with our horses. Of course, we know that being around horses is a bit of a gamble with our bones, checkbook, sanity and lives, but we certainly feel it is worth that risk.

I was recently reading an article concerning emergency medical treatment myths and began to think about how they might affect us as natural horsemen... or any horsemen.

Nosebleed
So, let's say we get bonked in the nose by a horse head. If this hasn't happened to you, be thankful. I know many people from novice to the very experienced who have been hit in the nose by a horse head. let me share with you some of what you might expect. You will immediately feel an almost uncontrollable need to yell a profanity. Oftentimes, this will illicit a "well, isn't that interesting" look from your horse. Ears will be up and they may be moving away from you. You put your hand to your nose and test for blood. Let's say it is- according to medical advice, you should not lean back but forward and pinch your nose. If it doesn't stop bleeding in about 5 minutes, you should probably get it looked at by a pro... you know, the guy next door. NO... you should have it looked at by a real doctor.

Burn
Let's say you are heading out to the barn and are boiling water on the stove for your oatmeal... or your kid's oatmeal. Your kid want to help and ends up spilling the boiling water on himself. I had heard years ago that you should remove the clothing in lightening speed, but apparently that is just a myth. Likewise, another myth is to rub margarine or any other sort of greasy substance on the burns. Even if the burn is more localized, and obvious, like a hand on the burner. What you are really supposed to do, again according to medical advice, is to cool the burned area by gently applying cool water. Then you apply an antibiotic ointment, but cream not jelly. If there are blisters, or the burn is on a real sensitive area, like the face or other... you know... really sensitive areas, get to the ER, and don't pop the blisters. What is it with us and the need to pop blisters, and zits... and those little packing bubbles. Stop doing it.

Sprain
Ok, you are stepping down out of the saddle and twist your ankle in a gopher hole. Actually, it would seem that the most common cause of sprained ankles is stepping off a hay wagon. You can make up any story you want to cover your clumsiness, but the fact remains you have a sprained ankle. So, if the cause was a little bigger than stepping off a hay wagon, you might want to get an x-ray to be sure it isn't broken, but let's assume you know (magically) that it is sprained, what do you do? You need to add ice, not heat. Heat will increase the swelling. And here is the tricky part... don't get back on the hay wagon, or the horse or whatever until you have actually recovered. Don't do this "oh, it's better now," thing... it needs to be recovered. <shaking head, here> I cannot tell you how much longer you are going to have to wait if you rush it and get back on the horse... take the time it takes so it takes less time.

Seizure
OK, let's say you are at an event and somebody has a seizure. I remember when I was a kid, we were advised to put something in their mouth so they wouldn't bite their tongue off. Maybe we should hold them down? Or move them? Nope to all of them. If you know the person is an epileptic, you just need to watch and be sure there is nothing around they can hurt themselves on. You can turn them on their side, in case they vomit, but that's about all they really need you to do. If they are not epileptic or it lasts longer than about 5 minutes you need to call 911.

Snakebite
You are bitten by a snake. You suck out the poison, right? Or cut the wound so it bleeds the poison out? Blood moves a lot faster than that. First, before you head out into an area where there actually are poisonous snakes, get online and get a good idea of what they look like. I know I have gotten off point here a bit, but snake bites are much more preventable than these other mishaps. Learn a little about snakes, they are pretty cool if given half a chance. A snake would much rather leave than to bite you. Give him that option.

Ok, but let's say you surprise him and he surprises you and you have been bit. Splint the wound and wrap it in something clean. I always think that is advice made in jest. If you are somewhere where you are going to come across a poisonous snake, it seems unlikely to me that you will have anything clean. You are hiking or cleaning out the wood pile. Did you come across a rattlesnake in your kitchen? Probably not.

Anyway, unless you know it was not a poisonous snake, get thee to an ER. I wanted to add my own piece of advice, try to get a picture of it with your cellphone or camera or whatever you have. I can tell you from experience that trying to describe a snake is hard. Just get a picture.

I know these are just a few of the many things that can happen to us in the usual course of our day. I encourage you to check out some good advice, and then move on. Don't spend too much time thinking about all the things that can happen to you out there with your horse. When you think of something, research a solution and then move on. If we find answers before we need them, we can become a bit more left-brained if things actually do happen.

Do yourself a favor, though- find your answers with people who really know.

Dachia

Is it better to eat vegetables raw or cooked?

2011-05-10T07:06:00.001-04:00

There are lots of questions concerning eating fruits and vegetables, including should they be organic, must they be cleaned profusely, should they be cooked or must they be raw. Ultimately, I do think there are answers to some of these questions, but I do not think they are super important. If you have the choice and the money, go with organic, but just adding more fruits and veggies to your diet, even if not organic, is still a plus. The question of cooked or raw comes up a lot, and this video (hopefully) will help give you a better understanding.

As always, feel free to share these videos with your friends and family...
Dachia

Herd Mentality

2011-05-07T07:30:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago, I shared a video with you about depression. Since then, I found an interesting article concerning social media and our herd mentality. Sorry, if you thought I was going to talk about our horse's, but my interest here is helping us be the best us we can be.

I know I have blogged about our use of social media and how we can use it for wonderful things like sharing pictures of our horse investigating a plastic bag hanging on a post, or sending along humorous news about how we celebrated our birthday. We can also use our social media to be part of the herd; sharing gossip, sending along hate-mail, generally just being blind followers and senders.

At the time or times I have blogged about this, my goal was to keep our own mind free of chaos and drama and just not partake in it. Well, there is more reason to not blindly share whatever comes across our desktop. There is more reason to not listen to everything that comes across the airwaves.

There is a phrase that I like very much and try to live by, What you think about, you bring about. I believe that whatever I fill my mind with I am giving energy to. If I am constantly worried about getting a flat tire, I will eventually manifest that flat tire. If I am always scared of getting stepped on by my horse, I will somehow make sure it happens. Now, I do think that we should share information that will help us, but not that we will dwell on. For example, if I learn a nifty trick to change a tire, like flipping my hair to the right instead of the left, gets an increase in cars pulling over to help (I'm just kidding, I save the hair flips for speeding tickets), then I want to share that information. But I do not want to discuss flat tires with everybody and beat the topic to death, because I believe that that will just increase the propensity for flat tires.

This is one reason why I do not believe in 'walks for cancer awareness', or putting pink bows on my posts to raise awareness for breast cancer. My energy is channeled into health, not disease. I don't want to encourage people to think about cancer or illness. I want to help people think about radiant health and vibrant energy. Mother Theresa is quoted as saying, ""I will never attend an anti-war rally. If you have a peace rally, invite me."

So, that's what I have been espousing for some time now, but now there is even more reason to squash bad news and keep it from moving like a brush-fire. Most of us can probably remember how very disturbing news, such as a suicide or school bombing, was followed by another and maybe another. Of course, this only happens when the first is reported heavily in the news, which it usually is unless the news has other gossipy BS to spread.

There is a theory, being studied by sociologists, that many horrific events are followed by copycat events, and that these events are not coincidence. It could be a bigger issue than we once thought. There seems to be some evidence that less huge, but just as awful events can follow such news. After big terrible things make the news, there is an increase in head-on traffic collisions and even plane crashes (masked suicides). Why? How can this be? Is there a correlation?

What if there is? If there is, then it is up to each of us to squash the story as fast as we can. I go back to the question of what can possibly be gained by our knowledge of a teen suicide or school bombing or parking lot shooting? If we know somebody involved personally, we will learn about it personally, which is how we should learn about it.

How often do we see horrible news on our social media? I know that for me, although it is less, it is still far too often. I have been witness to many "status posts" where it is a soft cry for help or attention. Many studies have proven repeatedly (why are we still studying it, I don't know), that if a person is hurt he or she is best off with just one or two people attending him/her. When there is more than one peson in the crowd, the herd tends to do nothing but become excited.

One of my favorite lines (I know, I have a LOT of favorite lines) is from Men in Black. Edwards says- "Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it." And K replies, "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."

If I were unconscious on the sidewalk, I would hope for one single person with a cellphone. Emergency responders teach people how to handle situations with crowds. Instead of yelling "somebody dial 911!", they look at one person and say, "You... dial 911... now". People are much better served individually. Groups of people often just look at each other to determine what they should do or what is expected of them.

You may want to help your friend with whatever new drama they have created, but on their Facebook wall might not be the best choice. If you want to help, private message them, meet them for lunch, meet them on chat alone.

Returning to the bigger picture, many would-be suicides see proof of resolution in another suicide and it can often help them to move in that direction. Someone contemplating murder can often be nudged toward that decision by seeing it elsewhere, usually on the news.   Likewise, news of somebody being saved from that decision (which rarely makes news) can have the opposite effect, nudging somebody back in from the ledge.

I had wondered a while back if we really had more suicides now than when I was a kid or if it was simply a matter of hearing about them more often now. Now, I am thinking it is both. I think the fact that we hear about this stuff more often now, has been the very causation of the events happening so often. The more we hear about horrible things, the more these horrible things are on our minds and therefore the more often these horrible things happen... a downward spiral if ever there was one.

I propose a test. We each go one year without sharing horrible stories. We seek out funny and happy stories to send along. We post pictures that make us laugh out loud. We encourage others to join our ranks. At the end of the year we see if there has been a change. Either a change in horrific events or... a change in us. I can tell you that since I stopped partaking in such news, and only read and sent on happy or funny or beneficial information, I have been a happier person. How could I not be. That which I think about, I bring about.

If you decide not to join this epidemiological self-study, then take a moment to reflect the next time horrible news makes the headlines and gets posted all over the social media. What benefit has been achieved? Then ask what the fallout has been. What teenager has used this event as proof that their solution is at hand?

Dachia

For the HEC of it....

2011-05-04T07:23:00.001-04:00

I'm often asked why I choose the foods I do or live the life I do. Why don't I consume certain things. Why Don't I do this or that... It took me a while to describe my goals to people, and usually they will have lost interest long before I was done. So, I recently came up with my own acronym. I didn't read this somewhere, and as far as I know, I am the first/only person to use it... I live the way I do for the HEC of it... Health, Environment and Compassion.

Although any one of those reasons would be enough, I happened to learn about and embrace all of them at about the same time.

As already mentioned, when I was 17, I began having a health issue that I finally had to diagnose and fix myself, because I was unable to get any real help from the medical establishment. I was in my early 20's when I came upon my answer and it was shortly after that, I was working on my first masters degree and I was a member of every do-good organization out there. From saving whales and the rainforest to every other endangered species and raising awareness about just about everything. I didn't buy from certain companies because they tested some products on animals. I didn't buy from other companies because one of their companies made cigarettes. I didn't buy this because of that, and I didn't buy that because of this... and I would tell anybody who would listen everything I could about all of it.

And you thought I got on my soapbox now and got a little preachy sometimes... aren't you glad you didn't know me then?

So, I was working on my thesis and gathering information and checking resources. It was like Christmas every day when the mail came. I was inundated with every piece of material created designed to sway the reader to some point of view. As my thesis concerned health and the inability to attain it by following the advice of the medical establishment, I was getting loads of material from health conscious organizations. Everything to do with health, diet, nutrition, exercise and fitness was in front of me, and this included the environment and how livestock was raised. Articles, research papers, studies, books and tapes... I was immersed.

I knew how animals were raised when I was eating meat. I knew, but I put it out of mind. I knew it was ecologically unsound to raise beef and chickens and pigs. I knew it was costing an unbelievable about of water to get so little in return. I knew that far too much of our produce was going to feed livestock, and not us. I knew, I knew, I knew... but when I was knee-deep in the evidence and data and statistics... I really knew.

When I found myself swimming in information, I could not pretend anything different. I had already made a change in my diet to try to affect my health and it had worked, but I hadn't gone all the way to the light side... the dark side still had lots of cookies.

I was now crossing completely over. I knew it was best for my health, I knew it was best for the environment and I knew it was the compassionate thing to do.

If the evidence had not been thrust in my face, it is unlikely I would have made the move for quite some time, if ever. I had been raised on steaks and loved ice cream. To walk away from them- to turn my back on my whole upbringing... and nobody in my family was on board with this. They didn't have the glossy pictures and pie charts staring them in the face.

So, I made a lifestyle change for the H.E.C. of it- Health, Environment and Compassion. Even having all those reasons it is not always easy. While I can now easily say "no, thank you," to a steak, I still have trouble turning down cake, cookies, pie... and that's a whole other blog. I will say, I certainly don't consume nearly as much as I used to.

Through the years, several other members of my family have come over to the light side. A few have made huge changes but not embraced the whole thing quite yet. Every step is a step for the H.E.C. of it, though. Every step towards this new lifestyle is a step towards a better life.

Dachia

An Introduction to Depression

2011-05-01T07:37:00.002-04:00

I have only just recently learned about this guy, Neal Nedley. I have not read his material, yet but he runs with a good crowd. I thought this video was a very interesting discussion on depression. When he is discussing the effects of depression, I am thinking how every one of those effects affects us as natural horsemen.

This video is only 10 minutes... you have time.

I have tried to find other videos with this guy and have found one, but it was soooo dull, that I couldn't put you through it. But I am watching his uploads, and if he puts up some more good stuff, I'll be sure to share it with you.

Feel free to share this with friends and neighbors and maybe even people you don;t like. This kind of information could save so many lives.

And feel free to let me know what you think. I know we all know people who have suffered depression and might even know people who have taken their own lives, and this type of open discussion can be so beneficial.

Dachia

A State Of Health

2011-04-28T07:44:00.003-04:00

I read lots of different material, from lots of different sources. I read some absolute garbage and I read information from people I know are worthy of the printed word. So, while I might mention articles from the Yahoo! news page, please don't think this is actually where I get my news.

Now, having said that... I recently came across an article discussing the health rankings of several states. While I think the majority of the article was filled with fluffy drivel, I also think it had a few interesting correlations.

For example, it did mention that obesity is not just a U.S. issue, it is a global problem, but it did not make it very clear that one of the biggest reasons for this is that American fast food companies are building a presence all over the world. The more that the world eats like American's the more the world will look and die like American's. In their words: Nations which before had relatively lean diets which were high in grains and fruits now consume many more soft drinks and hamburgers.

The ten most unhealthy states are listed with a few of the criteria used. I didn't include all their criteria, just the ones I thought were most interesting. I would have liked to see consumption rates of fruits and vegetables as well as dairy and meat. I would have liked to see the education levels, just out of a curiosity thing, but I still think these numbers and criteria are of some value to think about and be aware of.

10. New Mexico
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (23rd)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $737 (8th most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 58 (12th least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 111 (13th least)

9. Arizona
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.17 (47th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $761 (4th most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 60 (21st least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 109 (11th least)

8. Ohio
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.18 (45th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $622 (20th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 70 (11th most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 122 (10th most)

7. South Dakota
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.5 (4th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $547 (9th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 122 (8th most)

6. Nevada
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.23 (29th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $939 (most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 58 (10th least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 114 (19th least)

5. Oklahoma
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.25 (24th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $676 (15th most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 69.8 (8th most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 103.2 (3rd least)

4. Kansas
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.35 (7th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $610 (19th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (12th most)

3. Missouri
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (22nd)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $623 (21st least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 65 (18th highest)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (17th most)

2. Alabama
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.21 (37th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $649 (23rd most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 77 (4th most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 113 (16th least)

1. Mississippi
Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.21 (34th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $588 (17th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 82 (most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 113 (17th least)

I looked at the data and found different conclusions than the article stated. This study was intended to determine if people who lived more than 10 miles away from a grocery store were more likely to eat fast food and therefore suffer the ill effects. What I interpreted was that even in states, such as Kansas, where people did have access to grocery stores, they still consumed quite a bit of fast food.

Nevada spends the most per capita on fast food -- nearly $940 per person per year. This is roughly 25% more than Texas, the second-worst state, and well more than twice what Vermont residents spend. Nevada's obesity and diabetes rates, are above average.

Mississippi has the worst eating habits in the country. Only 8.8% of the adult population eats the recommended amount of daily fruits and vegetables, the lowest rate in the country. Residents consumed just under 82 gallons of soft drinks per capita in 2006, the greatest amount reported. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the state has the highest rates of both adult diabetes (12.8%) and adult obesity (34.4%).

The main reason, I think, why I find this article interesting, is that I know there are correlations that were either not tested for or not reported. The term "recommended two or more fruits and three or more vegetables per day" is curious to me. While it is technically correct, I am always fascinated as to why we do what we do, and the word choice of this phrase makes me wonder if it is the reason so many people don't consume more fruits and vegetables. Is it just me, or do you see those numbers and stop there? Do you see 2 and 3 and think that's what you should eat, without seeing the "or more", which makes those numbers a minimum intake?

Not sure if I am making that clear. The rest of the food pyramid, the top part, is "no more than". When talking about fruits and veggies, it is suggested 2 and 3 or more. <shrugging> maybe it's just me, but it seems we are changing terms and I wonder if that is one reason why people are eating too much from the top and not enough from the bottom. The pyramid is so fraught with issue anyway, that it should just be completely replaced or better yet, taken out of the government hands and returned to people learning about health first hand, and not through well-placed ads in our schools.

Thanks for your time, and I am always interested in your thoughts... please feel free to comment.

Dachia

Creating a Left Brain Environment

2011-04-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

I was just reading a little article discussing the many myths of emergency response and it occurred to me that just like horses, the more knowledge we have about something, the more confident and left-brained we can be about it.

When we are on a trail-ride, as Natural Horseman, we allow our horses to check stuff out. If we pass a tire on the side of the trail and our horse gives it a cock-eyed look, snorts and tries to zip past it, we turn and face it and encourage the horse to really look at it. Approach it, sniff it, lick it, paw it... really check it out. When he is fine with it, we move on. Of course, this is just one reason why we tend to trail-ride with other Natural Horseman and not the normal crowd who just try to hang on when their horse does the boot, scoot boogie past something. Riding with people who become exasperated with your curious horse is not a lot of fun, and not in either of your best interests.

So, when I was reading that medical emergency response article, I thought maybe we should approach it, sniff it, lick it and paw it. In that way, if we came face to face with one, we might be a bit more left-brained and not try to just boot, scoot, boogie.

I often imagine myself in different situation, and not just with Starsky. I enjoy all sorts of daydreams (and yes, many do include Starsky). But something I often do is imagine "what-if" scenarios. What if that car coming towards me were to veer into my lane. What if I were to be in bank while it was being robbed. What if my horse were to.... (insert horse-related activity here). I am careful not to dwell on any of these possibilities, because I believe that what I think about I bring about. So, I'll imagine a scenario, think of a solution, and then imagine what I really want to happen and be thankful in advance that it is happening.

There are lots of articles on advice for dealing with emergency situations. Lots of advice on coming up with a plan for you and your family in case of; fire, tornado, visit from a mother-in-law. The idea is that if you have a plan, you will be able to think clearly, not panic, and follow the plan. I must admit that it makes perfect sense. I can only imagine that for the most part it does work.

Do you remember the Dick Van Dyke public service announcement where he advised us to "stop, drop, and roll' if we were on fire? We heard it so much that it became a joke, but a well-remembered one. If I were to catch my shirt or pants on fire, I would stop, drop and roll, and probably not give it much thought. That was the point of the PSA, to repeat it so often that we didn't think... we just acted.

I think we can create a left brain environment by creating a plan and repeating it to ourselves often. We need to imagine situations and imagine ourselves being thoughtful and intelligent and left-brained. Not that we need to have saddles and lead ropes in our mouths, and taste everything we come into contact with, but take a moment and think about the situation and what we want to accomplish.

As natural horsemen, we do this all the time with our horses. We make a plan to play this game with our horse. We have a back-up plan that if the first plan goes to hell in a handbasket, that we will scratch our head and say, "huh... that was interesting... I wonder..." and we move on. When we have a back-up plan that allows us or even prods us to take a step back and take a big breath and mull things over, then we are less likely to become emotional when the first plan sits there doing nothing or blows up in our face.

Planning for our reaction and behavior can make an incredible difference in our personal relationships. We can imagine a typical scenario that usually leads to a confrontation, but this time we imagine a different outcome. Of course, we can only imagine ourselves doing something differently, as we have no control over the other person or people. It may take a few times before our imagined response or reaction becomes reality.

Again, this is something we do with our horses. Let's say we have a horse who has a sour face at feeding or during brushing or saddling. Let's pretend that we keep trying something that is not working. We can imagine ourselves doing different things. We might find ourselves with a sour-faced horse and fall back into our old pattern a few times before we act the way we have been imagining or rehearsing in our heads.

We can create the environment and reaction we desire in our minds. If we do this often enough and with conviction, just like a PSA, we will act without thinking. We are creating and re-creating our environment anyway, let's make it a good one. We are re-creating ourselves everyday, let's make ourselves the person we want to be.

Dachia

How to fix the health care system... not political.

2011-04-22T07:52:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, I found a video on youtube by a vegan professional athlete. He is somebody I have been "following" (not stalking) for quite a while. I enjoy his videos as he has a great sense of humor, loves to work hard physically and is not hard to look at. While I love most of his videos, I thought this particular one was quite thought provoking and stated something I have felt, and believe could really change the country if more people became aware or open to the ideas put forth.

Tim Van Orden

This next video is also discussing health care, without politics involved.

Jeff Novick MS RD

Again, I encourage you to share these videos on your social media pages.

Dachia

let it go...

2011-04-19T07:46:00.001-04:00

There is a phrase I have heard in religious areas, "Let go. Let God." I love this phrase. I have absolutely no beliefs one way or the other about different opinions about god etc., but the phrase is something to admire. The incredible release of personal obligation is amazing.

There is another quote from a favorite movie Tremor, Back to Perfection, "But I do not dwell on that over which I have no control." "That's great. I have to do all the dwelling."

I no longer feel stress or worry over situations of which I have no control. That is not to say that I might not get white-knuckled as a passenger in a car with somebody driving far too fast. It is to say that if I am hoping for a phone call, I don't stress over it. There is nothing I can do about it... move on. In natural horseman terms, I put the game out there and see what happens. I can hope that my partner likes this game and plays well, but if he doesn't, I don't get stressed. I don't worry about the game before we even start playing, thinking, "what if he doesn't get it? What if he doesn't want to play? What if it rains? What if it gets really windy?"

I might have a back-up plan in case it is windy or rainy or whatever, but just as often I will shrug and say, 'I don't know what I will do if..." and I am OK with that. Let me back-peddle here and say I was not always like this. This zen-like attitude has taken years to develop. I have had to cultivate my environment to support my wish and desire to not live in chaos. I have had to learn how to not internalize the scattered tendencies of people around me. People who have added more and more irons to the fire and live a somewhat scattered and haggard life.

I know there are lots of people who think they are very productive because they are always busy. I used to be one. Now, I am a bit more particular about the projects I take on. And I only take on projects that I can do well and enjoy, in combination with my other projects. The point to this last part is that we all have people around us who think they are far more busy and we are not as busy or productive or whatever... and we just have to know better and be Ok that these people think this.

I was talking with a friend a few days ago about another friend who was cleaning her home and cooking a nice dinner. First friend said, "well, she has the time." And I said, "she makes the time." First friend said, "well, she has the time to make the time." Of course, we know that is not the case. Our other friend has just as full and wonderful a life as the rest of us. She either has a talent for prioritizing or a talent for cleaning and cooking very well and quickly. Clearly this is not one of my talents... and I feel fine.

Those of us who are making the time to do something well have to be OK with the other friends out there who think they have more to do. In the grand scheme of things, they don't. It just seems like they do because they either haven't prioritized and are therefore very scattered, or are trying to do lots of things that have little to do with one another (sort of like switching channels constantly), and nothing is being done as well as it could be, and again are very scattered, giving the illusion they are busier than we are. If you want to be in the other category, where you are doing fewer things but better... you just have to learn to shrug and say, "I'm fine with them thinking I am not as busy as they are."

You and I know the truth, right?

Dachia

Who survives and why?

2011-04-16T07:36:00.010-04:00

I recently watched The Edge with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin. Sir Hopkins plays Charles, a billionaire who happens to know everything, but humbly. He just retains whatever he reads or hears. Alec plays a photographer. In the beginning of the movie a small group of people in a very small plane go down in the wilderness of Alaska. Three survive the crash. Charles keeps his wits about him and is always thinking. The other two... not so much. To watch them made me laugh and I said, "I like my horses and my men left-brained."

Charles makes a comment that the number one reason people die in such circumstances is shame. It is a recurring theme in the movie and got me to thinking. I am always wondering why people do the things they do. I often find myself discussing these ideas with my brother, who referred me to a writer for National Geographic Adventure, Laurence Gonzales. He wrote a book called Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why.

A book review had this to say- The first part of the book, “How Accidents Happen,” specifies the precise behavior that can lead to unplanned-for incidents. In fact, too rigid a plan may be itself a deterrent to survival, if that plan keeps one from pursuing alternatives whenever necessary to meet changing conditions -- even quitting the adventure when that is the safest choice. The individual must always be prepared to deal with any obstacle nature may throw out to challenge him.

In the second half, “Survival”, Gonzales relates amazing tales of courage, the actual experiences of pilots, sailors and mountain climbers, the accidents that befall them and the split-second decisions that make all the difference. Gonzales stresses that it isn’t one’s equipment that saves his life, but rather the nature of what lies in his heart. The integrity of the individual is key to his success, whether in reaction to fear, lack of humility or the ability to overcome the shock of the moment. Emotions are of prime importance; fear, for example, can become a powerful tool when used to sustain the activity needed to secure safety. Every survivor must remember one salient fact: anything is possible. “The only thought you can allow,” says the author, “is one that directs your own cause of action.”

I find myself often wondering if there are factors that we, as natural horsemen, can understand and utilize. For example, if we were to determine that the majority of people who survive such catastrophic calamities were left brain extroverts, could we then assume (quietly to ourselves), that horses who are left-brain extroverts are more likely to survive a major event that would normally kill others?

My friend, Michelle, and I were recently discussing a couple of horses at the farm. Some were taking a longer time to mature than others, even though they shared a sire. Maybe the maturity gene was passed by the dam? But what if the maturity was actually tied to their horsenalities? What if the left-brained extroverts just take a bit longer to grow into their skin than the right-brain introverts. Having said that... I'm just thinking out loud here, it seems all horses go through several stages of extroversion and introversion and left and right brain. But the right brain might latch onto the right-brain tendencies more quickly than the left and just stop growing (maturing). Have you noticed that? That's a real question. Please let me know what you have found if you have raised many young horses to adulthood.

I am wondering if the left-brained aspects are actually a bit more maturity. What can this tell us about people? I told this little story quite some time ago, but it is fun and pertains to this discussion. We had a couple working students at Avalo Farm a couple summers ago. Both were young ladies, it so happened. One was very new to horses and asked about horsenalities and what that meant. I was sitting in the kitchen with her, explaining as best I could and she was listening, but not quite completely understanding. The other student was checking on something cooking in the oven and went to remove it. She opened the oven door and steam came out. She got an oven mitt and tried to peel back the foil to see if it was done... more steam escaped. She was becoming a bit anxious. She tried to put the foil back on, but it slipped off and down to the burner. Then she tried to take the item from the oven and dropped the mitt, onto the burner. Her vocalizations were becoming more erratic and she was moving with more abruptness. Her feet began to dance around and she would say, "ooooooo.... nooooooo.... uuuuhhhh..." and the other student and I watched from the table. One of the things Avalo Farm does is help young people (working students) grow into their skin a little. I could see there was no real immediate concern, and so I watched. She looked up, a humored terror in her eyes, and she was a bit frozen. Ok, she was asking for help.

I looked at the other student and said "right brained." I got up easily and walked over to the oven. Turned it off, reached in and lightly pulled the mitt from the burner, put it on and pulled the foil from the burner, removed the food item from the oven, set it on top of the stove and closed the door, setting the mitt next to the food. I looked at the students and said, Left Brained." we all had a good laugh and the one student had a very good idea about left vs right brained.

Now, I know that those of us who are no longer kids, can remember that we had our own growing pains that often stemmed from right brained activity. When I was 16 or 17, like these students, I probably had moments when I dropped the oven mitt and my immediate thought was "Oh dear God, I'm about to burn the house down!" But I don't now, even on the rare occasions that do cook something.

I know that this student is a bit more left brained now, and wonder if it is simply a matter of maturity. Yes, we all know lots of older people (seasoned adults) who are very right-brained... but that just fits right in with my theory here.

When we are little, we generally (in my opinion) are more right brained. Things seem far bigger and far worse than they really are. We cry easier. We stamp our feet more. We throw tantrums. As we grow, (hopefully) we begin to think through our issues. We begin to acknowledge that we can do something and start to ponder what it is we can do. We begin to see that we have responsibilities for where we are and what is happening.

My theory is that some of us continue to figure stuff out and become generally left-brained. We are not the woman in the movie who is screaming when somebody takes out a gun and holds up the liquor store. We are the one thinking of a way out. Some of us do become the cowering, screaming, sobbing person... right brained. Perhaps they just never finished their journey.

I do not know for sure that left brained people live longer in hold-ups than right brained, but it would not surprise me. It also would not surprise me to learn that left brained horses live longer in the world they now find themselves. Right brained behavior certainly had its place, but not so much anymore.

IF this theory actually had some validity, how could it be tested? I am thinking out loud here, but it would seem that natural horseman are in a perfect position to do just that. If right brained horses are simply horses that stopped growing in their heads, then it would stand to reason that as they move through a natural horsemanship program, they would become more left brained... thoughtful, problem solving, curious and confident. The same with people. The more experiences one has (be it horse or human), the more left brained they become.

And the more left-brained, perhaps the longer-lived, and perhaps a higher propensity for survival in a life or death situation.

Just a theory. But if this theory could be validated, it would seem to me that it would be in each of our best interests to become more left-brained- curious, problem solving and confident. I guess I'm thinking it is anyway, even if we haven't proved the rest of it.

Dachia

Some Facts About Fat...

2011-04-13T07:30:00.001-04:00

Found these little videos that I thought could shed some light on the many questions pertaining to fat. Of course, they don't answer all of them, but I do think they give a solid foundation and point a direction to further answers.

Olive Oil is NOT Health Food but Sick Food

OIL TO NUTS: The Truth About Fats (Jeff Novick DVD)

Feel free to share these videos on your Facebook pages, our goal here is to help others achieve their fitness goals. You never know when somebody might see something and everything else becomes clear.

Dachia

I know nothing!

2011-04-10T07:24:00.001-04:00

Do you remember Sergeant Schultz, from Hogan's Hero's? "I know nothing!"... what if he found the secret to life, the key to unlocking the universe? I mean, what do we really know? There are lots of things that we think we know, but it seems that the only things we know that haven't changed are mathematical. At one time we knew the earth was the center of the universe. We know that isn't true now... at least we think we know that. At one time we knew the earth was flat, we know that isn't true now.

We knew that we could eat anything we wanted, and then we knew that we couldn't eat fat, and then we knew that we could eat the right kind of fat, and then we knew that some people could eat some types of fats, and then we knew that we just didn't know.

I'm telling ya, Sergeant Schultz was on to something. Imagine if we could simply shrug and without self-recrimination or judgment, say, "I don't know."

Well, part of me wants to embrace that, but the other part of me "knows" that this is the same pattern of thought that puts so many of us in ill health. We shrug and say, "nobody really knows, and it doesn't matter... they keep changing their minds."

Have to admit, that on the surface, this is a viable argument. However, if I think about it a bit more, I do see that although "they" keep learning different things, there is always a pattern to what they know.

We really do know that the human body was meant to move. We really do know that smoking is harmful to the body. We really do know that some feelings are beneficial to the body and that laughing is good for you. We just do not know how much laughing is needed by any individual to feel some benefit. I think some people take that last part as an excuse to not laugh at all.

Same with exercise- each of us has different needs, so we (as a collective) are never going to KNOW how much or what type of exercise we need (as a collective). But we still know we need it...

We don't know how much nutrient-dense food "we" need, but we know we need it. Not knowing how much is not an excuse to not bother with it at all.

So,what does this have to do with Sergeant Schultz? I think there are times when it is beneficial to not know and not care that we don't know. We all know people who seem to always have an answer. It is often wrong, but they have one. And they will hang onto it, because it is their answer. Somewhere along the line, we (as a collective) began to believe that we must know things. Somewhere along the line, we (as a collective) began to think that we should be able to do things.... and do them well.

Being a good plumber does not mean you would do well opening your own plumbing company. There is much more to a plumbing business than plumbing. There are many people who have a need to believe they can do it all. They can do the plumbing, put up a website, place ads in the paper, do the books, answer the phones, answer emails, and somewhere in all that, continue their own education to be at the top of their game, as a plumber.

Even people who do not have their own business seem to suffer from the ideals of "I can do it all myself." And while their checking account is commonly overdrawn, and dishes are piling up in the sink, and the laundry room is overflowing with laundry, and the lawn is in need of mowing, they seem to feel it is a personal badge of honor to do it all themselves. Even when they do get help, they have a need to believe that they could have done it on their own... but thanks for the unnecessary help.

I find it interesting that we need to feel all-mighty. I wonder if our movies are helping create this facade of "I can do anything." We have more and more superhero movies coming out, and while they are great entertainment, I wonder if we are internalizing superhero powers.

A few years ago, I found myself making an excuse for the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of my home. After some thoughtful soul-searching, I felt a complete relief and freedom in the shrugging of my shoulders and saying, "yep, the place is a mess... and it usually is." It isn't that I have "been busy"... or out of town... the place is usually a mess, and I'm OK with that. I clean it every once in a while, but I don't feel a need to apologize for it when unexpected guests arrive. I'll kick something off the floor so they have a place to stand, and I'll climb on top of the treadmill... but you won't hear me say "I haven't had a chance to clean." It simply is not a priority, and it is doubtful it ever would be.

Over the years, I have widdled my goals and business ideas down to things I can do well and enjoy. It is a conscious effort to not keep adding irons to my fire. There are many many causes I believe in. I want to save the whales, and free the big cats, and stop the BLM, kill the NAIS, save the rain forest... and I could do any one of those parts well, if I did just one. But I am already committed to my calling- to help the natural horseman become mentally, emotionally and physically fit in order to be a better partner for their horse. That job is big enough.

There are other people, better suited than I, to save the whales, free the big cats, stop the BLM, kill the NAIS, and save the rain forest. People who have made that their life. I am thankful they share the earth with me. I wish them the best of luck, but it is unlikely they will see me on their boat with a bullhorn. I won't be chaining myself to a tree anytime soon. I will be yelling, "yeah!" with my fists in the air when I see them on TV or in a newspaper... but I will have my nose in a health book, or researching something on-line within a couple minutes.

We all have our talents and gifts and things that drive us. It is silly, and self-defeating to think we can do it all, and do it well. It is silly and self-defeating to think we know things we don't. Some people have a knack for taking pictures, and others can take a picture but it isn't as good as it could be. For many people, that isn't very important. They just want a few pictures of their kid, or dog or horse to put on the fridge. Oftentimes though, these people think those same pictures are fine for an article or advertising that horse for sale. They aren't.

I am suggesting we channel Sergeant Schultz and say, "I know nothing... or little... about this. I am going to find somebody who does," or, "This is not a priority. I can clean whatever dish I need when I need it. I have other things on my priority list."

Dachia

Fitness Preparation

2011-04-07T07:52:00.001-04:00

So often, people want to make a change, but not all that they should or need to. So, they ask me what change is most important. Should they give up dairy or eggs? Or beef or poultry? Or this or that. This is like a guy in marriage counseling saying he is willing to give one of his two mistresses... which one should I give up? Or to put it in natural horseman terms, it is like asking whether we should help our horse build confidence or work on our communication with him. We need to do both. In fact, we need to do both these things and lots of others.

When thinking about our overall fitness, we need to think in large ways, not simplistic ones. We cannot simply add a little spinach to our diet and hope that makes up for all the calorie rich and processed stuff we consume otherwise. We cannot simply take a walk around the block once a week and hope that makes up for the otherwise very sedentary lifestyles we lead. We cannot simply laugh once or twice and think we are fine despite the suffering we feel in our hearts and souls. These things must be addressed as if they are our lives, because they are. We nee d to do the best we can in all aspects of our lives.

When we strive for excellence in all that we do, then even if we fail we are still in a good place. I try to do my trudge every day because I know that something will probably come up and keep me from my trudge one day or two. I might have to pick up a friend at the car service station. I might be doing a puppy run up the coast. I might not feel like it. I might sleep in. I might, I might, I might, but I strive for all 7 days, knowing that it is not likely.

I try to eat as well as I can every day, but I know I will likely be in a position from time to time where I don't have good healthy nutrient dense food available. I might be painting a jump at the shop. I might be making copies of forms for a client. I might be playing with horses till way past my lunchtime and not have something already prepared. I might be nursing a sick horse, or dog, or friend, or have car trouble.

I might, I might, I might. But I plan for the big picture.

I try to laugh as much as I can. I try to read as much positive stuff as I can. I try to keep whining, sniveling, woe-is-me, people off my facebook page. I try to stay away from most news. I look for good news. I spread happy stories. I look for things to smile at. I might get trapped in an elevator with politician. I might have to listen to somebody complaining about something while standing in the only checkout line that is open. I might, I might, I might. I want to have my well as full as possible at all times. I might be called upon by a friend whose well is empty and needs my surplus. It may take hours or days... but I need to know I can offer it.

The same way that I try to have at least half a tank of gas in the car in case I need to run to the referral vet with a sick dog in the middle of the night, half a state away... I want to know I can.

I want to prepare my fitness levels as much as I can, because I might....

Dachia

Nutrient Density is the Key to Good Health

2011-04-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Found this video a while back, thought you might appreciate it. The guy is Dr. Joel Fuhrman, one of those few doctors who educated himself on nutrition and lifestyle and now is one of the leaders in the industry. This video is less than 6 minutes, (you do have time to watch it... don't argue with me).

I never get tired of watching and re-watching these videos, as it keeps my focus where it should be. I also have several good books sitting around, again helping me to stay focused on the important things. I hope that it can help you find or maintain your focus.

Dachia

A Couple Typical Meals

2011-04-01T07:38:00.002-04:00

Bought a 50/50 baby spinach/spring mix in one of those pre-made containers. I don't usually because they are so much more expensive than buying the bulky original thing. For example this container was 5.5 ounces and cost $3.99. At the same produce area, I can buy a big head of red leaf lettuce for a little less than $2. I can buy a bag of baby spinach for a couple bucks. Those two things would last me several meals, even in the amount that I eat (which is a lot). BUT, I also know that I won't want to eat this every day. And that is just two types of produce. The container has a mix of stuff. So, while I'm paying more, I also feel like I'm treating myself a little. Almost like a high-end food item. Silly, huh? But it feels good and I enjoy it.

I use about half that container for a salad, these days. There was a time when I could and would easily use two containers for my salad base. Then load it down with all sorts of other veggies and it literally weighed about 4 pounds. I know because I weighed it once. And I could and would eat that whole thing in one sitting. Now, I can keep myself under control. So, that container has two salad bases.

Then I added just a little sweet onion. Again, there was a time I would eat about half an onion in that one sitting. No more. Just a little onion, about an inch of a block of firm tofu, cut into cubes, half an avocado also cut into cubes, a little Newman's Own Olive Oil dressing, but very little. And then, on the side, a small handful of cashews. Now this is a high fat (by percentage) meal. But this meal was my third of the day, my other two were a very large bowl of oatmeal with soy milk for breakfast (very large bowl), and a fruit smoothie that was 2 bananas, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a pear, 1/2 an orange, some soy milk and some blueberries.

So, I ate well and could afford the calories from fat. Usually, I have my fruit smoothie, I call it a slosh, for breakfast. But I didn't have enough oatmeal to make 5 sloshes at once, which is what I do... because I try to spend as little time in the kitchen as I can. So my meals need to be easy, fast... yummy...

Anyway, I was not able to make all my sloshes, so I put them off till I had all the stuff to do them all at once. I did have enough oatmeal to have a large bowl, which is about a cup and a half precooked.

Since this initial "high end" salad, I have regularly purchased one of these containers of organic mixes and adding a few other items, have had very enjoyable meals.

When I house-sit for one of my clients, she leaves food for me to eat. I often find something unusual, that I would not have bought on my own, but can try here... and sometimes finish off, without any repercussions. I have discovered several interesting breads, a couple yummy pesto sauces, and other unusual items that are quite yummy, quite unhealthy... but in small portions, easily assimilated.

So, that is just a little taste of a pretty normal couple of days. Nothing really exciting about this post, I know. Contrary to popular opinion, my life is not one exciting event after another. It is pretty ordinary with me eating as well and as simply as I can (while spending as little time as humanly possible in the kitchen), so that I have time and energy to play with horses or do my research and writing.

Just sayin' that if I am doin' it, it ain't that complicated... foodwise.

Dachia

All the news that's unfit for print

2011-03-29T07:52:00.000-04:00

Let me preface this post with- I already know that Yahoo! headlines are not exactly real news. Quite often, a person's blog could make it into the Yahoo! slide show of headlines. So, please don't roll your eyes and mutter, "well, what did you expect?" The headline that caught my attention was not by an idiotic blogger with absolutely no facts to back up his ridiculous claims. No, this was a regular idiotic writer for Men'sHealth, with absolutely no facts to back up his ridiculous claims. The headline was The 15 Worst Health & Diet Myths, so you can understand why it caught my attention. As I moved through the list my eyes grew wide and my jaw dropped.

This guy was writing for a publication. Albeit, a publication that I always thought was garbage and only bought a copy when Jason Statham was on the cover, but still a national magazine. It reminded me of people who followed Atkins because he was an MD, therefore he must know what he is talking about.

How many times have we heard people spout off about this or that on RFD and people are buying it? How many times have we heard a friend tell us about a gizmo they bought off an infomercial or glossy magazine ad?

What is it about certain gimmicks that get people to buy their junk? What is it about certain people that they seem to buy into gimmicks so quickly? I ask these questions so that we can all better understand our own predilections. If we know that 8 out of 10 people instinctively reach for the red box before the green box, then maybe we can stop ourselves, mid-reach, and say, "huh... I'll be darned." And then we reach for both boxes and actually compare them. Of course, in a perfect world, we are not reaching for boxes, unless it is very rare occasion.

I think my generation and those older have assumptions about magazines. Years ago, magazines and other publications were based on fact. They actually checked facts. I don't know when it happened, but magazines started popping up here and there that were not based on fact. For example, Unnamed Magazine is one of several magazines owned by Joe Blow. If you glance through the magazine you will see a slew of advertising for supplements... which happened to be made by Joe Blow. If you were to look through any of Joe's other magazines you will see a slew of advertising for products that pertain to that particular audience... and happened to be owned by Joe Blow.

Several years ago, I was watching a presentation by Dr. Lorraine Day who was discussing how she beat cancer with carrot juice. I am not making any claims about carrot juice, by the way, but in her discussion she picks up a copy of the Journal of the American Medical Association. She quickly pages through it and out of about 3/4 inches of journal, less than a 1/4 inch was actual research-based articles. The rest was either obvious advertising or advertising that looks like an article, but way down at the bottom, in teeny tiny lettering, were the words, "paid advertising." The ads, of course, were for pharmaceuticals. So, here we have a magazine that is directed to doctors... people who have a direct impact on the lives of their patients. They are assumed to be knowledgeable and truthful, and well-meaning.

They are reading a magazine that is paid for by big pharma. Do you see where I am going with this? I don't want to beat it into your brains. My point is that we need to put things together. We need to draw conclusions. The only way to do that is to look further and keep going further. We cannot simply read Unnamed Magazine and think we have the whole story... or even any part of the real story.

I know we often make jokes about "well, it's in print! It must be true!" But I think we often still instinctively accept as fact things on a certain level, because we read them... the page was glossy... the picture was nice... it seemed plausible.

Michelle reads a question.

We have recently begun playing games one night a week with neighbors. Wonderful people with great senses of humor. one of the games we played was Fact or Crap. You get a card that has 3 statements on it and the person answering must determine if the statement is fact or crap. I encourage you to pick up this game, at a thrift store, of course, and just sit and read the questions with friends. It is amazing and very telling how well crap can be disguised as fact, and vice versa.


Georgie decides... fact or crap

It is also a great way to get a night of deep, gut wrenching laughter into your schedule. Good medicine for your mental and emotional fitness... in fact, just plain good for your overall fitness.

All working and visiting students from abroad get the full Avalo Farm treatment. Nobody is spared.

Dachia

Jay Gordon, M.D. ... on exercise

2011-03-26T07:10:00.001-04:00

I came across this video while reviewing videos of health leaders I have come to trust. I was not familiar with this guy before, but really think this short little video has a great message and hope you watch. I think it is 3 and half minutes. After seeing this video and then doing a bit more research on him, I looked for other videos. Also, while I think the Processed People documentary is fantastic, I have yet to find a way to benefit monetarily from promoting it to others. My gain is the good feeling I get encouraging others to give it a try.

While you are watching this video, in your head substitute playing with you horse in all the places it applies...which is pretty much the whole thing.

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Dachia

The Common Cold and Why We Can't Cure It

2011-03-23T06:56:00.001-04:00

Many many years ago, I saw a button promoting a stud, "the cure for the common colt." At the age of about 11, I just thought that was brilliant. I never forgot the ad. As a side effect, assuming it was unintended, I immediately began thinking about the phrase and wondering why we hadn't cured the common cold. For years I pondered that question and then one day, it dawned on me... maybe there was nothing to cure. Maybe there was nothing to fix.

I looked up the symptoms for a cold and found there were a BUNCH. It was like colic... it covered so much ground that I began to think it was our definition that was keeping us from curing it.

So, when I began to correlate things and piece the puzzle together, I had a very different view of something like the common cold than anybody else I knew of. I wondered if it was not a sickness or illness at all, but a waste management system. We have one system that is recognized as waste management. We don't talk about it, but we all know it is there and we all hope "everything comes out OK." So, what if the cold is another aspect of the idea, but not that system? Think about it like this.... When you have a cold, typically you have a stuffed up nose, phlegm in the throat, chest congestion. All of these things are the body corralling and then ejecting junk. In that process, we are tired and achy. Maybe the body puts so much effort into that process that it is worn out.

As natural horsemen, we know that if a horse is feeling better, because of a change in diet or a saddle that fits better, he is going to kick up a little in his own way. As his body gets stronger, he feels like moving it. This particular subject has NOTHING to do with the former, except to say that it is something that lots of people don't expect. They think something is wrong. They try to put the horse back in his place and have no idea that the horse just feels good and that they should rejoice with him.

Now back to the common cold... one of the reasons I started thinking in this way was because I knew of so many people that would eat something very healthy, something not part of their normal processed fare, and they would get a cold. I wondered if the body was finally able to dispose of some garbage.

Imagine your body as having lots of little teeny tiny workers in there. Have you seen the movie "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Sex, But Were Afraid To Ask," with Woody Allen? If not, go see it. So, you have all these little workers in there and each has a job. Imagine your digestive system, with little workers wearing white coveralls, waiting in the stomach and the intestines and you eat a boxed processed meal. The little workers hear above that something is coming and they are waiting. There arms are open ready to catch whatever it is and shuttle it off to where it needs to go. The gate opens and the stuff starts arriving, and the workers grab it and say, "what is this?" Where does it go? And nobody knows so they start packing it in a corner. More of it arrives and they still don't know what to do with it. One of the little workers says that he thinks he can get rid of it but he needs the proper tool. We would call that tool a wheelbarrow, but the little guys in white call it micronutrients. They wait patiently for a wheelbarrow to come through the gate, but they just get more of this stuff.

Finally, they decide to just send it on. They open the gate to the next part of the system, where more guys in white have been waiting and wondering what the hold up was. The first guys start throwing the second guys these boxes of unrecognizable stuff. The second guys grab them and start heading to their usual drop off points and then realize that they don't know what it is and they can't use it. They, too, start to stack it along the walls of this long hallway or corridor. All the little doors from the hallway have more little workers in white ready to pass along the needed fuel and nutrients, but their doors are not opening.

The second area workers are scratching their heads, trying to determine what to do with this stuff and how to gt rid of it or use it. But they need tools. We would call them hammers and chisels but they would call them micronutrients. They keep piling up the stuff, which is starting to smell and rot and clog the area. Finally they open some doors and toss some boxes, which are falling apart now, to the next workers.

Those workers are excited that the door has finally opened, but then realize they cannot use what they have been given. This goes on for quite some time, which is why a large meat-based meal takes up 72 hours (that's 3 days) to digest. Keep in mind that the human body is about 98.6 degrees. Imagine an animal hit by a car on a hot day. Imagine that same animal 3 days later after 3 days of near 100 degree temperatures. These boxes of stuff keep getting passed along because there is simply no choice in the matter, but each set of workers is unable to utilize them.

This continues for a couple days, and every area that can hold something is holding something. Every area is a storage unit that was not packed well, and didn't have shelves built before the stuff arrived. The whole place stinky and clogged. Then on day 3, the body consumes a nice big salad. The workers are not excited when the gate opens but they slowly get a bit inspired when the workers closest to the gate start yelling, "hey, we got a wheelbarrow... and another one!!!!" "Woo hoo..." there is dancing in the stomach. The excitement excalates when they see there is real food here and along with it, chisels and hammers. They run to the next gate and opening that one, they begin to throw all tools and their accompanying stuff to the next workers. There is much rejoicing. But... thre is sooo much to do..." look at all this stuff along the wall, we can get rid of that. But it cannot all go that way." "Hey, we have these doors here... we can send this stuff through there." "What is in there?" "The lungs... we can ask them to help. They will if we give them these tools." "Okay... let's do that."

It is a burden for the lungs, but the workers there know they need to help out from time to time, or the body will suffer and possibly die. They take a big bulk of the stuff and with the new tools that just arrived, they begin to break up the stuff in small enough piece so that they can use a gust of air to get rid of it. Of course, they store quite a bit before they start the process of expelling. But wait... there is too much still. "Let's get the stuff further up there. We can send a lot the usual way, but there is too much for that. We need to get rid of as much as possible right away. These tools don't last forever, and the wheelbarrows are only good for 50 trips each."

So, the body works hard, pulling together, to get rid of all that junk while it can. The nose is filled with some of it, the kunks, the head... it is everywhere... but it is on its way out.

It is a common cold.

And the reason we cannot sure the common cold? Because there is nothing to cure... the process is saving the body. we don;t want to stop that, and Nature has a built-in system to stop us from halting that process. If we stop the process... we die.

For those who normally consume nutrient dense foods, the body runs like clockwork. Nothing gets piled up and there are always a few extra wheelbarrows and hammers and chisels around. In those bodies, a few cookies and pie and cakes and other non-foodstuff can be consumed, and the body can still deal with it, even though it it did not arrive with its own tools.

On the other hand, in other bodies, bodies that consume mostly calorie rich and processed (CRAP), proportionally lacking in nutrients- there is storing of waste where ever it can be stored. Oftentimes, in those bodies, where the arrival of wheelbarrows and hammers and chisels just never happens, the lungs and other organs are constantly being asked to share the burden and help in dealing with it. Colds and headaches are common in those bodies.. cancer is too. When rotting useless material is sitting around with no means of using or disposing of it, it can become a life of its own. It begins to grow and crowd out the workers in white. The workers become gray and begin to die. The workload becomes heavier.

And that's why we cannot cure cancer... we grew it. It didn't happen out of the blue. we had headaches, colds, congestion, aches and pains for years before it raised its head collectively as cancer. BUT, just like the common cold and so many other little illnesses, it can be prevented. We just need to keep those hallways clear. Think of them as emergency access. If you were to park your car next to a fire hydrant, you would get a ticket. Block an access in your body and you get a headache... or a cold.

Well, this is just a theory of mine. A theory that began when I was about 20 and never really changed much over the years. I do not think that EVERY cancer or illness or ailment is caused this way.... but I do think the vast majority are. We will never be able to cure the common cold or cancer anymore than we can cure our own hair color... that we dye each month. If you don't want your hair that color, don't dye it that color. It is not something to be cured, but prevented with our own actions.

Yep, I know this was a rambling thing, but it is just a theory.
Dachia

Right Here... Right Now

2011-03-20T07:03:00.001-04:00

I am house-sitting again, one of my favorite things. Zulu, Lilly and Tako are snoring softly, or loudly (depending on which dog we are listening to), and the orange cats are lounging on the dining table. I was very much looking forward to this job, because I had LOTS of writing to catch up on. I must admit, however, I was a bit torn, because the weather is incredible and I would also like to be home with my horses. But I am not kicking myself or feeling guilty, because... well... I just don't want to.

I spent a few hours with this client this morning before she left and we were discussing horse feeds. I have house-sat for her many times now over the last couple years and each time it seems the horses have a new feed. I am always interested in what the thought process was that lead to another change. I had the chance to ask her today. As she is a vet and although not 'natural', she does spend time determining what the best diets for her horses are.

I have seen some very basic feeds in her feed room and I have seen and smelled some feeds that were intoxicating. The last time I fed for her, the feed smelled so good, that I found myself lingering in the feed-room while I made calls to friends and clients to catch up or arrange schedules.

It occurred to me again that horse people are very open to the idea of trying new feeds and diets for their horses, and discussing new research and ideas pertaining to the feeding of horses. Unfortunately, when it comes to their own diet, they are typically not so open. It seems most people take their own diets and dietary choices much more personally. It makes sense, but it sure can be frustrating. When the topic is the horse, we can easily say that this horse needs some groceries, or is a bit overweight. This horse is not in working condition, lacks a good topline. This horse is slow to mature. This horse is a senior. This horse has cushings. This horse has no teeth. This horse is this and this horse is that.

I find myself often struggling with clients, or would-be clients, trying to massage the words, finesse the meaning, so that the people are not offended. When I talk to other people in the health industry, like my brother, we simply state things as fact. We have no emotion tied to the word 'obese.' We carry no judgment when we say somebody is unfit. We do not wrinkle our nose or raise an eyebrow or look away in disgust. We simply see the person as they are.

After a conversation with my brother (a trainer) concerning new research on bowel movements, I am amused that we can discuss just about every body function with a clinical distance. Then I become a bit un-amused when I remember or recognize that I am not able to simply state these things with general folk. The people who most need to hear and understand it.

I can stand next to any mature horse person and look at their horse's poop and say, "that looks good. Good color, good form, decent amount." Try discussing their own bowel movement and see how far you get.

When discussing a client's weight, which is often the reason they sought help in the first place, words are carefully chosen. It is very personal. People become very defensive and ashamed about their weight. Why? Why are we able to look at the horse and say, "Rugby is bit overweight. He needs a bit more work, or a change in his feed." Why are we not able to say, "Lucy, you are overweight... I'd say about 45 pounds of fat needs to be burned. We also need to address your calorie consumption. I have some ideas that I think will help you build some muscle, burn fat, and create a lifestyle where you are a balanced and fit person."

Back to the conversation with the vet, it occurred to me that it is not personal what we feed the horse.   We do not have ideas (most of us don't), of "but my granddaddy fed his plow team this and by God, that's what I'm going to feed my Eventer!" Why do we not constantly point to some unimportant and useless piece of history when justifying the diet of our horse, but we do when discussing our own?

There are best-sellers every year on the subject of the diet of early man. Leaving aside how ridiculous some (many... most) of the assumptions made on evidence that may or may not actually exist, my question usually ends up, "what is the point? And so what if that IS what early man ate. I am NOT early man." Using horses as an example of what I am trying to say- let's say your neighbor has Arabs and you have Belgians. Do you think they have the same dietary needs?

Or let's say you have lived on the family ranch your whole life, and this ranch has been in the family since the forming of the country. In the beginning, the family produced X. The family has continued to produce X for 300 years. But now the soil is bit tired. The neighbors are encroaching. The residue from the nearby freeway sometimes wafts over the land. Sales from product X are declining... are you going to continue producing X the same way?

My point is (I know you were wondering), whether you are a supporter of the creation theory or an evolutionist, we are not the same as we were. The world is not the same as it was. Times change. Our knowledge and understanding has changed.   We know things now that either were not true then or that we didn't know then.

But this is where we are right now... right here.

As natural horseman, how often have we tried to carry on a conversation with a normal person who was dead-set in the ways of their parents or grandparents. "Well, this is how my mom trained Winny." Yes, but we know better now. We have better tools. We have a better understanding now.

When I am speaking with clients or would-be clients, I spend a great deal of time trying to get them to understand and accept it doesn't matter what your mom and dad did when you were a kid, or that your grandma smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day and lived to 103. We are talking about you... right here and right now.

I wonder how much time is wasted trying to wrap comfortable phrases around, "You are overweight,' or 'you are out of balance and that's why you have headaches and can't sleep... you don't eat well and don't exercise enough and you need to change your lifestyle or your health and life will decline... period.."

If we could somehow let go of all the self-abusive, guilty, shameful feelings we have about our own health or that we push onto others about theirs, we could more quickly move into solution.

I wonder how we can encourage a move towards acceptance of simple facts while letting go of the peripheral associated content. I look forward to being able to tell somebody, "it is understandable that your joints hurt, you are carrying more weight than the skeletal system was designed to carry. I would suggest ..." and the person nods and says, "That makes sense. I think I am about 35 pounds overweight, would you agree with that assessment or do you think more?" But the excess weight a person carries is so personally offensive, riddled with unstated judgments, that it takes weeks or months before a person can get beyond the shame and move toward solution. I wish I could magically touch them and they would understand that there is no judgment, there is no blame, now let's just move forward from here, right now.

There was a time when we all knew the world was flat. Some found out that the world was round... and told others. the people who either clung to the idea that the world was flat or never heard otherwise, were not stupid... they should not have felt shame. They simply did not know any better.

I hope that we can all move forward from here, right now. I hope that we can store our judgment and finger-pointing of everybody and accept they simply did not know. They are not stupid or weak. When we see smokers, we often understand the battle they have. But that's only because their battle has been made more public than the battles of others. When more information comes out as to the purposeful doctoring with foods, additives to make a food addictive and depleted of nutrients, we can nod and say, "listen, this is not your fault... there is a way to get through this." I think that is what we, natural horseman, try to do when we see normal people having normal problems with normal natural horses. We don't want to point blame, we just want to help.

So, I look forward to the time when I can shave off a few weeks or months with a client and just get down to the facts. "This is you right here and right now... this what you can be... this is what you need to do. I would be happy to help you do that."

Dachia

Chocolate, Cheese, Meat, and Sugar -- Physically Addictive

2011-03-17T07:23:00.002-04:00

I may have shared this video with you before, but I just think it is so great, I want to share it again. It is a long one- 47 minutes, I think. I watch this, and other videos, over from time to time... I always hear something new or get a better idea (a clearer picture) each time. So, even if you have seen this video, I hope you sit down and watch again... and post it to your Facebook status... email it to your family.

Dachia

Premature Clarity

2011-03-14T07:55:00.002-04:00

You think you have it... but you don't.

You look at that horse and say, "Aha... he's a left brain extrovert... and he is intentionally pushing my buttons, and I'm going to say no more... and then you find out he is actually a right brain introvert with a nervous tick, and as he is flying through the air you say, "yep... had that one wrong."

I have very few country-type songs on my iPod, but one that I have is "You Don't", by Sara Evans. I just love this song. I doubt she meant any of the connotations that I interpreted (other than the obvious, but the main theme is that somebody thinks they know, thinks they understand... but they don't.

How many of us can now say that we thought we knew something and then learned we didn't?

Sometimes we sort of know, but not to the depth we then find ourselves. Natural Horsemanship is prime example of this, for me. Many times I thought I knew what my mount would do if.... and often I was somewhat right. I might be thinking, "ya know... I'll bet he's going to jump when that plastic bag blows over here." And I would be right, but instead of the little, "Oh-my-goodness-what-is-that" hop to the left," he looks at it like it has 3 heads and dripping venom and launches himself over the roundbale.

As a sidenote, my horse, Harcala has a very humorous response to my foot when I am on him. We can be walking along and then he notices my foot. He arches his neck, cocks one ear at it, his eye gets wide and his nostril twitches. It is hysterical to watch. His reaction is not as pronounced these days as it was in the first days of my riding him, but he still looks at it sometimes with that "OMG!" look before he has a look of, "oh... that's her foot."

This story has absolutely nothing to do with anything else I am talking about, just a funny story I was reminded of.

Back to my point- I think we, as a general rule, often have premature clarity. We think we completely understand something and we don't. It isn't until we are forced to recognize our error that it even occurs to us we may have one.

I further think that as a general rule, we, as a people would be better off assuming from the start that we may not be in possession of all the facts. We might be better off acknowledging that although we feel very strongly about this particular answer, it does not mean it is the correct one. I would bet that if we could embrace this philosophy, we would be able to see other answers, and other points of view much more quickly.

Of course... I could be wrong.

Dachia

Man's Search For Answers... even the useless ones

2011-03-11T07:54:00.001-05:00

A couple days ago, as I write this, there was a shooting that made national attention. It was all over Facebook and other social media sites. It seemed everybody had to link to it and say how sad it was and then make some social commentary about guns or political "rhetoric."

I do think that a part of human nature is the need to point blame somewhere... it is never just some idiot with a grudge or a psychotic episode. It is the fact that guns are everywhere or that people on TV said something incendiary. Seriously? People just do stuff sometimes.

This particular guy has parents who are now (again, at this writing) being hounded for interviews and answers. Somewhere along the line we got the idea that we were qualified to diagnose crazy people. All we need is unfettered access to the person, his parents, his grade school math teacher, the girl he dated in the 10th grade.... and then we can ask all of them these probing questions and find the single reason why this guy opened fire in a parking lot.

And then, we can get on all our social media and spread the word...

Somehow, this will make our lives complete. Is it that we need to feel smart? Is it that we need to fit in again? If we all agree that it is the prevalence of guns, then we can just do away with guns and nobody would ever be attacked again because it was the guns that caused the problem, not the fact that a person is a nutjob all by himself.

Where was I going with all this? ... Oh! That it seems human nature to be always trying to find the reason for stuff.

Had a phone call from a friend this morning who was having trouble with her significant other. She kept reviewing his past, trying to determine why he would do this or say that. In my opinion, this is normal human behavior... for both of them. She was searching for reasons why this or that but it was probably not something she could ever truly understand. He did what he did and the secret to the universe was not trapped in there somewhere.

This seems to be another case where we are making other people's issues our own. We need to understand their issues in such a way that we can say, "yes, if that happened to me I would react in the same way." I think this goes back to the human need to belong. If we can put ourselves in that person's situation and respond the same, then both of us are OK. The thing is that both of us are probably OK anyway, if we can just accept that we are not the same. I might jump left and you might jump right. Does your understanding of why I jump left make any difference? Can you just shrug and say, "huh... that was interesting."

But there is that deep need in us to make us delve deeper. I think this is something very cool about us, actually. I think thinking and wondering and being fascinated and asking questions is possibly the best part about being human. In fact, it might be the only difference between us and other animals. Assuming, of course, that they don't wonder or ask questions.

Embracing the human nature to seek the truth and find our own answers is something I strongly encourage. Questioning someone else's thoughts or motives, though, is usually an exercise in futility. Delving into our own, now that's a good workout.

Assuming someone is being disrespectful because they interrupt you, is placing your values on someone else. Some interrupters are just disrespectful. Others just have no self-discipline. Still others are type A personalities and use the ability to interrupt as a way to be in control. Some just don't know any better and some need to say what's on their mind before they forget. Some reasons are conscious and some are not. The point is that trying to guess their reasons is pointless.

I was raised to not interrupt. I was taught that it was disrespectful. So what this means is that if I interrupt somebody, I am being disrespectful. It has absolutely no bearing on the motives of somebody else.

As I write this, I have thought of a new reason why people seek answers as we have been discussing. While I do think the human nature is curious, I also think there is another aspect of the human nature that avoids discomfort. It is easier to ask questions about somebody else than ourselves. It is easier to seek answers we can never be certain of rather than face our own.

In fact, it might go even deeper than that. I have a family member with a habit that other member's refer to as analysis paralysis. He would think about a problem from every possible angle. He would spend hours to days taking copious notes as to the pros and cons of each decision related to the the problem. By the time he was done exploring every possible avenue, either nobody wanted any part of it, or we had already gone ahead with our own solution. Now this actually has two possible uses. One was that my family member did not actually have to take any action, just ponder all the possible actions. There is no right or wrong here. The other use is that it kept this person mentally busy for that period of time.

I have been guilty of the same thing, planning so much that I don't actually have to live it. It is an escape. Delving into a problem that has no solution is an escape. Delving into a problem that isn't our own is an escape. Wrapping our head around a secret of the universe is an escape.

We all need to be able to escape. Some escape is healthy. Some... not so much. I personally think that having conscious knowledge of your escape is much healthier than just delving headlong into issue after issue not realizing you are avoiding your own life, but, that's just my opinion.

Jon Stewart, while talking about the shooting said, "how do you make sense of senseless situations?" And that's it! It is a human need to have order... but as he also said, you cannot outsmart crazy. We cannot draw a straight line between cause and effect.

Instead of searching for answers just to have answers, we need to develop our ability recognize the difference between useful and useless.

Dachia

Recent Articles and Studies

2011-03-08T07:24:00.002-05:00

Last November, Time magazine published an article about Weight Watchers changing their point system, after four years of research. The grand finale has zero points for veggies and fruits. Weight watchers has decided that a calorie is not just a calorie. Foods that have more nutrients are more valuable, and therefore less points than those with less nutrient density. Quite the show of intelligence. You know there might be a million reasons why Weight Watchers should not be put out of business, but the fact that they would be missed by NASA is not one of them. It actually took them four years of research to determine that not all calories are created equally? Seriously? It took you four years?

Ok, I am changing the subject. Just last week (at the time of this writing, anyway), Time published another article that gave me a chuckle. It seems another study was done to determine if people who ate more fruits and veggies than others were more beautiful. It was found that, "given the choice between skin color caused by suntan and skin color caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin color."

This got me thinking... or wondering- is this the reason why we find people with that golden bronze color more attractive than the ones without? People have yearned for that suntanned look for years. However, we (most of us) know that the suntanned look is not actually healthier.. so why do we see it as healthier or more attractive? I read this article and it occurred to me that people who eat a lot of fruits and veggies have a change in skin color and perhaps evolution or instinct has taught us that these people are healthier... cuz... well... they are... and so therefore when we see a change in skin color, we see "healthy person"... "good healthy mate prospect", even though nowadays, few people are getting that color change from healthy fruits and veggies but the sun, or substitute, the tanning bed.

This would explain why most people prefer the slight color change and not the deep tans. In fact, I have heard lots of people, both men and women, express their disgust with deep tans. I'm fascinated by this.

Your thoughts?
Dachia

Childhood Diet Predicts Adult Cancer Risk

2011-03-05T07:16:00.001-05:00

I have come across a video that is not long and really makes it quite clear how important diet is to all of us, but particularly to children. please pass it along, it is far too important to not to.

Dachia

Just a thought...

2011-03-02T07:58:00.004-05:00

I had a little epiphany today on the trailride. Michelle and I were discussing how often we see people trying to learn with horses who are also trying to learn. We have all seen it right? People trying to learn the games with their horses who have never played them with their human. We suggest that they learn the games with horses who know them well... that way, you know if you are getting it.

Michelle has several horses who are excellent teachers to those who would be Eventers. It is easier to work on your seat or hand position when the horse knows its job and is left to do it. This type of discussion is not uncommon, but today it occurred to me how once again our personal relationships can be enhanced by our knowledge of Natural Horsemanship.

How often do we see two young people in a relationship, and we scratch our heads wondering how they ever made it this far. They are both still trying to figure it all out. Most often we see it in the very young. Very young, of course, is a constantly moving target. Right now, it is that age bracket of say 16-26. Although. I do know a few people that are 36 who should be included in that category. The point here is that as we get older, one of our wonderful talents is that we can now see more clearly just how silly some conversations are. We can be sitting in an Internet-cafe and witness the discussions of the young and inwardly roll our eyes at the ridiculous miscommunications. He said, she said, he thought she said, she is certain he meant...

As we get older and mature past the point we ever daydreamed about, we just say what we mean. There have been so many times in the last few years that I will be thinking about saying something and in the blink of an eye, it is coming out my mouth. For the most part, this has been a good thing. I am now just saying so many things that in the past I would have bit my tongue over, or spent days trying to find just the right way to phrase it.

In the past, I would have witnessed somebody making a sharp/snotty remark and I would spend some time trying to find just the perfect diplomatic way of telling that person what I saw. Now? I tend to immediately shake my head and say, "boy, that sounded pretty snotty." I will often quickly add with a shrug, "I know you didn't mean to be snotty... just sayin... it sounded pretty snotty." As we get older, we also tend to read people a bit better. So, while I would not say this to a stranger at a check-out line, I might also not share it with a right-brain person in the throws of her personal, self-induced chaos.

I had a great experience (although at the time, often didn't seem so great), with a significant other who tended to just say things as they were. He didn't walk on eggshells and try to sugar-coat things. If I was wearing something hideous, he would say, in his French accent, "ick... that is hideous." At the time, I found many of his mannerisms a bit cold and mean. Yet, I find myself just saying it how it is more and more often.

This new pattern has prompted me to wonder if I could ever be happily coupled up with somebody. I usually decide that I could be, if it were with a guy who was at the same stage of life as I was. The young stock is lovely to look at, but I don't want to take it on a long trailride and listen to that screaming for pasture-mates and shying away from every obstacle on the path.

Also, this is not an age thing, there are many younger people who have reached the point of emotional maturity, and many old people who have not... and it seems just are not going to in this lifetime. Yet, we seem to accept like and like. We want to see twenty-somethings with other twenty-somethings. We shudder to see teens with anybody who isn't.

If we see an older guy with a much younger gal, like a teen, we shake our head in repulsion and say that he is only in it for the sex. I shrug and say, "yeah... and so? Like the 17 year old guy isn't?" We accept immaturity from the obviously immature. Yet, we readily agree that everybody reaches that level at different ages.

I have to wonder if perhaps our cultural bias of older people dating younger people is a bit tainted. Imagine how much further a relationship can get in the communication area, let alone the intimacy area. Two young people will torture each other for weeks., months and years, trying to prove themselves and jockey for position. An older, wiser person might shrug and without emotion simply say, "these are your issues... not mine. I'm going for a walk while you try to deal with them and get a handle on them." A kiss on the cheek and they are out the door.

Perhaps the young could benefit from the wisdom of the not-so-young and learn how to communicate effectively more quickly. The young dating the young is like the blind leading the blind.

To use natural horseman terms again, if we want to put a "hard-to-catch" horse out with other horses, don't we put her out with horses than run to you in the pasture? If we are taking a new horse to an unusual and new place, do we take it with another newbie? Or do we take it with a been-there, done-that horse?

If we can dismiss our cultural bias, we might live long enough to witness our youth having mature conversations and making better decisions.... and taking responsibility for their lives and themselves.

Dachia

Transcripts from a Facebook Conversation

2011-02-27T08:30:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine, whom I've never met, posted an interesting link on his Facebook status, and apparently opened up a whole can of worms. I thought it was a very interesting conversation and wanted to share it with you, here.

I have changed the names, except mine, to protect the innocent as well as my invasion of their privacy. This whole thing began when Oprah announced that she and her staff would be going vegan for a week. Sounded like a fantastic idea and a great boost to the country's health, until I heard more about the actual diet.

I will share that my understanding of this particular vegan diet is nearly entirely processed. With very little actual fresh vegetables and fruits, I shudder to think of the lack of progress these well-meaning people will make. And with "experts" like this leading them, this may actually set the health movement back. However, the Facebook post is interesting in how we, people, get off track.

From Bob
Michael Pollan on Oprah now... such words of wisdom, from a true visionary? I don't see it that way. He has some valuable things to say, and a lot of fans, but to be quite honest, I see his perspective as straight-out wimpy...

From Donna

Bob, what is your beef with him? No joke intended. I just don't understand. Do you agree with his philosophies?

From Matthew

Pollan is where everyone should have been 20 years ago(but were sidetracked w/ industrial/chemical/GMO practices. Things(to a degree) are coming back full circle but we didn't really have to get on that merry go round in the first place....

From Bob

I agree with what he says about the problems with our modern, diseased food system, and the need for eating real, whole foods. What I don't like to see is him being billed as a "superstar expert," on a show (Oprah), where the topic, the vegan diet, is not one that he is expert in. In fact, with all his thinking and philosophizing and writing about his dilemma when it comes to eating meat, he continued to eat it because he likes the taste. He does assuage his guilt by being a proponent of "humane" farming. He stated on Oprah that these animals have a great life, with just "one bad day." That applies to Jeffrey Dahmer's victims too. I could go into other arguments and "facts" he has stated, that are untrue, illogical or just represent 1/2 of the true picture. But, in the end, they allow him to eat the diet that he wanted to eat in the first place.

That's fine for an individual. Everybody has a path and not everybody has the time/ability to dig deep into these issues, and take on a lifetime of conditioning, habits, etc. That is, however, not fine for a someone who is supposed to be a visionary, with wisdom that points the way for society to better itself. He is ignoring true solutions, in favor of espousing a personal preference borne out of his own desires. And the logic he uses to arrive at his conclusions, while on the surface seems to be rather well-developed and thoughtful, is basically a way of justifying something that he knew from the start of his endeavor was not OK for him. And he uses so many words to get ... nowhere.

Again, this is fine for the mere mortal, or someone who is not in a position to lead, but I expect more from a leader. Such a person has a responsibility to say the whole truth. So to me, he is not a leader in this area. Or, I could say, he's not a leader of the caliber that I think is needed to create the kinds of changes we require in a world of 7 billion. His solutions just don't work on a large scale and by stating them, he gives a false sense of what it's going to take for us to get where we need to go.

That's just a synopsis of the issues I have with MP.

A beautiful day to you Donna!

From Jennifer

well, his message is pretty accessible to the mainstream person. i think if the message it too radical, people just tune it out, so i think what he does is valuable. he basically promotes eating real food, mostly vegetables, not "edible food like substances" which is something people have totally forgotten how to do. i don't think he's promoting himself to be a "visionary" or expert on veganism per se, he's a journalist who has investigated the agribusiness and how we've lost touch with natural eating. plus, he's from long island, and aquarius, and a columbia grad...all good things in my book ;-)

From Donna

Jennifer I think you are right about being too radical. Twenty years ago I fought for tough smoking laws and was scoffed at even by non-smokers! People need to hear things when they are ready and most need to be convinced after seeing others doing it first. It takes time to change the world!

From Tom

Bob, How can we get YOU on OPRAH?

From Bob

Jen/Donna,

I clearly agree that radical is potentially less accessible. However, what I'm talking about is not radical, but giving people all of the information. Donna, when you fought for tough smoking laws, if you were aiming to get accep...tance, and to have people hear you, would you have settled for the leaders of your movement saying, "the answer that will solve this problem is for everybody to smoke lower nicotine cigarettes when in public places, since it's not cigarettes that are harmful, but the stronger nicotine cigarettes that cause the problems." The answer is obviously, no. Why? Because it would be aiming to appease by not telling the full truth.

I'm fine with Pollan or Food Inc, or anybody else saying that they are promoting eating organic, humanely raised meat. THis world is made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of opinions. What I'm not OK with is presenting that as the solution that is going to fix the problems that stem from meat consumption and production, now or in the future. The issues that arise from this single habit-gone-wild, are too serious to ignore.

Did you see the movie, Food Inc? It presented locally, "humanely-raised" meat as the solution, with that "humane" farmer, as the hero. And Michael Pollan promotes the same solution. If you've read his very long, seemingly very considerate deliberation on this issue, you know what I mean. Problem with both of these is that it's not the solution that will yield the greatest results. So neither of these models the true solution, which is a necessary thing to do, if the world is going to adopt it.

So what I would like for them to say, that for me, would restore their integrity, is something like, "while the ultimate solutions for our environment, our resources, and of course, the 10 billion animals we eat each year, reside in the realm of moving away from eating animal products local or not, "humane" or not, we're not ready to go there. For one thing, our parents taught us to eat this way, and for another, we just like the way it tastes."

Now I can't argue with the part about him being from LI, Aquarius and a Columbia grad. One of my favorite people anywhere fits that description, and she has a birthday coming in... 2 days!!!! :-)

From Bob

And Tom, I could probably get a job in the sanitation crew, and then unexpectedly dash onstage during the filming. But that would take years, and she's not going to
be on the air for that much longer! :-)

From Jennifer

When a problem is complex and multi-dimensional, there is rarely one solution, but rather, many "solutions" that would serve to at least help. i don't think Michael Pollan is trying to tout THE solution, but he's saying that eating things y...ou can pronounce, and eating your meat from a small, organic farm, is better and would go a long way to improving the enviornment and people's health. you can't argue that point. he doesn't have to be the champion of a totally vegan diet, he only has to say what he thinks will help. and it's a good thing he writes books and goes on Oprah. otherwise people wouldn't even know that much. and to address your analogy about the smoking, maybe lower nicotine cigarettes in public places would have helped a great many people over the past 20 years while society was in the process of banning smoking in public places. you can't get a message across if people turn a deaf ear to it. and if the message is too radical or forceful or too narrow people won't hear it, and worse, they'll go against it. one of the basic principles in therapy when trying to effect a behavior change in someone is meeting them where they're at. in other words, if i tell someone who doesn't even think they have a drinking problem that they need to get sober, they'll write me off as a nut. but if i meet them in the place that they are at, figure out what's important to them and help them come up with their own reasons why they might want to change a behavior, then the change is more likely to occur, and more importantly, stick.
but, i agree with Tom, if you feel that strongly about it, you should write a book and go on Oprah! :-)

From Matthew

It's true that MP message will be most palatable to the most people because it's not radical(and that can be a good thing), but what is needed IS to be radical. If we really knew all the things that are really happening(and this crew has a grasp on much of it)the world would be outraged because truth is radical. It transcends veg/vegan/omnivore/Democrat/Republican/Conservative/Liberal/Chexist etc. concepts and notions. Our interconnectedness to all things on this planet....Our existence only depends on it.....

From Bob

Jen. First, I won't debate the fact that he has given people a solution that they can live with. Second, he has gone well beyond the point where most Americans feel comfortable, so I give him credit for that. As one of the top 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine, his message is obviously being heard.

And I'm not saying he needs to be the champion of a totally vegan diet. My issue is, however, as I stated it above.

Did he belong on Oprah's vegan show? I would say no, but she thinks he's such a "rock star" (Oprah said that), so I can see why she had him on. Also, she's apparently still very cautious when it comes to discussing anything that might hurt the beef industry, after the hell they put her through when her guest and our friend, Howard Lyman, told the naked truth about meat production on her show. (The courts determined that it was the truth.) So having someone like Pollan on, stating that there's nothing wrong with eating meat, might make her feel safer.

And lower nicotine in cigarettes, if it did help less people die, is great. But if it's put forth as a healthy option, more people who might not smoke in the first place might choose to use it, and smokers might not quit because of it, so it could have a net negative effect in the long run.

And once again, I'm not talking about radical, but am talking about forthright, complete and honest. When you're in a position of leadership, I feel you have a responsibility to tell the whole truth. It's similar to how I feel about news outlets and personalities who are global warming deniers. I don't blame their listeners or viewers for not believing that global warming is a human-caused phenomenon. How is one to know? I do blame those who are in the public eye, who have the resources to find out what the overwhelming scientific consensus is, and who continue to espouse nonsense because of their political affiliation.

And I get your therapy analogy, and agree that we can't hit people on the head with a change that's too big to handle. It's a bit different when it comes to other issues. For instance, when you give heart patients a standard heart disease diet, that doesn't make them feel any better or improve their health much, they are less likely to stay with it, compared to a "radical" diet that has them feeling better in a matter of weeks. That said, you ought to know better than anyone that I am a proponent of the kind of education that meets people where they are, while giving them the truth.

And also, what Matt said. (Matt, your post popped up after writing this! :-)

From Donna

Bob, I think you are missing the point entirely. The fact that he is NOT radical is probably the reason why he has become so popular. He has penetrated the masses and the more he gets praised, the more people will listen to truth. Don't... underestimate his motives. He may be moving slowly, but he is steadily making a difference. I know from my own experience, I need to meet my clients on their level in order to help them make change. If I move too fast, they move away from me, no matter how well meaning I am, or more importantly, how right I am. He is opening people's minds, now it is up to you to keep filling those minds up with the right info. Become as popular and then you can say whatever people will listen too. He is paving the way for the rest of us.

From Dachia

I don't think it is Bob who is missing the point. He isn't questioning the motives, but what he said. Eating meat is not healthy or a solution... period. While it is true, as Bob has agreed with 3 times, that a radical change is not going to be accepted by the masses of people in this country, it is still reprehensible to not tell them the truth. The truth is not popular, as you have stated... and again, Bob agreed with... but the truth is the truth. If he were to state the truth and then say, as Bob suggested, that small steps in that direction are at least small steps in the right direction... we would not be as irritated, but this man had the ear of millions, and this is the kind of BS he espoused? Going from smoking 3 packs to 2 is a step in the right direction. Kudos to those who can do at least that. But don't tell them their risk of disease and early death is alleviated because of it. It is a lie... a popular lie.. but still a lie.

Back to our regularly scheduled blog- that was word-for-word the conversation. I hope you found it interesting and that it helps you see a little bit from several aspects of the topic. Thanks for staying tuned.
See ya soon,

Dachia

Road Trip!

2011-02-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Personal Pan Pizza, (looked better than it tasted)

I took a road trip with a new friend who regularly runs a rescue dog transport up the East coast, delivering dogs and puppies to their new homes, or to other rescuers. I knew heading in that there would be zero exercise for the three days involved but was hoping I would not succumb to the regular gas station/fast food fare so prevalent on the road.

I made 3 sloshes in advance, bought a couple bags of grapes and took a container of guck with some chips. On one of our first stops, we had a few minutes of breathing room and I picked up a loaf of bread and some hummus at the grocery. I also bought a Personal Pan Pizza at the Pizza Hut at one of our other stops, and I was disappointed. I was disappointed in the pizza and in me for ordering it, when I had guck in the van.

Before...a clean quiet van.

We drove, without stopping for more than a few minutes here and there to drop off pooches, from early Friday morning to later Saturday night. We tried to take naps, despite the yipping of puppies and the incredibly pot-holed roads.

I forgot to pick up water at several obvious places, and by the time I remembered I needed to drink something, it was getting pretty late. Thank goodness I had sloshes for breakfast and grapes to nibble on. I'm sure they saved my butt from completely going over the cliff of despair.

Elena, our fearless leader.

It was also very fortunate that I had good company, Elena, and that I felt pretty good about the mission... delivering rescued pooches from the South to the North. Does wonders for the mental and emotional fitness.

While driving, Elena and talked about lots of stuff (figure 36 hours of talking broken up by an hour of napping here and there). One of our topics was food choices on future road trips. The grapes were a great idea, we'll do that again. We will also get one of those plastic boxes of pre-made salad mixes. An avocado and some grape tomatoes (something that packs easily). Maybe we will have a little jar of raw nuts. We will have water from the start, and pick more up as we go. I'll take more guck and chips.

Lovingly referred to as the Mongolian Horde.

The bread and hummus, although not healthy, was not too awful, and turned out to be a great easy-to-eat food while driving. No forks or knives, just tear off a chunk of a fresh-baked loaf and dunk it into the hummus.... quite tasty and really took the edge off our hunger so we did not go hog wild at the next fuel stop.

We were in and out of the van quite often (which helped keep us awake), so we need coats that can be easily put on and then taken of and stowed when back inside. We also need large smocks to cover up as much as possible of ourselves when it is time to clean a puppy kennel... or really for any time we just have to open up a puppy kennel and we see all those puppy paws come at us. Maybe a plastic bag over our heads with little eye-holes cut out.

Kodiak, our company on the cooler.

As I said, I knew I would not be getting my regular exercise for the 3 day road trip, and although not happy about, figured I could sort of make it up before and after the trip. The lack of sleep, I was a bit more concerned about. Sleep is soooooo important, and we cannot really "make it up" later. So, next time, I'll be getting a couple extra hours just before the trip, and get a couple extra as soon as I can sleep in a bed again... and I'll make an effort to sleep better during my breaks from driving. One thing on my list of needs is a neck pillow. I hope that will help me sleep better, even if only for an hour.

That brings you up to speed on what I discovered on my road trip and my advice for making a road trip as healthy, but still enjoyable, as possible. Having a co-pilot who is on the same page is very helpful. Communal food-choices are much easier than trying to fit completely separate food choices into a very limited space (a cooler between the seats). Keep in mind, that just about every available square foot in the back is taken up by a kennel and a furry body. In fact, on this trip, we had a soft-crate with another very small furry body on the cooler between us.

All this to say that you can still eat reasonably well and take care of yourself on the road. If this trip were longer than 3 days, I would make a concerted effort to get some exercise in there somewhere. I could find a way to take just half an hour and run around the parking lot a couple times.

So, see you on the roads!
Dachia

Fantastic Video!

2011-02-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

As people interested in achieving mental, emotional and physical fitness, we need to be open to good information. One reason why I don't spend a majority of my time discussing diet in detail is because people like this can do it far better. These are the guys that are actually doing the studies. These are the guys that are on the front line. I encourage you to watch this video and feel free to comment or ask questions. I have many links that I would love to share with you.

Just imagine how much more we can enjoy our horses (and other loved ones) if we were truly healthy...

Also, I strongly encourage everybody to read T. Colin Campbell's book, The China Study

Dachia

Fueling The Natural Horseman... Part 3- Fueling the Lean Athlete

2011-02-18T07:55:00.001-05:00

Now, lastly, on the other side of this three-sided coin, we have the horsemen with the high metabolism. I have heard clients through the years lament that they wish they could eat just anything like these people, but let me let you in on a little secret; it ain't all you might think.

Eating a lot of food stuff is easy. Eating a lot of real food is tough. The difference? Food stuff is just stuff that resembles food, is marketed as food, but is basically CRAP- Calorie-Rich and Processed. Food is nutrient dense, lower calorie, higher fiber, fills you quickly kind of stuff. It is REALLY hard to overeat lettuce and peppers, they are designed that way. It is REALLY easy to eat too many chips... they are designed that way.

For some Natural Horsemen, consuming enough fuel (energy) is a task. Most people who seek advice from a health counselor have weight-loss (fat loss) as their goal. But there are many active people who need to fuel their bodies quickly and easily.

I started looking into this a couple weeks ago because a friend asked me to. I found loads of advice on losing weight- the national obsession. I found a little bit on maintenance. I found very little on fueling the athlete with a healthy diet. So, it is no wonder you guys are grasping at straws.

First, let's revisit the basics- you need macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. Macro are Carbohydrates, Fat, Protein and water. Micro are vitamins and minerals (in whole, unadulterated, intact forms). Everything you put in your mouth has properties. It is not simply fat or protein. It is not simply a matter of "affording" extra calories. Those calories are deficient in nutrients, which means they will leech what nutrients you have in order to be processed. There is more to it than that, though. Consuming non-foods is taxing to the body. The skinny or small-framed and lean horseman needs to be aware of the potential for osteopenia or osteoporosis. It's far too easy for any of us to lose our bone due to inappropriate consumption habits, and lack of appropriate exercise. The light-framed and lean person cannot afford any loss. So, this is just one reason among many to be careful about what you eat.

"But I am thin, and need the calories... I NEED to gain weight..." Yes, but there is a right way and a wrong way. Actually, there are hundreds of wrong ways, but there is still a right way.

So, let's backtrack to the basics. You need to get all your nutrients while staying within your allotted calories, and not consuming junk that will further deplete you.

The skinny or small-framed and lean horseman needs to be aware of the potential for osteopenia or osteoporosis. You already are light of bone, be careful not to add to the stress-load.

I wonder if I can put this in Natural Horsemanship terms. We have tools available for just about every (if not every) situation. Let's say we use our tools 100% of the time, to the best of our ability. We can expect great things. We are clicking with our horse, and have a great relationship. Now let's say we use those tools 90% of the time and for the other 10% we use traditional stuff, the stuff we learned growing up... or maybe just heard on RFD. What can we expect? Well, we might be OK, but we don't know. We might have stumbled upon a system that isn't too bad, a trainer who is not an idiot. But we may actually be taking a step backward in training because we are sending our horse a different cue. He is confused. He thought he knew how to read you, to understand you, but now is second-guessing himself. He doesn't want to be wrong. He doesn't want to feel stupid.

So, you see this isn't working well, and switch back to the Natural Horsemanship tools you know have worked with him in the past, but he is still just standing there? Why? Because you now have to make up for that 10%. If I did the math right, you are now working at 110%. It will take more to recover from that little faux pas than the initial cost of it. You only gave it 10% weight, but it has cost you 20%.

As your body is right now it needs X in micro-nutrients. If you consume only quality whole foods, this number stays the same. But if you consume C.R.A.P, you add to the deficit of micro-nutrients. If you don't supply what is needed, the body will find... within itself. The body has a survivor mechanism, a hierarchy of needs. Your bones are not as important as your heart and lungs. Your brain is not as important as you heart. When the body is given the choice (which we do quite often without meaning to) it will make decisions based on what must be kept alive and running and what can we do without. The heart comes first. Moving out from the heart we go through the next echelon of importance.

The ability to move is less important than keeping that heart pumping and the lungs breathing. You need to get all your nutrients while staying within your allotted calories, and not consuming junk that will further deplete you. That's what it means when you consume foodstuffs that do not nourish your body but rob it of its nourishment.

So, let's get into your choices. First, travel back with me in time and witness a part of my life. When I was really starting to make an effort in eating whole foods and not the boxed stuff that was easy and yummy, I found that I was exhausting myself in the activity of chewing. I'm not kidding. I would buy whole fruits and veggies, cut them up and sit down to eat this great and wonderful variety. Breakfast took about 45 minuets to consume the fruit I wanted to. Lunch took even longer and I had a Buddha belly afterward. I chewed and I chewed and I chewed and I said, "This is for the birds. There has to be an easier way to eat this."

I threw my fruits in a blender, added some oatmeal and soymilk and blueberries and blended the heck out of it. I would not call it a smoothie, cuz it just ain't all that smooth. But it was 36 ounces, about 900 calories of incredible nutrition, and I could drink it in 15 minutes. I call it a slosh.

As horse people, we generally need to be outside in the morning feeding horses and making sure all is well. I do my treadmill run/jog/walk/trudge first thing and then go out to feed horses. Back inside for breakfast and who knows, but generally I don't allow myself a great deal of time to linger over breakfast. The slosh is perfect. Now, let me remind you that I am fuel-efficient. I don't need extra calories like the lean athlete does. So, let me tell you what I put in the slosh and then make some additional recommendations to increase both macro and micro nutrients.

My slosh consists of soymilk (you can choose rice milk or almond milk), 1/2 an orange, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a pear, a banana, dry oatmeal (either quick or regular, makes no difference), a handful of frozen peaches, a handful of frozen blueberries and a swoosh of ground flax seed. I have run the nutrient content on this on my computer program and know that this runs anywhere from 850 - 950 calories, depending on size of whole fruit and how much soymilk etc. When I drink this in the morning, I am satisfied till 2 or 3 in the afternoon, BUT, I am not trying to increase calories.

For the lean athletic type, you can add a few things to this concoction that will likely not be noticed in the taste, but be beneficial in the calorie content.

Keep in mind, that this recommendation is for the naturally very lean. Having a very low fat content (in our body) is not healthy, and for horse people can be downright dangerous. Where we deposit fat has a lot to do with genetics, but like everything about genetics, they don't just work all by themselves... you need to feed their natural inclinations, or... you need to feed their unnatural inclinations. The body is designed to have fat throughout it, not just beneath the skin. That fat keeps our organs from jostling around and slamming into one another. When we run or are otherwise active, that fat is very important. When we are laying over the back of a young green horse and he bounces a little and we slam into his withers... yeah... we really want that level of fat.

We do not want any more fat than is beneficial, and there is a somewhat hazy fine line there. Keep in mind also that if you are in a competitive sport with your horse, like eventing, your body needs a little reserve.

The easiest macro-nutrient for the body to convert to body fat is fat. So, I would suggest you add a little more quality fat to your slosh, or just more good-quality calories that don't take up a lot of space or add an unpalatable taste. Add more ground flax seed. Hemp oil, flax oil, and pumpkin seed oil, are all possible additions to your slosh in small quantities. Too much will add flavor or aroma you may not like. Start with a teaspoon or so, and if you need more, slowly add a bit more till you are either happy with caloric content or you can smell or taste it (if either is something you don't desire).

While I tried to find good information from my usual places, I found just frustration. I finally had to reach out to athletes who have fantastic health and fitness levels and are also highly competitive in their sport. One such person is Brendan Brazier, a triathlete. A part of his philosophy is he-

emphasizes the importance of increasing net gain from foods and decreasing nutritional stress. Net gain is the amount of energy provided by a food minus the amount of energy required by the body to digest, assimilate, and remove the waste products from metabolizing it. Nutrient dense, easily assimilated foods take less energy to process, so give you a greater energy return. Because they provide so much nutrition, they also allow you to eat less, which means even less energy expended for processing food.

What does this mean for you, the athletic horseman who needs to gain or hold onto every pound you have?

Add a few snacks to your day. Eating snacks throughout the day is a great way to keep nutrients in your system. my suggestion is to have a mix of seeds and nuts in an airtight container in the kitchen, in the bedroom, next to the computer, in the barn, next to wherever you tack up your horse and even out in the play area. Grab a handful here or there and munch. Be sure you have water in all those places, too, fruit juices just funky with seeds and nuts in my opinion... you may like it. You know how you hear people should not munch throughout the day? That doesn't apply to you if you are trying to gain a little weight and hold onto it. Munch, graze... snack... but good stuff. For snacks, aim for at least three food groups like a whole grain, fruit and nut combo versus fruit alone. This provides your body with a broader spectrum of nutrients to work with throughout the day.

Eat more fat, a better quality than the common ones we find, to increase your overall calorie and nutrient content. Focus on heart-healthy fat as much as possible. Avoid saturated (animal) fats, such as red meats, margarines and whole-milk products. Instead, use seeds and nuts and cold-pressed oils from them, such as olive or flax seed oils, to cook your foods. This will increase your calorie content considerably but also provide you with nutrients.

Consume more whole foods. They are dense in nutrients, therefore easy for your body to utilize. Stick to whole foods though, as they contain fiber and nutrients.

Look for packaged whole foods created for the healthy athlete, if you really don't want to take the time to prepare the food yourself. Quickly, I can think of one- Vega but you can get several items at a Whole Foods or other similar store. Look for hemp, pea or rice protein. All are fantastic nutritionally and adding a bit of any or all to a slosh or over whatever else you are eating is a great way to add nutrients and calories.

Also, keep in mind that, you can have a different slosh later in the day. You can have a slosh for breakfast, and have another prepared, totally different flavor and size if you wish, for later in the day.

Try to do some cross-training. If all you ever do is ride or groundwork, you are losing out on incredible benefits of other activities. Go for a walk. Go for a hike. Maybe a run. These activities will do wonders for your mental fitness, as well. Are you losing your keys a lot? Go for a walk and clear your mind.

Dachia

Fueling the Natural Horseman... Part 2- Fueling the Fuel Efficient

2011-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

TIn part one, I talked about the Easy Keeper. These are the horsemen that think they gain weight on air. Of course, that is actually not the case. They are consuming calories, but are probably not aware of just how many or the different values in calories. This post is directed toward the Fuel-Efficient, which technically could be referred to as the Easy Keeper, as well. But I couldn't come up with another nifty title, so please just play along.

I will define the Fuel Efficient as those people who consume just about the right amount of food, calorie-wise, and don't seem to gain or lose or worry too much about it.

This group of people is at a healthy weight level, and needs to maintain that level, while still fueling themselves properly. These horsemen are an easier group to help. They can begin to make very simple changes in their lifestyles and feel immediate differences, and then continue to make simple changes. Unless these individuals are ill or have immediate concerns regarding their health, there is no reason to go hog-wild and turn their world upside down. Having said that, there is evidence to support better results and adherence when making a huge sweeping change.

It is likely that this group, like the others, is trying to fit healthy eating in around horse time. I know you guys. Healthy eating is fine if it is easy, convenient and doesn't cost much extra. If it takes time or money away from horse pursuits, it is out the barn door.

So, let's start with the basics, as usual. You need macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients. For you guys, you need to try to keep your food as nutrient dense as possible, and keep the calories under control. Plant based, whole foods is where to start. If your choices are based on nutrient density then you can still afford to have some CRAP- Calorie Rich And Processed. Keep in mind, though, that just like Natural Horsemanship, the more loyal you are to the basics, the more success you will have.

I love pizza, cookies, brownies, cake, pie.... lots of other things that are yummy, but certainly not food. The thing is that I fill my usual meals with fruits, veggies, whole grains... real food, so if I want a piece of pie or a few cookies, it's no big deal to my body. I have enough nutritional reserve to cover it. If, on the other hand, I were eating this type of thing every day, and my meals were not nutrient rich and whole foods, I would be depleting my body and start seeing symptoms: headaches, fatigue, fuzzy mind, losing my car keys, moodiness, depression, minor aches and pains, etc etc. If I continued to consume in the CRAP manner, I would eventually develop serious illness.

I'd like to add here, that illness never comes out of the blue. Have you ever heard a well-meaning but un-savvy person describe the time they got kicked, or pummeled, or dumped, or whatever, and they say, "there was no warning!" Unlikely. Usually, there are loads of warning signs, but they might be very subtle. See above.

An easy way to get a good load of nutrients is a slosh in the morning. I make about four in advance. I have found that sloshes last about 4 or 5 days in a good fridge. And when I take the time to make a slosh, it only takes a bit more to make them all at once. I am not a kitchen type person. The quicker I can get in and out of there, the better.

For a good fruit slosh, pick a bunch of fruits, like apple, orange, banana, pear, peaches, etc. I would advise you to stay away from grapefruit for a slosh, they are very bitter and can turn the whole slosh bitter. One way to make your sloshes a bit different from each other, if you need a different flavor, is put blueberries in one, and strawberries in another. Both of these fruits are fantastic anti-oxidants and are a great flavor. They will give the whole slosh a nice light flavor.

Also, keep in mind that you really want to stick with nutrient dense everything- so choose a soy, rice or an almond milk. If you need a bit more liquid, so the blades can turn, add some water. For a good fat, add a bit of ground flax seed. Also, add some oatmeal, it adds some good stuff and increases the staying power.

This video can help you understand some tricks the food giants use to get you to buy their stuff.

Dachia

Fueling The Natural Horseman... Part 1- Fueling the Easy Keeper

2011-02-12T08:37:00.002-05:00

Several weeks ago, I was asked to write a blog about fueling the natural horseman who is naturally lean. I didn't want to ignore the other folks, who are not naturally lean, so I started writing with everybody in mind. What I found though, in my research, was that some information is readily available and some is very hard to find.

Consider there are basically 3 different groups of people; people who need to lose weight, people need to maintain their weight, and people who need to gain weight. Now, each of those groups has several subgroups: people who have trouble losing, people who have trouble maintaining and people who have trouble gaining... also, people who find it easy to lose, maintain or gain. Still with me?

So, what I thought would be a simple regurgitation of the facts I found in my research became a more in-depth study. So, I had to break this blog into three different posts. I hope that you will read all three, even the ones whose categories you don't fall into because reading all of them will give you a better understanding of your situation. Look at it this way... you have a left-brain introvert, but still get something out of reading tips designed for the left brain extrovert.

This post is directed at the Natural Horseman with a few too many extra pounds. While many people go through their entire lives with no real obvious trouble being caused by the fact that they are overweight, I'd like to clarify that there are numerous issues that you cannot easily recognize. The first thing to think about, and this is not something that most non-horse-people will give a rip about, is that any extra weight you are carrying means extra weight for your equine partner.

Extra weight does not simply mean fat. Extra weight could easily be muscle. This seems to be a very common misunderstanding. The skeleton is designed for a certain size body. The circulatory system is designed for a certain mass, as are the respiratory system and all the others. This is important because each additional pound must be attended to. It must be fed, and wastes removed from it. This one single extra pound is an added burden to the rest of the body.

Think of it this way: you have 4 horses and somebody gives you another one. You now have to feed that horse. Let's say you have Clydesdales and the new one is a mini... does that mean it doesn't eat? It doesn't need its feet done, to be checked by a vet, to be brushed, to be exercised, to be fed, and made sure it has adequate water? You see my point? It does not matter how small the additional burden is, it is still a burden. While a pound of muscle looks and feels better than a pound of fat, it is still additional burden if you are otherwise carrying more weight than you need. Now, having said that, our first priority is to use the additional muscle to help get rid of the additional fat... then we can shed a bit of the additional muscle.

Muscle has a higher metabolic rate than fat, so we need to hang onto that, or even build a bit more, to help shed the fat.

Made this pretty big so you could see it easily. This chart is explained in the video (below), so use it as reference.

Now, I'm sure you have all heard that losing fat is simply a matter of basic math. Eat fewer calories and use more calories. I'm hoping that you read my other post telling you that it is simple math... but isn't quite that simple.

Let me define two terms I need to use; micro-nutrients and macro-nutrients. Micro-nutrients are vitamins and minerals. Macro-nutrients are fats, carbohydrates, proteins and water.

We need to get enough calories (Macro-nutrients) to keep us moving at our individual and personal level. We need to get all our necessary micro-nutrients within those allotted calories. A person like me, with a medium metabolism can pretty much eat as much plant-based food as I want caloricly, but I still need to get all my micro-nutrients. The reason I don't have to be too careful with calories is that plant-based foods have fiber and bulk and fill you up faster (or at least satiate you). Another bonus is plant-based food is generally high in nutrients and low in calories. I can mix and match as I wish as long as I keep a healthy balance between the really starchy grains (which are less nutrient-dense than the others) and the less starchy fruits and veggies (which have the higher nutrient density). Keep in mind that all plant-based food are nutrient dense in comparison with animal based products. Even eating good breads and rices and such is nutritionally more beneficial than eating the meat and other animal based products. We'll get into that more later.

For those horsemen on the lower metabolic scale, meaning very fuel-efficient, it takes less to fuel you than others. You gain weight pretty easily. You need to stay closer to the fruits and veggies and further from the heavier grains and bread-type foods. That makes sense right? You need to get all your micro-nutrients while adding as few macro-nutrients as possible. If this doesn't make sense, please ask me about it.

The average person in this country, a stereotype, is the person who wakes to an alarm clock, showers and has some toast and coffee on the way out the door. They drive to work, which is either an office setting, <shudder>, or a factory type job <more shuddering>. They have a couple breaks, filled with idle chatter and bad food-stuffs. They do their time, get in the car and go home. At home, they eat more convenient junk and watch a little of the tube and head to bed. This is obviously an oversimplification.

On the other hand, you have people like me, whose lives revolve around horses. We get up, go out and feed. Make sure all is well, rub on a few, and if it is summer and you're in South Carolina, better get your playtime now... because it is wicked hot in a couple hours.

Of course, there are loads of people in between. The question is how do Natural Horsemen fuel themselves to have enough strength and energy to play hard and keep up with these awesome beasts, while still maintaining our girlish, (or boyish) figures.

Cutting calories is extremely easy if you are consuming quality calories, because they fill you pretty quickly. Plus, when eating more nutrient-dense foods, the body works better, more efficiently. Take a look at the above chart, stolen from Jeff Novick-

Check out this quick video, on calorie density by Jeff Novick-

I'll have two more parts to this. Please check back and share with friends. I have incredible resources, like Jeff Novick, John Robbins, and many others. Once you hear them speak, you'll be searching for more on them. I'll be happy to point you in the right direction.

Dachia

Tribute to Leo Buscaglia

2011-02-09T08:54:00.001-05:00

The following was written by Leo Buscaglia as the Introduction to his book, The Way of the Bull. I love this guy and recommend all his writings to everybody.

The title, The Way Of The Bull, was suggested by a
Zen book, 10 Bulls, written in the 12th century by the Chinese Zen master,
Kakuan. In his story the bull represented life energy, truth and action. The
way concerned the steps that man might take in the process of seeking insight,
finding himself, discovering his true nature.

During the years of my life I have been schooled by
our society in many things. Mostly, I learned and never questioned. Surely my
teachers, who purported to love me, would not lead me down false paths into dead
ends, away from myself into loneliness and despair.

A few years ago, I became suspicious. I began to
believe in my own senses, to trust my own mind. It soon became painfully
obvious that much of what I had been taught had served as the greatest deterrent
to joy and finding myself and had led me rather into my greatest fears,
disappoinments, confusions and pain.

For example, my society had taught me that man's
worth was to be measured by the things he possessed. If he owned a "big" car, a
"lavish" home and an "impressive" bank balance, he must be an important and
worthy man, and was to be emulated. I was never told that man "possesses"
nothing, only himself. I began to wonder: If man is his "things," what happens
to him when he loses them or they are taken away from him?

I was also taught that life had no meaning unless
it was goal-oriented and that my life, to be meaningful, had to be spent in
creating goals, making decisions about those goals and charging toward them,
through mud and muck if necessary, to achieve them.

Time and experience revealed to me that life was a
trip, not a goal. That often one became fixed on the end that he totally missed
life along the way, and found, only too late, that when he had scaled the
mountain there was only another mountain, and another, and another. What a pity
that he never stopped long enough to breathe the new, clean, fresh air and
admire the spectacular view. I had to question: If life is a continual trip,
does it matter if one ever "gets" anywhere?

Society also created confusing dichotomies for me:
good and bad, mature and immature, reality and fantasy. I was then forced to
select, supposedly for my own well-being, one over the other. I was told that
society's morality was always superior to my own, though my true nature was
compelled to question this. I asked, for example: Does it make sense that wars
are fought to preserve peace?

The idea that maturity came with age, that
experience meant wisdom, that youth could never be wiser than their elders,
conflicted with my experience, which saw no real correlation. Had the wise
elders really made our world a better place for us to live in?

The constant advice that I "get out of my fantasy
world" into "reality," that I "face reality" often proved frustrating, since
society's reality constantly seemed more unreal than my fantasy. I pondered:
Wasn't reality nothing more than the freezing, the firming up, of
illusion?

But so successfully had I learned these lessons,
heard and responded to these teachings that it was only a little more than ten
years ago that I decided to listen to myself, follow my own voices, and go the
WAY that seemed to be most congruent with me and my true nature. In other
words, I decided to take The Way Of The Bull.

This way has not always been easy, though it has
been wondrous, full of excitement and discovery, even though I now know that one
need never "go" anywhere to find himself, for he is already
"there."

Along my way I have read many books, experienced a
million amazing things and met wondrous people in strange lands. Each has
served to open my mind and head and heart. From each I have learned much. I
know, now, for instance, that my existence is to be found nowhere but in myself
for my existence is me. I know that I need not hold onto experience to
make it mine, the experience is enough.

I have learned, most importantly, that a WAY will
only have reality as it relates to living in the now for, as stated above, life
isn't the goal, it's the voyage, and the only reality seems to lie in change.
But if all things that are, are already ours, then even change is an illusion,
and the WAY becomes simply an unfolding, like the opening of a flower, for all
things necessary are already a part of us and to discover it we need but nurture
the flower, be patient and continue to grow. -- Leo Buscaglia, Los Angeles,
1973

John Robbins -heir to the Baskin Robbins ice cream empire- on diet

2011-02-06T07:59:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recently forwarded an email to me containing these three video segments of John Robbins speaking to an audience last year. His topic was... well, I'm not sure what his topic was supposed to be, because he covered a lot of great ground. John Robbins has written several best sellers, but his first two were books that helped form my life and motivate me to make huge changes in my life and to help others do the same. I hope you watch the three parts and maybe even check out his website and books. There is so much to be gained and understood even if you are pretty comfortable where you are.

Dachia