Living Healthy Happy and Green Blog » Current Blogs

Category Archives: Exercise & Personal Growth

Dalai Lama Explains the Difference Between Praying and Meditation

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 28, 2013 - 3:02 pm | , ,
84 Comments

Honorable Dalai Lama   The Honorable Dalai Lama posts on his facebook on March 26, 2013, an explanation of the difference between act of praying and the art of meditation as daily practice for inner peace. This explanation, by no means, is saying don’t pray if this is part of … Continue reading →

Meditation Tips from Russell Simmons

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 25, 2013 - 1:16 am | ,
73 Comments

 

 

For everyone who is following LHHG’s Challenge for a sustainable you and are struggling with mediation techniques that are comfortable for your body, this blog post is for you. Yesterday, Russell Simmons post on his Global Grind website, how he meditates, as described in his book “Super Rich,” which tells his story about how he found calmness. I actually use the techniques he describes in his book at the start of my mornings to clear my head and relax my body for a busy day. It works, trust me. When I first started meditating I laughed, I cried, I stared at walls, and I thought about past events, which made my meditation experiences very abstract. But over time, I have learned to pull my mind back to my center of calmness.

 

The Global Grind’s post begins with Russell discussing the amount of time in your day that should be put aside for meditation. He suggests 20 minutes. If you have a hard time sitting for 20 minutes, I suggest starting at 10 minutes and working yourself up to 20 minutes. Next, Russell speaks of finding a comfortable sitting area that is safe and relatively quite. Once you have decide a time that is convenient to you and select a comfortable site for meditation then you are ready to slip into a place that you can only find. Below is an excerpt from Russell’s post about how he meditates.

 

“First, find a comfortable seat and set your alarm for 20 minutes. It’s very important that you are sitting comfortably. After a minute silently repeat (in your mind) the Mantra “Rum” over and over to yourself. You can do this at a fast or slow pace as you like, but repeat this mantra simply as a vibration (it has no meaning). Meditation only requires that you sit, be patient and “watch all your thoughts” as they come and go. But, you MUST be patient, patience is the key.”

 

I hope this blog post helps those of you who are still exploring various meditation techniques that compliments your mind and body for a sustainable you.

 

Source, Global Grind to read more


Bookmark and Share


Save Cash and Eat Better With These 8 Tricks for Your Fruits and Veggies

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 21, 2013 - 6:49 pm | , ,
97 Comments


This article talks about ways to help you to save fresh fruits and vegetables from going to the waste basket or compost pile. Simple tips include, don’t put food where you can’t see it.  This idea has been proven by my mother.  She puts selected foods that she wants my Dad to eat in clear containers at the front of the refrigerator.  It works, he eats all of the food as if he planned his meal without the help from my Mother.  Other tips include: storing produce in environments that will help keep them fresh; freezing foods in oil or water for future use; and refreshing certain vegetables in ice cold water to revive them.  To read more, go to Take Part

 

Bookmark and Share


Week 2 of LHHG’s Challenge: Salads and H2O for a Sustainable You

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 19, 2013 - 9:34 pm | , , ,
78 Comments

Source: livinghealthyhappyandgreen.com via Living Healthy Happy and Green on Pinterest

 

Let’s go over last week’s goals and check them off our list of things to do within the first five weeks that we are dedicating to a start of sustainable you and to a start of living healthy happy and green every day.

Check off:
1) Joining the 21-Day Meditation Challenge
2) Filling out Dr. Oz’s Quiz: What Your Metabolism Type?

If you have not completed the above goals please follow the links and complete the goals as instructed on the websites. Remember, the purpose for the Meditation Challenge and the Dr Oz’s Quiz is for you to learn about your body through credible and organic programs.  Please, go to LHHG Challenge’s previous blog posts to read about our journey.

This week’s goals:

1) To begin with, add a healthy salad loaded with bulky vegetables and low calorie dressing to at least one meal to help you learn to feel full without eating a lot of calories. If you add fruit, be carefully not to eat a lot, because in the weeks that are coming we will start counting how much sugar we are eating everyday and you will discover that fruit can blow your sugar goals throw the roof, specifically when you are counting calories to lose weight. Eat one-half of a fruit per serving, if it is considered large or one small fruit per serving for meals or snacks. Use your intuition as a guide for measurement; you will be surprised at how accurate you are. I think this is a good guide for us to start with this week when we are planning our daily meals that will include foods that are low in calories, but make us feel full.

2) In addition, try to start drinking 32 ounces of water (H2O) a day to help keep you hydrated. Also, pay attention to what you drink other than water. Many over the counter drinks are loaded with sugar. For instance, one 7 oz can of ginger ale has 22 grams of sugar. Let’s take some time right now and calculate some numbers.

If you drink 22 grams of sugar and your daily goal is 24 grams, what is the remainder?

I am assuming every one arrived at the same answer, which is you will only have 2 grams of sugar left for you to eat or drink for the rest of your day. Not to mention that you may feel sluggish and if you are like me, look bloated or break out the next day if you consume too much sugar, particularly simple sugars. Sugary drinks also include sweetened juices, teas and coffee products. In other words, you must be aware of the drink’s ingredients listed on its container and you must pay close attention to the drink’s total calories per serving listed on its nutritional label.  If you eat out and want to know a particular restaurant’s nutritional information for its menu, try Googling, it can give you instant data posted on the restaurant’s website for your review.

In summary, complete last week’s goals to learn about your body, add salad with bulky vegetables and low calorie dressing to at least one meal a day to feel full without added calories, and try to drink 32 ounces of water to keep your body hydrated. Don’t forget about paying attention to what you drink other than water to keep a mental note of daily sugar and calorie consumption. In comparison, last weeks goals were created to help us understand our bodies, while this weeks goals are created to help us become more aware of what we eat and drink daily. In the weeks to come, we will start counting calories, but not this week. Remember, if you fall off the wagon the LHHG community will help you get back on it, so you can enjoy the journey to a sustainable you and to living healthy, happy and green every day.

Note: Please, consult your doctor when starting any weight loss program for possible health issues and possible limitations.

Let us “Get-Up and Get-Going” with “I am Living Healthy, Happy and Green Every Day,” and with the support from each other.

“LHHG is community of caring people with healthy hearts, happy minds, and green souls.”

 

Bookmark and Share


Day 4 & 5 of LHHG’s Challenge: Sustainable You Goals

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 16, 2013 - 3:57 am | , , ,
109 Comments

 

 

 

LHHG’s Challenge asks, “Are you enjoying meditating?”  Here is the 21-Day Meditation Challenge link. Don’t forget to answer Dr. Oz’s Quiz: What’s Your Metabolism Type?

I hope everyone is meditating.  After a busy day, I find myself just wanting to go to bed and go to sleep.  Matter of fact, part of my mind wants to shut down for the day and do nothing.  However, I am choosing to continue building on a program that will help me stay mentally and physically fit.

 

When I manage my time to meditate daily, I notice a difference in my decision making process.  For instance, when I am preparing my lunch, I do not waiver from my decision to eat beyond the set amount of calories that I am dedicating to the meal.  As a result, after eating my lunch, I don’t feel guilty.  With all things considered, I am “holistically” feeling satisfied and energized to continue with the rest of my day.

 

Under these circumstances, I am becoming more aware of my body and its needs.  After a long day of sitting in front of a computer, I notice my muscles are stiff and tense from sedentary activity.  With me practicing meditation, my mind is becoming more in tune with how my body feels at the end of my day.  Without a lot of complex analysis, my mind is becoming a conduit for simple thoughts that are about what I want to do, in an organic fashion, to relax my muscles and relieve tension on a daily basis.

 

With the help of meditation, I am peacefully focusing on my mental and physical needs.  Even at 2 am in the morning, I am not running to the refrigerator and blindly eating a snack.  What I am doing is setting aside time to listen to the 21-Day Meditation Challenge’s messages and feeling good that I am participating.  Each day, I learn about my body and mind so that I am better equipped to handle challenges through the day.  Most importantly, I am making a conscious effort to have a peaceful mind and a sound body.

 

Bookmark and Share


Day 3 of LHHG’s Challenge

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 14, 2013 - 1:53 am | , ,
2,879 Comments

 

 

Day 3: LHHG’s Challenge asks, “Have you answered the questions from Dr. Oz’s Quiz: What is your Metabolism Type?“  If not take the time right now to answer. This is important, because you must know the inner workings of your body before you can achieve a healthy weight goal. I know this from years of trying everything to lose weight, and complaining to trainers.  Once you complete this task, focus on learning how to meditate for the rest of the week and enjoy the journey of living healthy, happy and green every day.


Bookmark and Share


Day 2 of LHHG’s Challenge

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 13, 2013 - 1:15 am | , ,
3,511 Comments

 

Day 2 of LHHG Challenge.

 

Question, has everyone signed up for the 21-Day Meditation Challenge? If not, take the time now to sign up and begin participating to complete this section of goals for this week.  Our first week’s meditation goals were selected exclusively for LHHG’s community members and visitors to learn about the importance of meditation, acquiring knowledge on how to relax, and exploring various meditation techniques.

 

The Oprah and Depak’s 21-Day Meditation Challenge nurtures the mind and the body to discover a healthy and balanced sense of well-being.  Our first goal is to understand the importance of meditation and how it reinforces discipline and relaxation.  By practicing bringing your body into a state of calmness, it allows you to get rid of a cluttered mind and a tense body.  In contrast, if you are not comfortable with the connotation of the word meditation, then pray.  With this in mind, you can achieve a meditated state of mind by doing what you do best, which is praying.  And as we all know and sometimes forget, it’s a custom that most dominations commonly practice for a peaceful mind.

 

Our journey also includes learning how to relax.  In this day and age, life has become one big cluttered day.  We leave the house in the morning to head to work, drop off the kids and pick them up, deal with daily work related issues, run errands for the family, and the list goes on.  By the end of our day, when we can actually sit down to rest, it is time to eat and it is time to go to sleep.  This is why we must master, for at least 10-15 minutes a day the discipline to take time for ourselves.

 

Deepak Chopra, M.D. is a spiritual leader and a master in meditation techniques.  Chopra provides in the 21-Day Meditation Challenge a variety of ways to achieve silence.  By the same token, I truly believe in the power of meditation.  My interest in learning how to meditate began when I read Russell Simmons’ book “Super Rich,” which provides insight into the world of yoga.  Both Chopra and Simmons speak about tailoring a variety of meditation techniques to compliment personal comfort.  For instance, I prefer sitting up, because I fall asleep when I am lying down.  Over time, you will learn several techniques to choose from.

 

For the purpose of perfecting a meditated state of mind, you should consider properly preparing for an undisturbed meditation experience.  First, I suggest inspecting places that you do not have to worry about safety and noise.  Next, I advocate examining times that you will not be or less likely be interrupted; this will help you keep anxiety at bay.  Last, I recommend trying several positions so you can get a feel of what is the best arrangement for your body.  After preparing to meditate, you can comfortable set aside time to surrender yourself to a higher state of mind.

 

As we begin day 2 of LHHG’s challenge with the understanding of the importance of meditation, learning how to relax, and exploring various techniques, you will be well on your way toward attaining tranquility.  Over the next few weeks, we will come to a complete understanding that we all aspire to have, which is a source of calmness in our lives.  This can be achieved through discipline and relaxation brought on by your dedication to perfecting inner peace.


Bookmark and Share


LHHG’s Challenge: Sustainable you goals for the next 5 weeks.

Image

  By Vanessa G. Turner | March 11, 2013 - 7:06 pm | ,
76 Comments

 

 

Ok everyone, Living Healthy, Happy and Green is ready to start on our journey to a better you.   What better ways to start than with suggests from Dr. Oz who gave our founder some tips to help set healthy weight goals, Oprah and Deepak’s 21-Day Meditation Challenge, and Living Healthy, Happy and Green’s community support.

Today, Monday, March 11, 2013, we are going to challenge ourselves.  Leading to a better you, we are going to make a difference in our lives for 5-weeks with our short-term goals and for a lifetime with our long-term goals.  If you fall off the wagon, that is ok, we will help you get back on the wagon with LHHG’s community support.

Our mission is simple, we just want you to feel good inside and out.

This week’s goals:

1) Go to Dr. Oz’s website where he has a Quiz: What’s Your Metabolism Type? and answer the questions.  This is our first step toward achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.  Remember, make sure you go to your doctor to identify possible health problems and limitations before starting any weight loss and exercise program.

2) Make time to fill out the 21-Day Challenge form, the Challange starts today, March 11, 2013.  Meditation is instrumental in maintaining a healthy and well balanced mind.

If you have questions about LHHG Challenge’s goals, just submit the questions to me via the comment box and I will answer or find the answer for you.  I can’t answer life and death questions, but I can help you find an answer for general questions that you do not mind sharing with Living Healthy, Happy and Green’s community.

In short, I have outlined our first week’s goals.  Next Sunday, I will add more goals to our challenge.  So let us “Get-Up and Get-Going™” with “I am Living Healthy, Happy and Green Every Day,” and with the support from each other.

“LHHG is community of caring people with healthy hearts, happy minds, and green souls.”


Bookmark and Share


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...