Category Archives: Sheyu

Aug 15 2009

Sheyu, Pearls of Wisdom from The China Study, and Writing of Things

Sheyu arrived yesterday from the People’s Republic of China. He had no jet lag. I am so amazed by this. The last time  I flew ten hours, I had jet lag for two days. His trip was good, no problems. Tonight I made an Asian-style salmon dinner, and he helped. We ate with chopsticks, and he showed me proper chopstick etiquette. It definitely improved my use of them. He’s wonderful like that.  Now, I’m a chopstick master. We watched Forbidden Kingdom, and I learned a lot about Chinese myth by asking questions. The reason why the actors can fly in fight scenes in certain movies like Forbidden Kingdom is that they are on a magic mountain. Very cool. I really enjoyed it. We both like Jackie Chan, and he is wonderful in this movie. I took him to the market today, and he bought snacks, and we also went to Subway for lunch. He wanted to eat there and really liked it. He gave me some beautiful presents that his mom sent me. She called today inquiring how he was. Both I and Sheyu spoke with her. She was much more at ease after we spoke. I could hear the sigh in her voice when I told her he was happy, healthy, and doing fine. Mothers…doesn’t matter…we’re all the same when it comes to our kids. He likes the area…keeps saying it’s beautiful. He likes the gorge with the mountains meeting the river. He likes our mountain summit in the community as well, has taken several photos of it so far, and thinks our school is nice which it is and very well taken care of here. People are receiving him warmly and sincerely which makes me proud of my community. It assures me that he will have a good year here. I will enjoy learning from him.

If you are American, read this book! Now! I have been reading T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, and it is an eye opening read to say the least. I’m done with cow’s milk, folks. End of story. I’ll only drink soy milk from now on all the time. It’s that effing significant. Most significant to this study is that all proteins are not alike. Carcinogens are just a part of our environment, but when you combine that with milk protein, you get a recipe for cancer. Mice injected with aflatoxin (a common carcinogen) and kept on a 20% milk protein diet all developed liver cancer. The other group fed a 5-10% diet of milk protein also injected with aflatoxin did not. The percentages were reversed and the healthy group died of liver cancer while those who were ill completely recovered. This same experiment was conducted with soy protein. Neither group developed liver cancer (tumors). Other niblits of brilliance so far is that people who consume a primarily plant-based diet with protein intake limited to 5-7 grams a day did not acquire western-style diseases: diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer of the colon, lung, breast, leukemia, childhood brain, stomach, and liver. They did not have issues with cholesterol which is an indicator of the onset of western-style diseases. The data and the explanation of the case studies are all in the book. I’m summarizing. I’m also amazed. Furthermore, as intake of meat, milk, fish, eggs, fat, and animal protein goes up, so does cholesterol whereas consuming a plant-based diet makes cholesterol go down. This book contains information and conclusions of a study of rural and city Chinese in China and rural and city Americans to correlate disease and diet over a very, very long period of time. The data was consistent, significant, and points to a primarily plant-based diet as the golden ticket to a healthier life. I have lived both the animal-based and plant-based lifestyle, and I know for me personally the plant-based lifestyle makes me much, much healthier. So if you want to know more about how to live a healthier life based on nutrition, this is the one book that will rock your world. It’s revolutionary. It’s profound. It will change the way you think about eating and nutrition. Nutrition…can either cause western-style diseases or prevent them. Thank you, T. Colin Campbell for your brilliant research and the courage to publish your findings.

The writing is going quite well. I’m enjoying this story that I’m working on, and am now sure that I want to  begin writing the next book very soon, possibly at the same time. I’m settling into multiple, simultaneous projects, and why not…I read that way. I’m mostly interested in myth, legend, and fantasy. So I’m sure this is where the bulk of my professional writing will reside.

I’m ready for bed and reading. So I’ll bid you all a good night and good tomorrow. I have finally had a dream that wasn’t really unpleasant, and I remembered it. Hopefully, my normal dream world is resuming which means that life isn’t robbing me of my dreams right now. I enjoy my vivid, interesting, detailed dreams. They’re often brilliant and creative. I keep a dream journal to record the impressions of really good ones and this has been a source of inspiration for me at times. So, back to saying goodnight.

Sweet dreams,

-Patricia

Jul 23 2009

The Spare Room, 20 Years Ago +/-, & Yogalicious

It began like any other ordinary day, cleaning a spare room for my Chinese exchange student and turning it into a hospitable and welcoming room. Boxes were moved out and then while considering their contents, I discovered my life 20 years ago and the days when my children were adoring children and not off being responsible adults.  There were enough clothing items, school projects, cards, and photos to put a wistful, reminiscent smile on my face and a far away glimmer in my eye. Some things are just worth keeping. They will go back in a box to explore again many years from now.

After a day of schlepping boxes, creating a donate pile, and a discard pile, I was able to quickly move things into the back of the Jeep and drop them off respectively on the way to yoga and swimming tonight. Usually it’s a list of what I did, but tonight after a day of constantly moving things, yoga and swimming really were enough. And yoga was way good tonight. We had an excellent teacher who understood the importance of vinyasa flow. I also love the work she has us do on the wall. We scoochie up against the wall, place our legs on the wall, and do simple stretches just before ending our session. It feels so good after sun salutations which is the more rigorous part of yoga. Yoga is a big part of my life  and is something that makes a genuine difference in the way my body works. Heating up the core muscles for me means sweating which detoxes, and the agility I gain from these stretches restores the flexibility in my body movements. Simply put, it makes me feel great. If you think you might be interested in yoga, check out YouTube or Meta Cafe by searching yoga and sun salutations.

And now a cool evening calls to just take a good book to bed and read.  Night

Blessings,

-Patricia

Jul 21 2009

Fairy Grot, Yoga Yikes, Too Hot, International Space Station, & Blueberry Crisp

Ummmmm what a day. Finally resting. I rearranged my bedroom and cleaned it from top to bottom or stem to stern as my Nana used to say which means I will sleep well tonight and not a bit of dust to irritate my nose. It’s sparkly. It’s airy. It’s lovely. It’s my fairy grot. I also worked on Sheyu’s room today, too.  I still have some work to do on it, but it’s getting there.  I think by tomorrow after gyming that it will be ready to arrange. It will be very comfortable for him by the time I finish. He wants me to send pictures of it. But most of all….I’m sore today.

Rough drill sergeant yoga teacher yesterday, and today my stuff is muscle aching sore which doesn’t usually happen. I knew I would be sore when I arrived home last night. Instead of namaste, I was thinking “thank God.” It was beyond rigorous. Just saying, teach, you don’t need to include ALL the exercises for a part of the body like abs when instructing yoga or including the most difficult positions for EVERYONE w/o modifications. And breaks like child’s pose occasionally are NICE and are there for a reason. Sheesh.  Gets the teacher in me bristled a bit when hard is thought to equal good when it isn’t…in anything you teach. Hard does not equal good!!!!  Yoga shouldn’t hurt. A little challenging, yes. But it shouldn’t strain muscles to point of pulling them. I think I will do some yoga stretches tonight to try and ease the muscle tension and, of course, a hot shower to relax them.

As is customary, I am having dinner and a movie. This one is from my library so I know I like it. The garbage can is for movies I don’t like. They don’t make the library shelf. Okay, it’s Pirates of the Carribean. I heart this movie and haven’t watched it in a great while.

Another hotter than 40 hells day, and it just gets hotter as the week goes on. This makes me appreciate things like rain, snow, sleet, cold, and really freezing it off weather until about February. Then it can leave.

So the International Space Station is overhead tonight and the next few nights. Just showered, and then Merlin and I walked where we could see the NW night sky wide open and clearly just after twilight. I found NW,  looked up, and there it was. It was the first thing lit in the night sky. That was cool to see! It looks like the North star…that size.  Then, I made some lemonade and whipped up a serving of blueberry crisp which is baking now and am enjoying, I mean really enjoying a cool evening. It was a hot one. I’d like to share with you how someone as health conscious as I am can eat blueberry crisp. One serving is like this:

1 T butter

2 T honey

Cinnamon to your liking

Melt and stir.

Add berries. Tonight it’s blueberries plus a little lemon juice, a tablespoon. I’m very generous with the blueberries. Blueberries like lemon juice. Mix and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes if you can wait that long. 25 will do if you just happen to pass by the stove and think you’re ready to enjoy. Nosh. It’s good for you.

Options:

  • Cherries and almond extract
  • Apples and nutmeg
  • Raspberries and almond extract

And that’s how I get away with eating tasty baked things during super get fit season.  Blueberries are one of the absolute best fruits to eat. It is stunning how good they are for you.  Here is a slide show from Health magazine on the amazing benefits of blueberries. It’s surprising.

Well alrighty. Lovely night. Think I’m ready to turn in. Improving your health improves your enjoyment of life.

-Patricia

Jul 17 2009

A Day of Random Kindness, Hot House Flower, & Sheyu

I’m pleasantly drained and at peace tonight. A day of yoga, cardio, and swimming will do that and can make a wonderful difference in my day. I didn’t write today, and I’m confessing here. Instead I napped after the gym and then walked Merlin.  The last few days have been like that…different ones telling me how good I am with kids or how much they want to be with me. It truly warms my heart when people are so kind for no particular reason other than to tell me how they feel. That’s the best way to appreciate someone, I think. Just randomly say it. It feels amazing to be appreciated in this way.

So it was another hot one today. We’re in our 100 degree weather heatwave. I try to stay out of it as I wilt like a hot house flower. My Nana was right. When I was a kid she would say when I complained of the heat that I was a hot house flower.  I just don’t handle heat very well at all. The air conditioning at home keeps the house comfortable during the day, and if I’m going out it’s right to an air conditioned car or building. I love summer, but I know me. I melt in very hot weather if I’m not careful. Makes me feel like fainting. Now the night has really cooled down here. Living on the mountain means very cool nights which I totally love.

Today I received pictures of my host son, Sheyu. They were completely adorable, and I think we will totally hit it off. How do I know? The photos. He had his picture taken with a transformer robot and Bruce Lee. Totally enjoyed the Transformer movie, and I go all Jennifer Aniston in Office Space “I love Kung Fu” when I think of martial arts movies. I have no idea why, but I love it and most anything Asian culture. So Shenyu will be here in about a month. I am looking forward to getting to know him.

As days go, this one was superb. Can’t believe how quickly it went. G’night and blessings to you.

-Patricia