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Issue #7: July 2005, The Shame Game

Covering It:
The Shame Game, by Kylie Loynd
Do you ever get that tight feeling when someone offers you a few words of "wisdom"? And then if you bristle in response, the person is offended: Only trying to help, can't you take a bit of constructive criticism? Whether I'm the target or one of our kids, overt aggression is easy to recognize; it's the subtle stuff that gets me - words that sound polite but spring from the slickest control trick of them all: shame.

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Whole Foods:
Sumptuous Seaweed, by Lee Revere
I used to be seaweed illiterate. Sure, I enjoyed my sushi and soups in Japanese restaurants, but if you had asked me what kind of seaweed was floating in my bowl, I wouldn't have had a clue. But a recent article in The Washington Post helped me reconsider. It reported that Japanese seniors are the longest living and healthiest in the world, while America's elderly rank 23rd. Part of that difference stems from the fact that Japanese seniors tend to exercise consistently and eat a nutritious diet - often including seaweed.

Soup of a Thousand Faces, by Khris Fruits
Before I ever lived in Seattle, I had ample opportunity to visit. I stayed with a friend, and together we explored a long list of restaurants. One in particular that specializes in Asian-fusion quickly became a favorite. It was at this restaurant that I first fell in love with the beguiling laksa - which means "ten thousand things," probably in reference to the many ingredients that are usually found in this soup.

A Balance of Health:
Kicking the Antacid Habit: Healing Heartburn Naturally, by Dr. David Ramaley
With all the advertising for pharmaceuticals on TV, you begin to wonder if you are normal if you aren't taking several medications. One of the most overused medications is the antacid pill. It comes in many forms, e.g., Nexium (the "purple pill"), Pepcid AC, Tagamet and Tums. Anyone who has suffered reflux (food and acid coming back up the esophagus), heartburn or gas and bloating has most likely taken one of these pills. When someone produces too much acid, these medications can be quite helpful. But the majority of people who get heartburn do not produce too much acid, and taking these medications for more than several weeks can cause many complications that the public rarely hears about. (read the complete article)

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Everything Herbal:
Interview w/Susun Weed: Dancing with Breast Cancer, by Kylie Loynd
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Susun S. Weed, founder of the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock, NY and author of "Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way," as well as three additional women's health books. A thorough researcher, lyrical writer, renowned herbalist and educator, Susun presents women's health information with a unique perspective. She offers a complete range of nature-based healing options - including those that directly support women who make orthodox medical choices - interspersed with insights about the gifts that our health challenges bring.

Ready for Roses, by Kylie Loynd
Plants of the heart, silky and fragrant, roses have been a symbol of love throughout the ages, ever ready to offer their healing gifts. You can apply them using a variety of herbal remedies or simply draw in their sweet scent. On those days when my heart takes a hit, such a graceful ally is worth keeping on hand.
(read the complete article)

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Treading Lightly:
Hold the Plastic, Please, by Kerstin Barker
Are you like me? Does a conscious place inside you cringe with a little pain each time you rip off another produce bag at the market or pull out another zip-loc bag from the drawer? I can't help but picture a plastic bag piled with thousands of its kind in a toxin-leaching heap. But I usually grab that convenient bag anyway, telling myself I'll recycle it. Unfortunately, most plastic bags end up in a sealed-off, anaerobic landfill, where they can take up to 1,000 years to become a part of the earth.

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This Spinning Earth:
Ecological Footprints, by Lee Revere
How lightly do I tread upon the earth? Recently, I took a quiz to learn the size of my ecological footprint - the number of acres required to maintain my lifestyle. The quiz gathers information about my transportation habits, food consumption, housing, energy use and other factors to determine my impact on the earth. While the results showed that I don't require as much of this precious earth as the average U.S. citizen, I still wanted to reduce my consumption even further.

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With Our Hands:
Let Your Garden Gurgle, by Marian Wineman
There is nothing like the sound of flowing water. Water can create a vast array of sounds, from a soft spray to a low burble, a dribble or a rushing torrent. "The sound of flowing water is a bell ringing in your heart, it gives a subliminal sense of joy," says wildlife artist Robert Bateman. Birds seem keenly attuned to flowing water - it attracts them like a magnet. Though you may not have room for a torrent, the sound of even a small spray or dribble will transform a patio, deck, backyard or even a room inside your home.

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Life Out Loud:
Dinking Around, by Patti Pitcher
Aidan, my nine-year-old son, and his best friend, Sawyer, are out in my yard right now doing just what summer was meant for: dinking around. They somehow convinced my husband that they were manly enough to handle the power-washer, and they are busy washing the 1988 Volvo station wagon that has been sitting in our driveway for over a year waiting for us to fix it and collecting a year's worth of grime. Armed with hose extenders and stepladders, those boys are giving the job their all. The look of pride and accomplishment in their eyes is something to behold.

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Looking Within:
Love in a Lunchbox, by Marie Nelson
As I prepare to marry and start my own family, I find myself looking back at my childhood with new eyes. Over the last few years, I've realized that my experience growing up was different from many, mostly because of my parents. Never content simply to fit within the societal box that defined good parenting at the time, they took showing their love for their daughters to a whole new level.

Embracing Change, by Alexa Robbins
One of the worst things that ever happened to me was simultaneously one of the best. In 1980, I slipped on an icy slope while downhill skiing. Careening out of control, falling end over end, I was propelled though the air as smoothly as a child doing a cartwheel. Falling back onto the snowy slope, the echo of my snapping bones filled the hushed landscape. In the moment of landing, my life changed as simply as if I'd walked through a new door and shut the old one behind me.

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Backing Out:
The Real Computer Virus, by Kylie Loynd
You have all the latest software - anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall and spyware - so your inbox is safe from unwanted intruders, right? Now you're down to relevant business communications and personal messages from loved ones. Count with me, please: On any given day, how many of them were actually written specifically for you? I submit to you a case against e-mail forwards.

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