1.  I'm the same height as Madonna. 

Let's face it -- not all women who practice yoga are 6 foot tall circus performers!  The average woman in the U.S. is actually 5'6, and Madonna and I are 5'3 (though I can be 5'4 in the mornings on super stretchy days).  In my opinion, women in the 5'6 and under height range need to be featured in magazines more often, especially since so many of us are actually in that height range.

2.  We need healthy looking size 00 and XXS models on the covers of health and fitness-related magazines. 

While it has recently become fashionable to feature a "plus size" model on the covers of magazines and in clothing ads, there has been an absence of healthy women who are a size 0 or below.  Small-sized women are so underrepresented in the magazines that even though big brands such as Athleta and Lululemon make sizes 0 (XS) and 00 (XXS), the retail stores rarely even carry these sizes unless they order those sizes to use on the mannequins in the display window.  Oftentimes the sales team in these stores aren't even aware that the company they work for makes anything below a size 2.  They're losing major sales because many avid yoga practitioners are actually quite petite!  Since more yoga practitioners tend to be small, thin individuals rather than big and tall individuals, it would make sense that more of the models featured in Yoga Journal would be of the size 0 and 00 category rather than the "plus size" category, but this has indeed not been the case.  

3.  I'm just a normal, girl-next-door type of gal from a small town in Arkansas! 

Before practicing yoga, I, too, couldn't touch my toes.  I started out just like everyone else who begins a yoga practice.  It began with a simple curiosity about yoga when I bought a beginner's yoga book from a local Waldenbooks in the mall at about age 10.  I read the book and practiced some of the poses for a few minutes a day, but it never became a consistent or serious practice.  Several years later while in college, I encountered a kundalini yoga video taught by Gurmukh.  A friend and I practiced the video on occasion, mainly because we found it hillarious.  It wasn't until I walked into a Bikram yoga class in 2004 that the practice "stuck" and became a part of my daily lifestyle.

4.  It take a lot of cajones to promote oneself to thousands over the internet, and it takes a heap of humility to ask others to vote for one's own endeavors. 

For every person who said they're voting for me every day, there have been at least three others who have either blatantly told me to bug off or who are most likely talking behind my back and whispering, "She must think she's the shiz!  The nerve of that egocentric bi-itch to think she's gonna get on the cover of Yoga Journal!"  My goal is not to "beat" the other people in the contest or go on a big ego trip if I win.  I'm no better than anyone else who is in this contest.  But how many others just entered their photo in the contest, wrote a couple of lines about how yoga inspires them, and think they stand a chance at winning just by letting random people find their photo and vote for them?  That's awfully conceited to believe you're going to win a contest like this just by putting your photo up, writing very little about how yoga inspires you, and then dropping hints to a few people to vote for you.  No one is that freakin' hot.

5.  I have a message and I wrote about that message in my answer to how yoga has inspired me.

There have been certain agendas pushed upon me and other women of my demographic ever since we were old enough to start watching Nickelodeon.  And even though these agendas claim to be in the name of health and sustainability, they're anything but that.  I started getting shocking literaure in the mail from organizations such as PETA and Greenpeace when I was just 12 years old, simply because I called 1-800-FREE-WILLY because I wanted to learn what I could do to Save the Whales.  I eventually was lead to believe that eating meat, dairy, and eggs was not only unhealthy and ethically irresponsible, it was environmentally destructive and somehow contributing to people starving in Africa.  That whole vegetarian/vegan agenda is particularly being pushed upon men and women who practice yoga.  Some promoters of this agenda have even gone so far as to tell yoga practitioners that we can't be spiritual if we are promoting death and continuing to kill animals, eat the menstruation of chickens, and steal the milk from cows' babies.  My message is that it's all a façade, and some of the promoters of the vegan diet are not even vegan (though they would never publicly admit this to their followers).

6.  This summer, I will hit the big 3-0. 

Yep.  I'll be thirty years old this August, so it would just be super cool to win this contest and appear on newsstands nationwide during the month of September.  Sure, there are thousands of others entering this contest, but how many of them are turning thirty this summer?

7.  In 2008, Yoga Journal interviewed me as an "expert source" on Chinese Herbal Medicine. 

They featured a generic stock photo for the article.  I say they owe it to their readers to finally show the face of one of their TCM "experts."  Why not on the cover issue for September 2011?

If you wanna help me show the world that an ordinary, average girl with a GOAL and the DESIRE to achieve it, can make it onto the cover of Yoga Journal, then remember to place your vote here (http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/2740) each day.  Then "share" it on facebook and twitter, and encourage others to place their votes for me too!  Thank you!

No need to use potassium iodide, experts say.

In the USA, the general public has been told not to worry or take any precautions against minute levels of exposure to radioactive materials, but we are not being told anything specific about the levels that are actually being detected in the air.  Much attention is being given to the fact that we are constantly being exposed to "background levels" of radiation from various natural sources, including the Earth and the Sun.  Interestingly, individuals living in areas of high elevation (which inherently have higher levels of background radiation) show decreased rates of cancer and longer lifespans.

Lack of information causes FEAR and PANIC.

What is not being pointed out about the difference between background radiation and nuclear fallout radiation is that the elements that naturally exist in the form of radioactive isotopes are different elements than the ones used for X-rays, CT scans, "green" electricity, dirty bombs, and medical "treatments" for diseases such as hyperthyroidism and osteoporosis.  Strontium, cesium, and iodine don't naturally go radioactive.  That's why if we want to produce these isotopes for making bombs, we must build a nuclear power plant.  The reason we are able to differentiate radiation levels from the nuclear accident in Japan from the natural background radiationis because we are able to detect these unnatural isotopes in the air.

So how much unnatural radiation is being detected in the USA?

According to the Arizona Division of Emergency Management, the state Radiation Regulation Agency in Phoenix detected 0.1 millirems of radioactive isotopes in the air on March 22, 2011.  So how does this compare to the amount of iodine-131 used medically to induce hypothyroidism in people suffering from hyperthyroidism?  Normally between 100 - 300 Grays per second (Gy/s) are used to induce hypothyroidism, which is equivalent to 10,000 - 30, 000 Rems per second (Rem/s).  Since 0.0001 Rems = 0.1 Millirems, that means 0.000001 Grays per second are being detected in the air.  You can form your own opinion about whether you believe that dosage is insignificant or not.  I believe it is insignificant, unless you are considering the perspective that homeopathy and radiation hormesis might add to the equation.

This is good news (radiation hormesis, I mean).  We might actually all live to be 1,000 years old after all.

We all probably know someone who claims to be "lactose intolerant" because they have some reaction to dairy products made from cow's milk.  Perhaps you are one them.  I've noticed that these "lactose intolerant" individuals either do one of three things when they discover that the consumption of cow's milk dairy products were provoking undesirable health consequences:

(1) Avoid dairy altogether or seek out non-dairy alternatives such as almond cheese, hemp milk, and coconut yogurt.
(2) Continue to consume dairy, but suffer the consequences later -- or take lactase and/or other digestive enzymes.
(3) Discover that goat's milk doesn't cause the undesirable symptoms they experience with cow's milk.

In this article, I will explain why many individuals who believe they are "lactose intolerant" or "allergic to dairy" are actually not lactose intolerant or allergic to cow's milk at all.  Far more common, perhaps, is a reaction to a particular type of casein (one of the types of proteins in dairy; whey is the other type of milk protein that is typically hypoallergenic).  Casein is often added to "cheese" substitutes because it helps the product to melt. 

What most people don't know about casein is that there are two different types: A1 and A2 casein.  The specific type of casein in dairy products depends on the specific breed of cow that the milk came from.  Almost all commercial dairy cows are Holstein cows, which have a specific genetic mutation that causes them to produce the amino acid histidine instead of proline in the casein protein of their milk.  The histidine forms a weak bond to another amino acid called BCM-7, which is an addictive opiate believed to provoke a variety of health problems when consumed.  This weak bond between histidine and BCM-7 causes some BCM-7 to enter the GI tract of animals and humans who consume the milk, which may cause some BCM-7 to "leak" from the GI tract into the bloodstream, inducing an immediate or delayed reaction.  Proline, on the other hand, forms a strong bond to BCM-7, which keeps BCM-7 from entering the GI tract (and bloodstream) of animals and humans who consume the milk.

What animals produce A2 casein instead of the potentially harmful A1 casein?  All older breeds of cows including Jersey cows, African cows, and Asian cows, as well as goats and sheep, produce A2 casein, which is not associated with chronic health problems because the milk of these breeds does not contain the BCM-7 opiate.

So how many people suffer from consuming BCM-7 found in A1 milk?  Quite possibly, the majority of the population.  Some symptoms that have been linked to BCM-7 consumption include:

• Diarrhea, cramps, bloating and gas
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Recurrent ear infections and colic in infants and children
• Type 1 diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Infertility
• Leukemia
• Autism

These are some increasingly common health conditions, which is why I am not alone in believing that most individuals have problems when they consume milk produced by A1 cows.  Since the massive dairy farms throughout the USA usually have only the mutated, newer variety of Holstein cow instead of the older heirloom varieties of cows, nearly all the milk that's produced in this country is of the A1 variety.  This means most commercial dairy is a powerful and addictive opiate for most people who consume it!  That's a problem, and most commerical dairy farmers who have invested in Holstein cows would not like that information to be "leaked" to the public.

So please don't tell anyone.  Just keep that information to yourself and continue to buy commercial A1 dairy to support the dairy industry in this country.  If you suffer from any of the illnesses above, you should consult with your medical doctor for the appropriate pharmaceutical drugs that will help you to cope with your conditions.

 I always have many ideas on what to write a blog post about, but admittedly I've never even dreamed of writing a post about how to protect yourself from nuclear fallout radiation -- until the chain of events occurring in Japan.  And since I'm not a nuclear physicist, the affect that nuclear radiation has on living organisms has never been a topic of serious scholastic study for me.  I was five years old when the Chernobyl accident occurred, and the only thing I remember about that was that there was a lot being said in the news about the dangers of eating snow ice cream.  For my entire lifetime since then, I have always believed that snow ice cream is unsafe because of acid rain, which was a hot topic back in the 80's.  As a five-year-old, I didn't really understand the extent of what had happened at Chernobyl.

Fast forward to last Thursday night, when a friend called me on the phone at 3 AM, woke me up, and told me a tsunami was headed straight to Southern California, and that it could hit at any moment.  I didn't panic, but I did gather some essential items and get away from the beach within a matter of minutes.  After driving about 10 miles inland, I called my parents to let them know where I was in case they got up and saw SoCal in the news.  I made sure my friends were aware of the warning, and checked Facebook and Twitter for recent info.  Fortunately, everything turned out okay and no disaster hit, but one thought kept coming back to haunt me: What would I do if the phone and internet were not available?  So NOW I'm getting educated and getting prepared, just to have PEACE OF MIND, in the unlikely event that technology fails us when we think need it most.

The antidote to FEAR is INFORMATION, and we aren't getting much information from the private company that owns the nuke plant in Japan, nor from our governments.  This fear has created a run on potassium iodide pills and extreme profiteering from companies that are intentionally trying to escalate fears by telling us the government is hiding information from us as a means of population control.  It's important to stay centered when there is such conflicting and sensationalist media coming from all sides, but it's equally important to stay informed, POSITIVE, and smart.

After losing sleep for over a week in search of reliable information, I've come up with the THREE ESSENTIAL THINGS you need for optimal protection from miniscule amounts of nuclear radiation, whether it's coming from the explosion in Japan or from other sources such as airport x-rays, CT scans, dental x-rays, or other sources.

1.  A Healthy Mental Attitude

It's more important now than ever to be prepared and informed, but also to truly expect and BELIEVE in the innate power of our bodies and our planet to protect and heal themselves.  If you're not already in touch with G_D, the time to do so would never be better than right now.  Man trying to be G_D is what has put us in this disaster in the first place.  Nuclear power is not a product of nature.

2.  Community

Communities need to come together because we are currently experiencing a world crisis.  Donate to Japan.  Volunteer.  Help someone you know.  Call a friend.  Don't make judgments about other people simply based on how they are dressed, what color or nationality they are, or what you believe they believe based on the name of their religion or lack thereof.  We're all in this boat together.

3.  Nutrition

If you've been putting optimal nutrition on the backburner, it's time to stop procrastinating.  Here's a list of foods and supplements that are essential for counteracting the effects of radiation:

• Sea Vegetables (kelp, dulse, wakame, and others rich in iodine)
• Chlorella
• Zeolites
• Magnetic Clay
• Miso
• Resveratrol
• Antioxidants
• Beta-Carotene
• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Boron
• Medicinal mushrooms (reishi, cordyceps, shitake)
• Ginseng
• Triphala
• Black Shilajit
• Fulvic Acid
• Green vegetable juices
• Wheatgrass, barleygrass
  

Websites where you can order high-quality supplements:

Holistic Chinese Herbs
Superhero Healthcare
Metagenics
(*Note: If you are interested in ordering any products from Metagenics, just email me by clicking on the words email me and let me know which product(s) you are interested in.)

It has been brought to my attention that there are many individuals promoting themselves as practitioners of Chinese Medicine or Naturopathic Medicine who have knowingly or unknowingly obtained fake degrees.  Some profess to have learned a secret lineage that was passed down privately to them while they were living in a cave somewhere in Tibet (even though such folks tend to be white English-speaking hippies), while others have obtained doctorate and PhD degrees from unaccredited schools that require minimal coursework and no clinical internships or externships (AKA no supervised 1-on-1 experience with actual patients).

While I believe we all should have the right to free speech and the ability to share health information that one has personally found to be beneficial, I also believe one should not refer to oneself as a practitioner of Chinese Medicine or Naturopathic Medicine without having obtained a degree from a Chinese Medical College or a Naturopathic Medical College, respectively.

Foodie, Political Activist, or Health Practitioner?

I also firmly believe that a chef should not cross the line into playing the role of a health practitioner or a certified nutritionist without having obtained any relevant degrees or certifications from a school that is not tied to a specific political food agenda.

False representation of one's credentials and professional expertise confuses the public and leads to unnecessary health problems in individuals who otherwise would have received proper care if they had consulted with someone who knew more than "just enough to be dangerous." It takes many years to understand the physiology and pathology of the human body.  I don't claim to know it all, but I have been focusing on the intricacies of the human body for two decades, I've gone through the trouble of obtaining eight years of formal college education and many hours of postgraduate coursework in the field.  Please make sure you aren't putting your health in the hands of someone who has just read a few diet books from Barnes & Noble, along with a few health-related websites, and proclaimed themselves an "expert" in nutrition and human health.

The Skinny on Accredited Schools of Natural Medicine

There are currently 7 accredited schools of Naturopathic Medicine in the USA and Canada.  For the complete list, see this link: Accredited Naturopathic Medicine Colleges.  There are 56 accredited schools of Chinese Medicine.  Graduates of these 4-year medical colleges receive MS degrees.  In China, "Chinese Medicine" colleges are simply called Medical School and graduates receive the title of MD.  For a list of accredited schools of Chinese Medicine in the USA and Canada, see this link:  Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

 Warning! If you're interested in just having an average state of health, simply avoiding being sick or becoming obese, and enjoying your life until your body starts to break down by age 67 or so (at which point you spend the last years of your life sitting in an easy chair while watching infomercials on TV, drinking cans of Ensure, and swallowing 19 pills a day), then this blog, my newsletter, my services, my ebook, and my certification programs aren't for you.  Don't waste your time here.  Head on over to WebMD or the USDA food pyramid website for your health information instead.

However, if you're interested in letting go of all the false misconceptions you may be holding onto regarding your health, achieving a state of well-being that's better than you ever believed was humanly possible, being healthy enough to trek the Annapurna Circuit with your grandchildren when you're in your mid-nineties, achieving a better quality of sleep and enhanced cognitive functioning, getting "unstuck" from any physical, psychological, or spiritual issues that have been preventing you from living your life full on, and reaching your peak level of fitness regardless of your age, living situation, bank account, overflowing email inbox, or other excuses, then read on.  This blog, my newsletter, my services, my ebook, and my programs were created straight from the heart just for YOU.

I'm not a paid blogger who was hired to promote a particular book, product, or general philosophy on health.  None of my posts are ghostwritten or outsourced, and you won't find any advice here that's generic or that I wouldn't actually do myself.  I walk the talk.  Some of the health, fitness, and longevity strategies that I promote are pretty hard-core and not for the faint-of-heart or the dabbler.  As I eluded earlier, if you are looking for shallow, generalized, sound byte health info, seek out your nearest mainstream media source or turn on your TV.  I try to write at least one or two posts each week.  You won't see me churning out two posts a day and sending promotional emails to my email list every eight hours because I don't sit at the computer all day. I know what works and what doesn't because I actually do this stuff, and I help my patients to implement these strategies as well.

Now on to the meat of today's post....

You absolutely cannot experience radiant health even if you have the perfect diet (and is there really such a thing as "the perfect diet?")!  Obviously a myriad of factors play a role in your health, including the thoughts you think, the people you spend your time with, your career satisfaction, and whether or not you have a spiritual practice, but one BIG and often ignored key to perfect health is EXERCISE!

And I don't mean just walking to the mailbox every day, reading a magazine on the treadmill, using the thighmaster during a commercial break, or doing a zillion crunches the day before wearing your skinny jeans, I mean you've got to consistently get your heart rate up, sweat, and work your muscles until they BURN.  In order to activate the hormones that burn fat, build muscle, and combat physiological aging processes, you need to perform exercises that induce muscle failure.  The "burning" sensation you feel during high intensity training means you're releasing HGH and testosterone, which are two hormones that begin to decline slowing by aging 25 and rapidly by age 35.  This specific form of exercise slows this decline, keeping you physiologically younger. 

Some great exercises to try that will assist you in this fat-burning, muscle-building, anti-aging, bone-strengthening, radiant health strategy are plyometrics.  What are plyometrics, you ask?  Plyometrics involve overcoming the forces of gravity by making use of muscle contraction (AKA jumping movements).  You don't see people in gyms doing plyometrics very often.  Some are afraid of injuring themselves (though injury is highly unlikely unless you're extremely overweight); others are afraid of having certain body parts jiggle.  Most people just aren't aware of the value of plyometric exercises.  Squat jumps, jumping lunges, jumping jacks, and bunny hops are a few simple plyometric exercises you can do anywhere -- no equipment required!  See this video for more plyometric exercise ideas.