MIND, BODY AND SOUL

When we get the dreaded diagnosis how we react is indicative of if we are going to survive or not....the poor me, woe is me, hugging everybody like you're telling them bye is not going to work.
You have to decide then and there are you in for the long haul or are you ready to check out as trust me some of us are ready- very ready to check out......and some of us are so angry there is nothing we can do to stay around as our mind and soul can`t come back and we do know it's a mind, body and soul thing we can`t have one without the other!
I have been watching people who say they want to live joke with their lives and I`m amazed. How can anything taste bad if it will help you to live a long healthy life? Explain to me how you can have cancer and can`t drink your tea without sugar ?
That has really bothered me because although I will slip - never to sugar but trust me, I slip, I am very cognisant that I have to get back on the path immediately, and even arugula in my green juice becomes delicious .....but to be diagnosed with cancer of the anus and tell me nothing has changed and you are busy having chemo to shrink the tumour and then surgery to take it out makes me wonder.....so when that's all over aren`t the unhealthy cells going to grow back?
Read this article from the New York Times - Cancers Can Vanish Without Treatment, but How? and hope that you are one of the lucky few that your cancer disappears without any form of treatment at all.......

THIS IS THE LIFE !

Ah well - I tried out the renown Careless and Worthless for the week ( Cable & Wireless for those not up on local lingo) and now I am missing Flow more than ever ! C&W I think you guys are too complacent ...you behave as if you have no competition and maybe that's why Digicel is blowing you away and the other newcomers like Flow are nipping at your heels.....but unto more pleasant things!
No Jamaica is not falling apart! It's a worldwide thing - don`t you see on your TV that schools all over the world are in crisis ? Not our children alone killing each other, children live what they learn and over the years haven't we taught them violence ? Well look at what's on TV and at the movies and check out the popular video games - why wouldn`t young people practice what we preach ?
Yes we are going to have a good tourist season, recession or not don`t you see the coming weather patterns........cold countries in problems already!
STOP PANNICKING......It's all going to be good, just live in the moment, tomorrow will take care of itself!
Spoke to a young lady from Germany today who tells me that when she is in Jamaica she eats raw but back home she can`t especially in the winter as there are no fresh fruits....Do we ever have lots to be thankful for here in Jamaica? Is there ever a month during the year that we don`t have a fruit in season?
Read this article from the NY Times - Crack It, Sip It, Then Tote It and those of us here on the rock- give thanks, we have an abundance of coconuts growing all over the country and are able to get a jelly daily anywhere we go and many of us even have coconut trees in our own yards and now it's the in-thing with the New York City's style set !
As those in the north face winter how many of them will still be able to run around eating jelly coconuts not to mention june plums and bananas and papayas etc. etc. daily....... Right now where I sit, I'm looking on plantain and banana trees bearing and this is just my little yard........the pond is overflowing and the frogs are whistling ......so much to give thanks for. In the morning I will walk through my flowering garden to get to my car saying over and over thank you father as the beauty and the greenery after the rain is just overwhelming !
We take these things for granted when we really shouldn`t..........
I can go out and pick fresh mint and basil, chives and parsley, any day of the week by my front door....I can sit and enjoy nature 7 days a week - no concrete jungle where I am at all .
On TV I watched a high powered couple retire from Washington and go to Costa Rica to live and as they jumped into the water they said "this is the life"......it really is ....but how many of us appreciate it?
I say THIS IS MY LIFE!

BACK HOME TO MONTEGO BAY

Well this is the longest I haven`t blogged since I have started.....NO I'm not sick...Funny I started this blog when I moved to Ocho Rios...... well I moved back to Montego Bay on the 3rd and learnt a big lesson ...when people ask to help you ..LET THEM!
Surviving cancer three times plus being on a table for surgery 23 times takes it's toll plus I`m 58 this year,or am I 57 ? Can't even remember !
Moving which has the next stress level to death of a loved one is no walk around the park..it flattened me put that with running 4 spas and partnering with a friend to open 2 businesses and doing a spa retreat in Negril and what do you get?
YOU GET A KNOCKOUT PUNCH! Anyway 2 days of sleeping has certainly been helping as this is a long weekend and I have nowhere to go......
Why I moved from Ocho Rios is the same reason why I loved Ocho Rios...it's a village so nothing happens one road in and out.
The supermarket is next to the bank, next to the insurance company and the restaurants, plus the all important market........everything is walking distance and MY WORKPLACE SLAP DAB IN THE MIDDLE !
Well that means there is nothing to do, all my friends are either in Kingston or MoBay so I have to go to them as they not coming to me and Kingston is too far from work....so back to Montego Bay I came.......If one is given not only a second but a third chance at life one must live it right?
What I`ve been noticing is that while I was incommunicado the chickens have come home to roost for many of us. All the long time fighters succumbing to one thing or the other. Lung cancer making a big move of late!
I must tell you that it really jerks me up especially in the dead of the night but by morning I`m feeling my usual invincible self again hence the problems I`m in right now!
I do believe that I am guilty of wanting to live until I die so badly that I might die because I did too much as all people surviving Cancer need rest and relaxation.......
My mailbox is full of people in problems and how do I help them ? They are all on their umpteenth round of chemo and now realizing time is slipping away...
I can't be of much help then as remember when you are taking chemo you can`t eat fruit and vegetables.....Guys you just have to PREVENT!
That's all the advice I have to give - the repentance way that people like me have to go through is no fun.....I'll be back writing steadily next week and I have lots to tell you so keep checking in, but for now after watching 60mins with the guy who I told you about some time ago who invented this machine to cure cancer, well it seems to be working........then back to sleep I go!

Coconut Oil

When I was growing up coconut oil was what my grandparents cooked with, then as I grew my mother heard that corn oil was better so we went to that, as I became an adult, if I needed oil to cook with, it was olive oil as that was considered the healthy oil. Well, well what have we learned about that??? Now we are back to coconut oil, but it is in short supply as more people are turning back to using it but thank God I learnt about the Coconut Board, I can get enough supplies for my spa therapists to give you the greatest massage, and I don`t generally cook but when I do, the cold-pressed coconut oil in the glass bottle is it..... I am copying below an article written by Heather Little-White on "The truth about coconut oil".TONS OF BENEFITS not only for cooking but as I found from years of working in a spa - a wonderful beauty product. Our grandparents certainly had health secrets!

The stories that abound about coconut oil almost make it something to be banished from your kitchen. The truth is, coconut oil has been given a bad rap for years and so many persons have missed all the benefits associated with the coconut, this versatile fruit. However, at a time when strange viruses are around, coconut oil takes pride of place as an antiviral, tackling the most resistant viruses.
How can one product be so good? It is nature's medicine cabinet, effective in destroying viruses that cause influenza, sinusitis, measles, hepatitis and AIDS. It also destroys bacteria that can cause throat infections, stomach ulcers, urinary tract infections, venereal diseases and meningitis. As an antifungal, coconut oil destroys ringworm, candida, thrush and parasites that can cause intestinal infections such as giardiasis.
Structure
A colourless oil extracted from the flesh of the coconut, what causes coconut oil to be so powerful in its medicinal properties? According to Kim Evans, natural health writer and author of Cleaning Up! The Ultimate Body Cleanse, it is all in the structure of the medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which include capric acid, caprylic acid and lauric acid, all making up over 60 per cent of the oil. Medium-chain fatty acids are often not understood but their uniqueness makes them special and they are only found in a few places in nature, coconut oil and breast milk being among those sources.
Historically, coconut oil was used during World War II by Japanese military, who occupied the Philippines and other South Pacific islands. However, supplies to the United States dried up during the long war years so the US began to develop alternative sources of cooking oil, giving rise to the influx of polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Unfortunately, the oil that replaced coconut oil was hydrogenated vegetable oil, which has now been proven detrimental to health.
Trans fats
The real problem with fats is trans-fatty acids created by modern technology which are foreign to the body. Trans-fatty acids are manufactured by a process called hydrogenation, which aims at stabilising polyunsaturated oils to prevent them from becoming rancid and to preserve them at room temperature. Trans-fatty acids are dangerous for the heart and are risk factors for certain cancers. Hydrogenated fats are used in stick and hard margarine, fast foods, commercial baked goods, processed foods and fried foods.
By the time the war was over, Dr Mercola posited that big bucks were invested in the manufacture of the polyunsaturated oils, so their promotion had to continue. Coconut oil and other saturated fats like butter and eggs were touted as villains and blamed for raising cholesterol levels and contributing to the steep rise in heart disease.
Tropical oils
Later, the soybean industry condemned the use of tropical oils such as coconut oil which 'fell from grace' because the poorer countries which produced coconut oil could not afford to fight it.
An examination of the traditional diets and the effects of coconut oil in the diet revealed that persons who consumed diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim (Mercola.com). Research results published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that of the two Polynesian groups studied with coconut as the chief source of energy, both populations exhibited positive health of the heart.
Virgin or extra virgin
Fats, in general, have earned a bad reputation, but not all fats are bad for your health. Apart from providing energy, fats consumed in the right amounts and of the right type may be beneficial to your health. Coconut oil, with its medium-chain fatty acids, is definitely one of the good fats. Cold-pressed virgin coconut oil is one of the richest sources of medium-chain fatty acids with a high content of lauric acid, protecting you from a range of diseases.
Short- and medium-chain fatty acids are easily absorbed by the body, as it requires less energy and fewer enzymes, thereby improving digestion. These fatty acids are transported directly to the liver, where they are immediately converted to energy.
Nutrition
Coconut oil is nutritionally sound as the flesh has about nine grams of fibre per cup and as much protein as green beans and carrots, as well as folic acid, calcium, iron and vitamins B1, B6, C and E.
You may want to revisit your youthful days with grandma and coconut oil was the only oil used to prepare tasty, home-cooked meals. You may have been having a drink of coconut water or eating the meat from dried coconut or as flakes in pies and cookies but you may not have been cooking with it.
Coconut oil is called 'the healthiest dietary oil on earth'. Its stability makes it excellent for cooking and baking at high temperatures. If you are not yet cooking with coconut oil, you may want to make that switch for health's sake.
Benefits of cooking with coconut oil
Lowers cholesterol. Recent studies have shown that the type of saturated fat in coconut helps you to metabolise cholesterol faster, lowering overall cholesterol levels.
Contributes to youthfulness. The consumption of coconut oil leads to the stimulation of the thyroid gland, which contributes to the lowering of cholesterol levels. A well-regulated thyroid uses cholesterol to make chemicals vital to disease prevention and slowing ageing.
Helps with weight loss. A healthy thyroid reduces the likelihood of obesity.
May prevent cancer. A healthy thyroid is linked to reducing cancer risks. Studies have shown that the incidence of cancer is less in consumers of coconut milk-rich diets, compared to those whose diets are loaded with unsaturated fats.
Prevents infections. Coconut oil contains 60 per cent of a fatty acid known as lauric acid. The body converts lauric acid into a substance that fights bacteria, viruses and infections in infants. Lauric acid, a fatty acid, is also found in breast milk. Lauric acid produces chemicals that protect the immune system.
Provides an immediate source of energy. This is influenced by the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil.
Reduces the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. A study of two community groups in New Zealand which consume a large amount of coconut oil showed rare incidence of heart attack.
Improves condition of the skin. The rich texture of coconut milk makes it effective to be added to beauty products such as lotions and shampoos.
Prevents blemishes/acne. When applied to the skin, coconut oil reduces inflammation to prevent psoriasis, rosacea and rashes.
Prevents hair damage. Protein penetrates hair shaft to prevent damage. Excellent as a deep conditioner for the hair.
Aids in the control of diabetes