October 2020 Issue

Histamine Could Be the Hidden Culprit in Your Food that is Keeping You Fat

Do you suffer from bloating and gas after you eat? Do you eat next to nothing and still gain weight? Do you have acne, joint pain, fluid retention, fatigue, inflammation, and the inability to lose weight no matter what diet you’re on? You could be allergic to foods that are high in histamine. Most people have heard of histamine because it is known to “cause” allergies. In fact, the body’s defense reaction to foreign proteins in the blood is what causes allergies. Part of that reaction includes the release of histamine from mast cells — these are a kind of white blood cell that releases histamine and other substances. Although

Creating Resilience in Time of Chaos

It’s no secret that nine months of a world-wide pandemic has changed our lives in many ways. Perhaps, for the first time, we are working from home, limiting our social contact, eating out less or not at all, watching church services on TV, and canceling theater or art outings. And, in the silence, how have we personally changed? Perhaps some of us have embraced the downtime to rethink our priorities and negotiate what is really important to us. But could it be that we each have a creative gear that we have not used before? Perhaps unaware, during the past few months, have we been building more emotional strength than

Finding Peace and Harmony on the Labyrinth

The labyrinth is viewed as a metaphor for life’s journey, offering lessons as we walk the path. Walking the labyrinth can assist us in addressing challenges, meditating, praying, and finding peace and serenity. Your life is a sacred journey. It is about change, growth, discovery, movement, and transformation. A simple ten or fifteen minute meditation/walk will help you create a heightened awareness of the human condition and aid in psychological and spiritual growth. We are all on the path exactly where we need to be. There are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for where we are in our lives;

Let Them Eat Avocado Toast

As we all know, adults ages 23 – 39 years old are the ruin of all things. Somehow the millennials are destroying the economy by not buying napkins, diamonds, sugary cereals, and luxury goods, and by not eating at chain restaurants. What villains for not purchasing these obviously key and necessary products! Then in that same paint stroke they are good-for-nothing layabouts, stuck and unable to purchase homes or build savings. According to Tim Gurner, the problem is Avocado Toast. “When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasn’t buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each.” The Australian multimillionaire truly believes that $23 is

Take the Test! Don’t Let It Take you!

Should I cram before the big test or learn the material slowly so that it sticks? How much coffee should I drink to stay awake while I study? Will coffee interrupt my thought process if I drink too much? Should I use flashcards and quiz myself? Or rewrite verbatim what I need to know so that it becomes committed to memory? There are a million different questions you can ask about the best way to prepare for a big test. But what if you changed that train of thought and considered not just this one test but rather your study habits in general? Whether you are a full-time student with

Uke

In the fifty-one years we’ve been married, only a few possessions have followed us everywhere. There’s some sterling silver flatware, a set of china, Hank’s slide rule, one surviving Pyrex mixing bowl, and some jewelry. Those few things, and the ukulele. The ukulele had performed magic before, after all, starting with me. About thirty-five years ago, my son Ben was home sick from school. I was teaching kindergarten that year, and he called me in the small building where I worked. “Hey Mom, did you know we have bats?” He continued with the story of how he happened to be in the attic looking for the bats, something about bat

Taking the 1900 Mile Leap

It was October of 2018, and my wife Lisa and I were on our way back to New Hampshire from Pendleton, South Carolina, with our horses. We had just spent 4 days working cattle and roping with the legendary Buster McLaury. Heading back to New Hampshire’s cold blustery winter, which has temperature changes from 40° down to -20°. Not much to look forward to in the horse world unless you like frozen buckets, machinery breaking down, sanding icy walkways, and snowstorms that dump three feet of snow at a time. While on Route 78 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, I turned to my wife and asked whether she thought Buster would take

The Economic Impact of Love on Finances

Trillions of dollars are being lost or mismanaged each year due to the lack of love in our society and within our families. This figure cannot be verified, but it is my personal estimate. There is no doubt in my mind that one of the best investments in life is to choose the actions of love. After nearly thirty years of being professionally involved as an advisor and working with families and business owners in creating clarity for their current and future needs, I have witnessed tremendous financial losses and personal conflict as a result of selfish greed and unforgiveness. This attitude often flows over into health issues, with increased

Creativity

Growth mindset leads to more success and achievement because of the openness to self-improvement and acceptance of challenges. Painting, drawing, sculpting, improvisational jazz, composing music, cooking, and dancing are activities that fit as initial examples of creativity. When asked about how “creative” they are, people often joke that their drawing skills are limited to stick figures, or they joke about “making a joyful noise” when asked if they can sing. It is unfortunate that we tend to downplay our capabilities when it comes to creativity. Our church’s choir director says that if you can fog a mirror you can join the choir. Creativity is a trait all humans possess, though