Coming Around Again

I just read that quote on Facebook (oh yeah, I am meaning to get off that dreadful site, but I'm not ready ;)). The person who shared it was pointing to procrastination and how feeling that we need to have everything figured out and in its place often stops us from getting started in the first place.

This sentiment is oh too true in too many areas of my life. For example, even writing this blog post. I have been thinking, "I want to write again" and even telling people, "I want to share my thoughts on this," or "I want to write a book on that", the advice is often,"Why don't you first start with some blog posts?". Seems easy. But having stepped away from writing (sharing) here for almost a full year, I feel sheepish as I log in and face my Self. I mean, it's hard enough when you reach out to that person or contact you've neglected, "Hey, it's been waaaaaayyyy too long, how ARE you?" and it's no different than when have to look at yourself and say, "Yes, I neglected you."

I know that I need a creative outlet. And if I am not going to sit and write a darn book, I had best be writing this darn blog!

So a check-in. Somewhere to start.

Last time I wrote here I was leaving Moldova to return to the USA after my 2.5 years with the Peace Corps. Since then, things have been weird. It's a period of time when I have looked around me and said, "well heck, THIS isn't how I pictured my life". Truth be told (and yes it pains me to share this, because these are those types of thoughts people don't usually share with others, but perhaps what sets apart a writer/sharer/blogger?) I LOVED to babysit in college and assumed that by the age of 33 I would have my own home and family. Stay-at-home-mom, 2-3 kids, rescued dog, darling husband who worked in something in finance and required me every so often to host a fancy dinner party where his boss and his wife would attend and I would have to buy a new dress....you know. The stuff I saw around me, the stuff we see on TV.

Of course I have now seen many, many, many versions of this "normal life". Extremes even. Everywhere from in a Moldovan village where kids were 1-2, dog was "rescued" only to be tied to a stake in the yard for life, and husband was actually in Russia building a pipeline or driving a truck. No boss for dinner except maybe her's because she took care of the home and children probably with the help of her mother and then also worked. So she had her boss and his wife over for the nicest meal she made all year. Maybe. Or maybe the family in Maine enjoying the sweetness of summer. Dad flying home on the private plane to attend to some business but returning with the chairman of the board of the fund he invests his family's dwindling trusts, but no fear, he married her and her family has got plenty of money (who cares if it's "new" anymore?!). Mom will host an amazing dinner of fresh crab salad and a real lobster bake with bibs and everything. It will be so quaint!

Yes, I have been privy to witnessing this play out on so many layers of life. And so maybe that's why I expected to be experiencing that same thing. But alas, I am not. I have no children and I work full-time. And I swallow that. It might be different if my full-time work was for myself in one of the many ventures I planned and plotted along the way but never found the partner, time, money etc. Only myself to burden and blame with that silliness.

As you know, if you've read my other blog posts, I did get married. But my husband is not a banker or investor, he works in construction. He loves to make things with his hands and to be outside in the freshness of the world, not in an office in front of a screen. And how can I blame him? Yet I do. When I am scared and reeling from the fact that we don't have a home or kids or bosses coming for dinner, I start to feel angry towards him for not being a computer programmer or banker. But I married him for who he is. How dare I think those things? I love him BECAUSE he is who he is with no airs, to pretense, simply doing what he loves to do and trusting that the universe will provide when the time comes for things like children, homes, and dinner parties.

I won't lie. It's been rough. He's foreign, no US degrees, a heavy accent. He's with his third construction team now. I'm SO thankful he has found work as quickly as he did upon arrival in July, because he's not a person who can sit home for long. I have so much to be thankful for and so now, after many journeys to many places, karma has brought me back only 45 minutes from my hometown to where I found work, with a university managing programs for youth in entrepreneurship. I had done projects while in Moldova to inspire people to take control of their own lives through the entrepreneurial mindset, after their past with communism, which seems to have leeched into their hearts and minds.

I'm coming around again.

Oh and so back to the quote above...so much of what we teach in the entrepreneurship program where I work is based on lean startup methodology. This says that you NEED to get started before you're 100% ready so that you know that what you're building is the right thing. You need to put it out to the world for which you're creating, so the world can respond and get you on the right track. There is no one-man-show. There is no ready.

Om tat sat.

My Small, Quaint Moldovan...

Well folks, I can't beat around this one. I have written about health, food, spirit and love. And now comes a very personal post about myself and possibly the most real reason I haven't written in such a long time. I have been busy falling in...love.

a lady in love

I have written in the past about how I have a tendency to see myself through the eyes of others. This was something that Swami Sita could see in my astrological chart and that I have always known. In simple English, this means I care way too stinking much what others think about me and I form my self-image based on their feedback of me. This is SUPER dangerous. This is something that I have had to work on, strengthening my own sense of self has been a freaking struggle my entire life. And now Costea has came along. Costea is short for Constantin. His name sort of sums it up. He is consistent and constant and loving and honest. From the beginning he was incredibly honest with me and asked of the same from me.

 I had never had someone so forthright about their feelings and about their impressions of me-good and bad. It was refreshing. Those weaknesses he exposed were ones that I knew all too well of, that I had been trying to hide or cover up. My ego didn't want to admit any of them! But Costea insisted I could change, I could grow and get better and better. In fact he was sure of it and wanted to be a part of that process. And he asked that I do that same for him. This was love. Of course this didn't all happen overnight and as with all meaningful relationships it has taken a lot of work for us to get to the place we find ourselves-married!

 For the last months, I have been focused on my relationship and my work in Moldova and so that meant not much room in my mind or days for the pleasure-filled outlet of writing, which I do love so much, on this blog and other projects. Thank you for being here, for bearing with me, for being...

In my last post, I proclaimed I was back to food. I was back to believing strongly that what we put into our bodies has MAJOR effects as to what goes on in our lives. And I have proclaimed in the past that all I want to do is to help people to better understand their own body's needs-nutritionally and through movement, as well as how this connects, or is the "gateway" to their entire life-both spiritual and here on Earth! That connection is so REAL and it's something that I can't get away from. Through all of my business background, non-profit work and *secret* desires to be wealthy and not-so-secret desire to be healthy, it is food, spirit, and wellness that keep pulling me back in. And when Costea and I talk about my career, the past failures, the current struggles, and future dreams, he tells me in his honesty that it is with FOOD and SPIRIT and WELLNESS and UPLIFTING and YOGA and WRITING where he sees my power. He applauds my past attempts to make a living in these areas, understands and empathizes in my failures, and empowers me to blaze forward. Forget about money, forget about fame, forget about making an name and just GO WITH YOUR PASSION.

If I could ever give out some of the best advice I also received, it would be to find a partner who is an honest witness to your own being and who is not afraid to report back what they observe-out of love and out of the desire for growth. Because life is both light and dark, and the person who sees the dark and is not afraid to pull you out of it, is a true gift.

I have learned so much in my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer. International relations, project writing, and empowerment. These skills will not go to waste and the work and connections I make here continue to be meaningful in ways I never could have dreamed. I found my husband! I found amazing friends, and I am finding the way to see myself through my own eyes, and those of a trusted partner.

Om!

Technique 7: EARTH!

This is the next post in the Ascension series.  Since this is December's post (opa! meaning "oops" in Russian-ish, at least here in Moldova!), there will be two this month.  My next post will be on my two Christmases and 2 New Years :)


Oh Earth, oh home!  There are so many, many topics I could cover regarding you: your health, your ecology, your age, your size...


But there is an aspect of you that grabs my attention so dearly.  The one thing about you that I find such a place in my heart for...humans.  Yes, Earth, you have us humans all over you.  We change you, we use you, we play with you.  And you support us.  No matter what we do, you provide us water, minerals, food, and oxygen.  That is amazing.  You must know about unconditional love.


And so with this technique, Earth, I want to address what I find to be the most plaguing issue on your plate today.  It is what I am always writing about.  It is humanity, it is our true nature, and it is what keeps us from knowing that and henceforth clinging to you, dear Earth, so tightly.


The Earth Technique....designed to remove the last of the separation between the individual and the Universe...The Earth Attitude creates a refined level of witnessing, the hallmark of Perpetual Consciousness, 


When I read this, I think of a poem I had read while looking up the Eagle's animal totem.  On one of my last days in the U.S. prior to my Peace Corps departure, my family and I stumbled upon an immature Bald Eagle on a Cape Cod beach.  And this was the message:


On the currents of the Four Winds
you ride the sky
held aloft by unseen hands
that hold you close to the Grandfather


Far below lies the world of Man
a realm in which you also dwell,
yet always from within
comes the ache to rejoin the Great Spirit


Caught between two realms,
you remind all who witness your beauty and strength
of the eternal struggle of the two-legged
to rise above the mundane
and feel the Soul take flight

Caught between two realms
This is how I often feel and I have made that clear in a number of my posts.  This seemingly innate desire to rise up spiritually, to detach from mundane worldly pleasures is almost immediately met with an attitude of, "OK, I am here, let's just do this and enjoy it."  And so finding the balance between these two places is a great challenge.  And what I want to share with you today is what I see as humanity's current great challenge, from a very broad and esoteric view.  I warn you now about that, so if you are not interested in such ideas, no need to go further.  I am going to mention the likes of governments, religions, and materialism.  I don't mean "materialism" like, "...she a gold digger", (though that too), but more as an over-current to modern man's view of life being so solid, so concrete, so dense, so absolute. I do not mean to judge or condemn. These are simply the times we live in. It's written in the stars. It is a part of our evolution as a whole.  I simply want to bring some things to light in order to assist with our further evolution, to nudge us all, closer to Truth.

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Our Material World: Government and religion leading the way
Governments are and have always been afraid of authentic spiritual knowledge.  This is mostly due to the fact that if a person truly believes/understands the concept that, "I am not this body, I am not these thoughts, I am not ANY label" then they won't need to run to the store to buy  the things to support these labels, won't feel themselves inadequate as to look for leadership and approval from another...they won't join in the perpetuating game of "not good enough".  It is my belief, one that I do not intend to push but do want to share, that organized religion has also become a way to keep people away from their own true nature.  Unfortunately, in today's world, the one place people will often turn to in a time of hope, despair and inquiry, is the same place that will keep them at an arm’s length away actually experiencing the enlightenment we all so deeply crave-mostly on a subconscious level.

Our Deepest (Secret) Desire
Have you heard of Non-Violent Communication? It is a communication process that makes the assumption that all human beings share the same needs-what they refer to as "Universal Human Needs". They are listed as:  Connection, Interconnectedness, Competence, Meaning, Peace, Honesty, Autonomy, Celebration, and of course our Physical Needs.   The developer behind this theory proposes that all suffering comes from these basic needs not being met, whereas joy and happiness, occur when they are met.  And just like we may not be aware of these exact needs, we also might not be aware of our desire to understand our true nature.  But just like with the other needs, when not met, we cannot remain in permanent and authentic joy without it.  Something will always be missing.

We all need to eat, sleep, breathe and drink water.  But if those were all we needed, would we be any different from a squirrel or a pig?  There is something different about us indeed-all of those other things listed above.  (I am not saying animals don't too need cuddles and a sense of belonging too-some more than others).  I will take the above list one step further and propose that there is a basic human need for understanding one's true nature.  Now, I do not believe that every person, in every lifetime, will actually face this need.  But as soon as you ask yourself the question, "Who am I?", you have begun the quest, no matter how far you take it, to understanding your own true nature.  AND...IF you were to succeed on this quest, rest assured you wouldn't have much time or care to deal with things like politics, economies, shopping, buying, owning, being better, being right and so on.  No, you would rest in the understanding of your true nature as sure as the sun rises.  You would understand that all is perfect and there are no inequities.  You would be in constant peace. 

Material Clinging
And so governments and religion are certainly afraid of enlightened souls.  Their very existence depends upon people being confused and suffering.  And so they do what they have to in order to keep people asleep in material consciousness.  I hate to sound like some conspiracy theorist, and that I think governments and churches are "out to get us". While I do find it frustrating that ancient knowledge of how to understand ourselves has been all but hidden, I do also trust that most people in power are trying to accomplish what they truly believe to be best.  Unfortunately for the rest of us, they are most often operating out of an entirely unenlightened place...a place of materialistic clinging. 


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And so how does one conclude this?!  I guess the main point is that we are between two worlds my friends. And in this time as a human, we are truly of neither.  We are not pure spirit and we are not pure animal.  We are both.  Meditating on this truth can help us to understand the impermanence of it all, the fleeting qualities of the material world. Would you rather work towards what will be a part your existence for a mere blink, or for the vast eternity?  

XOm!

Pterodactyls on the Road to Home

Laela and me in Balti

My sitemate Laela (meaning she is also a Peace Corps Volunteer living and working in Balti) recently invited me to join her for some activities at a center she works with called Drumul Spre Casa (DSC). In Romanian this translates to “the road to home.”  DSC is a temporary placement shelter for youth from at-risk family situations.  This includes such situations as single-parents without the means to support their children, drug or alcohol addicted parents, or absence of parents due to leaving the country to work abroad without taking their children.  Laela arranges one activity per week at the center and last week she invited me to lead a yoga class.  Walking into a new place to teach, no matter the subject, one never knows quite what to expect.  However I do know I will likely be the one to learn something.

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I had met Luda during a previous visit to the center.  She had seemingly flown out the front doors and leapt into Laela’s arms with a loud HELLO!  She had the energy of a fairy and her short pixie hair, sharp light blue eyes, freckles and slightly upturned nose, gave her the look of a sprite.  I loved her!  I joked with her in Russian about Laela’s blue nail polish hiding underneath her purple gloves.  “Surprise!” we giggled.  Yes, Luda is a spitfire. 

When we arrived  for the yoga class, we entered a scene of girls from the local university leading the children in a costume game.  They had all made head-dresses and were singing songs in Russian about friendship and home and then dancing around like “Indians” (yes-Native American is more PC I know).  Hmmm, I thought, this will be an interesting act to follow.  I sat down and watched as the activity wound down.  The college students handed out some treats and the children began to disperse.  The energy was still very high, very rowdy and here came hopping along, Luda.    She took my hand, opened it up and placed a raisin in it.  She was sharing her treat with me!  I was immediately hit with how incredibly generous this was.  Here was a little girl who couldn’t live at her home because her family was either too poor, had left the country or had other issues of abuse or violence, giving ME her treat.  And not only did she give me a raisin, she gave me the little plastic dinosaur toy they had given her too.  It was a blue Pterodactyl. 

I didn’t leave that day with the blue Pterodactyl, in fact I left with a pink one.  A little boy had seen me holding the blue one.  His was pink.  Without exchange of words, our eyes met, we nodded, and we switched.  Using the language beyond words. This entire exchange and relationship is common for a Peace Corps Volunteer-to experience this generosity and selflessness of a people who seemingly have so much “less” than us.

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 I tend to see my life symoblicly, seeing meaning in things others may pass over.   I won’t go into whether this a “right” or “wrong” way of thinking.  I do understand that life is just happening, and that I am the one adding meaning to it. However, I have always loved legends, prophecies, symbols, signs, omens, superstitions.  That’s the way I am and that’s OK. I like meaning.  So when Luda first handed me the dinosaur toy and I told her it was a Pterodactyl, my mind leapt to a reoccurring dream I have about…you guessed it…Pterodactyls… swooping  over me.  It is always an intense dream with me having thoughts of first incredible fear followed by reasoning that this cannot be happening as these animals are long extinct, followed by me realizing I must be someplace really crazy, or that I must be dreaming.  And so at this point I gain the ability to begin to lucid dream-to take control of my experience.  But I always wake up before I can begin...

Luda’s generosity was in turn also a gift in that it encouraged me to finally decipher what it was my soul, my inner knowing, was trying to teach me in my dream state.

I looked up what it can mean to dream about dinosaurs.  Not surprisingly I got this:

”To see a dinosaur in your dream, symbolizes an outdated attitude. You may need to discard your old ways of thinking and habits. Alternatively, being chased by a dinosaur, may reflect old issues that are still coming back to haunt you”

For me this signifies the outdated ideas I carry about who I am, what I am supposed to do with my life, how I should look ect.- based on what others around me say.  It’s a mistake-I know.  It’s our families, our friends, our coworkers, the media…all sources outside of us, and our relationship to them, shaping how we in turn shape our lives, our perspectives.  When I get caught up in the “should” way of thinking, in swoops the Pterodactyl to remind me to rid of that thinking.  Just like the emotions of my dream, these thoughts come out of: first fear (of not being accepted, of not belonging) and then are hit with my reasoning, usually convincing me of why these outside sources must be right, and then the eventual realization that…it’s all an illusion.  The truth is I am in a pretty crazy place here on Earth. But also, I am free to control how I see it, how I perceive…I am in control of me.  And so, I am on the road home.

Om tat sat. 
XOm

Einstein's Thoughts=YUM

I was contemplating Albert Einstein the other day…

How cool it is to have such original thoughts

that take this physical world to new realms and continually inspire others

Original thoughts and ideas and the strength to stay true to them

Not give in to society's "norms" and how “everyone else” is thinking...

Bears great fruit!

XOm

My Two Sides, Sprituality and Lil' Wayne

Driving in the car today, the song of the moment came on and I turned it to full blast. As I did my best hand pumping and hip swaying, I could feel the beat of the song through my entire body. And this is one side of me. I have always loved hip-hop, dropping low, sexy looks, long hair, long legs, high fashion, outrageous parties, delicious foods, full body massage and the list goes on...Yes, this is my sensual side, the part of me enjoying living on Earth-my "animal being".

And then there is the other side of me. She takes the path less traveled. She abstains from over-indulgences and has led long periods of abstinence. She is deeply entrenched in spirituality, in touch with her intuition, and able to see the "good/God" in others. This is what makes me a "spiritual being".

Animal + Spiritual being = Human

Anyone who knows me well knows of these two sides all too well. They get me into trouble, mostly with myself. Imagine indulging in a night of drinks, boat rides with music blaring, hanging with a bunch of men, kissing one of them- all on a whim. Having an absolute blast. In the moment of this particular evening, I was high on all my senses. Attention, speed, thrill, music, touch...but we know what goes up must come down. Right? Because the next day I was so GUILT-ridden.  I was in my worst nightmare when just 12 hours before I was having an amazing time "letting loose". I fret and I panicked, "What are people saying? what are they thinking?" The bigger question is "WHO CARES?" BIG WHOOP. What a waste of energy.

And I'm Like F- You

It's useful to say "Forget You" to those who judge. And this includes my holier than thou self. I have been getting therapy for the past six months. It has been a long time coming-my first attempt at working with a truly outside objective voice. Yesterday she guided me to a HUGE breakthrough: that I had overdeveloped this "spiritual" side of myself at a young age in order to escape from having to deal with what was happening in my everyday life. And as soon as I did this (about 6th grade), I immediately began to heavily judge myself and others.

I can clearly recall one afternoon when I was maybe 12 or 13. I was in the forest with some girlfriends. It was a Saturday. I was sensing that the three of them were ganging up on me and making fun of me. I can't recall what about but how I handled it was to walk off on my own. Eventually they became worried about me and set off to find me. I had made my way a swing by the creek we were playing in and they asked what I was doing. I replied, "I'm talking to God". Their response was one of awe. They asked if I did this often, did I ever hear a reply. This was good. They weren't making fun of me anymore. And so it began. Can't deal with the here and now, I'll go up. And while this is not a bad move, it's not "wrong", and it's a beautiful thing to turn to a higher power when we are in despair, but it did give me an excuse to separate myself from other.

The truth is that even though I am seeing my spiritual tendencies in a new light, I still am-to my core-a very spiritual person. There is a reason that I had the tendency to go this place. I probably was indeed talking to God on that swing-but was it out of a place of connection or out of a place of escape? I see this now and I embrace this part of me as well as the girl who likes to boogie down, wear beautiful clothes and go out for delicious meals. I'll always be the yoga teacher talking with teenagers about Facebook AND the co-worker making you get on the floor to stretch and breathe between meetings. I am jubilent Julie. I love looking at the pages of Vogue and standing on my head. I like Lil' Wayne and Krishna Das. I eat goji berries and potato chips.

THAT is who I am. I am both. I am one. I am me. The only. And you are the only YOU. And that is what makes it so darn cool to be human. We all come here with some truth to share. That is our one job. We each hold a piece of the one Truth and the more we share it, the more we all come together as one. Once we embrace our many sides, we actually become closer to our own true nature and God.

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Now go ahead and play this would ya? Because it's fun. And you know what? Lil' Wayne is a pretty deep dude. Catch this line: "...but most of ya'll don't get the picture 'less the flash is on."

I see that he is saying we can't see the truth a lot of the time until it's made utterly impossible to ignore.

Om tat sat. I'm off to dance!

Yoga Say What? Learn. Forget. Remember.

The true definition of Yoga might very well be different dependant upon whom you ask. While I was studying at the Yoga Farm we in fact learned that there are many translations regarding the meaning of Yoga. Today, I will share those meanings and how I see them pertinent in today's world.

A little background on the source and history of Yoga before we delve into WHAT exactly it is. Yoga Philosophy comes from The Vedas. The Vedas, translating to "knowledge" are writings transmitted to the world via sages/saints over three thousand years ago. So like with the prophets of the Bible and other spiritual texts, these people sat quietly, at times for years at a time, in order to receive these Truths to assist humanity in achieving its purpose. For those of us with a sense that we ARE indeed born with purpose, these texts become something to be examined and considered. With Vedanta Philisophy (this is the philopophy of the Vedas, also known as Yoga philosophy) being "the end of knowledge", Vedanta implies that once you truly understand the message, there is simply nothing left to know.

I had a moment of intense clarity the other day (LOVE those right?) where three words came to me: Learn. Forget. Remember. In these three words I relate to the Vedas & Yoga.

• In LEARNING: we are born and we learn so much about the world around us-right and wrong. For example, we learn that we eat fruits and vegetables not rocks and dirt. This is 'right'. We also "learn" that perhaps we are not talented enough, smart enough, or attractive enough. This is "wrong". So we learn and learn and learn until one day we say, "HEY-I don't think I have this all RIGHT. I don't believe what this and that person said and I want to get back to the way I was before I believed that!".

• And so we have to work hard to FORGET. This is what a lot of the Yoga practice is meant for. To release us from the false perceptions we have of ourselves and the world around us.

• Once we do this work, we can REMEMBER. We can remember who we are, why we came into this life, and the all important work we are supposed to do. We remember our purpose. THIS, is life.

Now back to the meanings of YOGA in order to apply them to LIFE:

Yoga is:

#1. A level of bliss, maintained. In this I see that it's something that is meant to be constant.

#2. Evenness of the mind. Here is the view that it is when we have enough control over our own thoughts to not get overly excited about things. While that may sound like a downer at first, when we think about that what goes up must come down (physics), we can understand that for every super-excited thought or reaction, we level it out with an equally depressed or lethargic state of being. So the more we can keep our minds steady, the less we suffer.

#3. Skill in action. This is where we delve into what is commonly called Karma Yoga or Seva. Here we participate in our duty; whether it be as a parent, janitor, banker ect., we do our work without expectation regarding the outcome. When we can do this, we cannot be let down as we never had expectations to begin with. In this we can approach #2 much easier!

#4. A scientific method to find truth. Indeed. It is written, it is proven, it's been done for thousands of years. It is NOT a religion, it does NOT ask for any steadfast belief or surrender, it only provides a method to LEARN. FORGET. REMEMBER.

#5. Union with the Divine. This is perhaps the most popularized definition, often referring to a translation of 'yoke'. In this we can say that here is the REMEMBERING that we are no different from any other person nor from whatever That is Who created all of this!

#6. The severance from the union with pain. As is #3, when we aren't expecting things to turn out a certain way, when we simply try our best and offer the results to the world rather than laying claim to them...we don't hurt. We don't identify with 'losing' because we had never intended to put our Self out for gain. Pretty. Darn. Cool!!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this little lesson in Vedanta and that you have seen that while indeed esoteric (no matter how I could try, I could never not be spiritual...if that makes any sense!), there is a lot of meaty, relevant and useful information in all of this.

Om Tat Sat.

Can Ola Oil?

Ever wonder exactly what IS the omnipresent 'canola oil'? I have. When I was studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in 2008 the myriad of teachers had for the most part said it was no good. And us health-nut-wellness-seeking type students had all but demonized this slick processed-food fixture. But certainly we can't run around telling people to eat this and not that without giving reasons.  I mean, we find this stuff in EVERYTHING…in junk food of course (crackers, chips, cookies ect.), but also ‘health foods’ like granola, soymilk and organic salad dressings. So I did you all the favor of sleuthing around and finding out the deets on why this oil should be on your 'no thank-you' list. (You're welcome-Happy Holidays!)

What is it? I have never heard of a Canola plant.

Canola oil is hydrogenated rapeseed oil. The rapeseed plant is a member of the mustard family and rapeseed oil is a potent pesticide. It also contains high levels of euric acid which is toxic to people (and why rapeseed oil as-is could never be used for human consumption. More on this below).

So why is it called Canola oil?

Rapeseed oil is a Canadian export product; it is the CANada Oil-Low Acid, hence, Canola. So

the word itself is an acronym. (I LOVE acronyms! Of course they are much more useful for names of organizations and helpful reminders rather than euphemisms for crappy products, for example CANOLA versus Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil).

So why is it bad for my health?
1. Heart Health: Sally Fallon (of the Weston Price Foundation author of Nourishing Traditions) notes that "heart healthy" canola oil actually creates a deficiency of Vitamin E in the body, which is essential to cardiovascular health. This was also reported in Nutrition Research, 1997, Volume 17. I will explain other heart-health implications below, but the Vit. E issue coupled with the inflammation it can cause makes this stuff is REALLY bad for people with heart troubles.
2. Hidden Trans-Fat: Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of refining, bleaching and de-gumming--all of which utilize high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when heated, it must be deodorized. The deodorization process removes much of the now-rancid omega-3s when turning them into trans fatty acids. (Hydrogenation makes oils more shelf-stable). So then we are not only eating a rancid oil, but trans-fat too! Research at the University of Florida -Gainesville determined that as much as 4.6% of the fatty acids in canola are trans fats formed in the refining process.

3. The Omega-6 Issues: In the process described above, we noted that the naturally-occurring Omega-3 fatty acids go rancid. This in turn makes them Omega-6 fatty acids. There has been a lot in the news on these EFAs. Many products on the grocery store shelf are even advertising that they are high in Omega-3s. (It's the new 'low-carb'). While both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids ARE essential, it is the balance of these two that create health or havoc in the body. When our levels of Omega-6 are too high we experience what is called 'Low-Level Chronic Inflammation'. This can manifest in individuals differently with the most common diseases being arthritis, chronic fatigue and obesity but ranging into heart disease, and even cancer. When the body is in a constant state of having to 'put out the fire' of inflammation, it puts the immune system into over-drive leaving other systems (like healthy-cell building, healthy digestion, energy for positive thinking and so depression/anxiety ect.) to falter. This can be remedied by upping the intake of Omega-3s. However, the high levels of the Omega-6 in the modern diet make it important to also be reducing them.

Hopefully this clears up any confusion regarding canola oil. It is hardly edible. Look for healthier oils like coconut or palm for frying and olive, sesame, or sunflower for sauteing and baking. And when buying any foods that come with an ingredient list, be sure to check for Canola! Unfortunately, most vegetables oil (corn, safflower, soybean ect) all go through this same refining process and are therefore less than desirable for human nutrition and health. Look for oils to be cold-pressed.

And one more thing: about cottonseed oil…were we meant to eat cotton?!?!

Bottom Line: Keep it simple with less processed foods! Choose healthier oils! Love your Self.

OM Tat Sat.

***Looking for some help with your diet and nutrition in the new year? Hire me!