Holly Lebowitz Rossi: November 2009 Archives

As Thanksgiving has gotten closer, I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of "enough."  I even pulled ye olde Webster's off the shelf to look up its definition:

e-nough (i nuf'), adj.  adequate for the want or need; sufficient for the purpose or to satisfy the desire. 

I'm not just contemplating "enough" because Thanksgiving--and the whole winter holiday season--is a time when we all circle the concept.  On one hand, the holidays can become an overindulgence, especially in the food department--too much, ever more, never enough. I suspect that a lot of us wrestle with the guilty feeling that we're flirting with gluttony throughout the holidays.  On the other hand, the holidays can drive us to dwell on those things we don't have enough of--money, love, happiness.  Somewhere in the middle of these two extremes is the peace of "enough."

On the overindulgence front, here's my question--why should we hold back on full plates, loud laughter, generous gifting, and tight hugs?  Isn't meagerness, stinginess, and tightness just as bad, if not worse, than "too much?"  Yes - which is why I am after what I call "enough abundance" this holiday season.  Enough should mean satisfaction, satiety, pure contentment with the food in our bodies and the smiles on our faces.  It should mean being full in every sense of the word, and making peace with the things in our lives that we want but don't yet have.   

Bob Perks, a longtime Beliefnet contributor, published an essay with us years ago titled "I Wish You Enough."  I think of the phrase often, it's really been a guidepost for me over the years.  I want to propose the prayer he includes in the article as possible words for you to say around your Thanksgiving table:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

(image via: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezo/2579878358/) 

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Oh, cranberry, how do we love thee?  Let me count the ways.

In the health arena, you make our hearts go pitter-pat--and not just because you may lower bad cholesterol and increase good.  You're also packed with immune-boosting antioxidants, urinary health-protecting antibacterial properties, and even--if you believe one Rutgers researcher--a compound that prevents plaque from binding to your teeth.  Super-food, anyone?

But Foodie Friday is about more than mere healthy eating, it's about feel-good, taste-great foodie joy.  And there, we're smitten too.  Because not only do you contain a major dose of pectin, which, once released, brings you from firm fruit to delectable, just-burst gel in mere minutes.  You're also so perfectly tart so as to act as the perfect foil in sweet desserts, and a delightful zing to savory dishes.  Is there anything you can't do?

I'm lucky enough to live in cranberry country--New England--where my store stocks several brands of local berries fresh from the bog.  Seeing as how 'tis the season for all things cran, I thought I'd share my 5 favorite ways to enjoy this tiny super-fruit.  What are yours?

5 Ways to Enjoy Cranberries

1.  Drink 'Em.  Cranberry juice + sparkling wine + lime juice = fizzy, tarted-up perfection.  Also, you know cranberry juice is a chief ingredient in a Cosmo, right?

2.  Sauce 'Em.  As if I have to tell you.....boil a bag of crans with a cup of water, a cup of sugar, and the zest of an orange.  Some crystallized ginger never hurt anyone either!

3.  Bake 'Em.  Toss in a handful of cranberries to your apple pie filling, or use them instead of blueberries a crumb cake or breakfast bread for little bursts of tart-sweet goodness (note: you may need to adjust the sugar because crans are so tart).

4.  Savor 'Em.  Concocting a wild rice, quinoa, or wheat berry salad?  Try some chopped roasted vegetables, dots of goat cheese, and a handful of dried cranberries.  A splash of lemon juice, a few glugs of olive oil, and you're on your way to Savory City!

5.  Snack 'Em.  Dried cranberries are pleasantly chewy, super-sweet, and very happily eaten by the handful with salted nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, and any other dried fruits you like.  Wait, did I just describe a trail mix?  Take dried cranberries with you on a fall hike or winter snowshoe, and you'll be rarin' to go!

Still hungry? Click here for more Foodie Friday tidbits.

(image via: http://www.goodguide.com/)

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Today in my acupuncture session, I had a fascinating conversation about toxic thoughts.  I shared with my acupuncturist my "message dream" in which I heard the phrase "toxic thoughts are water soluble" over and over again. 

I told her how that image had turned into something of a mantra for me these past couple of weeks.  We human beings are essentially made of water, and I've been visualizing clear, clean water flowing through my veins...dissolving any toxicity that might find its way in via bad food, negative thinking, polluted air, and more.  Water, purifying, cleansing water. 

She then shared how she imagines toxicity--as wind.  She visualizes herself as a screen door, able to feel the toxic wind and live with it, but just watching it blow through her, unable to stick or hold onto her body or mind.

Wow - between the two of us, we hit on two of the four essential elements.  I thought I'd give the other two a try.

Fire seems like a gimme, right?  Like those little pieces of flint-y paper that burst into a spark-flame and incinerate?  In the purifying fire of a clear mind, toxic things will simply consume and be gone.

Earth is a little more tricky, because it conjures an image of being buried - not something we want to do with toxic thoughts.  But here's my attempt--think about dirt as the rich, fertile remains of something that was rotten and dying (like the contents of a compost pile, aka leftover salad from last week).  Imagine toxic things crumbling into clean, dark earth, ready to receive the seeds of something new and alive.

Which element are you drawn to? 

(image via: http://www.freewebs.com/avatar-videos-online/pictures.htm)

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Many of us were surprised to read that the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending that women get their first mammograms at age 50, not 40--and, more shockingly, that doctors stop advising women to administer monthly self-exams on their breasts.

A million thanks to the folks at Huffington Post who compiled a totally giggle-inducing collection of smiling animals. Check it out, and vote for your favorite!

Do you wake up feeling great? You should! Getting healthy should be simple, so I compiled 21 easy ways to make healthy habits part of your every day. How many do you do on a regular basis?

You know, making stuff is fun--and healthy, too! Get inspired for Thanksgiving with this simple, fun place card craft that you can do in 10 easy steps.

The International Diabetes Foundation is sponsoring tomorrow, November 14, as World Diabetes Day 2009. Here at Fresh Living, we are always on the lookout for the smartest ways to manage the disease through natural diabetes remedies, lifestyle changes, and self-care.

A message dream is so simple, it stays with you all day. You try to figure out what it means--if it means anything at all. Have you ever had a "message dream?"

Have you ever came across something that you felt you were somehow meant to find today, in this exact present moment?

A collection of Veteran's Day quotes for all our stable, courageous veterans, and for those who still serve. A thousand times and a thousand more - thank you.

I just ran across this lovely article on how to heal your heart, and it struck me as a great "first thing meditation" for the morning.

If you're having trouble figuring out how to choose a tablecloth that fits your table--here's how to measure it, in 5 easy steps.

"We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness." I can't find exactly who said this quote, but I can hardly conjure a more inspiring thought for a Monday morning.  Wait through...

I just started an elimination diet, and I'm having a hard time. If you have food sensitivities or allergies, how do you keep your bliss around food, especially at the beginning of having to make changes in your eating habits?

We all could use a good stretch in the morning, and this video gives us some sun salutations, a mild sweat, and a whole lot of body-opening in exactly 10 minutes.

Next Tuesday is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street! What a flood of nostalgia just those two S-words bring up. We are collecting those memories--and the life lessons that go with them.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in America, killing around 437 people every day. In honor of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, I've compiled some resources from around Beliefnet to help raise awareness, encourage conversation, and offer support.

Are your sleep patterns healthy? You might not realize how important getting just enough sleep is for your overall health, sense of well-being, and daily energy level.

Swine flu prevention is about two things, really--smart practices that don't put flu germs and your mucous membranes in the same place at the same time, and keeping your immune system strong enough to fight off any bugs that might sneak in the door.