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"Thank You", from my Heart.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

Thanksgiving is almost here and I'm anticipating the smell of poultry seasoning and the warmth radiating from my oven. The scent of Thanksgiving is an annual sense of pleasure for me, and a quick survey of friends affirms that this is THE holiday of the year for most of us. It warms our bellies and our hearts.

In the next few days, as you sit back and think about all that you have to be grateful for, you may want to consider writing Thank You notes. It could lower your cholesterol. Two separate studies examined the difference between those who wrote down affectionate thoughts about friends and family against those who just described their daily activities.   Results showed significant lowering of cholesterol levels for the first group after only 25 days.

So why am I suggesting that you write Thank You notes? Because those who wrote their words of affection directly to someone, showed greater reductions in cholesterol than those who just wrote about someone.

One of the strengths of this study was that it specifically examined the benefits of expressing affection. Other studies have found evidence for the benefits of expressing affection but have had difficulties separating the expressing from the receiving. This is because when you express affection towards someone else, they are likely to reciprocate. Expressing is, therefore, tightly bound up with receiving.(1)

I have your attention, I can tell. But you're probably having second thoughts about handwritten notes in this day of cell phones, e-mail and text messages. Let's see if I can guess what you're thinking and offer more suggestions:

1. Can I just buy some pre-printed Thank You cards and sign my name? Nyet. I think it should come from the heart if you want your heart to benefit, right? Read The Simple Dollar's "How To Write an Effective Thank You Note for Any Occasion".

2. No one can read my handwriting! The importance of legible handwriting is perhaps underrated but some have found ways around it, such as writing all in caps: "How to Write Legibly..."

3. Write a letter to my boss, are you serious? Remember, it's good for your health! How-to do just that and more, from Buzzle.com.

4. Pfft, I can turn my handwriting into my own font, I don't have time to write on paper note cards! Ah, well, some very busy people do and recommend it too.

Ready to give it a try? If you'd like some practice, go ahead and write me a note. I'll send you a note back since I need a little practice too. It's good for our health!

Barbara Uechi

77-6425 Kuakini Hwy., C2, PMB#121

Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Source: (1) Affectionate Writing Can Reduce Cholesterol, Psyblog

             (2) Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)

Photo: delongrj

Submitted to: Prevention Not Prescriptions for Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

A Natural Tooth Powder

Turmeric has been piquing a lot of interest lately as a pain reliever (Read one doctor's opinion), weight suppressant, anti-inflammatory,Alzheimer preventive supplement, and the list goes on. (See this collection of articles.) So far, I haven't read anything about the way I use it as a tooth powder!

My yoga teacher, Jehangir Palkhivala told me about it a couple of years ago. These are the ingredients:

Turmeric and sea salt.  Salt for cleansing and turmeric to strengthen the gums. Buy the best quality ingredients you can find,

mix equal parts in a glass container or jar (keep it airtight),

blend it well and dip a slightly damp toothbrush to coat. Then, brush away.

I'll spare you the sight of me brushing my teeth but I will warn you that your toothbrush will turn yellow after the first use. I even fill my wash basin with a little water to keep it clean, although any discoloration cleans up right away with a little cleanser. At first I was a bit concerned about the porcelain crowns I have, but they haven't yellowed.

So what's the benefit? I've had some challenges with my gums because I'm a mouth breather when I sleep (another photo I'll spare you). Everytime I got my teeth cleaned, my gums bled, a lot. Well, after a few months of brushing with this mixture, there was hardly a speck of blood during my last cleaning.

Aside from stronger gums, as I keep reading about all the positive nutritional benefits of turmeric, I think the anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin are doing wonders for my body. True, I'm ingesting very small amounts through this tooth powder but I'm definitely not swallowing all of the additives found in most toothpastes. Are you?

This post has been submitted to : Prevention Not Prescription.