Lesson #16

Today is the most wonderful day! We have gifts right in front of us and we are ready to grab those gifts and say WAHOO! Look around you at your extraordinary treasures.

For my 50th birthday, my nieces gave me a CD by Tim McGraw entitled Live Like You Were Dying. They paid me a wonderful compliment and said, “Aunt Tami, you’re the one we think of who is living like you were dying.” What a powerful message to me as I blast that song every morning to rev up my energy. Of course, picturing Tim in those tight jeans helps!

Remember I used to live in such deep doo doo with fear and worry. Through daily practice my connection to God becomes clearer—it’s corrosion free. It takes practice to transcend fear and putting those daily activities in place to help bring in the positives. Want to have some fun with your inner child? Sticking your tongue out at fear does help. So let’s practice. Stick out your tongue and face your fears and shout, “You’re not the boss of me.” It’s kind of hard to have your tongue hanging out while talking but it sure feels good, doesn’t it?

I am reprinting some lines from the song so you can breathe in the message.

Live Like You Were Dying

He said, “I was in my early forties, with a lot of life before me,

When a moment came that stopped me on a dime.

And I spent most of the next days looking at the x-rays

And talking “bout the options, talking “bout sweet time.”

And I asked him when it sank in

That this might really be the end.

“How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?

Man what’d you do?” He said,

“I went sky diving; I went rocky mountain climbing;

I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fumanchu.

And I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter.

And I gave forgiveness I’d been denying.”

And he said, “Someday I hope you get the chance

To live like you were dying.”

He said, “I was finally the husband that most the time I wasn’t.

And I became a friend a friend would like to have.

And all ‘a sudden going fishin’ wasn’t such an imposition

And I went three times that year I lost my dad.

And I finally read the good book and I took a good long look

Powerful message, right? So what are you going to do? Tell a friend you love him or her. Call a family member whom you haven’t forgiven and forgive. Do something nice for your neighbor. Ready to ride the bull? Just for today, “Live Like You Were Dying!”

Before there were packaged goods, processed foods, GMOs and an ongoing debate between organic or not, there was dirt, seeds, water and roaming animals. It may be hard to consider now, but the dawn of man produced hunters and gatherers and humans had to get their own food – not by heading to the supermarket.

There were no sprays to kill insects, no chemicals or genes added or modified. No extra-large tomatoes or vibrant yellow bananas. Food was simple. It was either found, picked or hunted. And although there weren’t doctors or research scientists to confirm the benefits of such eating, it seems that when it comes to dietary habits, eating like our ancestors has some merit.

Diets come and diets go, but one in particular seems to have staying power and for good reasons as well. It’s based on eating similar to that of prehistoric man and it’s being touted as one of the best way to eat. It’s called the Paleo diet.

What is the Paleo diet?
The Paleo diet was created by Loren Cordain, a now-famous author, speaker and professor of health and exercise science at Colorado State University, who specializes in disease and diet. The Paleo diet itself reflects food items and methods of eating similar to our Stone Age ancestors – that’s right, this diet is framed around eating like cavemen. Through scientific research and peer-reviewed studies, Cordain has uncovered many health benefits to eating the Stone Age way.

There are seven premise on which the Paleo diet guidelines are based:

High protein
Low carbohydrates and low glycemic index
High fiber
Moderate to high fat intake – monosaturated and polysaturated fats with omega-3s and 6s

High potassium, low sodium
Net dietary alkaline balances dietary acid – some foods produce acid (meat) and others are alkaline (fruits and vegetables). Eating a balance of both alkaline and acid foods can have positive health effects.

High intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant phytochemicals.

For those who don’t know if there is a relationship between your acne condition and the foods you eat, let me tell you that there is. You might have heard that oily foods cause acne, but this isn’t entirely true. Oily foods have caused internal changes including high cholesterol levels, but they don’t really have a huge impact on the skin condition. When does oil affect skin conditions such as acne? The only time oil would affect your acne condition, is when you use cosmetic products that have animal fats, oils and additives. Most of the makeup products and skin care products on the market today have oils added to them.

One thing you should begin doing is purchase herbal skin care products that contain no oils or preservative chemicals. These additional chemicals and oils will only cause harm to your skin condition. For those who have acne, it is never a good idea to use tons of makeup. Makeup may seem like a great way to hide your acne, but it surely does not make things any better. The types of food you eat will affect your overall acne condition. The following are some of the foods you should and shouldn’t limit on a daily basis, if you intend on controlling your acne.

The calcium rich fluid we all love drinking could be bad for your acne condition. Milk has been a great addition to any breakfast meal, but it could lead to your acne getting worse than it already is. Since milk originally comes from cows, there is a significant amount of fat and hormones which could cause an imbalance in your acne condition. I am not saying that you should stop drinking milk, but it would help if you could limit your daily intake. If you are someone who drinks milk several times a day, it could be a problem for your acne.

The one type of oil that is considered to be a helper in your acne condition is Omega 3 fat oils. All types of fishes have this fish oil in them, and they have been known to prevent acne and keep skin looking fresh. Whether you are cooking the fish or simply having some sushi, it is considered to be great for your skin and overall health. Apart from the acne benefits of fish, you would also be taking in some much needed proteins.

Oranges and berries are two amazing types of fruits you should eat at least once a day. When I say berries, I mean all sorts of berries; whether it is strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. Berries and oranges have high antioxidant content along with nutrients that help with skin development and acne prevention. By eating such fruits, you’ll be able to get rid of the bad skin cells, which allows for new skin development. During skin development, one thing you should do is drink lots of fluids. Water and concentrated juices are the best, as they give your body the hydration, vitamins and energy.

I hope this you can incorporate parts of this acne diet into your everyday meals, so that you can get rid of all the acne and live a young and healthy life.