Walk Mindfully

One Simple Change — Get Mindful Exercise

My recommendation for One Simple Change in May was to eat mindfully. Did you give it a try?  For June try mindful walking “to gain energy and stimulate your body and mind.”

What a thrill for parents as their children take their first step; it’s cause for celebration, photo taking, and calling the grandparents.. From that moment on, we use our legs to get around; we take it for granted and give the practice little or no thought. As a workout, Webmd states, “Walking is as simple as it gets for exercise.” 

Prevention magazine has 14 Walking Workouts To Burn Fat and Boost Energy. And the Mayo Clinic states that walking can be an ideal low-impact exercise. “Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you maintain a healthy weight, prevent or manage various health conditions, strengthen your bones, lift your mood and improve your balance and coordination."

But have you walked mindfully, with attention and presence, without a goal or intention? Health experts tell us walking is beneficial. Do so mindfully and reap even more benefit. Mindful walking simply means being aware of each step and each breath. It can be done anywhere: alone in nature, in the city, in parking lots. It simply requires that you pay attention.

When I set out on my morning walk, I take a few deep breaths, smile, appreciate the the new day and become aware of my surroundings. I acknowledge how I feel and try to leave my to-do list at home; I set my intention to walk mindfully. As I begin to walk I notice the sensation of my feet hitting the pavement and the swing of my legs. I notice my posture, the swing of my arms and acknowledge any discomfort. (I have fibromyalgia so mornings are often painful. My walk always helps.) I listen to the the sound of my feet on the pavement.

Next, I expand my awareness to my surroundings. I love watching the seasons change. Like a dog, I lift my nose and draw in a breath and acknowledge what I smell whether it’s fresh cut grass, flowers in bloom, a garbage truck passing, someone’s fabric softener from their dryer vent. Some scents can almost be tasted. I draw my attention to what I see: frost on the ground, the sun rising, a squirrel’s antics, a bird feeding her young, and the changes in flowers and trees. I acknowledge the air: gentle and warm, sharp and cold or windy. I pay attention.

If thoughts or emotions cross my mind, I acknowledge them also. I try not to judge them or linger on them. I simply bring myself back to awareness and the present moment. This is my time of the day before life intrudes. It reminds me to slow my daily pace and make mindful moments throughout my day. Life is good. Try it.

This HuffingtonPost article, “Meditation In Action: Turn Your Walk Into A Mindful Moment” should help you integrate mindfulness into your walks. It states that mindful walking “will help you to become present and connect to what is happening in the here and now.” The article recommends that you observe, notice, listen, feel and come back. I highly recommend you read it.

Turn off or mute your cellphone and unplug your earbuds; do this practice in silence. Begin by walking slowly with a sense of ease and awareness. Let your walking be easy and natural. When you finish, simply stand, take a deep breath and be still for a few moments.

Making small changes today can lead to great health benefits down the road.

                                                                 —Juice Plus® 

*****

Be grateful that you not only have this opportunity to take a mindful walk, but that you can walk. My two-year old grandson has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 2 and very likely will never walk. According to CureSMA, “SMA is a disease that robs people of physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, taking away the ability to walk, eat, or breath. It is the number one genetic cause of death for infants.”

What most of us take for granted, many can not do. You may have noticed the CureSMA and MDA logos at the bottom of this blog. I ask that you click on them and donate today. Thank you.

Prepare for swimsuit season

Make Your Life Complete

For most people, winter is usually a more sedentary time of the year; we tend to eat more rich and sugary foods. Following the holidays many people think about knocking off a few pounds, but it takes the onset of swimsuit season before some get serious about it. Juice Plus+® is not a weight loss product, but it does give your body the nourishment it craves and naturally cleanses. When taking Juice Plus+®, weight control can be a byproduct as well as getting a healthier you.

Juice Plus+® capsules micro nutrition smart and easy

Juice Plus+® Orchard and Garden Blends capsules (basic combo only $1.48/day) and chewables provide 17 fruits, vegetables and grains. Add the Vineyard Blend and the total jumps to 26 (the trio only $2.38/day). Juice Plus+®  capsules and chewables also:

• have well over 13,000 phytonutrients, plant compounds naturally found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes that scientific studies are showing give health-protecting qualities,

• provide soluble fiber helping food get into your cells and

• have active enzymes and probiotics to help you digest your food so it can be absorbed. 

Add Juice Plus+® to your daily diet and watch your skin glow and your energy increase. As healthy cells replace old ones, be prepared to crave healthier foods. It's micro nutrition that builds, repairs and protects.

Add macro-nutrition with Juice Plus+® Complete Shake Mix

Juice Plus+® Complete Shake (only $2.05/shake) provides:

• 13 grams of protein from: water washed whole soy, peas, chickpeas, tofu, rice, and algae,
• complex carbohydrates from ancient grains: organic quinoa, amaranth and millet and from broccoli, alfalfa and radish sprouts, pumpkin, pomegranate, spirulina and yucca and
• 8 grams of fiber, 2 grams insoluble.

Juice Plus+® Complete Shake is:

• sweetened with stevia and organic cane sugar, and has only 10 grams of low glycemic sugars,
• gluten free
• low fat, and
• has NO: cholesterol, artificial flavorings, coloring, preservatives, wheat, dairy, eggs, caffeine or herbs.
• It is Kosher certified
• Plus it is non-GMO.

This is truly "Affordable Healthy Fast Food!”

Contact me today at gucker.jp@gmail.com or visit my website to order Juice Plus+® and Juice Plus+® Complete Shake mix and get started on healthier and slimmer you. I will send you two eating plans: "Juice Plus+ Transformation: an Amazing Journey to Your Best Health” and “Transform 30." In addition, I’ll send you many Complete Shake mix recipes.

Note: Instead of protein loading for an intense physical work-out, I agree with Ivy at Clean Cuisine, “Instead of worrying so much about protein, if you exercise a lot it is especially important to make sure you get more antioxidants and phytonutrients to combat the exercise-induced oxidative stress that is inevitable with an intense fitness training program. And the more hardcore your workout is, the more cell-protecting antioxidants and phytonutrients you need to ingest. Keep in mind, unrefined whole foods are the best sources of antioxidants, and plant foods are the only sources for phytonutrients. If you want to supplement your diet with anything after a workout you should supplement with a phytonutrient booster, such as…Juice Plus. Juice Plus+ is the only one of these phytonutrient boosters that has clinical research with multiple studies backing up the fact that it does in fact reduce post-exercise oxidative stress…."

Increasingly, more studies are showing that whey protein based drinks may be harmful. One, they are animal protein based and two, they provide too much protein. Ivy also states in her article, "…believe it or not there is such a thing as getting too much protein. There is also such a thing as getting fat from eating too much protein."

Juice Plus+® Complete Shake Mix just makes sense.

Juice Plus+ Parsley and the Importance of Quality Ingredients — watch this video

This is from the April 2015 Juice Plus+® newsletter, "The Plus+ Side":

Parsley is more than just a pretty face: it’s pretty good for you, too. A cup of fresh, chopped parsley contains substantial portions of your daily value of vitamin C (133%), vitamin A (101%), iron (21%), potassium (9%), calcium (8%) and dietary fiber (8%).¹ And it does all that without breaking a sweat. That nutritional punch is part of why we include parsley in our Garden Blend capsules and chewables.

One Simple Change — make it Juice Plus+®

Strings

Choosing a String Resource

In Zentangle® a string, a light pencil guideline, creates spaces to be filled with Zentangle® patterns. The string got its name from Rick’s childhood experience of watching his grandmother drop strings into sugar water and pulling out beautiful rock candy. The string is a foundation for the placement of tangles in Zentangle® art. The string removes the blank paper which scares many artists. The string sits quietly in the background as a guideline. It’s not a wall thus may be ignored by the tangler if so inspired.

Both the tangles used and the resulting completed tiles are intended to be unplanned. Not knowing the outcome is an important and unique aspect of Zentangle®. But like choosing a pattern to draw, deciding on the string also tends to throw the tangler into planning mode. Thinking about the space and the patterns to use removes the Zen from this art.

To find a string and get the left-brain out-of-the-way go to TanglePatterns or purchase a string guide  (scroll down). Then use a random number generator to choose a number between 1 and the last string number listed in the guide to find a string number to draw.

If drawing any string seems complicated to you, print out the string and with soft lead pencil blacken the back of the print-out. Then center it on your tile and with your pencil trace the transfer directly onto the tile.

OR

Close your eyes and, with a pencil, blindly draw a string with a scribble on your tile.

OR

Purchase Prestrung Zentangle® tiles from me or at https://www.zentangle.com/product/zentangle-tiles-pre-strung.

OR

Candleholder
top and bottom traced

Use CZT Margaret Bremner’s idea of “Using tangles as strings,” an enlarged and “perhaps simplified,” tangle as a string. Margaret has many other string ideas. My favorites are:

• “Superimposed strings,”
• Using a number as in her “‘2014’ Diva challenge” post,
• Tracing an object as in her “Key string” and “Traced object string challenge” posts (see photos below),
• From designs on objects as in her “Cookie tin string” post and
• “News flash! Looped border creates its own string!”

OR

my traced object string

Make Alphabet strings as in CZT Sandy Hunter’s “trash/treasure” post.  Click on any image to open and download.

OR

Try CZT Michele Beauchamp’s “A Zentangle Spiral Guide”  for a string.

My rendering of the above string
Ing + Ing variation, Yincut, Inaura, Tripoli and Mooka

KEEP YOUR ZEN AND HAVE FUN!!!

One Simple Stroke…One Simple Change

Those of you familiar with Zentangle®, know it is not about drawing something. It is not about the repetition of a drawing. It’s about the repetition of  “One simple stroke.”

The Zentangle trademarked tag line is "You Can Do Anything, One Stroke at a Time."

Make that the philosophy of your life and you can’t go wrong.

EXPERIENCE EATING MINDFULLY

What I love the most about writing this blog is that it allows me to share the two things I’m passionate about: being mindful and healthy eating. Mindfulness means intentionally paying attention and experiencing the present moment. And one of the best things about Zentangle® is it gives us permission to stop all the mental chatter and practice focused attention. If this is one of the reasons you love Zentangle®, why not take mindfulness to another level? Try mindful eating which is another "simple way to experience focused attention."

At the recent Juice Plus+® Conference they introduced a new campaign: "One Simple Change." 

My Juice Plus+® website states: Most of us strive to live a healthier lifestyle. Finding the right place to start is a challenge. Eating right, exercising regularly, and still making time for family, friends and our own needs can seem like overwhelming goals. Instead of attempting to conquer our health all at once, what if you started by setting more manageable goals? Making small changes today can lead to great health benefits down the road.

The website stresses eating more whole foods, getting more exercise, drinking more water, and sleeping more and stressing less. In future postings, I'll introduce ways you can incorporate each of these topics. We all can get health benefits by making small changes, one at a time. One way we can stress less is by slowing down. I have always been a fast eater. As I was growing up my mother was a nurse and had been a Navy nurse, thus it was her habit to eat fast. In high school, I had 27 minutes to get from a class to the cafeteria, stand in the food line, eat my lunch and get to my next class. Then as a mother, much of my mealtime was jumping up to serve my family thus I gulped bites in between the bounds from my chair to the stove or refrigerator. Sound familiar? I don’t think I ever tasted my food. The habit became ingrained and I never stopped. I am now working at changing this habit into a practice of mindful eating. I invite you to join me. Please comment below about your experience.

Mindful eating encourages us to slow down and be present throughout our meals. That means devoting attention to our food throughout the meal. 

• Taking a mindful approach to eating begins by asking yourself if you are truly hungry.

• Turn off distractions: TV and devices. Ignore the phone and don’t multi-task.

• Sit down and be present. 

• Look at the food you are about to eat. Reflect on its source: how is was grown and prepared. 

• Feel gratitude. 

• Notice how you are feeling. 

• When you place the food in your mouth, chew each bite slowly and carefully. What does it feel like? Notice the flavors.

• When you swallow, try to see how far you can feel the food in your body.

• Focus on your food, smile and appreciate each bite.  

• By slowing down you give your stomach a chance to signal to your brain that you are full. This leads to eating less, thus consuming fewer calories and, over time, to weight loss. Savor your meals.

A Mindful Eating Revolution

In the April 2015 issue of Mindful magazine, Editor-in-Chief Barry Boyce states, Eating a raisin, or a grape, an apple or a pear—slowly with attention—has become a standard part of many mindfulness programs. It’s no surprise. The first thing we usually put our attention on in meditation is our breath, because without that, well, we’re dead. But the next most obvious thing to put attention on is eating, because without that, well, we’re dead. 

See the full article.

Try this Mindfulness Exercise - Eating a Raisin

I first read about the Raisin Consciousness exercise many years ago in a newsletter from Dr. Andrew Weil. It is an exercise Jon Kabat Zinn uses with his clients as a first meditation. For this exercise, you’ll need about 5 minutes and one raisin. A raisin is best, but you can substitute any small food item such as a piece of fruit or a nut.

There is one rule: whenever you find your mind wandering from the task at hand, just gently return your attention to the raisin. 

• Begin by placing the raisin in the palm of your hand. Spend a few moments examining it. Really look at it with a sense of curiosity and imagine it as it might have been in nature. Notice it’s shape, texture, color, size. 

• Gently pick up the raisin with your thumb and index finger and roll it between them. What does the raisin feel like? What are its textures? Is it hard or soft. Is it wrinkly or smooth? Is it light or heavy?

• Close your eyes. Sniff the raisin. What does it smell like?

• Gently place the raisin on your tongue, but don't chew. Just let it sit on your tongue for a few moments and notice how it feels. Roll it around in your mouth.

• When you’re ready, slowly begin chewing. First, just bite the raisin, next chew a couple of times, then stop. What does the raisin feel like between your teeth? Notice the texture, taste and smell.

• If you feel the urge to swallow the raisin right away, just notice that urge, and slowly chew the raisin for a minute or so, without swallowing.

• Finally, swallow it. Sit quietly. Breathe.

2015 Dietary Guidelines

In February, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee issued its newest recommendations on what Americans should be eating. It says: the U.S. population should be encouraged and guided to consume dietary patterns that are rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, seafood, legumes, and nuts; moderate in low- and non-fat dairy products and alcohol (among adults); lower in red and processed meat; and low in sugar-sweetened foods and beverages and refined grains.…Additionally, these characteristics align with recommendations from other groups, including the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the American Heart Association (AHA).  Read more of the guidelines summary.


Juice Plus+ provides 26 fruits, vegetables, berries and grains with well over 13,000 phytonutrients. If, daily, you already eat 9-13 servings of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables then you probably don't need Juice Plus+®. According to the USDA ninety-eight percent of Americans do not consume that many unless they juice (no fiber, messy and expensive) or blend smoothies with lots of fruits and veggies. Otherwise you would have to be a cow because you would be chewing for much of the day. If you are among those that do not eat 9-13 servings each day, you should use Juice Plus+®. For the price of a Starbucks coffee you can get the benefits of eating 26 fruits, vegetables and grains every day. The more than 25 published clinical research studies examining its impact on a variety of biomarkers of good health has made Juice Plus+® the number one research health product in the world. That's why Juice Plus+® is marketed as the "next best thing to fruits and vegetables."

All the more reason you should let Juice Plus+® help you make "One Simple Change."

New Tangling Ideas

Zentangle 11

It was my plan to write, for this blog, about Suzanne McNeill's new book in her numbered Zentangle® series. We've had this book in stock since mid-March so thought I'd write about it after the release date of April 1. However, Linda Farmer posted it immediately on TanglePatterns.com. So why re-invent the wheel? Here's what Linda posted:

Zentangle 11 – Lettering, Quotes & Inspirational Sayings, CZT Suzanne McNeill’s latest in her Zentangle®-inspired crafts series is now available.

From the publisher’s description:
“Discover how to tangle with quotes, sentiments, and uplifting words. Give your drawings a voice by combining letters with inspirational Zentangle art. Text-inspired tangling can be anything you want it to be, from classic tiles to expressive shapes and words. You can make your letters fun and casual, or formal and flowery, with messages that are personal, social, reverential, or whimsical. Use them to create motivating and meaningful note cards, bookmarks, gifts, fine art, and more. You don t need to be a calligrapher to create awesome art with the elegant letters and 28 original new tangles inside. Use the bonus workbook to explore sample alphabets, learn new techniques, and practice tangling.”
From the back cover:
“Zentangle can free your mind to soar! Discover how to tangle with quotes, sentiments, and uplifting words. Give your drawings a voice by combining letters with inspirational Zentangle art.
Text-inspired tangling can be anything you want it to be, from classic tiles to expressive shapes and words. You can make your letters fun and casual, or formal and flowery, with messages that are personal, social, reverential, or whimsical. Use them to create motivating and meaningful note cards, bookmarks, gifts, fine art, and more.
You don’t need to be a calligrapher to create awesome art with the elegant letters and 28 original new tangles inside. Use the bonus workbook to explore sample alphabets, learn new techniques, and practice tangling.”
Kitchy and craft-oriented, Suzanne’s booklets are inexpensive and very popular.

As usual. Suzanne has included new Zentangle patterns. This book has some new fun ideas for those scrapbooking,  journaling and card-making.

Weekly Tangles

If you are new to Zentangle® and are interested in possibly learning a new tangle each week, join Square One on Facebook. Each Friday a pattern and a link to the step-out is posted. This is a good way to guarantee a weekly appointment with your pen and tile.

Another way to ensure that you regularly tangle is to join these challenges:

• “It’s a String Thing” (link in the sidebar) is hosted by CZT Adele Bruno. Each Tuesday, Adele posts a string and a few tangles to be used. Many of the results people submit are stunning. While you’re on her site, check out her many helpful tutorials.

• “the Diva’s weekly Challenge” (link in the sidebar) is hosted by CZT Laura Harms. Laura posts every Monday. It’s now in week #214! The tangle Diva Dance was created by Maria Thomas in honor of the Diva’s 100th challenge. Maria writes, “She has created an arena for people to share, encourage and admire Zentangle art from around the world. She not only challenged us to do things we might never have thought of, but then asked us to get up the courage to exhibit them on her site for all to see.”

• If it’s Zendalas you enjoy drawing, try “The Zendala Dare” (link in the sidebar). Just finishing the 100th Dare, CZT Erin Goetz Olson produces a weekly challenge “that incorporates the principles of mandalas with the techniques used to create a Zentangle® inspired piece of art.” New templates are posted on Tuesdays.

The Green Bronx Machine

Stephen Ritz and The Green Bronx Machine

This past Saturday, whirlwind Stephen Ritz swept onto the stage at the Juice Plus Leadership Conference in Sacramento, CA. It was an incredible opportunity and an intensely inspirational experience to hear him speak. Stephen is the heart and soul of the Green Bronx Machine.

Originally an after-school, alternative program for high school students, Green Bronx Machine has evolved into K-12+ model fully integrated into core curriculum. Our students grow, eat and love their vegetables en route to spectacular academic performance. 30,000 pounds of Bronx vegetables later, our favorite crops include healthy students, high performing schools, graduates, registered voters, living wage jobs and members of the middle class. Our work, vision and mission are as organic and locally grown as it gets – straight from our classroom to our community.

— http://greenbronxmachine.org

I encourage everyone to watch this video and go to the website. Stephen is making a difference in children's lives, first in the South Bronx and now in sharing his vision across the country. I'm proud to say that Juice Plus+ is strongly committed to Stephen's vision.

Learn more about Stephen and see another great video.

Inspiring Healthy Living!

Paradox & Juice Plus+® Conference

Zendala tile by Ed Gucker
Paradox

Paradox, once mastered might become your Mac ’N Cheese

In Zentangle® lingo Mac ’N Cheese means your go-to tangle. Paradox is drawn with straight lines that end up creating “beautiful spirals.” For Instruction, Tips and Inspiration, check these out:

How to Draw a Paradox  

Paradox challenge

Paradox - Q&A

Paradox Re-Defined

Paradox and then some

Have Fun!

Very Zen-like Paradox Video

Want to be mesmerized? Watch this Paradox video. It’s very meditative because unlike other Zentangle videos it’s not supported by verbal instruction or music, just simply the sound of the pen on the paper. It’s very soothing to just watch the artist’s hand moving in a continuous line as the ink flows from her pen. For many people, Paradox is their go-to tangle because of the unlimited ways one can make gorgeous drawings. 

Juice Juice+® Spring Leadership Conference

Saturday’s Two Main Stage Speakers

Nicolas Come is the 10-year old inventor of the Nicolas’ Garden mobile app and website. I wrote about him in my April 5 blog post.
Visit:

Nicolas’ Garden app

Nicolas' Garden on Facebook

Nicolas' wonderful website

Kids can make a difference!

Stephen Ritz, a South Bronx educator/administrator and founder of the Green Bronx Machine, has motivated and taught generations of students, leading them to academic success. With Stephen’s guidance, his students and the community have grown more than 30,000 pounds of vegetables, routinely producing enough to feed healthy meals to 450 students.

His Bronx classroom featured the first indoor edible wall in New York City Department of Education.  His students, have improved their school attendance from 40 percent to 93 percent daily and he has helped creat 2,200 youth jobs. He was recently named a Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize. Stephen's accolades include a 2014 Greenius Award, 2014 Green Difference Award, 2013 Latin Trends Award, ABC Above and Beyond Award, Chevrolet / General Motors National Green Educator Award, USS Intrepid Hometown Hero Award, NYC Chancellor's Award and various others.

He has been identified as one of the top fifty teachers in America, been recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, was invited  to Vatican City and met with Pope Francis and his fourth and fifth grade students received a personal invitation to the White House. He has been featured in dozens of magazines and TV programs.

Tower Gardens® at the Green Bronx Machine

The Green Bronx Machine is an "Apron Project" sponsored by Progressive Insurance. In this video clip, Tower Gardens® are used by students to grow fresh, healthy food, while Stephen Ritz explains the organization's mission.

For more about Stephen Ritz and the Green Bronx Machine visit:

Stephen Ritz Harvesting Hope

Stephen Ritz: Grow Something Greater
Green Bronx Machine