Salud!

Over the past year my goal has been to lead a healthier life - in all aspects - mental and physical. With regard to my physical well-being I am trying to change many things; from what I eat, to how I exercise...basically to what I put in, on, or around my body. Certainly it has not been easy - with battling parasites and lymphatic congestion. Even googling menu ideas and protein shake recipes has been far more difficult than anticipated. How much fiber should I eat? What's the best form for your body to consume the fiber? What about protein? How much should an active person consume a day so the body doesn't take any away from the muscles? Energy bars - good idea, bad? What about goji berries and maca powder for energy, or cranberry concentrate for kidney health, or coconut oil for metabolism? Is it really necessary to avoid dairy? The list goes on and on and on.

What's frustrating is that previous generations of humans knew all this without being conscious of it. Their lifestyle lent themselves to what we refer to as "healthy" and what they probably didn't refer to as anything as it was their everyday life. For so many advances that have been made I'm struggling now to learn how to revert back - to rekindle with the old, if you will.

Regardless of the hefty amount of the unknown it is a worthy goal I plan to continue. And recently I've received confirmation from the stars that this is indeed a decent plan (not that I ever doubted it)!

Under Chinese astrology, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger - a brave, majestic creature (that likes pepper, not cinnamon). And intertwined with the Tiger this year is Metal - a collaboration representing the type of force necessary to accomplish the most difficult tasks - where "the impossible just might be possible."

More worthy of note is this: the Tiger year is one of change rendering this an important time for most, including me, the Pig (as my birth year was the Year of Pig), to make positive changes in health patterns - to break away from old, bad habits, and replace them with new and better ones - especially in the arena of physical activity.

So here's to holistic health and well-being! Salud!