MOMMA'S LITTLE HELPER

Cultivating Resilience in Uncertain Times: Spirit

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:30:20 PDT

Last week, I did a workshop titled "Cultivating Resilience in Uncertain Times" at the Infinity Foundation located in Highland Park.

Here is the course description:

Times are tough and it can be challenging to maintain balance. Oftentimes when we are under emotional, physical or financial stress we turn to unhealthy practices for solace. Today we will learn how to cultivate your own inner resilience with practices that will help you maintain mind, body and spirit balance. Resilience is really about being conscious and being tuned into our own intuition. I will explore ways to cultivate consciousness and tap into our intuition."

SPIRIT -- What nourishes you? What brings you energy?

Mediation is passive emptying out your mind.

Prayer is active you, your circle, the world at large. Pray for the positive, for example, pray for peace not the end of war.

Gratitude/Service
Gratitude for the blessings you currently have. Saying thank you, letting people know how much you appreciate them and what they do for you.
In tough times, we get fearful, we think we need to stake a claim on what is ours and then let everyone else fend for themselves. Instead, we need to focus on service. If we approach a situation from the standpoint of Service and ask how can I be of service to this person or this situation?

Being Present/Cultivating Presence
Enjoying the moment. The definition of hell is being in one place and wanting to be in another. Enjoy where you are.

Find Inspiration
Inspiration what inspires you? What brings you joy?
How do you nourish your spirit?

• Inspirational/Spiritual Books you read
• Finding a like minded community
• Finding teachers you connect with and listening to recorded books or workshops, some of my favs are Thich Nat Hahn, Carolyn Myss, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Esther Hicks, Rev Bacon there is something so powerful about having their messages in your ears.

Intuition

It is my belief that we all have an intuitive ability, the abilities may differ, but we all have them. What happens is that we become pinched off from our intuition. What I tell my clients, and what I will tell you is that your intuition is simple a gut check. For instance, if we listen to our bodies we just know what is right and wrong for us.

Now we know about the big stuff. The big stuff usually comes out in a session, but I am always surprised by the little stuff that comes my way. That is still push away.

I find that when people come to see me, it is always one thing that is concerning them. There are a host of issues but there is usually one big thing, whether it is marriage, job related, loss of a loved one, there's this one thing.

Exercise:

What is the one thing that is weighing you down? The one issue that you carry in your heart?

Write it down:

Currently, my blank is and this makes me feel blank.
My intention is that it will blank and I will feel blank.

We can use our intuition for health, business, relationships, creativity. You ultimately know what you need. What is right for you by how it makes you feel. Hicks story here, upstream or downstream. Watch children, they know exactly what they want and what they don't want. We need to tap back into that ability.

Conclusion
Now more than ever it is important to contribute a clam peaceful energy to the world. The world is pretty chaotic and by contributing a peaceful positive energy, you are helping making your family, your work, your community and the world around you a better place.

Roger Ebert said is best when he said:

“I believe that, if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true, no matter what our problems, our health, or our circumstances…we must try. I didn’t always know this, and I am happy, that I lived long enough, to find it out.”

Part One: Mind
Part Two: Body

Cultivating Resilience in Uncertain Times: Body

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 07:55:14 PDT

Last week, I did a workshop titled "Cultivating Resilience in Uncertain Times" at the Infinity Foundation located in Highland Park.

Here is the course description:

Times are tough and it can be challenging to maintain balance. Oftentimes when we are under emotional, physical or financial stress we turn to unhealthy practices for solace. Today we will learn how to cultivate your own inner resilience with practices that will help you maintain mind, body and spirit balance. Resilience is really about being conscious and being tuned into our own intuition. I will explore ways to cultivate consciousness and tap into our intuition."

What happens when we put too much stress on our bodies?

They start to break down. We get headaches. Our backs go out. IBS, rashes, cancer, heart attacks... the list goes on and on. So it is so important to treat our bodies with kindness, especially during stressful times. The body, mind and spirit it is all connected. I believe that we can tune into the spirit through the body. I have had bursts of enlightenment during exercise. For me swimming is like a spiritual experience. And likewise we can calm the mind with the body.

Food and Stress

There are foods that can calm us like brown rice and there are foods that can trigger stress like too much caffeine, sugar, salt, preservatives.

Simple stuff drink plenty of water, eating healthy, take your vitamin D, going to your doctor getting a check up, addressing any health issues you may have, not just major, but minor as well. Don't underestimate how the minor issues can zap your overall health.

I see a whole host of issues. Many problems I see are from:

• Adrenal Glands (they produce cortisol the stress hormone, and when we are in chronic stress it over produces cortisol, too much of it in our systems can lead to all sort of issues

• Vitamin deficiencies, esp Vitamin D, please ask that your doctor test your levels. You can take up to 10K ICU per day.

• Get your gut working properly!!! Neuroscientists are calling our guts the second brain, so many issues stem from this (probiotics, diet, water, etc.)

• Mis or non diagnosed issues

• Sleep issues

• Hormonal issues

Here's the info on the bio-identical hormones:

Go to www.zrtlab.com to order your saliva test get the test that tests two times a day. Check out Women's International Pharmacy. Their web site is www.womensinternational.com. They will send you a FREE packet along with a list of docs in the area that work with bio identical hormones.

• Food allergies

Before we leave body, I want to say..

• Small changes yield big results - don't underestimate what drinking more water can do for you.

• Move your body every day, find an activity that you enjoy doing and do it. Walking can be a mediation in itself.

• Be an advocate for your health, do research, talk to your doctor, find another health care practitioner if you aren't satisfied.

Please remember that I am not a doctor, so please talk to your doctor before starting any program or before taking any supplements.

Part One: Mind

Part Three: Spirit

Cultivating Resilience in Uncertain Times

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:32:00 PDT

Mind, body, spirit --what does it have to do with intuition?

Intuition is like picking up a radio signal. And if your station is fuzzy, you're not going to pick up the signal. So if you have racing thoughts, your mind is a mess, your body is breaking down and you have no spiritual juice in you, how are you going to receive the information that's coming to you? We want to clear the mind, body, and spirit so we can tune into our intuition.

How's your mind? Is it a pleasant place or a scary place?

"that your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights." Kahlil Gibran said that, and he was right.

Neal Donald Walsh said, "Listen, therefore, to your heart. Cultivate the ability to do this. Practice it. Produce it. Perfect it. It is not that difficult. Just be quiet with yourself. And for heaven's sake, stop listening to your mind. You will not find the truth there. You may find the answer, but it will not be the truth unless it coincides with the answer in your heart."

Janeen Roth of Women, Food and God calls it The Voice. Esther Hicks in Money and the Law of Attraction calls it beating the drum. Ekhart Tolie in The New Earth calls it The Pain Body.

Steps to silence the voice:

1. Recognize the voice-- ask yourself who is talking here?

2. Silence the voice -- ask yourself is this true?

3. Change the dialogue -- tune into the positive

Stop and Think before Reacting
We live in a hyper reactive society. We have email, cell phones, text messages, instant messages. We are expected to immediately respond to each and everything that comes to us.

Case in point, you don't have to answer each and every message as it comes to you. It is unreasonable and it will drive you crazy. Certain situations, decisions, require that you take a step back, mull it over then make a decision. Working towards being non reactionary, will help quiet the mind with the added bonus of knowing that you are making the right decisions for yourself not because you are forced too. It also allows you to give people the same freedom.

Ask for Help

Asking for help when you need it. You must give and receive otherwise you are not completing the cycle.

Seek the + and Avoid the - (as much as possible)

Find people and things that give you energy and stay away from things or people that don't. If reading about unemployment everyday in the newspapers brings you down, stop. Trust me if things improve you'll hear about it.

Part Two: Body

Part Three: Spirit

Who's THAT Girl?

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:49:13 PDT

That's me on the left in the salmon dress.

I found an old picture of myself from my senior year of college. I looked at the picture and asked myself...Who was that girl? I sorta remember her. She was feisty, spunky and weighed a lot less. Had I known, that almost twenty years later I would be still chasing that image of myself, I would have done some things differently. That spunky young girl could dance all night, but she was a social smoker and a bit of a binge drinker. She was really hard on not only her body, but herself, she worked so hard to please everyone around her, that she often times forgot to take care of herself.

I think what amazes me is that, I am pushin' forty and I am probably healthier than that girl I used to be. Yet, I am still using her as the yard stick to measure my "attractiveness" by. Like the only way I will be good enough is if I look like her, and by look, I mean weigh the same.

Yet, so many women I know, like me, are still trying to look like their twenty year old self. Like no matter how good they look now, they are still trying to be that girl. I am by no means saying that you can't achieve optimal health at any age. I believe you can. That's why I walk everyday, work out, take my supplements and eat right.

I think, I am finally ready to stop looking backwards, and to start to really look at who I am right now today and to judge myself by those standards instead of trying to reach back in time to be that girl again. As much fun as she had, and as good as she looked, I wouldn't trade places with her for a million dollars. How about you? Are you ready to let go of your twenty year old self and embrace the fabulous woman you are right now?

The Fabulous Beekman Boys

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:40:34 PDT

The summer finds me taking long walks and watching reality TV. (I had to add that bit about walking because I don't want to sound like someone who spends her summer watching TV in a cool air conditioned room). I don't like watching people stranded in a house or catty rich women who like to punch each other. Okay, there was that season I watched The Real Housewives of New Jersey, but I am sooo over that now! Now, I watch people cook, design clothes, make art and farm.

Yep I said farm! Never in a million years would I have thought I watch a show about farming, but that was before The Fabulous Beekman Boys aired on The Discovery Channel's Planet Green. The show is about Brent and Josh who decide to forgo city life to run a farm. These guys are making cheese, breeding goats, hosting weddings, and feeding their Thanksgiving Turkey vodka. Why vodka you might ask? Good question! Because it is easier to lob off an inebriated turkey's head as opposed to a sober one that's why. They run the farm all with the help of Farmer John. I sort of love Farmer John, especially after he gets emotional when a baby goat survives a breech birth. He's just a big marshmallow. So, if you are not too busy enjoying your summer, check out The Fabulous Beekman Boys. They're pretty fab.

Brush It Off

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:26:07 PDT

I have been brushing it off for almost a year now and I highly recommend it. I use my skin brush every morning before getting into the shower. Think about it, your skin is your largest organ and many experts say that skin brushing is not only great for your skin but can help clean your lymphatic system too. According the to Yerba Prima web site, "Many health practitioners recommend dry skin brushing to open up the pores of the skin and clean out the lymphatic system. When the pores are not clogged with dead cells and the lymphatic system is cleansed, the body is able to carry out its important function of eliminating toxins and waste material."

I have those pesky chicken bumps on my upper arms, I have tried the expensive creams and lotions and found that using my skin works the best. Skin brushing also prevents in grown hairs too. I use the Yerba Prima Skin Brush ($9.95) and I bought mine at Whole Foods.

Here's how you dry skin brush:

Right before bath or shower when skin is dry
Begin with gentle strokes (if your skin turns red you are brushing too hard)
Brush from the outer most part of your body (hands and feet) to the center
Start with your feet up your legs, hands up your arms and be sure to cover the entire surface of your skin, except for more tender areas
Brush for approximately two to four minutes

For more information, please visit Yerba Prima.

Slippery Handles Guest Writer

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 11:20:02 PDT

Hey Guys!

I was a guest writer on this web site Slippery Handles. This site is run by Colleen O'Neil she's a working actress, writer, producer, comedienne, philanthropist, cancer survivor & proud mama. WOW!!! I thought I was a multi-tasking momma, but she puts us all to shame! Her site is about her life as it can often be, well, "slippery." Slippery Handles is a place to help us all find the funny in our everyday struggles & life, in general. As Colleen explained, "If nothing else, you can just use it as a place to come and laugh at MY slippery moments."

I hope you check it out!

Your Momma 4-Ever,
Amelia

Kids & Culture: The Chicago Shakespeare Theater

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:15:02 PDT

The Emperor (Don Forston) annouces a state of emergency. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Growing up with a single parent, money was tight, but my mom always managed to take me to see a play (thanks to Hot Tix) or a visit to one of Chicago's many museums. And as an adult, I now treasure those moments and those experiences because I know how much they have shaped me as an adult, as a writer, and as a mother. It's the one thing, I want to give to my daughter, is that love and that enjoyment of culture. You never know how a seed planted now, will grow later.

This weekend we went to see The Emperor's New Clothes at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. And it was everything you'd expect from a CST production, it was just first rate on all levels -- performances, costumes, and music. I was utterly charmed by the costumes, I know, Emperor's New clothes better have some fun costumes, right? They were just so lush and added to the over all humor of the piece. I have to tell you, between you and me, the Oversecretary played by Mark David Kaplan, Intersecretary played by George Andrew Wolff, and the Undersecretary played by Jarrod Zimmerman stole the show.

My husband and I, also appreciated the new adaptation by Alan Schmuckler and David Holstein. We love seeing modern twists on classics, especially when they are so clever incorporating by carbon footprints and text messaging into Hans Christian Andersen. The run time is 75 minutes with no intermission and the musical runs at a fun, brisk pace the kids are held in rapid attention the entire time, so you want have to worry about them getting a case of the "fidgets". If you'd like to see a video preview, please click here

The Cast of The Emperor's New Clothes. Picture by Michael Brosilow.

The Emperor's New Clothes runs from now through August 29, 2010, tickets are $18 - $23, special discounts for groups of ten or more. The best part is all patrons receive a 40% discount on parking, so be sure to get your parking ticket validated. And there is a coupon in the playbill for Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Buy One, Get One Half Off, so you can treat the kids after the performance.

You NOT On A Diet

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:44:23 PDT

"Hell is wanting to be somewhere different from where you are. Being in one place and wanting to be in somewhere else." -- Stephen Levine, a Buddhist Teacher

Okay, so, I said that my last post was my last post, but truth be told I really do miss blogging. I am sure I miss it waaay more than you miss me. Let's just say that I took a sabbatical from MLH. So, if you'll have me back... I am back.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's get down to business or businass. Diets. I just read Geneen Roth's Women Food And God (Think Eckhart Tolle meets a book about weight). Yes, I saw her on an Oprah re-run. I know, nothing changes I follow whatev the "Big O" has to say, but this time her guest Ms. Roth was the one who captured my attention. Audience members were asking Ms. Roth questions, I forgot the question, but Ms. Roth's answer stuck with me when she told the woman,"Your body is no body's business but your own." I stood up in my seat. For my entire life, family members have been commenting on my weight. If I have a bowel movement, my mother tells me I look thinner. My kindly dear ol' Auntie was so sweet this weekend, when she complimented a blouse I was wearing. She then said to me,"That other top you had on yesterday, the way your stomach stuck out made your Uncle think you were pregnant." She then went on to tell me that I am too pretty to "let myself go." Ms. Roth's words were swirling around in my head. I wanted to say,"My body is no body's business but mine." Instead, I told my Dear Ol' Auntie that I feel great and I think I look pretty good too.

Ms. Roth has some pretty revolutionary ideas about weight. She doesn't believe in diets. That's right no diets. A weight loss program with no points, carb restrictions, Glycemic Index, zip, zlich, nothing, nadda. There are guidelines, such as, Eat When You Are Hungry and Eat Until You Are Satisfied, that type of thing, but that's it. We all know it's not about the weight and it's not really about the food. For me, this book really hit home. It was like Roth took a mirror and held it up for me. Honestly, I really can't imagine my life without a diet, without being on one, cheating on one, thinking or planning to go on one. It's a bit mind blowing. Who would you be if you weren't on a diet? Think about it. Kinda freaky, isn't it?

This is week two of me, not on a diet. The question I ask myself when I sit down to a meal is...What would it feel like if you ate until you were full? This book isn't permission to stuff whatever you want into your mouth. Quite the contrary, this book is about being extremely conscious about what you are eating, when you are eating, why you are eating and how much. It requires you to be awake, aware and in control. Last week, it was easy, I was reading the book and it was simple. This week, it has been a challenge, I have had some stressors with the film I am working on and stress makes me "hungry." The other night at dinner, when I finished my food before my family sat down, my husband said ,"It doesn't look like you are following that book." That night, I went for a long walk after dinner.

So who would you be if you weren't on a diet? For more info, check out Geneen Roth's web site. Here's a video of Roth on the CBS Morning News:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6587776n

Last Post, Maybe Not

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 06:32:56 PDT

Yeah, I said my last post was my last post. But this bloggin' thing is kinda hard to shake. I miss it. In any event, I few weeks ago I did a sermon at Unity Temple. The sermon was taped, so you can download it on iTunes. If you are interested in listening here is the link: http://unitytemple.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=627770.

It was so so so hot and humid that Sunday and the historic Frank Lloyd Wright church has no air conditioning! It was crazy! The sermon is about hearing and heeding your calling. I believe that we are being called everyday, but sometimes we don't always "hear."

For me, it was a special day because my friends who are musicians came out and performed Kathrine Eldridge, Kym Franklin, and Beta Dal Oho, Terry McLaughlin and Old Town Gospel Chorale. And my friend, Toni Maddi helped facilitate the service with me. I

MLH -- The Last Post

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:46:57 PDT

Hey Mommas!

I hope you all are doing well. This is a hard post for me to write. It's my last post. I have been blogging since, January of 2008. I love writing. I love blogging. But, I am at a point in my life, where other projects, like family, finances, and my film are quickly eating up my days. Alena is four now. She no longer naps, so my "work time" has been cut in half. I spend more of my days car pooling to ballet class, digging in the sand at the park and organizing play dates. As it should be! Soon she'll want to spend less and less time with me. I have also been spending more time working with my public relations and marketing clients because this girl has got to make a living. I have become a ghost blogger, among other things. And lastly, I want to dedicate every moment to my film,Courting Bertha. I am not only the writer, but a producer too. Raising millions of dollars can kinda take up a bit of your day!

When I started blogging I felt like a mom who wanted to write, now two years later, I feel like a writer who is a mom. And that's because of YOUR support and encouragement. That's what is so amazing about the Internet, it provides a forum for writers, musicians, artists and actors to get their art out to an audience. Every creative person needs an audience. Especially for me, as a writer, I can spend months, years even, on a project and you never know if people will see it or respond to it. So thank you for responding!

I may at some point return to blogging, it will probably go the more spiritual route. Speaking of which, I am preaching at Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL on Sunday, June 27, 2010 at the 9:30 and 11:15 services. If you are local, I hope you can make it. And if you do, please stop by after the service to say "hello."

I am really bad at goodbyes, so let's just say I'll see you later!

-- Amelia

Happy Mother's Day

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Fri, 07 May 2010 07:44:50 PDT

This post is going to be short and super sweet. The thought that occurred to me today was...what would the world be like if without mothers? If all the moms just disappeared...what would happen? And what would your life be like without your mom? I honestly, can't imagine what my life would be like without my mom, and I really don't want to think about it. She has always has, and continues to give me unconditional love and support. All the moms I know are superwomen, they work their butts off day in and day out 24/7 for their families. My wish for them is that they really feel loved and appreciated not just on Mother's Day, but everyday.

Happy Mother's Day Mommas!!!

The Million Dollar Question

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:21:21 PDT

It was a beautiful sunny spring afternoon. The sky was bright blue. The flowers had emerged from their soily cocoons. The birds were chirping away, providing us with nature's soundtrack. Alena and I were on our way to the grocery store. It was Eric's 40th birthday and we were going to bake him a cake and cook him a special dinner. The sun roof was open and I was enjoying the warm sun on my face until...

Alena: Momma, how'd I get in your belly?

Silence. My mind started racing, bugger, bugger, bugger. Why is she asking this question NOW? I thought I'd at least have a few years. What should I say? When a man and a woman lay together...nope not THAT. Waay too much detail, I don't want to scar her for life. A stork brought you in a basket. An angel put you in my belly. Nope can't lie to her either. I need to tell her the truth. The truth without too much detail. A condensed G version of the truth.

Alena: Momma did you hear me? How'd I get in your belly?

Why is this kid so smart? I wasn't freaking my mom out and asking her questions like this at FOUR!!! We read to her too much, that's the problem, she needs to watch more TV.

Alena: Momma!!!

Me: (stalling for time) Wow, that's a great question. Really, it is.

Alena: (losing patience with me, sussing out the stalling tactics) MOMMA HOW DID I GET IN YOUR BELLY???

Sperm, eggs, fertilization, growth, baby...

ME: Well, you know how Momma gets her period every month? Well, women, our bodies make eggs every month, but not like chicken eggs. The eggs are released when we have our periods.

Dazzle and stun her with my appalling lack of reproductive knowledge. Not sure how I was able to conceive her in the first place.

Alena: I know not like chicken eggs!

Me: Well, we have eggs and when eggs and the sperm meet they make a little tiny cell. And that little tiny cell, it grew in my belly for nine months, and became a baby, it became you.

Now she's silent.

Me: Isn't that cool? You started out no bigger than my fingernail.

As I unbuckle her car seat, I show her my fingernail.

Me: Then you grow into a baby. Pretty cool. Huh?

We then compared the size of out fingernails as we walked into Trader Joe's.

The Day After Earth Day

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 08:29:30 PDT

Many people used the word "ecology" to describe the cause — "a shorthand way to say we need to think more holistically," said Adam Rome, an environmental historian at Penn State who is writing a book on the first Earth Day. "A lot of people were beginning to question our affluence, the huge environmental costs of the way we lived, and technological progress," he said.

I meant to post yesterday, but the day got away from me. So I decided to post a day after Earth Day blog instead. Besides everyday should be Earth Day. It's kinda like the holidays, when everyone is super charitable and generous, let's just act like that all year long. I had this epiphany yesterday, we, us humans act like we own the earth, we don't. We are just renting, and as such, we need to treat the planet with waaay more respect. The lesson that Eyjafjallajokull Volcano taught me, is that Mother Nature is truly in charge here and we need to heed her warnings. We are her caretakers, her servants, not her landlords.

As her caretakers, we need to start that care taking process now, not just once a year, but all 365 days. At times, these problems seem so insurmountable, we look at our lives and wonder...what can I do?

Look at your carbon foot print -- you can use this Carbon Footprint Calculator.

Pick it up -- I have become the crazy lady that walks around my community and picks up garbage. I then throw it in the garbage can. I now have a four year old, who does the same.

Put your money where your values are -- buy recycled products, and shoplocal farms. Corporate America goes where the money is, you start shopping with a conscious and they'll follow suit and produce more eco-friendly products. The conscious starts with US not THEM.

For more info on Earth Day check out the Earth Day Network. I would love to hear your Earth Day tips...leave a comment below or email me at mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com.

Is KFC Trying to kill us?

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:32:15 PDT

Jamie Oliver is launching a Food Revolution, while KFC is launching a new sandwich called the KFC Double Down. This smacks of irony. Doesn't it? On one hand, Jamie is trying to save us from the perils of obesity, while KFC is trying to kill us.

Let's look at this Double Down Sandwich, it features two chicken patties (if it is in fact real chicken) that holds two slices of cheese, bacon, and the Colonel's special sauce.

Let's talk about the "nutritional" info:

540 to 460 calories -- not bad on the calorie content, but it is the actual content that I am worried about processed meat housing cheese, bacon and some sort of sauce that I am sure is made of chemicals and preservatives. This is not actual "food."

32 to 23 fat grams -- that is your entire fat for the day. No one needs to eat their entire fat grams in one sitting.

1430 to 1380 mg of sodium -- it is recommended that we should only have one tsp of salt per day (2300 mg), if you have hypertension or if you are elderly, you should have only 1500 mgs per day. Salt is in everything we eat, so if you are eating this sandwich you are consuming almost half of your salt content for the day.

Now, I have seen this sandwich everywhere. People are posting it on Facebook. They think it is funny. Now, I like a good joke as much as the next girl. I really do, but this is no laughing matter. This sandwich is exactly why Americans are sick, and I am not just talking about weight either. Food like this totally messes with your system, it gives you hypertension, it gives you diabetes, it makes you tired and lethargic. Food like this dulls our mental functioning. Food like this causes us to be unconscious. Food like this is forcing people into an early grave.

Now Jamie Oliver has spent the last several years reforming school lunches in the UK, and now he has come to the US to spread the message. As part of his Food Revolution, Jamie went to Huntington, West Virginia, the town that the CDC tagged as the "unhealthiest town in America." He not only wants to get healthy meals into the schools, but he wants to get us eating fresh home cooked meals again. He is asking us to wake up and join his food revolution. If you want to join, please visit his website at Jamie Oliver.com. His show, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution airs on Friday evenings on ABC. Check your local listings for times.

Catch MLH on the Radio!!!

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:48:04 PDT

As you know, I am participating in The Next Top Spiritual Author competition. I was invited by another Next Top Spiritual Author candidate, Tambra Harck, to participate in her radio show, the Joy of Love and Life Radio show. I did a ten minute segment, on April 14, 2010 to promote my book The Health & Wellness Handbook: Your Guide to Your Mind Body and Spirit.

If you'd like to listen to my segment, or any of the 55 the Next Top Spiritual Authors, please check out Tambra's show at http://joyofloveandlife.com/NTSAseries.htm. Or you can check her out on iTunes.

Please vote for me or any of the other authors, voting ends on May 9, 2010.

Thanks for your support!

-Amelia

The Next Top Spiritual Author?

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:55:24 PDT

Am I The Next Top Spiritual Author? I hope so. But first, I need to make it through to the next round. How can I do that? So glad you asked! I NEED YOU!!! I need your vote. It is so easy.

Just go to my author profile page @ Amelia Estelle Dellos: Health &Wellness Handbook: Your Guide to Your Mind, Body &Spirit. You will need to register and then vote. It is one vote per person. Please tell a friend and ask them to tell a friend, and so on and so on and so on. Voting is open through the month of April!

Here's my book pitch:

Stay tuned for my next post -- "The Return of HANK."
Thanks for your support!!!!

Lessons Learned from My Orchid Plant

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:14:03 PDT

I have learned a valuable lesson about resilience and intention from my orchid. About a year ago, someone was kind enough to give me it as a thank you gift. When I received the plant it had two buds on it. Whenever someone would see it, the words of caution would start flowing, usually it went something like this... "You know, those are really hard to keep alive." I'd also hear... "Orchids usually die at my house."

There are things that I am good at like cooking, organizing, decorating, and writing a good thank you note. Alternately, there are things that I am not good at like baking, gardening, and wrapping gifts (can't get the corners right). I do not have the proverbial green thumb. I didn't think this orchid had a fighting chance. I decided not to get too attached to it, so when it did die I wouldn't feel so bad about it.

I placed it in a sunny window and tried to remember to water it. Each month that went by, I thought to myself that I was lucky to have it around for yet another month. Until, Alena decided she wanted to give me flowers, she plucked those buds off and handed them to me while I was making dinner one night. I was crushed. I kept that orchid alive for eight months, and now it was just a lonely ol'stem. I put the plucked buds in a vase.

I left the sad and lonely stem in the window. I kept watering it thinking, well, there's always a chance it could come back. And it did, with not just two buds, but six buds. I was so excited. It came back! I started talking about my orchid. Every time I looked at it positive thoughts went through my head. And you know what? My orchid responded to me, as four more buds popped up! Now, I am so excited that I am blogging about my damn orchid plant.

It seems that our resilience gets tested daily as we learn to navigate this tenuous economic climate. The lessons I learned from my orchid plant are:

Ignore the cautionary words -- you really never do know what you can and can't do.
Find a sunny spot to hang out in and hope for the best -- all we really need is a bit of light and love.
Keep your thoughts positive -- your thoughts and your intentions truly have the power to move mountains (and grow orchids).

And if you do get pruned, you just never know, you may end up growing back with even more buds than you had before.

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!

Western vs Non-Western Medicine -- What do you believe?

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:00:22 PST

Recently, I had a discussion with a client about western vs. non-western medicine. This got me thinking. And as you know, when I start thinking, I start blogging. It seems like when it comes to this discussion, people either fall on one side or the other. Either they believe whole-heartily in western medicine and believe anything else is pure quackery. And alternately, people in the non-western camp have a complete distrust of western medicine, they'd as soon as treat a cavity with bare-root bark then go see a dentist. As a holistic intuitive, where do I fall in this debate? Right in the middle. I believe in both, but with caveats, of course, with me there is always at least one caveat! Isn't there?

Let's start with western medicine. You go see the doctor, the doctor talks to you for about five minutes, writes you a prescription. You then take a pill and you are healed. If you are not cured, you go back and try another prescription, and another, until the doctor may then refer you onto another doctor, and so, on and so on. The onus is on the doctor to figure out what is wrong with you. Maybe if you have a good doctor, she might ask you about your life-style, your diet, any stressors, etc, but more often than not, it's take a pill and see you in the morning. The pill is the cure.

Now, non-western medicine practitioners will look at you from a holistic perspective -- your mind, your body and your spirit. A holistic practitioner will ask lots of questions, will want to know everything about you -- your diet, allergies, life, etc. Then will prescribe a course of action for you, but you have to implement that program, whether it's mediating, eating better, taking supplements, herbs, acupuncture, or incorporating exercise.

Now, my belief is that both western and non-western medicines can work together. I do not believe that we should discount the strides that western medicine has made. I believe in vaccinations, fluoride, antibiotics and yes, when appropriate, even prescription medications. The onus is on the patient, as well as the doctor. I was working with a client who was suffering from severe depression. Her doctor prescribed her an anti-depression medication and told her it could take 4 to 6 weeks to take effect. I put together a program for her that included; supplements, vitamins, diet modifications, relaxation techniques, and aromatherapy. The anti-depression medications kicked in within a week or two and she was feeling better. This enabled her to then address the issues in her life with help of her therapist. The pill is not the cure, the pill is the stop gap to help you get back on your feet so you not only address the issues you have, but make the necessary life changes you need to make. And that in my mind, is where western medicine is failing, failing big time.

But, what I really believe is that all healing is ultimately self-healing. What that means is you have to take responsibility for your own healing. You have to be actively engaged it what's going on, you have to then take control of your health and move towards a healthier lifestyle.

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!

Do You Suffer From Over InFlated Expectations?

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:52:29 PST

I wonder if we expect too much. Not that having goals is a bad thing. But I wonder if our expectations get in the way of enjoying the here and now? We set our sights and our happiness on the outcome of our goal, so much so that we do not appreciate what we currently have. We live in a future world. In this future world, we are thinner, richer and have (BLANK). I put (BLANK) because I can easily surmise that you all want to be thinner and richer. Yet, everyone has that ONE thing, the ONE thing that would make you deliciously happy. And to be honest, I can't say what that ONE thing is for you, but you know what it is. maybe it's a new couch, a promotion, a new husband, or a trip to Taiwan. Who knows? But you know.

To illustrate this, I will give you an example of how I live in my future world. Yes, I am skinnier! I am a size six . As you know, I have been working on my health, working on my weight. I went to try on jeans the other day. I went down a size. Yay! Then I caught sightof myself in the 360 mirror. It wasn't pretty. I'll spare you the details. Seriously, what is up with those mirrors? Are they made to crush your soul? Are they made so you will run out of the dressing room screaming and crying? When the sales lady asked if she could get me anything, I replied, "Yeah, a new body." She went quiet. She was prepared to get me another pair of jeans, but self-esteem they just don't sell that at the Von Maur.

So I spent the next few days beating myself up. Then on my way into school, one of the other moms stopped me to tell me that I looked great. I looked like I had lost weight. A light bulb went off for me. I had spent so much time focusing on my goal weight that I hadn't stopped to really see the woman who lives right here in the present. She not only looks better, but she feel better, she eats better, and she exercises. Now she's going to enjoy her life right now. Enjoy the progress she has made so far. Not wait until a future day and time to be satisfied because the goal is one thing, but all those steps along the way, that's life. That's what really matters.

Savoring the Last Days of Winter

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:48:01 PST

How come no one ever says that? We shoo winter away like an errant bug that has made its way into the house. Every February, we torture some poor ground hog, only to be disappointed that the poor thing hasn't in fact seen his shadow.

I do dislike winter. Recently, in attempt to get some sun, I went tanning. I slathered myself with some gooey sweet smelling tanning accelerator and laid in my brightly lit coffin trying to soak up some carcinoma rays. After ten minutes, I got out and my skin felt like it was on fire. By the time I walked home from the gym, I had a nasty case of sunburn. I was thankful that I left on my jog bra and panties, otherwise I would've had deep fried boobies with a side of burnt butt.

Let me rephrase that, I hate winter. The other day, we were driving to school, the slippery roads had me on pins and needles trying to stop slowly so that I wouldn't activate the anti-lock brakes and slide all over the road.

I blurted out, "It's horrible out."

Alena replied, "No Mommy, it's beautiful. Look at the snow on the trees. See that tree over there."

At this, I stopped for a moment and looked around. It was beautiful. She had a point.

"Mommy did you see that tree?" She asked me impatiently.

I kept driving.

"Momma, you missed it, you missed that tree. It looked so beautiful."

I replied, "I didn't miss it, I had you here to remind me."

I took these pics yesterday, in an attempt to "savor" the last days of winter.

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!

I am, Therefore I Dawdle

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:18:09 PST

I have perfected the fine art of dawdling. The Free Dictionary explains it best -- "to move aimlessly or lackadaisically." It doesn't matter if I'm in a hurry, if I have a looming deadline, if I need to be somewhere, suddenly I will feel the overwhelming urge to putter, to dawdle, to dilly dally and I am held powerless under its sway.

It drives my husband bananas. He can sense an impending dawdle. I think the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand up, like spidey puttering radar or something. Although, in my defense, my dawdling is not aimless, it usually has a purpose, it's just has bad timing. That's all.

For instance, if we have to be somewhere like say a movie or a birthday party, suddenly I find myself cleaning out the vegetable bin, tweezing my eyebrows (being Greek, this alone, can take up a better part of a morning) or scrubbing the toilet. I just can't help myself. This urge overtakes me unconsciously. One minute, I'm getting ready to take a shower and the next minute my label maker is out on my desk. Before I know what's happening, I'm making labels for my storage bins, only to be jarred back to reality by an irritated husband.

Eric: What are you doing?

Me: I'm making labels for my storage bins.

Eric: Why?

Me: So, I know what I'm storing in what bin. That's why.

Eric: Why now? We have to be (FILL IN THE BLANK) in twenty minutes and you haven't even showered yet.

Me: You know it doesn't take me long to get ready. Let me just finish this first.

Wait for it...wait for it...wait for it...

Eric: You are a dawdler. You need to get in the shower so we can go to (FILL IN THE BLANK). What have you been doing all morning?

Me: You know puttering, dilly dallying, just wondering around aimlessly tweezing my eyebrows, flipping through recipes, watching the offensive Russian ice dancing routine on You Tube, tinkering with my playlists.

What can I say? I am therefore, I dawdle.

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!

How to Outsmart Death

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:13:39 PST

Death can be ugly. Death can be nasty. I think we all hope that we will die peacefully in our sleep at a ripe old age, right before the dementia and incontinence begin to really set in. But really there is no way to really know how, where, or when we'll bite it. Is there?

I volunteer as a pastoral associate at my church. It's not a taxing form of volunteer work. Mostly, we meet once a month and eat pie. It's sort of strange to wait around for people to get sick or to have a major life crises. Usually months, and months will go by, and the most we will do is eat said pie.

Recently, I was charged with the task of checking in on one of my "people." She is an 87 year old woman. Last week, we chatted. She had just planned her memorial service. I asked her if that was a bit surreal. Her response. Nope. Not at all. It was an all-around pleasant experience. She's a poet, so she chose some of her poetry to be read. She felt good about the fact that she could plan her memorial service. That a very important part of her, her poetry, would be incorporated into the service.

Our conversation then veered into talking about the western view of death. We don't talk about it. We run from it. We think if that if we live long enough, somebody will invent a pill for it. But, the fact of the matter is, we all will die. I'm not certain of much, but of that I'm 100% sure. The way to really outsmart death, the real trick, is to just accept it. Don't fight it. Once you look death in the eye, once you stop running from it, you have won. Then you can get onto the important business, the business of living, really living secure in the knowledge that nothing is permanent. That each day truly is a gift.

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!

Love is...

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:51:29 PST

I was at the gym last night, with the amount of time I spend at the gym I should look like Victoria Beckham. Hey, what's up with her? How do you think she maintains her weight? I'm thinking a steady diet of black coffee and a regiment of daily colonics. That's my best guess. So, anyway, I was at the gym, walking on the stair thingy that's like an escalator. And there was this couple, I'd say in their late 50s. They were on the treadmill, side by side, and every so often the man would hand his wife a towel. She was really running and getting pretty sweaty, so he'd hand her his towel. She'd mop herself up and then hand it back to him. It was touching, and a bit gross, but touching none the less. Love is...someone to share a sweaty towel with.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, here's one of my fav all time Beatles's songs -- All You Need Is Love.

This V-day, I hope you have a special someone to share a sweaty towel with. :)

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!

My Vice

mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com (Amelia Dellos) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:05:06 PST

I have a confession to make. I have a vice. It's trash mags. Yes, believe it or not I have a vice that does not involve cookies, chips or cakes! At one point, I subscribed to People, but cancelled the subscription because there was too much of that touchy feel-y news. I just wanted the trash. I wanted to know who was cheating on who, who wore what, and that was that. So, I then subscribed to Us Weekly. For years, I would salivate when my magazine arrived in the mail. I would covet that 30 minutes reading it from cover to cover taking in all the celebrity deets.

Then, like with any vice, it stopped feeling good to read about some starlets failed marriage or her husband's drug addiction. It started feeling icky. I stopped enjoying it. I started to feel empathy for these people, who's pain was on display for my perverse pleasure. (And a clue, celebrities aren't just like us, even if they do eat Cheetos and pump their own gas). I also realized the money I spent on my yearly Us Weekly subscription could feed a small child in an underdeveloped country for one year.

Yet, I still slip. I recently came home with a Star magazine in my shopping bag. The other day, I found myself googling Heidi Montag to see first hand what that poor girl did to her body. I found it slightly ironic how God spoke to her and told her to get double DD's, yet when God spoke to Mother Teresa , it was to help poor children. But to each her own. Who am I to judge her? As I sit in my house, scarfing down chocolate sandwich cookies, reading about how Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are getting back together. (According to all the trash mags, and their "sources," they really truly are, and for some reason, I hope they do. Why I know not, other than Aniston, is Greek, and I'm Greek, therefore, I support her. Strained logic to be sure, but there you have it). Because at the end of the day, I can't begin to know what it's like to walk in Heidi's now Barbie-like shoes. And celebrities, whether they are reality made or self made, are just not like us.

If this post hit a nerve with you, if you have a vice you'd like to kick, here's what I'd like to propose, this week take the money you spend on your vice, and donate it to a charity of your choice. So if Starbucks is your master, take your latte money and donate it to a charity. Just for one week!!! Then email me at mommaslitthelper@yahoo.com or post a comment below letting me know how it went for you. Since I bought that Star magazine, I'm thinking Doctors Without Borders is getting another donation from me.

Catch me on:

eXaminer

Intuit YOU!