SWIHA Blog

Warming Ingredients for Winter Meals

Dee McCaffrey, GUEST BLOGGER

As the colder weather of winter approaches, our bodies naturally crave warm and grounding foods. Using thermogenic spices in our foods is a great way to warm our bodies and our taste buds. Thermogenic spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, increase the body’s core temperature and speed up metabolism. Warming spices of the holiday season have many health benefits as well—they increase circulation, support efficient digestion, boost the immune system, regulate our blood sugar levels, help with weight loss, and even ward off cancer and Alzheimers.

Spices also bring the aroma of the holidays into our homes and make recipes taste delicious. Here’s a guide to some of the best warming spices, from cinnamon and nutmeg, to more exotic spices such as star anise and cloves. Discover the healing benefits of these warming spices, and how to use them in winter cooking.

As fairytail-ish as it sounds, Diana Atenco knew one of her life’s callings was tobecome a Toe Reader. She just loved the opportunity to sit with people, listen to the stories of their lives, often pray with them, and always have the opportunity to help them make new choices about how they would step forward powerfully into the world.

Diana completed a series of classes at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) starting in 2007 and became a Registered Toe Reader. From the very first class she realized she had a gift; without ever fully understanding how she knew even more than what the toe tissue revealed, she was aware that Spirit was using her as a messenger to people of all ages. Before long she knew she needed to deepen the way she was serving her clients, so she returned to SWIHA to take the Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching programs.

Around the time Diana began her journey at SWIHA, her then teenage grandson horribly injured himself in a motocross accident. He became seriously dependent on prescription pain mediation, which developed into an addiction to heroin. For years Diana suffered as she watched her beloved grandson slowly fade into the dark depths of drug addiction.

It started as an idea, as many businesses do - a spark of heartfelt inspiration. In December 2010, Krysten Aldridge and Ann Cabano hit the streets of downtown Phoenix to find folks in need of a hug and a cup of soup… what they ended up witnessing was way beyond what they expected.

As the two women walked around Phoenix that day, they were amazed by something that they couldn’t quite put their finger on. It was something they never felt before; it was big, it was beautiful, it was tragic. They began to document what they were witnessing on video. People, mostly homeless, approached them and asked what they were doing, asked if they could be part of the video. Krysten and Ann turned the camera and people quickly began to share their stories. The truth they heard from people shifted their perspective. They learned how and why the people wandering the streets of Phoenix were homeless. They learned about their families, their forgotten dreams, their fears. Most importantly, they learned about how these unique souls experienced love. And they knew they couldn’t just sit back and observe through the lens of a camera.

By Melanie Albert, Guest Blogger

“Eat your vegetables,” is a common phrase that most of us probably heard from our parents growing up. Many people, especially children, believe that vegetables are boring, or that they have no taste. That only “health nuts” eat raw or plain steamed vegetables. This is where “finishing vegetables” comes into Whole Food S.O.U.L. Food cooking techniques. Read on for tips and recipes about how to make veggies fun and delicious for the whole family to enjoy!

Add Culinary Interest to Your Veggies

Finishing steamed vegetables with organic oils, toasted spices, fresh herbs, toasted nuts and seeds, and finishing salts adds delicious taste and culinary interest, with beautiful colors, textures and aromas.

Steam carrots, cauliflower or broccoli in a bamboo steamer and then finish them with different combinations of oils, seeds, salt or spices to create exciting, tasty dishes!

“If you light a lantern for another it will also brighten your own way.”

Although these words were spoken more than 700 years ago by Nichiren Daishonin, a Buddhist monk, the same attitude is reflected within the 14 students who will be ordained in a special ceremony on Dec. 5, 2014 at 6:00 pm at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Tempe, Arizona. This will be SWIHA’s biggest Spiritual Studies ordination to date.

The ordination will take place during SWIHA’s monthly Gifts and Graces event, held on the first Friday of every month. This event is complimentary and open to the public. Guests are invited to come for the event and stay after to experience complimentary sessions of energy work, spiritual coaching, toe reading and more.

The graduates are Sheila Taylor, Carol Valentino, Diana Claybaugh, Keta Baker, Kathryn Beauchamp, Carole Hewitt, Ronald Tobin, Michael McCaffrey, Lisa Pulce, Tammy Gordon, Brett Getrost, Jeff Cooke, Thalia Randolph and Marika Adams-Vangueety.

Although each graduate will follow a unique path with their ordination, a common thread runs through each one – a strong desire to use a spiritual path to light the way for others.

“I am passionate about the field of spiritual studies and believe it is one of the most important fields of study one can undertake,” said Michael McCaffrey in his essay for ordination into the Universal Brotherhood Movement.

By Janet Lee, Guest Blogger

It’s not Fall, Thanksgiving, or the holiday season without pumpkins! Pumpkins are healthy, tasty, and not to mention incredibly rich in vital antioxidants and vitamins!

The pumpkin, a plant that is actually a fast-growing vine, grows by creeping along the ground, similar to other vegetables and fruits such as cucumber, squash or cantaloupes. It is one of the most popular field crops cultivated around the world, including the USA at the commercial scale for its fruit and seeds.

Pumpkins, in general, are orange or yellow color. However, some varieties can be dark to pale green, brown, white, red and gray. Their color is largely influenced by yellow-orange pigments in their skin and pulp. Its thick rind is smooth with light, vertical ribs.

In structure, pumpkins are usually golden-yellow to orange in color, depending upon the poly-phenolic pigments in it. They have a hollow center, with numerous small, off-white colored seeds interspersed in a net like structure. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein, minerals, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids.

With the biggest shopping day of the year right around the corner, many of us will be spending hours (or even days) walking from store to store and standing in long lines at the register. This type of extended standing and walking can wreak havoc on our legs, creating varicose veins, or worsening them in those who already have them.

If you notice ropey and bulging leg veins, achy calves or cramps at night, or swollen legs after standing for periods of time, varicose veins could be the culprit. Varicose veins are usually not too serious, but if ignored, can lead to other problems. However, there is a solution! Massage is a great tool to create comfort while relieving aching legs and swollen muscles.

Massage can be beneficial to those who experience varicose veins. It can decrease edema (excessive watery fluid that collects in the cavities or tissues of the body), increase venous outflow from the lower extremities, and improve muscle tone to normalize venous function.

The suitability of massage for a person with varicose veins will depend on their current medical condition, the cause and severity of the varicose veins, and the presence of swelling. Before pursuing massage, checking with a doctor is recommended, especially if the veins are a new development. Notify a medical professional if the varicose veins become painful, reddened, increase in warmth, or a new onset of swelling appears in the leg, as this may be a sign of more serious issues that require prompt treatment.

By Nancy Jackson, Online Exit and Placement Specialist

“Believe in yourself – you are capable of great accomplishments.”

That’s the message Pam McCulloch, a recent Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) graduate, wants to share with current and future SWIHA graduates. Pam took her own advice, and while still pursuing her online degree in SWIHA’s Associate of Occupational Studies Mind-Body Transformational Psychology Online program, she launched her business, Paradise Organics.Tender and organic fruit, herb, and vegetable starter plants is what Paradise Organics is all about, providing home gardeners with organic, non-GMO starters.

The Colorado based business teaches new gardeners how to get started in whatever growing space they have, even if it’s an apartment balcony.
As a full time gastro-intestinal tech assisting in outpatient surgeries, Pam was thrilled to add the role of self-employed urban farmer and business owner into her busy life. How did she make her urban farming business happen? She says she manifested it.

By Dee McCaffrey, Guest Blogger

The high stress nature of the holiday season can make staying balanced through the holiday season challenging.

Prevention Magazine online recently reported that 90 percent of Americans experience feelings of stress during the holidays. Whether it’s caused by crowded shopping malls, traveling, or family relations, how we manage stress can affect whether or not we have an enjoyable holiday season or an undesirable holiday.

However, there is a solution! Including some of the holiday's best stress-relieving foods as part of regular meals is a great way to maintain a feeling of calm and balance. Eating high energy and nutritious foods can help potentially stressful situations, because these foods provide us with the energy and stamina to cope.

Which foods are the best for relieving stress? Those that contain high amounts of B-complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, and those that contain minerals like manganese, selenium and zinc. The food items rich in these substances should be included regularly in meals.

On the other hand, eating processed foods and those low in the stress-busting nutrients will deplete energy levels and potentially stressful situations will become stressful and harmful to health.

Here's a list of the some of the most beneficial foods for relieving stress. Many of these are part of the traditional American holiday fare.

By KC Miller

Imagine a gate that connects the mysteries of the heavens to what we could manifest here on earth. Just the thought of such a portal sounds kind of Star Wars-like, doesn’t it? And yet, there is a potent ear point that has been written about as far back as 500 BC in a timeless book known as The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, a compilation of acupuncture procedures that were practiced since ancient times.

This mysterious point is called ‘Shen Men’, which translates to ‘Spirit-Gate’. It is the point believed to connect heaven and earth, mind and body; it brings imbalance or disease to a restored balance and facilitates healing. It is one powerful point!

‘Shen Men’, also known as the ‘Heavenly Gate’, is located in the center upper third portion of the ear, situated at the apex of the triangular fossa. It is one of the most recognized auricular points and used in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions, including pain sedation, addiction abatement, and the reduction of physical and emotional inflammation. By stimulating this tiny pin-sized point, it is reported to bring heavenly energy into the body for healing. Many practitioners and teachers believe we can actually heighten our spirituality just by taking three to five slow, deep breathes while activating this ear point a few times a day!