Monday, March 29, 2010

ParentPrimer: Bullying does not go away

ParentPrimer: Bullying does not go away

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Quote of the week: Are you green and growing-or ripe and rotting? Ray Kroc

Rumination: As we rush(or in some parts of the country, flood) into April, let us take a minute to keep green in our hearts. Green means youth, life, vitality, promise. Green is the colour of prosperity, of new beginnings, of wide and beckoning vistas. How are you keeping green? Are you keeping green? Are you turning grey, not your hair, but your outlook? Perhaps now is the time to take notes on lovely, dancing, green April and:
1. Meditate to bring inner peace.
2. Nourish to bring the body health.
3.Take a class to keep your mind young.
4. Help others to keep your soul fresh.
5. Exercise to bring vitality insider.

Mantra: Green inside, green outside, green all around me, green cover me.
Recipe: Green Envy Avocado Smoothie(good for skin, mind, spirit!)
In a blender, combine:
1 avocado, without skin
2 bananas2 cups oj
1 cup strawberries
1 cup orange sherbert
1 cup strawberry sherbert
2 tspns fish oil or cod liver oil
4 tbspns honey
3 tbspns brewer's yeast
1 cup ice

Exercise:
1. Stand up.
2. Bend forward over desk, kitchen sink etc for support.
3. Lift left leg behind you as far as comfortable.
4. Return to both feet on the floor.
5. Lift right leg behind you as far as comfortable.
6. Return both feet to the floor.
7. Repeat with each leg for a total of 4 repetitions per side.

Salutations: "Green, how I want you green. Green wind. Green branches." Federico Garcia Lorca. Perfectly said...now get up and get green!

Bis vivit qui bene vivit!
Doula AngelitaSan Jose's Community Doula

Monday, March 15, 2010

#MagnificentMondays#9: Power, passion and purpose!


Quote of the Week:Possunt quia posse videnture.

Rumination: They can because they think they can. This is a time of year in which renewal and more light reveal what is inside our minds and hearts. This is a time of projects, workshops, trainings and all sorts of improvements to both home and self. This is the time when our passions have the power to move us with purpose! Harnass this power and start getting behind those self-improvement projects which most speak to you! Show the world that you stand out from the pack as a proud pink panda! If you think it, you will achieve it once you believe it! P3 power!

Mantra: Power, passion, purpose plus perserverance provide plenty.

Recipe: A Sunny Chicken Curry to gladden the Heart!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1/2 teaspoon white sugar

salt to taste

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Saute onion until lightly browned.

Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt.

Continue stirring for 2 minutes.

Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Simmer 5 more minutes.

Serve with basmati or jasmine rice.
Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 313 Total Fat: 21.7g Cholesterol: 38mg
Nutritional InformationIndian Chicken Curry IIServings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 313
Total Fat: 21.7g Cholesterol: 38mg Sodium: 268mg Total Carbs: 14g Dietary Fiber: 3.8g Protein: 19.1g

Exercise: Gentle stretching
1. Sit on the floor.

2. Stretch legs out in front of you.

3. Gently and slowly reach arms out towards the toes.

4.A stretch of the muscles should be felt.

5. Hold without forcing the position for 15 seconds.

6. Release.

7. Repeat 2 more times.

Salutations: It is the time of year when Mother Earth is preparing to show off a whole new look. Taking a cue from her, we should be doing the same!

Bis vivit qui bene vivit,

Doula Angelita

San Jose's Community Doula
.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Go Red! for Women Weekly Digest 0312




Last week, it was strongly advised that you visit www.goredforwomen.org/hearthealth and enter your numbers. Within approximately ten minutes, you will have your own personal set of numbers and risk factors for heart disease. With this information comes the power and responsibility needed for change.

In your hands, this checkup becomes a weapon against impairment or death. Contemplate the results. How do they make you feel? What can you learn from them? What questions do they provoke?Most importantly, what will you do with these pieces of information?

Here are some pieces of information to help you to decipher your pathway:

1. Total cholesterol levels should be lower than 200, better if below 150.

2. The LDL(lousycholesterol) ought to be below 100 and closer to 70.

3. The HDL(good cholesterol) ought to be above 45 for men, 55 for women.

4. Triglyceride levels ought to be below 150

5. Blood pressure should be around 120/80.

6. The four best health practices are: activity, diet, stressbusters, quitting smoking.

This is why the diet and exercise topic came up last week. Why? These are the two areas in which all of us have crucial input. We buy our own food and are responsible for our own locomotion. Therefore, the power is in our hands to fight off heart disease!

GO RED! FOR WOMEN HEART HEALTH CHECKLIST 0312:
1. Start taking a multivitamin.
2. Begin eating 3-5 vegetables and fruits daily.
3. Make an appointment with the doctor/followup appointment and get started with a PLAN to care for your heart!

With every heartfelt desire for your success, and
From my heart to yours,
Doula Angelita

Heart Health Ambassador

San Jose American Heart Association

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Back to Sleep Campaign to reduce SIDS





SIDS is a leading cause of infant death. Though the exact causes are not known, everything from genetic predisposition to biological failure are being investigated. SIDS is something that every parent should be on guard about and have a heightened awareness of.


Here are seven tips from the Back to Sleep Campaign to reduce the risk of SIDS-related death:


*Always place baby on back for sleeping, even for a nap.


*Place your baby on a firm surface which supports the whole body.


*Remove soft and fluffy bedding and toyps from the sleeping area of the baby.


*Make sure the baby's face and head remain uncovered during sleep.


*Do not smoke or allow smoking in the house with the baby.


*Do not let the baby become too warm nor the room during the time the baby is sleeping.


*Alert and post these guidelines for all the baby's childcare providers, grandparents/relatives, babysitters and all other caregivers to be aware and to combat SIDS risk.



Caring for a newborn is a tough job but these guidelines make it a little easier!




**********************

Doula Angelita is a trident doula/parenting coach/nutrition guide/women's advocate located in sunny San Jose, CA. She writes on everything and can be reached at sanjosecommunitydoula@gmail.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @sanjosedoula1

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Safely Surrendered Baby Law, California

This past weekend, another tragic incident of baby abandonment led to the needless death of a newborn whose mother gave birth at a party and dumped the child into the garbage. What makes this story even worse: the baby was put into the garbage steps away from a designated surrender site. In the interests of education and in the hopes of preventing such tragedy from occurring in future, here are the salient points of California's Safely Surrendered Baby Law:
1. What is the Safely Surrendered Baby Law?
It is a confidential way of safely surrendering a newborn to proper authorities, without penalty nor prosecution, within 72 hours of the child's birth.
2. Who can surrender the newborn?
The parents or legal guardians can surrender the infant at the designated surrender locations.
3. Where are the surrender locations?
Newborns may be taken to public or private hospitals, firestations, certain churches, and other locations indicated by the Safely Surrendered Baby sign affixed prominently.
4. What happens when the baby is surrendered?
When the newborn is safely surrendered at a hospital, there are no questions asked. The newborn is given medical treatment, placed in a foster home or pre-adoptive home. At the time of surrender at a hospital, the baby is tagged. The surrendering party is given an identical bracelet, in case they wish to become reunited with the child within fourteen days.
5. How much time is allotted if the surrendering party changes her/is mind?
From the time and date of the surrender to a full and uninterrupted fourteen days later is the time allotted to reunite with the baby.
6. What is the age of the child that is to be surrendered?
The scope of the Safely Surrendered Baby Law enables the parent/legal guardian of any newborn to surrender the child within three days of birth.
This, of course, does NOT mean that infanticide is in order if on the fourth day, the ninth day, the fiftieth day, etc. it is found that parenthood is too much to handle. In these cases, the best case scenario is to surrender the child(ren) to a hospital, fire station, police station, church, synagogue, mosque, social service agency....anyplace where they will be cared for and SAFE.
7. Why is this law useful?
No shame. No blame. No names. The baby is enabled to live free from the dangers of freezing to death, being attacked by wild animals, suffocation in a plastic bag, bleeding to death from internal injuries, etc. The parent is freed from criminal child abandonment charges and the legal prosecution that naturally attends. In addition, the parent is often reviled and shunned, especially in cases when the media is involved.
The focus of the Safely Surrendered Baby Law is to provide parents with a way to gracefully, sanely, and humanely give their newborn a chance a life while giving themselves the time and space necessary to wrestle with their inner turmoil. In view of this, it is urged that all who are involved with those who do not wish to accept the rigours of parenthood at this time, safely and securely surrender their child following these parameters.




****************************************
DOULA ANGELITA, San Jose's Community Doula, is a designated Baby Safe Haven Maven*TM. She works with parents where they are, has a wide variety of experiences, and is not interested in passing judgement, only at giving newborns a chance of life.

DOULA ANGELITA is a trident doula/parenting coach/nutrition guide/women's advocate who lives and works in sunny San Jose, CA but who answers the call of birth from wherever it comes.

DOULA ANGELITA can be reached: sanjosecommunitydoula@gmail.com, @sanjosedoula1=TWITTER

If you are thinking about abandoning your newborn, contact DOULA ANGELITA first.

Monday, March 8, 2010

#MagnificentMondays#8: P3s. Unite!






Quote of the Week: Hodie mihi, cras tibi.

Rumination: Happy #InternationalWomensDay all you ladies and those who love them! On this day, just for us, it is wonderful to see all the outpouring of love and support for the feminine. It is also sobering to look at the national and world situation and see that not all women are treated with honour and respect.

My heart goes out to those massacred in Nigeria, labouring under the lash of rape and torture in the Sudan, enduring shame and isolation in Cambodia, etc. Where one woman is enslaved, none of us are free. It is also time for us to celebrate those women of all cultures who daily work toward the amelioration of life on this remarkable planet-for both sexes.

Mantra: The goddess within longs to spring forth.

Recipe: Green Goddess Detoxification Soup

Ingredients


Olive Oil,

2 tbsp Garlic,

3 cloves chopped

Onions, raw, .5 cup,

chopped Chicken bouillon,

2 cups Turnips, .5 medium chopped into 1 inch pieces

Zucchini, baby, 1 large in 1 inch slices

1 Sweet potato, chopped into 1 inch pieces

Spinach, fresh, 1 cup

Directions

Saute the garlic & onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potato & turnip cubes, and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add the bouillon and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the zucchini, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Add the spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Puree in the blender until smooth.
Number of Servings: 4

Exercise: Paint the Sky!*
1. Stand up.

2. Put your hands above your head.

3. Bend your body as far to the left as possible.

4. Then bend your body as far to the right as possible.

5. Repeat for a total of five times.
*with many thanks to DJ Lance!

Salutation: Wake up and shake up your inner goddess, ladies! What this means is that it is time for you to unleash the power within, and to let the world know that the feminine power is a force for goodness, truth and beauty in this world! Don't blend in with the black and white herd,ladies, be proud pink pandas and lead the parade today!

Bis vivit, qui bene vivit,

Doula Angelita

San Jose's Community Doula

trident doula/parenting coach

nutrition guide/women's advocate.

Friday, March 5, 2010






One of the reasons that this small digest is continuing long after February is over is due to a recent study conducted by researchers for Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. Not only because of pride at being a Heart Health Ambassador, but because the Go Red! campaign is the American Heart Association's passionate and powerful campaign to address the heartfelt needs of the women of the United States.


Go Red! is a lifestyle, a way of thinking about daily, weekly, monthly, yearly improvements that will contribute to better health and better lives for women. Go RED! is a way to reward and to thank, all the women, of all colours, races and creeds, who have enriched my life, and enriched the lives of others. In so many cases, the women of the family are the real heartbeats, the vital organs that sustain and maintain strong and healthy families.


Therefore, in reviewing the following information, keep in mind that for every one woman who suffers from heart disease that is untreated, an entire family may suffer, a neighbourhood suffers, work suffers, and the graveyards fill too soon with women who should have been the artists, thinkers, mothers, aunts, writers, leaders of our generation:


*81.1 million people are living with heart disease*60 percent of Caucasian women knew that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women*Less than half of the minority respondents seemed aware of that fact.*Most women were unaware of strategies to prevent heart disease.*25-34 year old women were not aware of the prevalence of heart disease among women.*Only 56 percent of women could ID symptoms of heart disease.*Only 53 percent of women would call 911 if they thought they had a heart attack.*51 percent of women said that family/caregiving responsibilities prevented them from taking better care of themselves.*42 percent were confused as to what steps to take to better their cardiovascular health.


In silent anguish, women suffer. Because of their suffering in silence, they lose the opportunity to restore themselves to health..

For this reason, this digest as a blueprint for improving heart health weekly.Additionally, this digest will address the issues that prevent women from achieving optimal cardiovascular health.Finally, this digest will serve as both a goad and an encouraging source to continuously improve upon heart health.


GO RED! HEART HEALTH CHECKLIST 0305:


1.So, the major thing to do this week is to go to :
www.goredforwomen.org/heartcheckup
In ten minutes, you will have a concrete set of numbers and figures for you to ponder and to be your guideline for the weeks ahead.

2. The next thing to do this week is to put pen to paper and chart your schedule for the week, paying special attention to diet and exercise.


With all my heart, I am rooting for your good health,
From my heart to yours,

Doula Angelita

San Jose's Heart Health Ambassador

Follow me on Twitter: @sanjosedoula1

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Monday, February 22, 2010

#Magnificent Mondays #6: A change will do you good!

Quote of the Week: A change will do you good!

Rumination: Snow again. Rain. Cold. No sun, or little sun. Trudging to work, feeding the kids, no meat on Fridays, what am I going to wear today?...These and other thoughts are automatic, constant and cyclical. In this time of the Christian season of Lent, it almost feels like a time of lying fallow, of tiredness, of a desire for something fresh and new.
The magazine covers are full of the looks for Spring, and I know I am not alone in trying to will Spring along as quickly as possible. In the meantime, hold on, build a bridge and get over it, have a lovely cup of lemon tea, have a nosh and a chat with your friends....this, too, shall pass. My change was to buy some flowers and a can of paint! A change will do you good, and a change is coming if only we remember to hold on for it!

Mantra: A change is coming, coming is my change.

Recipe: Sloppy Joe's
Ingredients:
1 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic
8 oz. turkey breast meat/skinless
6 oz canned red kidney beans
1 package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 whole wheat buns
non-stick cooking spray

1. Thoroughly coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray.
2. Pan-fry the onion and garlic 2-3 minutes over low heat.
3. Add turkey and cook an additional three minutes.
4. Add beans to the browned meat, along with seasoning mix and chicken broth.
5. Simmer five minutes until turkey is cooked, about five minutes.
6. Serve on whole-wheat buns or on top of rice.

Exercise:
1. While seated, knees bent: raise and lower left leg ten times. Switch to right leg.
Raise both arms over head and then lower them. Repeat ten times.

Salutation: In this time of betwixt and between, be sure that you are caring for yourself and your health of mind, body and spirit. Fallow is not dead; it is lying in wait, gathering energy, planning, repairing, restoring.

Bis vivit qui bene vivit!
Doula AngelitaSan Jose's Community Doula

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Go Red! Digest: This KISS won't miss!

The Bride is paralyzed. She has been injured, and can barely move. "Move," she mutters to her feet, willing them into action. She is in a bad situation; assasins are after her, and her time to escape them grows short. Finally, she hobbles just enough to make her getaway.

This was the situation facing the character in the Kill Bill movie, but looking at it, it occurred to me that many of us are in the same situation. Cholesterol, stress, lack of motivation and direction, bad eating habits, no exercise...all these assasins are hot on our trail, and we are immobilized by fear, laziness, indecision and inactivity.

This is why this week, the beginning of the Lenten calendar in the Christian world, I am challenging all of us to take five steps towards better heart health:

1. Drink 6 eight oz. glasses of water a day.

2. Take a ten minute walk after dinner.

3. Show love and affection to our loved ones.

4. Eat 2 vegetables a day.

5. Begin taking a fish oil supplement.

KISS: Keeping it short and sweet is the name of the game. The time invested is more precious than gold, since the rewards are the fruits of a healthier, easier life. Mind, body, and soul will benefit, and the changes will be just in time for the coming Spring!

From my heart to yours, and good luck!


Doula Angelita
Heart Ambassador
American Heart Association
San Jose, CA

Monday, February 15, 2010

#Magnificent Mondays! #5: Live, Learn, Love, Laugh!



Quote of the Week: "Quae nocent docent" School of Hard Knocks

Ruminations: In these times of cold, dark, snow, and uncertainty, there are still lessons that are to be learned from the vicissitudes of life. We are not always on top, we are not always loved, we are not always employed, or in a relationship or living where we want to...but each and every situation has a series of lessons designed to craft us, to strengthen us, to give us fortitude. Bloom where you're planted. It is not an easy lesson;but it is a valuable one if we are to stretch and grow.

Mantra: I bloom where I am planted

Recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 lb. medium-size shrimp 1 tsp. sea salt dissolved in 1/2 cup water 4-6 Thai chilies, cut into thin rounds 1 1/2 - 2 tsp. roasted chili paste (nahm prik pow) 1-2 Tbs. fish sauce (nahm bplah), to taste 1 1/2 - 2 Tbs. lime juice, to taste 1-2 tsp. granulated sugar, to taste 1 stalk lemon grass Fresh shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly crosswise 1-2 Tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro, sawleaf coriander or parsley 3-4 Tbs. coarsely chopped mint leaves 3 cups boiling water A couple of mint sprigs for garnish Preparation
Shell, de-vein and butterfly the shrimp. Soak them in the salted water for 5 to 10 minutes to freshen (this will give the shrimp a more luscious succulent texture). Then rinse thoroughly with plenty of water to remove the salt and drain. Mix the Thai chilies with the roasted chilli paste, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Taste and adjust to the desired hot, sour, sweet and salty combination. The sauce should be intense in all respects. Trim off and discard the woody bottom tip of the lemon grass and 2 to 3 of the loose, fibrous outer layers. Slice stalk from the bottom end into very thin rounds, to yield roughly 3 Tbs. Place in a mixing bowl with the sliced shallots, coarsely chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Blanch the shrimp in boiling water for 20 seconds, or until they turn pink on the outside but are not completely cooked through. Drain. The shrimp will be further cooked by the lime juice in the sauce. Toss the shrimp while still warm with the herbs and the chili-lime sauce. Stir well to coat the shrimp. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with mint sprigs.

Exercise: Take a walk around the block, to the mailbox, around the corner. Clear your head of the cobwebs. Invigorate your lungs and other vital organs. Oxygenate your mind!

Salutation: Remember, this life is all we have. Let's make the best of it!

Bis vivit qui bene vivit,
Doula Angelita
#MagnificentMondays!
"a digest that is good for the soul!"

-- Doula AngelitaResurgam BirthingWell8899

Friday, February 12, 2010





One lady gave me some very kind feedback recently: "Like your digest. Same old stuff, though, but great enthusiasm." This is good criticism, and has truth: all the good advice and exhortations to being a better, healthier you is old hat, is redundant, is common sense.


The process of becoming healthier is really no secret, and anyone who grew up with wise grandparents or attentive parents can recite in their sleep how to get healthy and stay healthy: small portions, good foods, more fruits and vegetables, fewer sweets, get moving and exercising, go to the doctor at least once a year....

Yet, these are the very things which do save lives, and these are the very things which we find so extremely difficult to do. Inserting into the pass between good intentions and actually reaching health goals, is this modest digest. If there be some value in it, it will be that it gets your mind into the frame receptive to the ideas contained therein. If you are inclined to get up and move, or try a new recipe, or sign up for a walking club....then all to the better!

As a Heart Health Ambassador for the American Heart Association, as a wife, mother, sister, dancer, biker, woman, human, I take the Go Red! challenge seriously. I began this digest as a dialogue of sorts, a way to rally the flagging, to cheer up those in despair and to reach out a loving and helping hand to those who want to get started with a better life.


No one asked me to start this, this is my own "heart"reach to my fellow women.

Turning our attention to the world of celebrity, one item of interest attracted my attention: Heidi "The Body" Klum, the Diet Coke Heart Ambassador, matter-of-factly revealed that her committment to being healthy is not just skin deep. "I'm one of those people who go to every single doctor's appointment, including the gynecologist and the dentist, every six months!" Noting that this regimen also extends to her children, she responded to the interviewer's question about her children's diets thusly: "They love hamburgers! And fries! And chicken nuggets! And they like my sauerkraut soup, too!"

Now, before you roll your eyes and say, "Well, of course! She's a supermodel!"Well, President Clinton is an ambassador, I am an AHA Ambassador, and so on. The point of this is to say that models (and Bill Clinton and I) make time and is committed to a healthy lifestyle-because it is in our very best interests to do so! What about you? Wouldn't it be in your best interest to commit to a healthier lifestyle? To take some exercise? To check your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugars? Is it not your job to be the healthiest you ever?

Just food for thought, friends, just a morsel!

#Hearthealth is #besthealth. What will you do for your #heart today?

From my heart to yours,
Angelita

Monday, February 8, 2010

Quote of the Week: Who dat? Who dat? Who dat sey dey gonna beat dem Saints?

Rumination: Confidence is a good thing. Knowing who you are, your place in the world, what you want to do, who you would like to be with...these are things that are desirable to the human spirit. Confidence is what we need to feel when doing what needs to be done in the way that it needs to be done. Confidence is walking down the path even when others howl disapproval or try to dissuade us. Confidence is what we have when we reach inside ourselves and walk tall and proud when others deride our steps. The Saints were not always on top. The Saints will not always be on top; all dynasties are short-lived. The Saints of 2009 put their feet onto a pathway with confidence and did not waver from it. The Saints did not lead the game for the first half of the Super Bowl-but they kept their confidence, kept moving forward and stepped into glory.

Mantra: I am glory-bound, glory-bound am I


Recipe: Louisiana Sunburst Salad

Ingredients: 24 oz. mesclun mix
2 oz dried cranberries
2 oz sliced and toasted almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 oz vegetable oil
salt and black pepper to taste
2 oz blue cheese
2 oz ruby port wine
2 oz raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 oz water
5 dashes Tabasco
1. Soak cranberries overnight in the port wine.
2. In a large mixing bowl: oil, sugar,water, vinegar, Tabasco, and cinnamon
3. Whisk all the above until ingredients emulsify.
4. Add mesclun and toss.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Place mesclun on plate and add almonds, cranberries and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve.

Exercise: Cat pose, bidalasana, is great to relieve the repetitive body stress of constantly sitting or standing. It is good to shift the body position as well as to get breathing and heart rate regulated.
1. Place yourself on the floor/yoga mat on all fours.2. Palms are flat to the floor. Feet are extended back.3. With your face towards the palms, slowly bend the neck and round the back. Inhale.4. Return to starting position. Exhale.5. If that is too much, then simply inhaling and exhaling slowly within this position for a count of ten will be beneficial.

Salutations: Today is a new day. Today is a new week. Begin on a high note, and keep confidently moving forward to achieve your dreams.

Bis vivit qui bene vivit,

Doula Angelita
San Jose's Community Doula

Saturday, February 6, 2010

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Introducing Poe to children
The unheard



one love, one heart
born of woman strong on this day
in your soul you bore strong water.
a hermit, looking to your soul cave
you dreamed your way to a new life.
"to make music is a life that I have to live"
music a call you, even in Trenchtown.
your dreams made you a watcher, a balancer of men.
the lives, dreams and hopes of the people
became your music, and you became the megaphone of the trodden upon.
morning, noon and night music oozed through your pores
burst from your throat
hummed in the blood coursing in your body.
no choice; music or nothing.
searching the world round
wisdom your teacher, wisdom your student.
when others yielded, you listened to your inner voice
and then rose up, a prince amongst the shadows that hide the forgotten ones.
your princely light shining to every corner,
your voice rings out, pure and true, a message for the world
"Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights"
Life's mysteries were chrystal to you
and so you light a fire and curse into the darkness.
prowling and roaming the stage
the music alive
the truth alive
your soul ablaze
incandescent
your Icarus flies to the Heavens
you take tea with Jah
blessed sensimilla with the most righteous Jah
and when the truth is done
when the lights go down.
you rest but your body never sleeps.
"herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction"
your words burn and soothe to get at the truth hidden inside our skins
Lion of Judah, prince of the nation, one alone and singular
you came from many miles to return to Nine.
Birthing a nation attuned to your high frequency
your legacy, your spirit, your karma vibrates forever
even if they shut down your music
like ivy, your truths find a way to flourish amongst the cracks.
########################################
Doula Angelita is a trident doula, parenting coach, nutrition guide and women's advocate in the San Jose, CA area. A poetess, obeah woman, healer and counselor, she accepts clients and comments at sanjosecommunitydoula@gmail.com

Friday, February 5, 2010

GO RED WEEKLY DIGEST: EXERCISE





For the average person, the fact is that they know exactly what to do to keep healthy. It is not simply a matter of knowledge; rather it has much to do with both support and motivation. This is why it is important to surround yourself with those who will provide reinforcement and a gentle net of encouragement to help you achieve your goals. In this session of Go Red! Weekly, we will talk about getting exercise.


One of the important things about exercise is to do what is good for your body without causing damage or harm. No one is asking a couch potato to become a marathon runner overnight, nor asking those with bad knees to do a lot of weight-bearing exercise right away if at all. The important thing to keep in mind is to do what is comfortable for your body to do for a minimum of time. Begin slowly and then work your body up to a customized routine.


Many people despair of having to exercise at all. It is true: it is uncomfortable, it takes time, it is not easy and of course, sitting in a comfortable chair with a box of chocolates and the television remote is so much more accomodating. But, this is also the easy path to heart disease and to poor overall health. The path of least resistance is not the path that is the best for you nor your future.


Now, what will it take to get you into an exercise routine that you can commit to? First, you need the aforementioned and fabled support group. Even one person who will go for a walk with you, or call you up to see if you did take your walk, or who will listen when you call to say how much the walk took out of you...or gave to you...this person is gold and you need to hang onto them like grim death. When starting a new regimen, this is a crucial part of your strategy. Think about it: Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers make millions doing just that, so why don't you?


Second, do an exercise that is meaningful to you. What did you used to enjoy doing? Dancing? Swimming? Yoga?Lifting weights? Hiking? Bicycling? Whatever it was, adapt it for your fitness level now. Take a class for beginners, put on the timer for ten minutes, pedal around the block. This will give you an idea of your fitness level, as well as keep your interest piqued.


In the meantime, why not try walking? You can go at your own pace, there's no fancy equipment for you to buy, all you need is yourself, a coat if it is chilly and your keys. If walking isn't your thing, then there are exercises that you can do in your chair, there are muscle-building workouts for both the upper and lower body. Once you get moving, keep moving for heart's sake.


The heart is the organ which controls the movement of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. It cleanses and purifies, it pumps ceaselessly, and it never complains even when parts of it begin to show signs of disease or even die through bad diet and lack of exercise. This organ is so important to your body that without it even the brain cannot function! Not only is it the seat of emotion, it is the seat of life and to not care for it as best as you can is unconscionable.


#Hearthealth is #besthealth. What will you do for your heart today?






Today is the day to pull out your red clothing, red shoes, red wig,your garnet and ruby jewellry, red power suit...it is time to GO RED! for women and to help save lives-including your own. Here in San Jose, the American Heart Association and its heart ambassadors, including San Jose's Community Doula, Doula Angelita, will be going red to spread the word about heart health and how to keep your heart happy and working well.

Your heart pumps blood ceaselessy throughout the body. All organs are nourished as well as the happy fact that the blood carries oxygen so that your lungs can fill with air. The heart is hard-working and uncomplaining, pumping, adjusting, finding a way to keep the flow going even when it suffers damages. One of the most important facts about the heart is that it takes a licking and keeps on ticking long after parts of it have died due to disease.

With the Go Red! initiative, the American Heart Association has a whole series of videos, on-line tools and outreach opportunities to keep your heart alive and well. Most of the advice is well-known: healthy diet, daily exercise, positive outlook, and getting adequate rest are all important ways to keep your heart healthy and happy. Additionally, there are recipes, opportunities to connect with others looking to improve their heart health, and ways to spread the word on heart health throughout the community.

To keep your heart healthy, the simplest point of reference is the ABC of Heart Health. This involves avoiding tobacco, become more active, and choose good nutrition. This message is simple, portable and fits in perfectly with the GO RED! philosophy. GO RED! is the slogan to signal the wake-up call to action for each one of us. GO RED! is not for one day only, it is a life-long committment. GO RED! for women is a way to women to think about taking good care of ourselves so that we can continue to care for the others who enrich our lives.

Doula Angelita, as a proud heart ambassador, will sponsor a series of Go Red! forums online every Friday in February. This Friday's forum will talk about the GO RED! system for maintaining heart health. She will also take questions from the general San Jose community regarding heart health. To connect with her or with the San Jose Heart Association, send an email to: sanjosecommunitydoula@gmail.com.

Monday, February 1, 2010

#Magnificent Mondays #3: Keep Following Your Star!


Quote of the week: "If you are going through Hell, keep going." Winston Churchill




Rumination: In these times of uncertainty and yes, even despair, it is easy to give in to the darkness that at times threaten to engulf us. However, as this quote shows, the thing to do is to keep going through the bad times until we break through to the light beyond. Just as the Wise Men and shephards saw The Star, which guided them through the darkness and to a beautiful gift, then we too must needs look for and follow The Star that will give us the hope and the courage to keep moving forward. Sometimes this is a talisman; I myself cherish the rosary beads that sailed from Ireland to Jamaica and then ended up in the United States. It reminds me to stay true to my faith, and to my heritage and to seek out that Star which will lead me to the warmth and comfort of better times. May you also find your Star of hope, comfort and strength that will guide you to better times.


Mantra: The Star is the light that banishes darkness.


Recipe!: Tomato Soup


1 tblspn vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup chopped celery

2(28 oz)cans crushed tomatoes

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tblspn worcestershire sauce

1 tspn salt

1/2 tspn dried thyme

1/2 tspn ground black pepper

4 drops hot sauce



1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.

2. Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.

3. Add carrot and celery cooking for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in tomatoes, broth, worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and hot sauce.

5. Reduce heat to low.

6. Cover and simmer 20 minutes stirring frequently.


Serve hot. Grilled cheese is nice with this, or a reuben.



Exercise:

1.Turn your head to the left slowly.

2. Turn your head to the right.

3. Tilt your head so that your left ear touches your left shoulder.

4. Tilt head so that right ear touches right shoulder.

5. Tuck chin to chest.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 for three times total to loosen neck muscles and relieve tension.


Salutation: Remember to follow your Star, get some rest, breathe, exercise and eat well. Keep up your spirits; a fallow field is really preparing for the coming of Spring!


Bis vivit qui bene vivit,


Doula Angelita

a digest that is food for thought!

Monday, January 25, 2010

#Magnificent Mondays! #2: Confucius Says...

Quote of the Week: "If someone else gets it in one try, I will try one hundred times. If someone else gets it in ten tries, I will try one thousand times. " Confucius

Rumination: This quote by the famous Chinese philosopher is one which is becoming more and more dear to me as time passes. Too often we are caught up in what others do or have, how much they earn, how much they spend. As mothers, we become competitive in how fast our children walk and talk, whether they sleep through the night just like someone else's, whether or not they hit the ground running in kindergarten. Learning to go at our own pace doing the very best that we can, and redoubling our efforts to achieve our goals is always a lesson that is worth learning and relearning as we journey through life.

Mantra: :"Unique and unrepeatable diamond am I"

Recipe: Carrot ginger soup! Just the thing to keep you trying for your goals!

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons sweet cream butter

2 peeled and chopped onions

6 cups chicken broth

2 lbs peeled and sliced carrots

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

one cup whipping cream

salt. to taste

white pepper. to taste

sour cream

parsley sprigs


1. Put a pan on medium high heat.
2. Place butter and onions inside of the pan, stirring until onion is limp.
3. Add broth+carrots+ginger to the pan.
4. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to simmering(the carrots will be tender when pierced).
6. Remove from heat.
7. Transfer mixture to a blender.
8. Pulse mixture and then puree to smooth the mixture.
9. Return to the pan and add the sweet cream.
10. Stir over high heat until hot.
11. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream and parsley sprigs. Enjoy!

*When blending, be sure to be careful of not filling the blender more than halfway. Also, leave one corner open and cover with a towel.

Exercise: Out of bed, your chair, stop and now:

1. Inhale deeply.
2.Raise arms up above the head.
3. Put arms down by side.
4. Inhale and repeat 3x.
5. Inhale.
6. Now bend the knee and raise the right leg, then the left leg.
7. Repeat 5x.
8. Inhale and done!

Salutations: That's it for this edition, and if you find your enthusiasm flagging for your New Year's resolutions, it is not too late to reset and try again! With this cheerful soup inside of you and brighter days ahead, go for your goal and use your own timetable of ten times or one thousand times to achieve what you want this year!

Bis vivit qui bene vivit,

Doula Angelita

Tuesday, January 19, 2010


"A riot is at bottom the language of the unheard."
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.






It is Tuesday, not a bad day, not a good day, but it is almost over. You are looking forward to settling down for the night, the cares of the day behind you. You are bathing the baby. You are cooking dinner. You are gathered with friends. You are leaving work, just one more thing, and you will be gone for the day. You are looking for a place to sleep for the night. You are on the cellular, talking to your friends, "Where are we going tonight?" You are laughing, crying, happy, sad. You are living and breathing and then, oh then, the world has flown away, you are in the air, on the ground, the heavens fall, there is crushing pain, then blackness.

You are trying to breathe, the weight of concrete pressed into your chest. You pick yourself up from the ground, dazed. The earth groans and shifts again. Sirens howl around you, the sun has fled, the cold night air whistles through the gaping wounds of broken bodies. You look and see blood silently pumping from your arm, the glint of bone grinning at you. The screams of survivors, the screams of the trapped, the darkness, so dark, where are the streetlights? You try to call for help on your cellular; all lines are busy. Trying again, it is simply there in your hand, no dialtone. You feel something wet under your shoe; a hand, and you see the dark liquid in the gutters. Pipes burst, probably. You shuffle on, where are the houses? Shoved and jostled by the pressing crowd, you are calm, so calm, but the night is full of those crushed, those whose life is leaving them. The bodies, in the streets, on cars, hands and feet and legs twisted and still, so still. You see a small body, wrapped in a blanket. It makes no sound and never will again.

You wake. The pain from your wounds, the smell from baking corpses, no food, no water again. A man stumbles by, undead, unliving, eyes of glass. Women keen for their lost ones. You keep looking for the addresses of people you know. Even the skyline is different; something is wrong. You cannot process it. Someone has a radio; all who can, gravitate towards it. The voice on the radio talks fantastic nonsense: earthquakes, the unimaginable human suffering, people trapped under buildings, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, aid, help, aid, help...one man says "It cannot be long now. They now know about us, and we are not so far away. It cannot be long now." He is older, smiling though he leaned on a stick heavily, his arm bandaged in an old shirt decorated with blood stains, another shirt wrapped around his leg which was bent into a pretzel. The rest of the news was full of more: one airport, no way in, all roads destroyed, the Palais National in ruins, as well as the Cathedral. In shock, you swing your eyes towards the skyline and your jaw opens as you realize what you could not grasp before. When you come to your senses, and sit up, you see the old man sitting on the wall, propped up by his stick. Hobbling over, you start to ask him the latest news, but he is dead. Someone has taken his transistor, and blood from his mouth stains his beard.

Another day, what day is this? Still no lights. Still no food. The lying voice, the well-fed, well-watered voice on the radio, brightly talking about the dire situation, how aid, help, ships, medicine, water, food, money was coming to Haiti. Planes were circling in the sky, fighting over the tiny airstrip, fighting to come save Haiti. Troubling talk of troops, Marines, armed forces...people scrambling over dead bodies, bodies that were so far gone as to become liquid..a mother cradling a baby...no one is a thief, but all are hungry and thirsty..some people found bread, food, water, rice, and shared, but it is not enough. People sleep in the streets at night, the screams go on, but no one sings now. The air is full of desperation and death.

Can it be another day? The lying voice says that it has been a week since the catastrophe. Can it be true? There are reports of aid, but who is getting it? Not you. Not your neighbours. Not your family, whoever is left. Not anyone that you see with your two eyes. More and more people do not wake after sleeping. The screaming buildings are falling silent. No one is a thief, but who has money for the shopkeeper? Where is the shopkeeper? Your hand goes through a window and you stuff flour into your mouth. The rush of others pushing to grab at candy does not deter you. You open your mouth and put food into it.

Some people now are talking about leaving Port-au-Prince, going to Cap Haitien, to the countryside. Others are leaving for Jaromi, in the Dominican Republic. The lying voice said that there was some medical help there. Others, the lucky ones, are going to try to beg for asylum in the United States. They are going to go to the US embassy in Port-au-Prince, where they will push against the gates and scream and cry and moan until they are heard. Others don't care: they have lost everything. "It is time to speak with fire" they say. "No one is listening, no one cares. Where is the help?" The lying voices say that pretty soon the rescuers will leave. People who can, text frantically. "Help us, save us, we are alive and soon to be dead". The messages go to Miami, where grief and shrieks fill the air, and impotent rage abounds.

"We are doing all we can to help" says the president of the country next door.Some laugh at his words; everyone knows that they discriminate against Haitians and are afraid of a wave of locust-like dark people into their land. People are beginning to leave, they cannot take the darkness, the shadows, the people that are alive and then dead with the taking of a breath, the trucks full of bodies rumbling by, the graves dug and filled with those that could be saved, but weren't. They cannot take the rumbling stomachs, watching the living turn to ghosts, old ones and children passing from the world at the blink of an eye. They cannot take the smells, the fact that there are trucks for the troops, and trucks for the dead and no trucks of water. They cannot bear to listen when one man stands atop a destroyed building and says "I was in the Army of the United States; I know that they can drop water and food to us. Why don't they do it? They are going to send in the Marines like they did before. They are going to take our country again and give it to the dictators!"

You sit, dizzy from the blood that continues to pump from your body. You don't remember when you ate last, you lean against the door to rest. The murmur of voices, snatches of song, pass you by. Those who can are leaving, migrating, moving away from the trash, the stench, the death, the lack of hope, the lying voices.A voice in Kreyol, educated, calm saying "Do not leave. If you come to the United States by the water, they will send you back from whence you came." "Come, get up" urges a voice, but you cannot, cannot. You must rest. Eyes closed, you hear your countrymen's feet moving, the surge of humanity flowing out of the body of the country like blood from wound.

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For more information on the topic of Haitian relations with the Dominican Republic, please visit http://www.dominicantoday.com/ as well as http://www.haitiantimes.com/ for stories directly from Hispaniola.

Monday, January 18, 2010

#Magnificent Mondays #1: Moderation and Soup


QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Eat and drink to live. Live not to eat and drink; for thus do the beasts." The Talmud
RUMINATION: In honour of the New Year and of the recent celebration of Rosh Hashanah, it is time to evaluate and fine-tune our resolutions. One of these, for many of us, is to be serious and mindful of our health, the health of our bodies, our minds, our spirits.
The Talmud instructs that eating is pleasurable. A small drink brings pleasure and joy to the heart. It is not a crime, nor a sin to enjoy our meals. It is in being moderate that one can truly enjoy and savour the tastes and flavours that go into a good meal. Looking forward to a good meal brings joy and comfort. It should not, however, be the highlight of the day, each and every day, to the exclusion of all else!
When the winds blow cold, the rain and snow pelt down, the skies are a dark and foreboding grey, it ia a time for restorative and nourishing food. It is time for feeling the comfort of a full stomach, and a time to be careful to nourish the body and not simply to sate the appetites. It is time to bring rest and rejuvenation to body, mind and spirit. It is time to be mindful of amelioration and exhilaration of every part. It is time to start, and why not now?
MANTRA: ohm mani padme hum(ohum mahnee pahdmay hooom)
This is not a test of best pronunciation, simply a way to open your mind, heart and spirit to relax, renew, rejuvenate, and refresh. This mantra, a popular one, gets the breath working, and if said aloud in a strong and mighty voice, will orient and focus the mind. Try it; it's free, and it cannot hurt!
RECIPE: Faux chix soup!
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 large, cleaned, peeled and chopped, carrot
1 chopped potato
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups vegetable stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1.Heat oil in a large saucepan.
2. Add onion.
3. Saute over MEDIUM HEAT until golden.
4. Add celery and carrot pieces to the onion in the saucepan.
5. Saute all ingredients for five minutes.
6. In the saucepan, add broth, garlic, potato, thyme and bay leaves.
7. Bring to a simmer until vegetables are tender; approximately 30 minutes. 8. Remove bay leaves after 30 minutes.
9. Season soup to taste. Serve with warmed bread, homemade croutons, a grilled cheese sandwich...enjoy!
EXERCISE 1-2-3: Out of bed! Right, now:
1. Stand up straight.
2. Inhale deeply to the count of five.
3. Exhale deeply to the count of five.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a total of three times.
5. Next,
6. Lift arms up, palms facing each other.
7. Calmly lower arms to side. Repeat thrice.
8. Shake arms and hands, one more inhale-exhale, done!
SALUTATION: That's it for this week! Try the recipe and see how good you feel, not to mention the lift that you get from having your home redolent of good-for-you home cooking! Try the exercise and see if you don't have more energy in the morning. Try the mantra, and clear away the daily detritus that builds up inside. Just give it a go, and see what changes can happen when doing small things to improve you!
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Greenest blessings 2010,
Doula Angelita
San Jose's Community Doula
Bis vivit qui bene vivit!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

San Jose's Let's Go Princess! Programme



Inspired by recent stories on America's obesity epidemic, President Obama's call to service and the economic slump of the past two years, one woman is putting her best foot forward to help the women of San Jose to get into better mental and physical shape.

Doula Angelita, San Jose's Community Doula, is launching a walking program in March. Not just an ordinary exercise regimen, but a chance for women to connect, to share their burdens, to reach solutions and just to have sympathetic ears to listen to them.

"I envision this programme as a means of getting women out of the house, off the hamster wheel, and into a community event that is budget-friendly, good for heart, mind and soul, and a way to interact with other members of the community." says Doula Angelita.

The name, Let's Go Princess! is one of Doula Angelita's personal mantras, one that she uses when things are not going smoothly. "It actually comes from a phrase that Randy Couture, UFC champion uses on a commercial, but it so motivates me that I incorporate it into my everyday life," declares the doula. "If it motivates me I figured that it would motivate others as well, and so christened the programme with that name."

The Let's Go Princess! Programme will take place in the mall at Santana Row first, but Doula Angelita hopes to expand the programme to other area malls as well. "I am really excited to begin at the Santana Row mall; it is not only a beautiful location and well-suited for a walking club, it is easily accesible, and has a host of lovely shops and good, healthy foods like Amber India and Pasta Pomodoro. I cannot wait to get started, and I am working with the management at Santana Row to see if we can get some surprises for our walkers!"