Favorite Immunity Boosters

With all the concern over the Flu, I thought I’d post some of my favorite tips for staying well. You don’t need to buy into the American pharmaceutical industry in order to benefit from some extra health precautions. I haven’t gotten a cold or flu since 2004, despite working in close proximity with many people who’ve been very ill and coughed or sneezed all over me. 🙂 Here are my top-twelve quick fixes whenever I feel a bit under the weather. As usual, I’m just sharing my own experiences and observations; nothing here constitutes medical advice:

1 )  Oil of Oregano. This stuff rocks! I bring some with me every time I travel by plane, because it’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-parasitic. A few drops in water (putting it on the tongue as instructed burns like crazy) helps me feel immune to any sneezing or coughing going straight into recirculated air.

*Note that in some women, Oil of Oregano seems to cause breast tenderness. If you already suffer from monthly breast pain, you might want to choose #3, Colloidal Silver, instead, or just use O of O in the event of direct exposure.

2 ) Yogi Tea  Echinacea Immune Support. Full of a synergistic blend of herbs and spices. If my glands feel swollen, I drink a cup of this, and I usually feel fine by the time I’ve finished the mug. I also love pau d’arco tea for its fortifying and anti-fungal, anti-viral  qualities.

3 ) Colloidal Silver Throat Spray. Not for continuous everyday use, I do find this valuable when that first throat tickle comes on. Like Oil of Oregano, Colloidal Silver also offers anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activity.

4 ) Probiotics (non-dairy based). I often use Garden of Life’s Primal Defense. Keeping gut ecology healthy helps the body stay healthier all around.

5 ) Green Juice. Lots and lots of celery, parsley, spinach, kale and collards mixed with small amounts of fruit or veggies in juice form. Alkalizing the body automatically prevents most pathogens from thriving. Some people believe regular juice fasting keeps them more resistant to disease and common colds.  In the wild, many animals will not eat when they feel sick. Giving the digestive system a break allows more energy to be directed towards healing.

6 ) Vitamin C. Common knowledge, but also effective! Whether you get it from camu camu powder, Trader Joe’s freeze-dried strawberries, capsules or freshly squeezed orange juice, a little extra vitamin C gives the immune system a boost.

7 ) Medicinal Mushrooms. I don’t use these all the time, but in a pinch, I like New Chapter Organics’ tincture called Host Defense, featuring a synergistic combination of mushrooms designed to amp up immune activity. Some top players include: Reishi, Maitaki and Cordyceps.

8 ) Miso Soup. Miso doesn’t always mean soy. You can find chick pea miso in some health food stores. A warm cup of miso does wonders for sore throats.

*NOTE: If you have Candida problems, skip the miso until you get that under control. Sometimes the koji culture in miso can aggravate Candida.

9 ) Omega-3 Oils. Supposedly, peasants who ate a lot of hemp and flax did not succomb as heavily to the plague. More recent research validates the importance of cold-pressed Omega-3 oils or whole foods containing these oils. They support both immune and hormonal function. If you do not regularly consume hemp and coconut oils together, a high quality vegetarian DHA oil can also help.

10 ) Essential Oils. Other Black Plague lore: supposedly perfumers, who spent their days and nights surrounded by essential oils, did not get sick. These oils not only smell good; they have medicinal effects. My favorites include lavender, jasmine, frankincense, and lemongrass, for their mood-lifting and anti-bacterial effects. Jasmine, in particular, creates a nice scent while also easing coughs. Eucalyptus — of Vick’s Vapo-rub fame — also works well. Most essential oils offer some kind of healing benefit. For more information, you might enjoy this site.

11 ) Garlic, Onion and Ginger. Normally, I do not like too much garlic and onion, but if I feel a cold coming on, this combo stops it in its tracks. Juiced or added into Chinese or Indian dishes, the triple whammy of garlic, onion and ginger has never let me down.

12 ) Rest. Good, old-fashioned R & R, does wonders for the body, mind, soul and spirit. Since illness affects all these levels, it makes sense to cultivate good health in each area.

I drive myself hard, squeezing novel-writing in between busy, intense hours of coaching and intuitive sessions and a marriage. When I start feeling a little sluggish or ill, I know it’s time to take a break. I may not want the break, but the warning signs of illness come as “permission” to slow down and recharge.

Finding your own, proactive version of R & R lets your body and soul know they don’t need to manifest a full-blown illness in order to receive a full-blown break. Go ahead: take a walk; take a nap; watch a movie; read a book; get some Reiki; or … do nothing at all! You deserve a break today. 🙂

In health,

Laura

www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com

“Synchronicity, Intuition and Intention”: Laura Bruno on YouTube

On April 3, 2009, I spoke at the Petaluma Raw Food Potluck. I’ve included the videos of the talk below. In addition to the topics indicated by the title, this one covers raw food and increased spiritual awareness, how to get out of your own way, overcoming fear, how the body works to support the soul’s path, connections to the Alaskan wilderness, finding abundance in today’s economy, the heart chakra and where we’re headed as a species. I also talk a little bit about 11:11, Schizandra and the Gates of Mu, The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide,  and If I Only Had a Brain Injury. I hope you enjoy the talk!

If you liked this talk, you might also like “Maximize Your Brain Function.”
www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com

2012 and the Mayan Calendar: What’s Happening?

Lately, a lot of folks have been asking me what I believe will happen in the next few years. The short answer is that no one can tell you the exact scenario because it hasn’t played itself out yet. Too many choice points still exist to make a solid prediction.

The longer answer is that I have the advantage of having deep conversations with people from all over the world — on a regular basis. Such encounters give me a sense of what trends are coming and how the people creating those trends feel about them. What motivates these folks? How do the inspirations arrive? How do they fit together?

Some people feel quite scared about the prospects of 2012. They worry that the world’s about to end or that the Apocalypse looms large. I agree that change is coming. In fact, change has intensified over the last few years. But from where I sit, that change looks really good. So many of you are bringing amazing visions to fruition. So many of you have worked through or are in process of working through lifetimes of limitations in preparation to unleash yourselves to a previously unknown degree. I feel awe and excitement when I consider the sorts of things coming into our world!

A huge amount of love continues to sprout and grow on this planet. I feel it everyday during coaching sessions when people tell me how much they want to help people, animals or the world. I feel love from colleagues who have stepped into greater visibility so that they can share their messages of love and rejuvenation in larger and more influential ways. And I feel love in my own life as I see how years of synchronicity and service have begun to form a tapestry that “materializes” my deepest longings and dreams.

Good times are upon us! Times of change, yes, but these changes come from a place of love, faith and hope.

The number of people asking about 2012 has strengthened my resolve to get my novel Schizandra and the Gates of Mu out there sooner rather than later. This fictional series explores where we’re headed as a species, planet and galaxy, but it also offers many routes to get there. While I finish the final editing and submission process, I thought I’d share just a few of the resources I’ve found particularly interesting or relevant during the course of my research:

2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl by Daniel Pinchbeck.

I like to dive into this book “randomly” rather than reading it straight through. Daniel gives lots of history, personal experiences and science interwoven with ancient prophecy. I had already written or planned most of Schizandra and the Gates of Mu before reading 2012, but the book really resonated with some ideas coming through my novel.

Warning: it’s a dense book — definitely not a fluffy read. The prose will stun you, though. Daniel Pinchbeck grew up in NYC’s literary elite, and you can tell. His lyrical passages will coax your soul into a new awareness even if your mind wants to dig its heels into the old world’s ways.

 

Secrets of the Talking Jaguar by Martin Prechtel. I’m using this book more for background on book two, Schizandra and the Peruvian Jaguar, but I love Martin Prechtel’s writing! His true story reads like fiction, and you’ll find yourself breathing in the magic of the Andes and her people. This book provides insight into the descendents of those who created many of the 2012 prophecies.

 

Healing Crystals and Gemstones by Dr. Flora Pescheck-Bohmer and Gisela Schreiber. This book is not about 2012 either, but it does share some great background about crystals and gemstones, which help to raise vibrations into alignment with the coming shifts.

 

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. This classic continues to stand the test of time. Many of his verses speak even more strongly today than they did last century.

 

Abundance through Reiki by Paula Horan. I often recommend this book to Reiki students, because Paula Horan gives a 42-day method for bringing more Reiki into your life. Since Reiki is, by definition, universal life force energy, embracing more Reiki leads to greater flow and a sense of connection with everyone and everything in our world. When you feel connected, abundance comes naturally. Allowing yourself to flow in your natural state will help you to ride out whatever blessings or challenges come your way.

 

The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide by … me. 🙂 I wrote this little e-book because I found myself saying so many of the same things to so many clients. People kept having the same issues on a raw food journey, but I could not find one or two other raw food books that shared all that information. I wanted to offer an easy guide around the stumbling blocks.

I do not believe that everyone needs to turn to 100% raw foods in order to help humanity make its next shift; however, raw foods do offer one effective way of raising vibration to a higher level. This book also addresses the increased synchronicities andspirituality experienced by so many people on their raw journeys  — and why that matters. (Hint: the extra energy can work for or against you; The Lazy Raw Foodist’s Guide gives steps to harness your most positive energy.)

 

Lemuria and Atlantis by Shirley Andrews. This book provides shared experiences through past life memories, regressions and/or channeling regarding the lost continents of Lemuria and Atlantis. Whether you believe in either or both of these mystical lands, their energy pervades much of the changes of the last few years. Reading about these cultures — even if you think of them as fictional — will help to clarify your thoughts and feelings about today’s world. Atlantis in particular comes up often during Intuitive Life Path Assessments. The collective subconscious has a lot to say!

 

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Originally written as a marketing study, this book gives insight into how changes take place. How does an idea become a trend? How does a trend become a phenomenon? How do phenomena change our very reality? I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone who wonders how a single person or a small group can make an enormous contribution.

 

Well, that should keep everyone busy for awhile! I hope you enjoy the resources. 🙂 Once I know the price and estimated release date, I will start taking pre-orders for Schizandra and the Gtes of Mu. If you would like to get on the pre-order list, please email me your contact information: laura at lazyrawfoodist dot com. 

Many Blessings …

www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com

A Few of My Favorite Things

Having spent the past two weeks in massive editing mode for “Schizandra and the Gates of Mu,” I thought I’d take a few moments to share some of my favorite things these days. I’m not affiliated with any of these products or services; I’ve just found them valuable or otherwise intriguing:

1.  Ascended Health Oral Regenerative Elixer. I think I found this via a link from Dhrumil at www.welikeitraw.com, so thanks, Dhrumil! I love this stuff. It even contains Lemurian Crystals and marine phytoplankton. On a recent visit to the dental hygientist, she told me she “never sees gums this healthy.”

My dentist discovered that I had some extremely old, internal cavities that hadn’t shown up on X-rays for years. Fortunately, something told her to dig, and she was amazed by what she found. “Anyone else would have needed root canals ten to fifteen years ago,” she said, “I want your protocol because you are actively reversing decay. These cavities were too old for you to stop them entirely — probably from your teenage years — but somethig has been building your teeth strong from the outside in.”

I follow the recommendations by David Wolfe in Eating for Beauty (lots of MSM, silica, and greens), and I take Jarrow’s Vegan Bone-Up, but I attribute much of the unusual healing to Ascended Health. You actually swallow this toothpaste; it’s that good for you! Shazzie first turned me on to marine phytoplankton for tooth health, so I was pleased to find it in such a convenient form.

2. VEGA Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer (the green label), available at most Whole Foods. I don’t believe this is a 100% raw product, but it does have a super nutritional profile with hemp, yellow pea, brown rice and flax protein powders. I like to mix just one scoop in a Vitamix full of greens (romaine, pea sprouts, dandelion, cilantro, etc.), a bit of fruit (banana, goji’s, strawberry or some other combo), water or coconut water or nutmylk, some Vitamineral Green and frozen wheat grass cubes. I sometimes add an avocado and extra bananas with kale. These combos feel so alkalizing, and they’re chock full of Omega-3’s and probiotics.

Sure, VEGA’s an acquired taste, probably not for everyone. I know many raw foodists don’t use supplements, and that’s fine (with the exception of B-12). As a Lazy Raw Foodist, though, I like to make sure I get my nutrients. VEGA and other supplements allow me to maintain high quality health long term without obsessing about food prep or nutritional analysis. 

3. Tiny amounts of cooked food. For years, I followed a 100% raw diet, and I felt incredible. I did have to work hard at grounding myself, though, because I spend so much time doing intuitive work. If I didn’t actively remind myself about the physical world and why I was on this planet, I would feel my soul wanting to fly off in the ethers. This was fun, but it required tons of energetic effort to stay tethered to my body.

Then I discovered that I could no longer tolerate cooked food at all. This really bummed me out, because I had originally chosen raw food for the freedom it seemed to afford. I wanted to know that I could eat brown rice or some steamed broccoli if my husband and I went out for dinner.

It took way longer than I would have imagined, but I gradually added tiny amounts of cooked food back into my still 90% raw diet. At first, I felt sick and experienced what I called “the cooked food hangover” — very black moods and fatigue after eating non-raw anything. The VEGA (mentioned above) finally provided me with a painless transition. I stopped trying to eat anything cooked, but allowed a bit of brown rice protein and pea protein into my body, mixed with tons of greens.

After a few weeks, I felt effortlessly grounded! Even my massage therapist noticed that my body “had substance; it’s like you’re finally in it.”  I still love the raw lifestyle, but now I feel like I have my freedom again. I just keep a tiny bit of cooked food in the mix, and that has allowed me to eat it in small doses without negative consequences. I just feel good. As Kristen at Kristen’s Raw likes to say, I’m HRAV (High Raw All Vegan), and I love it!

4. Breast Thermography. I had this done yesterday at the Sonoma County Thermography Clinic, and it was really interesting! Ladies, did you know that by the time a lump shows itself in a mammogram or ultrasound, it has already formed for about eight years?

Thermography allows a technician to view hot spots that may indicate future weak areas for cancer growth. My preliminary scans looked good, but they gave me some additional ways to improve, including a visualization technique: “blue boobs are healthy boobs.” Ideally you want to have cool breasts with free-flowing lymph. That’s why rebounders, non-underwire bras, and breast massage reduce the risk of breast cancer. I was already following most of their list, and the results affirmed my diet and lifestyle decisions.

5. Krishna Das CD’s. I’ve mentioned these before, but my all-time favorites include: Door of Faith, Pilgrim Heart, and Breath of the Heart.

6. Community Creativity. This past few months and especially the past few weeks have brought a sense of community to “Schizandra and the Gates of Mu.” Artist Tania Marie has provided an amazing cover image, and Traci Moore’s brought incredible editorial insights. In addition, numerous people have offered to write pre-publication revieiws and/or blurbs or to connect me with those who can. Big thanks to everyone and a special thanks to Shazzie, Dhrumil, Erin Pavlina, Victoria Moran, Karen Lang, Giacinta Vosika, and Philip.

I love when people and things come together. Schizandra shares so much synchronicity, both in the story itself and in the writing of the story. In the past I’ve commented on the importance of 11:11 and Schizandra. Well, yesterday, even more 11:11’s occurred. My hubby took a back cover photo for me, and I sent it out to two people for their take–once in the morning and once in the evening. Unintentionally, I had sent each of those files out at 11:11. I guess that’s the photo!

“Schizandra and the Gates of Mu” should be available through iUniverse in late May or June. Once I know timing and price, I’ll start taking preorders for autographed copies. Love and light to you all!

www.internationalrenaissancecoaching.com