If you were ever a child in the days when school let out in June for summer vacation and started up again in September, then more than likely September always feels like “back to school.” Here we are again. Routines discarded for a few carefree months are reestablished, the pace picks up, and for me, in the words of some nun somewhere in my past, “It’s time to get serious, young lady.”

In the interest of serious joy-seeking and creating my best life, I’ve decided to take stock of my energetic impact on the world around me. Chances are you’ve all heard that you have a carbon footprint, well you also have an energetic one. This month’s article, Compassion, not only encourages some reading about who we be and how to be otherwise, it asks questions to help you better see how you make a difference.

The recipe makes use of late summer tomatoes. Oddly enough end of summer’s sunny days mean juicy, sweet tomatoes are still abundant. This one is a twist on a classic Italian salad.

This month’s book, Ageless, takes us back into the discussion of healthy aging with Suzanne Somers.

There’s your lot, as my English husband would say. My hope is you’ll find something to spark your genius and move you gently back into fall. Head on over to the blog and leave me a note about how September makes you feel.

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Let’s talk about the “C” word.

And let’s not hold back, no conservative restraints, no bleeding-heart-Hallmark-card-like bombastic drivel; just plain honest talk.

No I have not changed the flavor of "The You Revolution." I’m just having some fun. The “C” word I’m referring to here is Compassion.

What comes to mind when you hear that word? Do you see the sad faces of children who suffer with poverty and disease? Is it homeless, rail-thin animals that float across your gray matter? We all have the capacity for compassion.

Do you include yourself when you think compassion? Are there pictures of all the people you come in contact with daily? Yes, even those who most annoy you or serve to bring up feelings of outrage. I see you wincing so let’s make a few assumptions to support the possibility of their inclusion.

First of all, I assume that you are a human being who experiences all of the challenges that presents in terms of patience, openness, fluctuating hormones and energy, and the drives to survive and thrive. Next, most likely you are acting out your role in a way that you learned by watching others, reinforced by what has worked in the past.

Based on those assumptions here’s a news brief:

You are at all times doing your best even if you don’t feel you are.

So far so good. This being human stuff gets tricky when we think of ourselves as different than the others who share this moment in time.

It’s a popular idea these days that we are all connected; we are all one. Globalization has made it easier to see how this could be so in a macro way. Imagining that we are all human with the same struggles inherent in this brings it down to a micro level.

Connected though we may be, some will desire to be separate because they see cultural differences and not our similarities.

The ego’s job is to protect us and sometimes that means finding someone or something to blame for what we don’t like or see as wrong. History, our country’s present history included, supports my statement.

As smart midlifers we know that blaming gets us nowhere and making others wrong is a cop-out and quite often leads to long, ugly conflicts.

Am I saying you should suffer fools gladly? Uh, yeah, more or less. I’m not espousing doormat-ism or lobotomy to make “be and let be” with those others easier.

Just a bit of perspective might do.

What would it take to accept that we are all the same, bumbling along on the human journey, all of us suffering the dueling feelings of inadequacy and superiority?

How about the “C” word?

The roots of the word compassion, com- "together or with" + pati "to suffer" give us a possible interpretation of “suffering together or with another.”

Pema Chodron is a fully ordained Buddhist nun. The goal of her work is to apply Buddhist teachings in everyday life. She is irreverent and her messages are relevant for 21st century life.  Tricycle magazine interviewed her after her book, Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living came out. They asked her what cultivates genuine compassion. I love her answer.

“Genuine compassion comes from the fact that you see your own limitations: you wish to be kind and you find that you aren't kind. Then, instead of beating yourself up you see that that's what all human beings are up against and you begin to have some kind of genuine compassion for the human condition. And you see how challenging it is to be a human being.”

Challenging? Oh yeah, and let me be the first to come clean. I have at least 4 billion thoughts a day that would send me to hell instantly if it worked that way. Feelings of frustration, prejudice, and resentment alternate and it’s usually because of “one of them.” 
 
I've learned it's no big deal because feelings happen. What I/we do with those feelings is the big deal. Feeling the pain in a situation but not giving this pain out in the form of criticism or sarcasm is practicing compassion. In the minute it takes to breathe in and out and think about what’s come up, why we see the other as wrong or bad, is all it takes to remember to “feel with, to suffer with.” And oh how quickly the roles can be reversed. It’s all a matter or perspective no?

Pema Chodron’s interpretation of the Buddhist concept of suffering is not that something happens to us but that we tend to make matters worse with our thoughts.

This is taken from a transcript which can be found at her website. “…think of the root of suffering as this tendency to make matters worse, this tendency to buy into the same old story lines and the same old blaming and the same old resentment mind, bitter mind, judgmental mind, self-pitying mind, whatever it might be. The tendency to make matters worse being the root of suffering. Because, as I say, even if what your suffering is that you have a genuine great loss, the root of it turning into debilitating suffering is what we do with that, how we spin off from that. Am I making this clear?”

Loud and clear.

And that’s what I’ll be reminding myself when I’m feeling like I didn’t do enough or I get P.O.’d at some “other” for some fabricated difference.

I’ll practice the “C” word and remind myself that I’m the smartest person in the world next to you.

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Want to use this article in your newsletter or on your web site?  You are welcome to do so, as long as you give full attribution below.  I would also appreciate it if you would let me know when you publish it.  You may contact me via email or phone call.

Gregory Anne Cox is a certified life coach who has been dishing up all-you-can-eat servings of women's health and nutrition information for years. Her Lifestyle Tune-Up course is a 28 day wonder seminar for women looking for the missing mid-life manual. You can find out more at Live Better Coach, send her an email, or call her at (631) 728-2456.  This article is copyrighted and you may feel free to use it as long as you include this paragraph when publishing it.

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Phone: 631-728-2456
gregory@livebettercoach.com

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Greek Flavors Panzanella

While the Italians may not forgive me for appending a recipe which features feta cheese with their name for a bread salad I couldn’t resist. This super easy recipe combines the delicious ingredients in a classic Panzanella with a couple of  items from neighboring Greece and cucumbers for extra crunch. It’s great as a starter or served with grilled leg of lamb or even chicken.

The word Panzanella comes from the word Pantantella which means “little swamp.”
And if feta isn’t your favorite flavor shave in some dry aged goat cheese or parmesan instead.

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. of tomatoes--very ripe and juicy--cut into eighths
• 1 lb. fresh cucumber, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced into ½” pieces
• ½ of a small red onion, cut in half and slice very thinly with the grain
• 1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped small
• ¼ cup of halved Kalamata olives--optional
• 4 – 6 oz. fresh feta*
• 2 pieces of whole grain bread from a boule, 1” slices
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup of rich red wine vinegar like a Cabernet vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• A little bit of extra olive oil to brush on the bread

*Chef’s note: I love French feta for its creamy texture and mild flavor but it is too soft to use here and will muck up the presentation of your salad.

Method

1. Brush bread slices with olive oil and either grill it slightly or toast it in a low oven, 325º 'til crunchy but not hard.
2. Place the onion, tomato, cucumber, olives if you are using them, and oregano in a mixing bowl.
3. Toss these ingredients gently.
4. When the bread is cooled, tear or cut it into cubes or irregular bite-sized pieces.
5. You can lay them in the bowl on top of the ingredients until ready to serve.
6. About 10 minutes before service pour the oil and vinegar over the ingredients and toss well. Everything should be coated with the dressing so don’t be afraid to add a bit more of both items should the salad need it. You don’t want a swamp but you do want a juicy but crunchy salad.
7. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper accordingly.
8. Last, crumble the feta or other cheese into the salad and toss again.

Keep it chilled until serving.

Enjoy!

Oh, and what wine would I serve with this? Lately my taste for rosé has faded like my hydrangea blooms and something with a bit more substance beckons. I’ve tasted a few Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio blends that make for a more substantial food partner than the poolside staple Pinot Grigio. Ecco Domani 2005 is well balanced and reasonable.
Move up a peg to Cline Cellars 2004 Pinot-Grigio-Chardonnay, still under $15.

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Ageless:
The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones
by Suzanne Somers

The title of this book prompts a disclaimer. The word Ageless is clearly an attention getter used to sell books. The definition is “not affected by time or age.” In no way do I believe there are as yet any lotions, potions, or cutting edge docs who can prevent the aging process.

What I do believe is that we can make use of the latest research to support our bodies to fight off the diseases and complaints of aging. So does the author.

Now, on to the book.

Suzanne Somers has pulled together an enormous amount of research and her bookfeatures interviews with sixteen practitioners with different but sometimes overlapping specialties. What we end up with are the key components of healing what ails you now and preventing what lurks in the future.

“I believe it is possible to experience aging without illness, which is the big dream for all of us. We don’t fear getting older; we fear getting sick, really sick,” says Ms. Somers.

Yes, Suzanne is a Bio-Identical Hormone replacement (BHRT) zealot. She is a well educated one and someone who lives what she preaches. Her life is vastly improved through the concepts proposed—detox, healthy lifestyle, sleep!, and BHRT for women and men.

Lest you don’t know her story, she is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed when she was already well into feeling better than ever through her hormone replacement choices and refused to give them up during her treatment. Bold yes, some might say stupid, but her decision served her.

I mention that bit to get you past the misconception that bio-identical hormone replacement causes cancer. It does not. The reasons are complex and too long to go into here. Get the book. It speaks to this specifically.

So what can bio-identical hormones do for us? They can turn off, or slow down, the “time to die” signals. Hormones keep us strong and healthy when we are younger so we can breed and care for our young and ensure the success of future generations by doing so. Once we are done with that whole process our hormones start to dry up and the signal that sends to the body is, “time to go, you are no longer productive.”

That’s the simplified Greg-speak version. The big point is when hormones decline or are out of balance we are susceptible to the diseases associated with aging. These include Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease. Dr. Robert Greene of  Specialty Care for Women in Redding, CA has this to say, “Take Alzheimer’s disease, for example. Several studies done on both men and women show if someone has an estradiol level of less than 20 pg/mL, they are at highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive disturbances.” And we wouldn’t want to prevent that why?

It’s not just the hormonal decline that’s responsible for our poor health and disease rates it’s also the toxins we ingest. Exogenous (foreign, essentially) hormones -- found in dairy products, birth control, and in some instances the water supply -- are toxic since they are not made in our bodies and are said to be responsible for the increase in reproductive organ cancers such as breast, testicular, and cervical.

Add to this the toxic load we ingest daily in the form of pesticides, plastics, creams laden with non-cancer causing but nonetheless disturbing chemicals and our bodies begin to break down under the weight. The burden of toxicity causes fatigue, aches, pains, and upsets and we call that “normal for someone my age.”

Detox is a big part of the the Ageless prescription for well-being.

Sleep is another biggy in this book, an underrated “miracle cure.” Sound sleep is hard to come by when your hormones are out of whack, though. During deepest sleep our body does its repair work and pumps out restorative hormones. No stages of deep sleep and health decline is inevitable.

This book is far more comprehensive than her first visit to the BHRT world, The Sexy Years. Medicine moves at the speed of light and since her first book there have been many studies, clinical trials come to term, and women with stories of success to draw from. But stories don’t guarantee safety and this book backs up all of the successes with science. 

If you are currently a woman of a certain age, even if you are “too young” to think about hormone replacement—and if you have PMS, PCO, or other “female” malady you are not too young—you might want to use this book as a primer. Learn what is preventable and then you can figure out how you want to go about preventing it. Or not. It’s obviously a personal thing.

Long-term care is expensive, far more so than a book with practical information that you can implement now. Ignorance is also expensive. Give yourself the inexpensive gift of an open mind and you just might want to spend some of that insurance money on making your wildest dreams come true.

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Q&A
Be sure to send your questions to Greg so she can answer them here in future issues of The You Revolution. Send her an email at gregory@livebettercoach.com to ask your question.

Q: If I ever decide that sleep is a good thing and that being a cranky Beeach is not and I  want to get my hormone levels tested, what’s the best way to do that?

A: Since I’ve had a really good night’s sleep—yes I do BHRT—I have the energy and clarity of mind to answer you.

Most physicians defer to blood work for hormone testing but this is not where blood testing gives the most accurate result. Here is the short why.

The sex hormones -- estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone -- in a woman’s blood bind to proteins. This makes them “unavailable” because they are now huge and bound up.

According to Dr. David Zava who writes The Townsend Letter, an alternative medicine periodical, 95 to 99 percent of a woman’s hormones in the blood serum are bound. That leaves a small 2% on average, “free” or available to influence her hormones.

When a blood sample is taken it measures both the bound and unbound and reports one number. What could this number possibly mean if what we want to measure is just the 2% that are affecting us?

Saliva testing is the more accurate alternative. All unbound hormones enter the body’s tissues including the salivary glands. This testing has been available for more than 20 years but many physicians are not aware of it or doubt something so simple could be accurate.

For doctors who are up to date on tests other than blood work start with Women’s International Pharmacy. It’s on online education center for women as well as a compounding pharmacy. They also list labs that test urine and saliva that are reputable, safe and work with physicians and in some instances insurance companies.

If you live in NY state I’m sorry to say that you are prohibited by law to have saliva testing done here. I have tried for years to understand why but I’m still searching for a good answer.

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It’s good to be back here after a month away. I hope you’ve all time to relax and revel in the long summer days and warm weather.

I’m energized by the return of cooler weather and the prospect of getting to know more of my readers either through one-on-one coaching, our next Smart Women’s Lifestyle Tune Up, or via email. Why not drop me a note and tell me what you are taking on this season.

Is it a new form of exercise? Are you determined to get more green life into your busy life?  Or leave a comment at the blog.

Mid-month you’ll be receiving an email with an invitation to sign up for the Weekly Lifestyle Tune Up tip. This 2 – 4 minute audio recording will come to your mailbox once a week in the form of an audio postcard. I promise the information will be simple to incorporate and the subject is you--your health, waist management, aging but not declining, supplements for strong minds and bodies, and so much more. Why not give it a try. Look for an email with the subject, “Weekly Lifestyle Tune Up Tips.”

Til next time,
Yours compassionately,
Greg

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