Whole Living Daily

Meet Kerri Sparling

Posted by Whole Living Daily

Editor’s Note: Kerri Sparling is our featured blogger for March. We love the frank and hopeful way she chronicles her experiences living with type 1 diabetes at SixUntilMe.com. Check back for more of her guest posts in the coming weeks.

Hi! It’s nice to meet you all! My name is Kerri Sparling and I’ve been living with type 1 diabetes for the last 25 years. I write daily on my personal blog, SixUntilMe.com, and I’m a passionate advocate for patients with diabetes and their loved ones. Once a diabetes soloist, I’m now a proud member of a vast diabetes community that proves, every day that I'm not alone with this disease.

Currently, I’m a full-time writer, public speaker, and social media consultant. I absolutely love what I do for work and am so proud to be a member of the diabetes community. And in the coming weeks here on Whole Living, I’ll be contributing posts about the power of the diabetes patient voice online.

But what brought me into blogging wasn’t this desire to make a living as a writer. I simply wanted to find others who, like me, were living with diabetes. When I finished college, I had been diabetic for 19 years. I was burnt out from managing the disease. Despite wonderful friends and a very supportive family, I didn’t know anyone else who had diabetes, and I felt very alone at times.

So I sat down at my computer and typed “diabetes” into Google, hoping to find others like me, who were in their twenties and going on dates, starting new jobs, getting their first apartments, and living a “real life” with diabetes.

Unfortunately, Google brought back page after page of diabetes complications, each one more daunting than the next. It wasn’t that I was blissfully unaware of the impact diabetes could have on my body; I wanted to find people who were living with diabetes, not dying from it.

That one Google search lit a fire under me. I knew that if I was searching for other people with diabetes, I couldn’t be the only one. I decided, on the urging of my then-boyfriend (and now-husband), to start a blog and share my day-to-day life with type 1 diabetes.

The first week, my only readers were my boyfriend and my mom. But after a few posts, there were a dozen readers. Then several dozen. And today, I have the honor of a dedicated readership and being a strong and respected voice in the diabetes community. A whole community of people with diabetes has sprung up online in the last decade, and we share the highs and lows (literally and emotionally) of life with this chronic illness.

I’m not alone anymore, and the impact of the diabetes community on my health has been tremendous. There’s so much power in sharing our health stories.

Kerri Morrone Sparling has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1986, and is the creator of SixUntilMe.com. She is a freelance writer, global public speaker, and lends her voice to many diabetes-related publications, conferences, and causes. Kerri lives in Rhode Island with her husband and their daughter.

Start Your Day with Salmon

Posted by Whole Living Daily

Steamed salmon may seem an odd breakfast choice, but try it! Packed with omega-3 fatty acids (brain booster!), salmon is rich in antioxidants (particularly anti-inflammatory carotenoids) and selenium.

The protein will keep you full and energized for hours.

Try Our Steamed Salmon with Fresh Herbs and Lemon.

See More Salmon Recipes

Tell us if you're up for this Challenge of the Day after the jump. Read More...

Indo's Incredible Recycled Window Displays

Posted by Sarah Engler

In our March issue, we're launching a new column called "Natural Talent," which highlights inspirational people in our holistic, eco-friendly world. We could think of no better way to kick off this section than with Linsey Burritt and Crystal Grover of Indo. These two are transforming Chicago's shopping scene by creating beautiful window displays out of what most people consider trash. Check out some of their amazing designs in the slideshow below and look for their full story in the magazine!

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1 The Script Wall at Steppenwolf Merle Reskin Garage Theatre made of 5,800 pounds of old paper. Photo by Bob Coscarelli. Installation created in collaboration with Ogilvy & Mather.

2 Styrofoam to-go cups

3 Recycled cardboard at Post 27

4 Salvaged egg crates at The COOP Photo by Sam Rosen

5 Paint chip dress at Colori Photo by Brian Willette

6 A paper window at the Indo studio—inspired by ostrich feathers in designer Jason Wu's Spring 2012 line. Photo by Julia Stotz

Pacify Your Mind, Body, and Soul with Wholesome Food

Posted by Frances Boswell

Life and the jumble of family, friends, romance, work, and finance that press up against it is complicated. Food is not. Or does not have to be. In fact, true, wholesome food, free of reduction sauces and fashionable foams, is the perfect antidote to all that riles us—our minds, bodies, and spirits. Food is, at its most basic, the cornerstone of chi and blood. How we eat and what we eat is in many ways the only control we have over our internal workings—our sense of balance, vitality, and state of health. This soup is really nothing more than grown-up baby food. I  spied the parsnips in the farmers' market and their sweet, earthy flavor sang to my soul. The addition of cinnamon and ginger means the soup is warming in nature, and the cilantro allows my liver to move freely. All in all, the soup is delicious and transports me to a time when concerns were limited to things like play dates, storybooks, and bedtime (my own that is).

2 Tbsp ghee

1 small onion, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped

6 parsnips, peeled and chopped , smallish bite-size pieces

2 carrots, peeled and chopped, smallish bite-size pieces

1 cinnamon stick

8 cups homemade chicken stock

Flaked sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Fresh cilantro for serving

Melt ghee in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in ginger, parsnips, carrots, and cinnamon stick. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer until parsnips break apart forming a chunky rustic half purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh cilantro.

Frances Boswell is a licensed acupuncturist at her practice, Qi Sera Sera Acupuncture, in New York City. She focuses on a lesser-known branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which identifies poor diet as a common cause of disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine understands that the importance of food goes beyond ingredients' vitamins, mineral, nutrient and caloric content—food has its own energetic and spiritual role in our health. Frances' aim is to teach this ancient wisdom, apply it to everyday cooking, and work with patients to modify their diets, in addition to acupuncture, to help them live, eat, and be well. Contact Frances here.

How Quietly Can You Move? Yoga On the Mat

Posted by Sophie Herbert

This week, challenge yourself on the mat by doing the following:

How little sound can you make as you transition from pose to pose while maintaining smooth and stable breath? For example, can you take away any shuffling sounds as you step the legs forward and back, such as in sun salutations? If you jump to chatturanga and into uttanasana in surya namaskar, can you land lighter, perhaps without a sound? This challenge can be executed in every major method of asana, such as vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara, Sivananda, or viniyoga.

Moving quietly requires slowing down and finding conscious support from the breath and core. And, this added grace will only help you grow stronger, safeguard the body from injury, and deepen the breath-body relationship. Even the deepest vinyasa yoga practice is not supposed to be an aerobic workout. The breath and heart rate should remain consistent as we maneuver between and hold each pose, and the face and eyes relaxed. If anything, the breath might grow longer and the heart rate slower. Moving as silently as possible will help you get here.

Moving quietly also requires moving with peace. Never force the body in and out of postures. Instead, use your breath to move each limb into position, step by step. If you begin to feel anxious or frustrated, remind yourself that yoga is about embracing the process and not attaining a specific contortion. Moving quietly will also encourage more peace and calm.

What about music?

Over the years, it seems that music and yoga have become increasingly intertwined (in the West). While practicing to a soundtrack can be fun and uplifting, it can also diffuse the focus on the breath and, therefore, conscious transitions. I’ve ended up in some classes where the music is so loud that it’s almost impossible to here one’s breath. I’ll be honest in saying these classes seem more like a dance group and aren’t for me. As a side note, in the seven years I’ve been studying yoga in India, I’ve never encountered music in class. I’ve enjoyed the most beautiful devotional music, but it’s always kept separate from the postural practice.

I’m not suggesting anyone reject music, but instead switch it up. If you always practice with music, try turning it off. If you’re a teacher and always play music in class, don’t this week. When I first started teaching, I felt pressured to play music every day. In fact, it became a bit of a crutch, even though I never practiced to music at home. Whenever I forgot my iPod, the silence felt foreign and uncomfortable. It’s been invaluable to since develop comfort teaching with or without a soundtrack. While I’ve found that playing very little music in class is ideal for me, explore and find out what’s best for you.

Good luck and enjoy moving quietly. Your body, breath, and mind will thank you.

Yoga brings stability and calm into every discipline of Sophie Herbert's life. She is an alignment focused yoga teacher (and perpetual student) and a Whole Living contributing editor. She graduated from the Cooper Union School of Art, where she nurtured her passion for documentary photography. It was during this time that she began her disciplined and diverse study of yoga in New York, Paris, and India.

Sophie has lived, studied, and volunteered extensively in India. She feels grateful to still visit and work regularly with the Deenabandhu Children's Home in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka. In November of 2010, she became an ambassador for Yoga Gives Back www.yogagivesback.org, a grass-roots nonprofit that helps destitute women and girls in India build more sustainable lives. Sophie has also shared her knowledge of yoga at the Prana Yoga Center in Astana, Kazakhstan. Currently, she teaches at the Park Slope Yoga Center www.parkslopeyoga.com in Brooklyn and privately. Sophie is also an avid cook.

Go Vegan One Day Each Week

Posted by Whole Living Daily

Cut back on animal products and add more plant foods to your diet by committing to going vegan one day each week.

Veggie protein can provide all the amino acids the body needs.

Start off with high-protein vegan dishes, like Warm Edamame Salad, Southwestern Breakfast Hash, and All-Purpose Seitan.

Get More Healthy Vegan Recipes.

Tell us if you're up for this Challenge of the Day after the jump. Read More...