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food and love: a really personal blog entry, part 1 of 2


Robyn Openshaw - Jun 08, 2010 - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links


I always talk, when I speak in public about my whole-foods lifestyle, about my research. It’s published in full in The Green Smoothies Diet.

One of my biggest surprises was discovering that 54% of people who drink green smoothies regularly, in my study of 175 people, report a more positive, stable mood. Also, 20% experience higher libido.

(The sex-drive statistic, to me at least, relates to both energy and interest in a very intense, personal connection with other people. You might say it’s just making your hormones balanced and healthier, and that’s a good point, too–I believe a high libido is a natural state.)

Less surprising in my study is that 80% experience better digestion. What do all these things have to do with each other? That’s the subject of today’s and tomorrow’s blog entry.

I have been thinking a lot about love lately in philosophical and personal ways. I am reading the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I adore this book. Highly recommend it. Julia Roberts had better do it justice in the movie!

Just like me, the author got a painful divorce, then rebounded into a painful long-term relationship that didn’t work out.

She spent a year in Italy, India, and Indonesia seeking pleasure, then spirituality, then wisdom, and the book is her memoir. It’s the story of “one woman’s search for everything,” the cover says.

I want everything! Don’t you?

I’ve been reading a few pages and then THINKING about what I just absorbed, for days. Consequently, it’s taking forever–which is annoying a couple of my girlfriends who are waiting to borrow my marked-up copy.

The next book I plan to read is Mastery of Love. I want to love in the most pure way possible–never thinking of the person I love as an object. Never “measuring” what I get back in exchange.

I want to love just for the sheer joy of it. Because it’s the best thing we experience in life, love is, the most natural and pure state. I have been observing the way I and other people love and making mental notes, for a while now.

How do you love? (This question is offered for self-reflection purposes–you don’t have to answer it here.) Is it needy, desperate, anxious? Measuring, giving only as much as you’ve historically gotten back? Is it calculated rather than given happily, organically, wholly? (Does needy/anxious love even qualify as love, anyway? It is certainly passed off as such, in daily life.)

So I have been reading and thinking about how I have loved (and been loved) in the past. Who I have loved and why. When I have felt a loss of “self” and just given myself over to God as well as what is divine in me and others.

I’ve been asking this: why I have been more able at times, and less able at other times, to recognize the divine in myself and others and respond appropriately?

Part 2 on this tomorrow.

Posted in: Mind/Body Connection

18 thoughts on “food and love: a really personal blog entry, part 1 of 2”

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Don’t miss Crazy Love by Frances Chan. Excellent author and speaker, genuine and honest. He is earnestly seeking the Lord, finding out what the Bible really says, and then living it. Radical thinking for the American church. And it all starts with God’s “relentless pursuit” of you and me.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Thank you for your post. It’s hard to put yourself and your emotions out there, and I can probably speak for many of your readers in saying that I appreciate it. Posts like these make us all think about our lives as a whole, not just about what we’re eating for lunch (which is fine too, but having the mix is great).

  3. Anonymous says:

    Hello Robyn,

    I tried to email this to you recently but it keeps bouncing. The below was in response to your June 6 broadcast email titled “Protect yourself from cell phone radiation! (it’s easy)”

    =======

    I think you may be worrying about some things that could be quite harmless. For now, I’ll jump past microwaves, TVs, cordless phones, etc., and right into muscle testing. Do you know that there is a million dollar reward for demonstrating, under controlled conditions, that muscle testing works? Actually, any “paranormal” claim is eligible and probably would include claims for the xZubi. See this JREF link for details on the million dollar prize: http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

    Now, you might save yourself a lot of trouble by doing a test of your own so that you can be confident that, if successful, you will be ready for the test administered by the JREF.

    One point of confusion for me is the statement in your email, below “You can see how much of your energy is being drained away by having a cell phone within a few feet of you.” However, in the video, both you and Jake place the cell phone right against your ears. So then, I’ll assume that muscle testing can reveal a nearby unprotected cell phone (one without xZubi attached and not more than a few feet away) and I propose below a protocol for a complete test using these criteria.

    A simpler and less time-consuming test may be done first but the key is to make sure that the two people directly involved in the test have no way to know whether the phone is on or off (or alternatively, whether the phone has an xZubi attached, assuming such a test works better for you).

    Suggested protocol (complex but closer to what professional researchers would use):

    You need a friend or associate available to either turn on or turn off their cell phone based on a list of 10 randomly assigned “on” or “off” lines. These lines need to be generated ahead of the testing so that no one but the cell phone operator has access to the list. Next, you have your friend Jake perform the test on you (you might need John if Jake is not considered to be properly trained in muscle testing). The cell phone and its operator must be hidden from the two people directly involved in the muscle testing; it is OK for the cell phone to be as close as necessary for the test but a screen or wall should block all visuals each way. The idea here is to keep the two people directly involved in the test from having any way of knowing whether the cell phone is on or off (I am assuming you believe that a cell phone that is off does not emit any radiation).

    Each time a test is done, the tester (the one pushing on the other’s arm, or better, a fourth person as mentioned below) marks the results of the test on a separate sheet of paper next to the number of the test (i.e., 1 to 10). A key here is to exercise care not to bias the tests with clues that could cue the tester and or the one being tested as to the state of the phone.

    The time between each test’s completion and the start of the next test must include the same amount of time (a stopwatch is suggested) for each test. This is to allow the cell phone operator to turn the phone on or off (regardless of whether a change of state is required by the random assignment). The person operating the cell phone should not say anything from the start of testing until all tests are completed. All tones and sounds on the cell phone must be muted so that turning it on or off makes no sound whatsoever.

    The tester or the one being tested needs to be assigned as the timekeeper; even better, a fourth person could perform that task to avoid distraction (this should not be the cell phone operator). For each test, the timekeeper will record the results and then announce completion of the test whereupon the phone operator will ensure that that state of the phone is set according to that of his numbered list. All involved in the testing other than the cell phone operator must not know or be clued in any way as to the state of the cell phone (on or off); also, note that since the state of the phone for each test is randomly selected, the person operating it may or may not change its state between tests (i.e., from on to off or vice versa). So, regardless of whether the cell phone holder needs to change the state of the phone, the time must be the same between the end of one test and the start of the next.

    Once all tests have been completed, compare the results of the muscle tests by number. This means that you need to compare the actual state of the phone for each test against the results of that same test and mark each test number as pass or fail. The number of “passes” would be expected on average to be five if muscle testing has no merit. If the number of passes is between 8 and 10, you may be on to something.

    Confidence Levels:

    8 passes = 95.6%

    9 passes = 99.0%

    10 passes = 99.9% (this is 2 to the 10th power and is equal to one chance in 1024)

    A larger number of tests done together as a unit can yield even higher confidence levels. For example, 19 passes out of 20 tests would yield a confidence level of 99.998% and 20 out of 20 would be 99.9999% which is better than one in one million. I would expect the JREF to require something on this last level of one in one million but if you can do it consistently, you can take the $1,000,000 prize!

    Believe me; the claims for muscle testing are so extraordinary on the basis of known science that if it is shown to work, it would revolutionize the laws of physics and biology. A person who is able to demonstrate this would doubtless be awarded a Nobel Prize, not to mention a career that would bring in considerably more of value than just the million dollar prize offered by the JREF.

    Will you challenge yourself to the above test? You can do a more simple test (as long as the two involved in the actual testing don’t know if the phone is on or off) but if it “works,” you need to make sure to tighten the controls on the testing until you are sure there are no cues able to be picked up as to the state of the cell phone by the two people involved in the testing.

    You also could test with or without the xZubi; again, the testing team must not know whether the xZubi is attached to the phone (maybe two backs for the same phone; one with the xZubi attached to the inside of the back cover and the other without it).

    It is very important to understand that legitimate science always tries to “falsify” its claims. The purpose of this principle is to subject scientific theories to a rigorous process that separates the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

    By the way, I would be quite willing to throw in $5000 of my own money along with the JREF million dollars if you want to apply for it once you have properly tested yourselves.

    I would very much like to receive your initial thoughts on the above. I’ll be happy to write up the above or variation of it in clear discrete steps if you are interested.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Hilling

    907-277-3099

    1. Robyn Openshaw says:

      Hey Paul, I am not sure I believe any million-dollar prize would ever be redeemed, but this would certainly make the test completely blind and scientific. I have done this with no training whatsoever in muscle testing–just the understanding that the pressure I apply on someone’s arm needs to be the same–so many times, with so many people, for years, with and without a cell phone within three feet, me administering the test or someone else (sometimes the “someone else” doesn’t even know what we’re doing) . . . with the same results every time . . . that I have a high level of confidence in saying this very simple thing:

      Our energy is decreased when a cell phone is near us.

      But yes, write up discrete steps and I will do it. Or YOU can do it and tell us what you found!

  4. Anonymous says:

    BTW, I can be reached at pareto68w then type the ‘at’ sign followed by gmail dot com.

  5. Anonymous says:

    love is one of the highest values we can achieve in our lifetime, but in order to love someone else, you must first be able to love yourself and i mean ALL of yourself…i have lived 62 yrs and been in and out of a number of relationships and have learned and evolved via each one…i will never be as perfect as i want, but i will always try to improve, even if just a little at a time…and i will never find perfection in another, but make wiser choices each time…i do not regret having loved and lost…i see it as having loved and grown from the experience…it is a destination, not an end…i am perfectly happy to be traveling to that destination…

  6. Anonymous says:

    I’m am also reading “Eat, Pray, Love” and am having a similar experience…

    As I read your blog the thought came to mind of how fabulous it would be to have a group to discuss, share, comment on similar books such as Elizabeth Gilbert’s. Others that come to mind like “The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield and “Power vs. Force” by David Hawkins.

    A whole food diet is certainly an important cornerstone to living a more purposeful life. And, like the food we consume, what we take in mentally and spiritually also has an impact.

    Thanks for sharing! =D

  7. “When I have felt a loss of ‘self’ and just given myself over to God as well as what is divine in me and others.” What a beautiful thought.

    Isn’t this the goal?

    I have to comment on my experience of being able to even approach this type of love and the importance of healthy eatting. I never realized how sugar and white flour played a number on my ablity to be who I really am until I gave them up. Who knew that eatting refined foods could cause someone to be constantly on edge, irritated, grouchy and ultimately fault finding and judgemental. (How is that for being loving?) Constantly feeling the need to appoligize and “do better.” What a relief to no longer battle my body as I seek to reach the ideal of giving and receiving genuine love.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Hi Robyn, funny thing …well not so funny given this amazing multi dimensional world we are all participating in, …I too have been sincerely thinking about love and my past Loves and wondering if any of the love i gave was anywhere near unconditional. My last love I still love and it has taken me a few years to accept that I we will never be together in the physical way but I truly love him and that is uplifting. I have tried to shift the needy part of me that wants a return and that I have managed with meditation and I guess the fact I believe all loving thought goes out into the universe and benefits all. The subject of LOVE is the only subject in many many ways. Well…at least in the big picture. I will read Eat Pray LOve.

    LOVe & Light to all of us.

    Teri

  9. Hi Robyn,

    I love green smoothies, and I always have one for breakfast. Actually, I’m having one right now with kale, mixed greens, an orange, a banana, blueberries, and ground flax seed. It’s a big one. 🙂

    You want to learn about divine Love and how to access more of it.

    Please explore it.

    Maria

  10. Anonymous says:

    Hi!

    I just read that greens such as mustard, collard and kale do something to disrupt the function of the thyroid gland. The article said it includes all veggies from the cabbage family. Has anyone ever heard this? My family drinks green smoothies everyday. Our garden is FULL of delicious greens!

    Thanks for any help and advice!

    Chrissy

    1. Robyn Openshaw says:

      Chrissy, unless you have one of just a few very rare disorders, you’re fine using a wide variety of greens including those you mentioned. They are the best foods on the planet. I am hypothyroid myself and eat those greens constantly.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Robyn, love is always an interesting topic. Of course lifestyle would make a big difference in your libido. What I see is we are such an over medicated society. My wife is NOT depressed, but she is in the pharmaceutical industry (easy access) and has been on anti-depressants for 13 years. It takes the “edge” off. She has no libido and it is leading us down a path of divorce. Like it or not, I find conenction in intimacy. If I could feel connection by eating peanut butter and jelly sanwiches, I would. My mother has alzheimers and when I took her to the doctor to see if it was dimentia or alzheimers, we were in the doctors office for 6 minutes and walked out with two perscriptions and a diaganosis of alzheimers. Imagine if we stayed 12 minutes, she’d be on 5 meds..

    We, as human beings, are wired for relationships, love and intimacy. It is a great gift, but it is being ruined by processed foods and abundance of meds. I do feel there is a rebellion starting and it is people like you at GSG that is making a profound difference. Keep up the great work Robyn

  12. Anonymous says:

    Thank you, Robyn!

    The article also included all teas and flaxseeds as foods to avoid in order to keep the thyroid healthy. Thankfully, I do not have issues. This article led me to believe that I must avoid the greens, teas and flaxseed and soy to maintain a healthy thyroid.

    Thank you for educating!

    Chrissy

  13. Anonymous says:

    Love your green smoothies too but am having a problem with them,they cause alot of flatulence and the smell is awful! Had a colonoscopy to make sure nothing was wrong, no bowel diseases but they did find a slightly irritated colon. Any ideas or help anyone out there can suggest? I don’t want to stop the smoothies,they are very good for me but don’t want to irritate colon any further either! Have been taking them for quite awhile,not always having that reaction and when I take digestive enzymes with it it does seem better, but shouldn’t have to take enzymes cause they have their own natural ones! Help! I tried to email you robyn but couldn’t get it to go through,also sent letter to the address at the bottom of your newsletter screen,but didn’t get a response,will be looking forward to hearing from anyone on this subject,thank you very much!

  14. Anonymous says:

    It’s been my experience that it’s hard for people to accept love and consequently return it if they don’t first love themselves. Loving themselves, they then feel worthy of being loved by someone else.

    Diet, nutrition and exercise are foundational to how a person feels and the energy they have to add value to the world — all this can play a huge role in loving themselves.

    I also believe that if people start with the understanding that God loves them and made them special — no matter what they have done/are going through, it’s the best way to start toward the path of loving themselves and consequently accepting and giving love to others.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Dallas erb- I also get some flatulence. Not sure what’s up with that? And, Robyn, I’m sharing the GSG word. I mentioned to an aquaintence that I had been Gluten Free and doing Green smoothies, she promptly brought over a Gluten Free bread book. I had to explain to her that I haven’t had bread for 4 months and feel like someone has scrubbed out my brain with a toothbrush (but, her kamut bread sure looked good; my husband said it was fabulous, compared to the disgusting brown rice bread I had bought 6 months ago for $5 a loaf).

    Interesting to hear about everyone’s thoughts on eating properly/love/spirituality. Since my head/body have felt clear and active for the past 4 months, I’ve grasped spiritual concepts better and even had a clear path of action to take psychologically with my children- always need lots of help with 4 teenagers at home.

    I attribute it to my new way of eating.

    However, Robyn, am I eating too many avocadoes/nuts/almond pb? I’ve only lost 4 pounds in 4 months. I have 2 quarts of GS a day, plus lots of salad ( I’ll admit I do like the afore mentioned fats too). Any hints?

    1. Robyn Openshaw says:

      Leslie, could be that (diet too rich in fats) or it could be that it takes a while to nourish your metabolism to function more normally. Perhaps you should get a green drink with kelp and/or dulse like the Veg Caps in our store, or take a supplement containing those, since they will naturally help nourish and heal your thyroid that governs your metabolism. About 1 in 4 American women are hypothryoid, and most are undiagnosed.

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