Calamansi Fruit

The first time I encountered Calmansi was in my travels to Bacolod, Negroes, Philippines. As I was walking toward my room an elderly distinguished man invited me to have a drink. Joining him at his outdoor table for a nitecap he eloquently boasted that calamansi makes the best rum drink mixer in the world. Decked in a pinstripe dress shirt and straw hat he said he was originally from London, England and retired here to the Philippines several years ago. He volunteered his age at 95 and said there is something in this calmansi that cannot be explained. As I drifted off to sleep I thought to myself maybe this old coger has discovered the real fountain of youth.

Calamansi Juice

Calamansi citrus has found several medicinal uses. When rubbed on insect bites, the juice will relieve the itching and reduce the irritation. It can also be used as a natural acne medicine or taken orally as cough medicine (often mixed with green tea), and is a natural anti-inflammatory.

For problems with constipation the juice is warmed and diluted with water. It bleaches freckles and helps to clear up acne vulgaris and pruritus vulvae. In Malaysia, it is used as an antidote for poison, and a poultice of pandanus leaves mixed with salt and the juice of citrus microcarpa, can be used to treat abscesses. It is combined with pepper to help expel phlegm. Its root is used in the Philippines at childbirth.

Calamansi Plant

Disclaimer: This website is simply the writers views and is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical or health advice and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider’s judgment. None of the statements on Zentraveler are to be understood as a recommendation on how to treat any disease or health related condition. If you require medical or other assistance Zentraveler strongly encourages users to consult with a qualified health care professional.

So there you have it! You should incorporate calamansi citrus fruit into your morning tonic drinks, salads and fishes to add zest to your life.

Calamansi for Good Health

QUOTE: A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy. (Albert Einstein)

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: While many growers see the calamansi as tiny decorative oranges and mostly ornamental, they are finding that the trees are problem free and easy to cultivate both indoors and out. They thrive inside the house in containers, as well as planted in the ground in tropical areas and zones with only occasional mild frosts. Calamansi is the result of a rare natural cross between two closely related genera, the Citrus and the Fortunella, and carries the characteristics of both the parents. The Fortunella parent, Kumquat, lends a dense shrubby habitat, small leaves and a hardy constitution, whereas the Citrus reticulata, Mandarin Orange, lends thorns, tasty fruit and ease of peeling. So the Calamansi has small, easy to peel fruit with the sour acid flavor.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE:Calmansi seeds! You can start your own calamansi tree in a garden pot and let it grow. Bring it indoors for cold climates and plant in your yard for a great addition to your gourmet kitchen.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Be creative and enjoy new drinks and seasonings by adding Calamansi to your daily routine.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Universally Connected

We recently had a power surge which fried our tv and dvd player. When they delivered the new electronics I watched as the tv repairman matched tri colored wires between dvd player and tv and then plugged into our new power surge box and presto… we had brilliant tv and dvd within seconds.

About 99 percent of the human population has also had a power surge which fried their mainframe brains and are no longer connected to the universe. Wouldn’t it nice if we could go to the Universal Connection Center and plug-in our colored wires so we are connected and see the computer sign DONE.

The short answer is we can get re-connected to the universe simply by following some universal laws. Everything is connected. One of the most important things that anyone needs to understand is that every living thing has consciousness has a connection to everything else in the universe. People, animals and plants are all connected to the hidden energy of universal consciousness that permeates the entire universe and ‘wires’ all of us together.

Understanding and accepting this concept is the most important requirement to developing one’s own latent ability. The next important requirement, is that the person must have both a desire and willingness to develop and tune themselves so they can also connect with the universal spirit.

This is what you’ll experience when you’re connected to the Universe. When you understand that the Universe is picking up your vibration, the energy you’re giving out, which is a result of your desires, you’ll understand the sychronicities you are seeing are messages from the Universe. It’s an exciting thing once you have this understanding! You feel reassured and excited that your desire will be manifested and if you keep your vibration matched to it. It’s important to see these events for what they are so not to miss an opportunity the Universe may be sending our way.

So there you have it! You are never too late to beam it up Scotty and get re-connected to the universe. Make getting re-connected to the universe your goal and begin to meditate and visualize the connection your life’s priority. Without you even knowing it and faster than the speed of light you are connected. Don’t let someone pull your plug out. You are plugged and set for the rest of your life. Give thanks and be grateful. Help anyone who desires to get re-connected to the universe. It’s our universal birth-right. If you don’t believe me just watch a new-born baby…they are connected. It took mankind thousands of years of wars and negative consciousness to unplug us humans from the universe.

We are all Connected

QUOTE: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”
— Albert Einstein

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: You Create Your Future by Creating Your Environment. The universe monitors every thought, emotion, and intuition to create the “next day” of your universe. The universe is not human or of human thought, it is more like a computer program. If it doesn’t get enough data from you, it will “fill in the blanks” and make a calculated mathematical guess as to what you wish. This is called fate. Through the spiritual law of Yin-Yang, the universe is trying to create a new environment for you based on the energy you have used.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: The Universe! I did make an outer plant reservation for December 21, 2012 just in case the doomsday gang has it right and our world as we know it abruptly ends.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS:Get Connected to the Universe—-all of the animals, birds and fishes are. Why do you try to be different and disobey universal laws. Your 2012 New Years resolution is to become Universally Connected.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Pool overlooking Sea

How would you like to re-charge your batteries in a beach resort that has it all… AT AFFORDABLE PRICES? Want to get lost in time and place and not sure how to do it. Simply drive from Cebu approx 3 hours, arrive in Hagnaya port and take a ferry on the Island Express ferry-boat… about 1 hour and arrive on scenic unspoiled Bantayan Island at the port of Santa Fe. For those who don’t have their own transportation you can hire a private van, a taxi, or travel by bus from Cebu north terminal to Hagnaya, take the ferry and make your way by hiring a special motorized tricycle from Santa Fe…or call Maia’s for customer pickup with advanced reservation.

For business types and those folks in a hurry you can also fly from Cebu to Bantayan Island flying time approximately 25 minutes. Flights originate at Mactan Cebu Airport: in the Mactan General Aviation Terminal.(MON/WED/FRI) at the regular fare of P1,500 per person, 1 way. Mid-SEA Express eight passenger plane. Prices and flights subject to change. To book a flight CALL Mid-Sea Express offices at: +63-32-495-6976 & 512-4241 – Mid-Sea Express cell numbers: 0929-426-9980 Also 0939-270-2185

From Santa Fe travel toward the town of Bantayan about 30 minutes and you will see Maia’s sign with a sailboat for Maia’s Beach Resort. Make a left turn and travel approximately three kilometers to the sea. Check into your beach cottage, unpack, grab your swimming suits and head for the swimming pool, surrounded by a labyrinth of rock lava walkways… flowers and orchids blooming everywhere. Now that you have had a swim you can order refreshing cool tropical drinks and just be in the moment… surrounded by nature and unusual scenic seascape.

Santa Fe Photo Model

Not so fast… take off your watches and simply watch the world go around. Take a relaxing outdoor shower and head back to the cottage for your afternoon nap. Watching the stress leave your body and mind you feel rejuvenated and wonder to yourself why you didn’t do this before. Your next assignment is to have dinner at dusk…how about fresh fish and local vegetables along with a cold beer or a glass of red wine to match the hue of the sunset. Not quite ready to go to bed yet…. you can sing along with karaoke, play pool/billiards, select a great movie from their extensive movie library, use this time just to read a great book or just be.

Outdoor Bar

Scenic Walkway

So there you have it! The owners Maia and Klaus have lovingly made the grounds a literal nature flower garden… amongst the lava rocks, set against the sea. They pride theirselves in making sure you have a good stay and want you to have the feeling this is your home away from home… catering to your every need. So why not schedule a vacation to Maia’s Beach Resort and recharge your batteries in a setting fit for the gods.

Lost in Time

Enjoy your vacation in a resort, where the daily life of the Philippines, luxury and nature are connected in a unique and harmonious way. From the bar, the swimming pool, the restaurant and the picnic-cottages you have a beautiful view to the sea, you can enjoy the nature and watch the daily life of the people around. We are well-known for our cleanliness and our good service. Maia and Klaus owners-operators … quoted from their website which is: www.maiasbeachresort.de where you can find prices and make reservations. Additional info included below:

EMail: maia.becker@gmx.de
Telephone : (0063) 0917 635 8612 ( Globe)
Handy / Cellphone 0918 57 14 297
Info in Deutschland: (02925) 2684 oder Handy 0179 152 77 66

Nature's Way

QUOTE: Creation is all things and us. It is us in relationship with all things. All things, the ones we see and the ones we do not; the whirling galaxies and the wild suns, the black holes and the microorganisms, the trees and the stars, the fish and the whales – the molten lava and the towering snow-capped mountains, the children we give birth to and their children, and theirs, and theirs, and theirs. ~ Matthew Fox

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: Lava rocks, also called igneous rocks, are created when lava or magma solidifies. The name igneous means fire, referring to the rocks’ origin. Igneous rock may form on or below the earth’s surface. Rocks formed below the surface are referred to as intrusive, or plutonic rocks, while those formed above are called extrusive or volcanic rock. The properties of igneous rocks can differ greatly, depending on how they were formed. Igneous rocks are classified into four groups based on their chemical properties; acidic, intermediate, basic, and ultrabasic. They can also be classified by their mineral components, felsic, intermediate, mafic, and ultramafic. These attributes correlate to the chemical properties.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE:Geodes from lava rocks! Luck is on your side… This is your time to find the mother lode and cash in. A geode is a type of hollow rock that, when broken open, reveals crystallized minerals on the inside. Jewelers and collectors alike prize geodes for their natural beauty. These special rocks take millions of years to form and take on many different appearances. You can categorize geodes by their method of formation, their size and shape, the crystals found on the inside and the geode’s place of origin.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Take a charge your battery vacation at Mia’s beach resort on Bantayan Island. You will be glad you did and so will your body and mind.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

What is Love

What’s love have to do with it anyway? We have been intrigued by love by novels, movies, our parents and religious leaders and yet we somehow still don’t seem to understand what love really is.

Hollywood has made tons of movies just on the power of love – especially the special love that can occur between a man and woman in a romantic relationship. Even hard, tough, grown men can be brought to tears when watching a real well made movie made about the power of love.

The quality of love is truly universal – as it literally transcends people’s, nations, and religions. Love is truly the universal language of this world, and people from all different walks of life recognize it for what it truly is and understand the power that is in it.

So if the quality of love is recognized by all people’s and all nations, then why is it that throughout the course of human history there has been so many wars, so much hatred, so much crime, and so much inhumanity done to our fellow-man? If everyone knows what love is, then how could so many people throughout the course of our human history commit the evil and atrocious acts they have committed?

Even in our present day and age people still have not learned from the past, as there is just as much hatred and evil operating in this world today as there has ever been. The Bible even tells us that the love of many will grow cold in the latter days, which means things are going to actually go from bad to worst in the coming years.

If man really knows what love is, then why can’t more people act, operate, and walk in that love so we can all live in peace and harmony with one another? Why do so many people have to rob, rape, kill, plunder, and steal from one another? No matter what one’s religious beliefs and ideologies may be – there is simply no excuse for some of the horrible barbaric acts of murder, assaults, abductions, robberies, and rapes that we see on an everyday basis.

We all have a spirit, a soul. Love is what keeps it alive. Love is the decision to make a commitment to nurture the spiritual growth of another. Love is word for a phenomenon that exists above everything else in this life. Love is what life is about. Love is what we’re meant to feel. Love is what we’re supposed to do. Love seems to come naturally to all other life on this planet but it seems to come naturally to us human beings to struggle with it, so we try to figure it out. Maybe we should try to figure out why we struggle with love. For each of us that may have its own definition. Jessica Cross from a comment on Merriam Webster dictionary.

I wanted to see if and how it might have been defined or if anyone knew how to define love. I found it not. So, I’ll share the definition of Love. Love defined in one word is forgiveness. For example, what wrong can, will or have you done to yourself that you held against you? Pretty much none of it, because more than likely you love yourself. so you wont hold it against you? If you can’t forgive your mate, child, parent or God? you don’t love them. Without forgiveness, there is no love. Willis Allen · Lanier Senior High School from a comment on Merriam Webster dictionary.

Another take on love: Love is such a subjective term, that you’d have to break it down into context for which use of the word you mean. Of course, they’re all probably chemical reactions in the brain.

I love tacos, and I love beer. I love my wife, but much differently than when we were dating.

Yep, still probably all chemical reactions. Some people want to think of love as something outside of themselves, something spiritual, perhaps. If I can think of a bad analogy, which I’m good at doing, hmmm….the internal combustion engine. We don’t marvel over why it runs, we know that it runs because fuel is burned causing a great amount of energy, pushing pistons that set up other pistons to be pushed by another explosion of energy, and so on. We don’t add all the components to make it work, and then think there must be an external force.

In most of our brains, all the components are there for love, and everything else we experience. Regardless of how one believes they got there. It’s probably more evolutionarily advantageous to “love”. A man loves the woman who finds his stuff for him, so he sticks around for her. A woman loves the weird little creature that just came out of her body, so she nurses it. the kid loves his parents, so he provides them with food when they’re too old to get it, in hopes that his wife’s little weird creature will do the same for them one day. Origin of love? by fromthehills

So there we have it! This we know: love is extremely complicated and extremely simple. If you want to witness love in its purist form… its unconditional love. Do yourself a favor and watch a newborn baby laugh, and watch a new puppy dog follow you around with its circus like antics and guess what… they don’t put any condition on their love…they just give it, which is the way the universe intended us humans to love. We have a lot of work to do. Lets start with the simple act of loving each other and giving one-act of random kindness to everyone we know.

Is Love Real or Imaginary

QUOTE: Do all things with love. —Og Mandino

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: The heart is a common symbol of love. Ancient alchemists used the symbol of the heart for incantations of love. The heart can represent an inverted triangle in which love is poured or carried. In Buddhism, the triangle is an invocation of love energy associated with the divine. The heart can also represent the wings of a dove, which was sacrificed in ancient Israel as a gesture of love and which also served as a symbol of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: Trips to the shrink….just love everyone and the world is your oyster.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: The answer my friend is not blowing in the wind ….its universal love!

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Lemongrass Herb Garden

Lemongrass very pretty! Sounds like a song or a folk singers group. Lemongrass is the name of many restaurants throughout Asia and conjures up a good feeling about this natural herb. Lemongrass smells good, has a host of health benefits, adds flavor to your fish and chicken dishes, makes a great tonic drink, and a wonderful herbal tea.

Lemon grass is an essential ingredient in Thai and Indonesian cooking. Lemon grass grows wild in Indonesia, Indochina, and tropical Australia, and has been cultivated in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka as a culinary herb and in India as a medicinal herb for thousands of years. It was considered by Paracelsus to be a cure-all and was his favorite and most revered herb. Traditional Chinese medicine has used it to relieve headaches and abdominal pain. Traditional Brazilian medicine makes great use of lemongrass as a sedative, an analgesic, and to relieve spasms and muscle cramps.

As a medicinal herb, lemon grass is mildly diuretic and a stimulant tonic. The herb promotes digestion of fats, and in Ayurvedic medicine a preparation of lemon grass with pepper has been used for relief of menstrual troubles and nausea. The herb stimulates perspiration, cooling the body in summer and lowering fevers any time of year. Lemon grass is well-known a mild insect repellent (citronella) and the essential oil is used in perfumery. A study in 1988 found significant antimicrobial activity in fighting several human pathogens such as E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It has also been used externally for treatment of lice, ringworm, and scabies

So there you have it! Lemongrass is easy to grow and makes a great addition to your herb garden. How cool is that to pick the lower stems, boil them in a pot, strain the lemongrass and pour into a cup for your morning tea. Just add honey! What a great way to start the day by using one of natures gifts from the gods.

Lemongrass

Disclaimer: This website is simply the writers views and is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical or health advice and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider’s judgment. None of the statements on Zentraveler are to be understood as a recommendation on how to treat any disease or health related condition. If you require medical or other assistance Zentraveler strongly encourages users to consult with a qualified health care professional.

QUOTE:”Tea and Water give each other life,” the Professor was saying. “The tea is still alive. This tea has tea and water vitality,” he added, “…Afterwards, the taste still happens… It rises like velvet… It is a performance.”
-Jason Goodwin, The Gunpowder Gardens

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW:Herbal tea has been imbibed nearly as long as written history extends. Also known as a tisane or herbal infusion, an herbal tea is simply the combination of boiling water and dried fruit, flower or herb…made from anything other than the leaves of the tea bush. The English word “tisane” originated from the Greek word “ptisane”, a drink made from pearl barley.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: The opposite of save is not to save! Why not give a ten stock lemongrass gift to all of your best friends and relatives. Tis the season to be giving. Everybody should be giving. Give first then receive. That’s the way to celebrate the best season of the year. Happy Holidays from Zentraveler

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Drink several cups of lemongrass tea for a tonic and healthy natural drink.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Buddhist Temple Bangkok

A visit to Bangkok, Thailand would not be complete unless you visited their amazing Buddhists temples. You could spend a lifetime as a historian or photographer going from province to province learning about the history and modern-day use of Buddhist temples. Thailand has a total of 40,717 Buddhist temples according to the Office of National Buddhism. “Bangkok’s temples are a unique part of the capital’s heart and soul. The architecture is awe-inspiring and the glittering decoration like no other. Imagine thousands of pieces of coloured glass and pottery adorned with intricate structures gilded in glaring gold – you’re indeed in a City of Angels!” -bangkok.com

Bangkok’s temples are the primary tourist attractions of the city. At times, there seems to be another temple around every corner, and that almost really is the case! A few of the most spectacular and interesting Buddhist temples included on almost every tour of the city are: Wat Phra Kaew,Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Traimit, Temple of the Golden Buddha, Wat Arun,Temple of Dawn, and Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

Since we were on a limited time frame we were able to ask the tour director if we could visit one of the temples. She made arrangements for the tour bus to travel past the Grand Palace and along embassy row with it wide streets, large shade trees, and scenic landscaping. The sidewalks were full of families dressed in elaborate robes and ceremonial dress as they proceeded to one of the many Buddhist celebrations that they have throughout the year.

The bus driver parked the tour bus just outside the Golden Buddha Temple, where we had an opportunity to explore the grounds, which included scenic walking bridges and a kaleidoscope of tropical flowers. Tourists from around the world were taking photographs of the Golden Buddha… while others were in silent prayer. It’s a very moving and sacred experience to see what mankind can do when they are on the right level of consciousness.

The Golden Buddha

Temples in Buddhism represent the pure land or pure environment of a Buddha. Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace.

Ornate Buddhist Temple

So there you have it! If you want to expand your knowledge and learn about the culture of a foreign nation… a good place to start would be to take a city tour… which would include: The Grand Palace and a tour of the magnificent Buddhist temples in and around Bangkok.

QUOTE: “Contentment that derives from knowing when to be content is eternal contentment.” – Lao Tzu

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: Buddhism is considered by some to be more of a philosophy than a religion. Buddha never declared Himself to be God. Almost all the other religions essentially entail some form of theism. However, Buddhism, in itself, is considered to be non-theistic or atheistic. It does not emphasize the existence or non-existence of a God or Gods any point of time. In addition to that, Buddhism does not have doctrines in the same sense as other religions do.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE:Your digital images… which records your travel history one image at a time.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Treat your body like a temple… not like a pool hall!

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Don't accept Ego's movie script

You might be surprised to know you probably have an annoying ghost writer imposter called: YOUR EGO who actually writes your daily movie script, which accounts for about 98 percent of the people in the world…nearly 7 billion.

To set the record straight YOUR EGO IS NOT YOU, but a well conditioned FORM that will attach to anything and keep you in the rat race forever. This ego is nobody’s fool! The ego will use every bit of trickery and sophisticated skills to keep employed and literally take over your life if you allow it.

If you were a Hollywood script writer and you wrote the same plot everyday… soon you would lose you job. Why then do you tolerate your ego to write your script everyday without throwing up a challenge and say… whose in control here anyway!

Mr. Ego I don’t remember hiring you to write my daily script…so you just stepped in and took over without me even knowing it. “Yes I did. You weren’t paying attention to the universal laws so through very sophisticated conditioning since you were born, I have been here all along as a cheerleader, armchair coach and apparent mentor…helping you grab and get more, helping you with jealousy, crime, and war. That’s my job man!

So you finally found out that I am an imposter and certainly not for your good or the worlds good. What are you going to do about it? Fire me! Not so fast you need me and I won’t give up that easily. I will always be trying to entice you into neighborhood disputes, religious wars, and just downright greedy underworld type activities.”

So there you have it. We used to think that to call someone a bird-brain was very derogatory, however even the tiniest of birds understands universal law and never worries about the next meal, because the bird knows there is enough and doesn’t have to join the egotistical rat race just to survive. Even the so-called bird-brain is closer to the universe than us humans… chasing around like madmen to accumulate things. Without knowing it our overactive super-egos take control of our lives and dominate all of our self-talk… writing your daily script as the ego gains more control over your life. It’s like having a recording on steroids. Just having the knowledge that our ego is the main problem blocking our higher level of consciousness is enough to make a personal shift and eventually help create a global higher consciousness… creating a greater benefit for mankind.

Write your own Movie Script

QUOTE: The problem is not somewhere outside; the problem is Your Ego. You have to be saved from the ego. The problem is man himself; man has to be saved from man himself. The enemy is not outside, the enemy is within. In surrender you drop that enemy. In that very dropping the inner darkness disappears. Not that you surrender and I will do something; remember, nobody can do anything. When you surrender, in that very surrender something happens and your inner light starts burning, your inner light starts becoming clear. Clouds disappear. Not that through your surrender I will do something to you; YOU do something to you through your surrender.

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: Surrender is a gift from God. When you are completely absent, neither doing nor not doing, it happens. But it has nothing to do with you, so you can completely forget about it. You simply do your ordinary things: eat, sleep, walk, dance, sing, love — you do your ordinary things and you just forget all about surrender. One day, suddenly, it is there. Doing the ordinary things of life, not waiting for any extraordinary happening, not waiting for some miracle, one day it is there. It is simply there. One morning you rise and it is there — your whole room is full of a benediction. And after that, you cannot lose it; there is no way to lose it. Because, really, in surrender what actually happens is that your own nature comes to a flowering. But it is a gift from God. Even pray not for it, because in your prayer also there will be desire.

THINGS YOU WANT TO SAVE: Your inner peace and natural connection to the universe!

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Fire your ego immediately and take charge of your own movie script! Whose journey is it anyway yours or your egos.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Stevia Natural Sweetener

This all natural sweetener from the Stevia plant could be a breakthrough to great health benefits in the future. With no known side effects and 300 times sweeter than sucrose, sugar…. it’s just a matter of time before the food and beverage industry will switch over to a safe all natural product. Of course it’s more expensive than sugars and artificial sweeteners….but what price in pre-mature deaths must society pay huge corporations and their lobbyists before we have a call for action for healthy products.

What is Stevia? Stevia is of the Composite family, related to lettuce, marigold and chicory. It was “Officially” discovered in the late 19th century by Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni. He was given samples of the plant and he reported that “one small piece of the leaf will keep the mouth sweet for an hour”. He named the plant Stevia Rebuadiani Bertoni in honor of a Paraguayan chemist name Rebaudi. Bertoni found that the Guarani Indians had been using the leaves of the plant to sweeten bitter teas and as a sweet treat.

The Guarani Indians had known for centuries about the unique advantages of kaa he-he (a native term which translates as “sweet herb”) — long before the invaders from the Old World were lured by the treasures of the New. These native people knew the leaves of the wild stevia shrub (a perennial indigenous to the Amambay Mountain region) to have a sweetening power unlike anything else; they commonly used the leaves to enhance the taste of bitter mate (a tea-like beverage) and medicinal potions, or simply chewed them for their sweet taste. The widespread native use of stevia was chronicled by the Spaniards in historical documents preserved in the Paraguayan National Archives in Asuncion. Historians noted that indigenous peoples had been sweetening herbal teas with stevia leaves “since ancient times.” In due course, it was introduced to settlers. By the 1800s, daily stevia consumption had become well entrenched throughout the region — not just in Paraguay, but also in neighboring Brazil and Argentina.

What are the benefits of Using Stevia? Studies have shown the following benefits from using Stevia in one’s diet. These benefits have not been approved or confirmed by the FDA.

* Sugarless with no calories
* Will not effect blood sugar levels like sugar does.
* 100% Natural
* 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar
* Heat stable to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit)
* Non-fermentable
* Flavor enhancer
* Plaque retardant Anti-caries (prevents cavities)
* Recommended for diabetics
* Non-toxic Extensively tested in animals and Extensively used by humans with no adverse effects.

So there you have it! If truly want to make a difference in your longevity…. consider eliminating most processed sugars and switch to a natural herb sweetener Stevia! Even though this product has been available for many years they have had a hard time getting complete acceptance in America because of paid lobbyists and red tape. Japan has been using Stevia for years, and Europe just approved stevia for use in all of their food and beverage products. Stevia is being marketed and manufactured in the United States by:OnlySweet™ at an FDA approved blending facility. Only Sweet is an all natural, zero calorie, sweetener comprised of three natural ingredients, including stevioside. Sunwin sells OnlySweet™ to health food retailers, national and regional grocery chains in the U.S. For more information on OnlySweet™ visit www.onlysweet.com.

Disclaimer: This website is simply the writers views and is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical or health advice and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider’s judgment. None of the statements on Zentraveler are to be understood as a recommendation on how to treat any disease or health related condition. If you require medical or other assistance Zentraveler strongly encourages users to consult with a qualified health care professional.

QUOTE: Foods high in bad fats, sugar and chemicals are directly linked to many negative emotions, whereas whole, natural foods rich in nutrients – foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes – contribute to greater energy and positive emotions. —Marilu Henner

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: How much sugar does the average American consume each year?

One hundred and fifty-six pounds. That’s how much added sugar Americans consume each year on a per capita basis, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Imagine it: 31 five-pound bags for each of us.

That’s not to say that we get most of the sugar in our diets directly from the sugar bowl. Only about 29 pounds of it comes as traditional sugar, or sucrose, according to The Sugar Association, a trade group of sugar manufacturers. The rest comes from foods and beverages. The biggest culprits for the glut of sugar? Soft drinks by far, followed by candy, cakes, cookies and pies. With about 8 teaspoons of added sugar to a regular 12-ounce soft drink… This amount of sugar will put most women over the recommended daily limit.

Eliminating sugar won’t be easy, but here ‘s a great tip instead of ordering the colas, sugared iced teas, sugared coffees and power drinks …simply order a house glass of water with a lemon wedge.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE:Dr’s visits, hyperactivity, many modern diseases caused by high use of processed sugars which are almost in every food processed. Processed sugar is even the secret ingredient in McDonald’s french fries.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Eliminate white processed sugars and artificial sweeteners and switch over to brown sugar, natural honey, and the natural herb sweeteners like stevia, which you can order online or get in speciality health food stores.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Zentraveler

Pattaya has a lot to offer the tourist including: island hoping, parasailing and shopping. If you have shopped till you drop you can indulge yourself with a Thai massage, have a great lunch, or just hangout along the beach front.
Local street vendors offer great looking fish, shrimps, crabs, and all sorts of native snacks with the smells to tempt you even more.

A lot of x-pats from all over the world have taken up permanent residence here because of the tropical climate, low-cost of living, and the many restaurants and bars situated throughout the city.

Pattaya Shopping

The restaurant scene in Pattaya specializes in Thai food along with a good mix of world-class eateries for your dinning pleasure. I personally regard the Thai eating experience as the best and most delicious food in the world.

Pattayas Restaurant Scene

My travel companion Perla, whose favorite animal in the world is “The Tiger”, had a great time enjoying the zoos different venues and shows. One of the high lights of the trip to Thailand was Perla having her picture taken with several tigers. She was so excited she actually hugged one of the largest male tigers to the shock of the trainer. The tiger didn’t seem to mind as they both posed for the camera …like Hollywood Super Stars. As we are in a meltdown of live tigers due to mans excesses… this a great opportunity to see and witness first hand the magnificent tigers on display.

Perla Hugs Bengal Tiger

Extinction is Forever

So there you have it! Plan a trip to Pattaya and see for yourself what other travelers have discovered which include: native handicrafts, amazing hand-crafted jewelry, local and mall shopping, swimming, great Thai foods and eateries, and many outdoor events for the adventurer traveler.

QUOTE: “As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own.” – Margaret Mead

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: Asia is the largest continent by landmass. The land area of Asia is actually larger than the land area of the moon.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE:Bengal Tigers! The magnificent Bengal Tigers are on the brink of becoming extinct because of man’s excessive and wasteful ways.

ZENTRAVELER SAYS:Save the Bengal Tigers …they are people just like us. Almost! Yes they are interconnected to the Universe like all living things on our planet and would be a huge irresponsible waste and great loss to humanity if they disappeared.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?

Good Nutrition

Stephen Sinatra, MD comments on: The most profound insight I ever gleaned about staying healthy came to me after years of reporting on stories of truly remarkable remissions, recoveries, and renewals.

In a nutshell, it is this: Our marvelous human body possesses the awesome ability to repair and renew itself as long as we live. In fact, your body is performing this near-miraculous feat this very moment as you read this! Now this probably comes as no surprise to someone with your health awareness. But the average person has a very different idea.

Most people believe we are born with a perfect body that slowly deteriorates as we age, until it finally falls apart. They see their body as a machine — something that requires continual maintenance from doctors, whose job is to repair our damaged parts.

Most doctors believe this too. Indeed, our entire allopathic medical system is based on this idea.
But this mechanical model of the human body is precisely where modern medicine has gone wrong. In reality, a doctor’s role in the healing process is very small. Most of the job — as much as 90% of it — is accomplished without any need of a physician or his medicines. If you nick yourself shaving, what happens? Almost immediately, new tissue begins to form — and days later you can’t even tell where the cut was.

Break a bone and the same regenerating process occurs. Even more remarkable, the healed bone emerges stronger than before. The same is true for damaged arteries … injured brain cells and nerve tissue … and worn-out cartilage in arthritic joints.

Doctors have been quick to downplay this self-healing ability. “Joint cartilage just doesn’t regenerate very well,” they like to say.

Ten years ago that’s exactly what brain surgeons thought about brain cells: “Once you lose a neuron, that’s it. They don’t regenerate.” And as recently as three years ago, cardiologists were sure that heart tissue damaged by a heart attack never repaired itself: “Dead heart cells don’t regenerate.”

Today we know they were dead wrong in each instance. Brain cells and heart cells do regenerate — just like all living tissue in the human body…And that includes joint cartilage! Let me give you an example…

One prominent physician is demonstrating this phenomenon to the skeptical medical community in a dramatic way. His remarkable joint-regenerating method is helping thousands of people to find new freedom from chronic pain, disability and pain-relieving drugs. He describes it as “giving yourself a joint replacement, but without the surgery or expense.”

I hope you’ll always remember that your body is committed to repairing and regenerating itself — and will continue to do so as long as you live. No matter how old you are, it will generate new skin, bones tissue, muscle, and cells. Your immune system will continue to conquer bacteria and viruses, colds and flu, cancer and other diseases. And your wounds and bruises will heal, just as they have all your life.

There’s just one catch.

YOU must provide your body’s remarkable repair power with the nutritional materials and building blocks it needs to keep going and growing.

That’s our job — yours and mine. Not the doctor’s. Keep doing this and you’ll be as awe-struck as I am by the miracle within each of us. Adapted from: secondopionionnewsletter Stephen Sinatra, MD and Jim Healthy, the publishers of Arthritis Interrupted.

So there you have it! If you want to take control of your life and avoid many diseases, doctors visits and hospital calls…. simply give your body good nutrition and witness your bodies amazing ability to heal itself.

To Your good Health

QUOTE: “The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.”~ Thomas Edison

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: When your cell phone runs low on power, you plug it in. Electricity is your phone’s source of energy. People need energy, too, but we can’t simply plug ourselves in to get it. Instead, we need food to fuel our bodies. Not all foods, however, give us the same energy. Some foods provide energy to think, form memories, and perform physical activities, while others only slow us down. The key is learning how to make the right decisions when choosing what to eat.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE:Your Life! If it up to you…it’s up to you to learn to eat healthy. Eat live foods versus dead foods… raw fresh real foods, steamed vegetables and fish instead of canned, fried and processed foods filled with all sorts of harmful additives.

ZENTAVELER SAYS: If you want to think outside of the box you need to switch over to good nutrition and healthy lifestyle. Herbalifes recent nobel prize winner recommends the Mediterranean Diet, which includes: using high quality olive oil for all of your cooking and salad needs, fresh fish from the ocean, not farm raised, fresh organic vegetables and fruits. You can enjoy one glass of red wine with your meal plus adding Herbalifes nutritional Shakes on a daily basis. Herbalife shakes are a complete meal in themselves and have been tested with some of the best research doctors in the world.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.

Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?