Singing the Praises of Coconut Oil

I can't express in words what a big fan of anything coconut I am. Since I was a child I always loved anything with what I believed to be a natural coconut smell or taste. As I grew older and wiser and learned more about real whole foods, I discovered that what I liked when I was younger was some kind of perverted chemical version of the real thing.

Now I appreciate the real thing so much more. And today it's way beyond just an aesthetic appreciation. After I learned of all of the may uses and healing properties of even just the oil of the coconut (I won't even go into the juice or the meat), I became a true devotee.

Check out this amazing article on Natural News extolling the benefits of coconut oil http://www.naturalnews.com/025717.html The author even calls it a "The Secret Fountain of Youth"

In our house, we use it on our bodies as a moisturizer, a daily make-up remover, cooking oil, hair oil, smoothie addition. We add it to the rice cooker to improve the flavor and texture of grains and sometimes I just eat it right out of the jar!

Only buy organic, cold-processed virgin oil. My favorite and most inexpensive source is from Vitaglo.com. We buy the 16oz jar from Now vitamins for $8.80, so it doesn't have to break ya' http://www.vitaglo.com/1726.html Buy some coconut oil today and slather it on!

Boku Superfood Review

I have always wanted to add an extra umph to my family's diet. We eat pretty well (mostly vegetarian with occasional seafood) and have at least one large "green smoothie" a day. I had heard about and tried a lot of the different protein and supplement powders out there and felt confused as to which one to stick with. Then I read Mike Adams review of Boku Superfood over at one of my favorite health newsletters, naturalnews.com, and I decided to try it.

Mike Adams awarded it the "Best Product" award for 2008 and said that "It's simply one of the very best superfood products I've ever seen, and I've been using it myself with outstanding results."

Here are just some of the ingredients:

Land Vegetables: Maca root, Horsetail, Nettles, Flax Seed Meal, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, Alfalfa Leaf Juice, Dandelion Leaf Juice, Barley Grass Juice, Oat Grass Juice, Ginger, Broccoli Juice, Spinach Juice, Parsley Juice, Kale Juice (all certified organic, absolutely no pesticides used)

Wildcrafted Land Vegetables: Carob Powder, Nopal Cactus, Spirulina, Chlorella

Probiotics: Numerous strains of beneficial bacteria that improve immune function, aid in digestion and actually help generate beneficial nutrients in your gut

It's also relatively inexpensive and honestly tastes delicious. If you mix it by itself with your favorite milk or water, it tastes almost like a chocolate milkshake!

We usually add a few scoops to our usual smoothie; 2 bananas, a handful of frozen berries, a bunch of greens (kale, chard, collards, spinach), couple spoonfuls of virgin coconut oil and a couple teaspoons of bee pollen.

Best of all my son loves it and will drink this smoothie every time.

Check out the Natural News review for yourself http://www.naturalnews.com/022566.html

Boku's website http://www.bokusuperfood.com/

They offer discounts for auto shipping as well.

Learning Through Observation

I took my 4 year old son Alaijah to one of the dance workshops I mentioned last post and I was so disappointed that he didn't participate in either the drumming or dancing. He has been playing music and dancing at home since he had the motor skills to do it and the the teacher had personally come up to him and encouraged him to do either or both. I couldn't figure out why he would just sit there with his mouth agape the entire time. That was until a couple nights after when he suddenly got in the mood to recreate what he had seen at the classes. It was then that I realized that he was observing and absorbing everything he saw that day.


It reminded me that we don't learn exclusively by action. Our minds can process what we see and then our bodies can execute it later on after what we have learned has really "sunken in" .


Alaijah did just that in these two clips. In one he spontaneously used shakers as drumsticks to imitate the wrist-shakers (forgot the real name for them) the drummers wear. In the next clip he demonstrates his Congolese hip movements.

Dancing with Titos Sompa of Brazzaville

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to take participate in two Congolese dance workshops taught by master Titos Sompa.

"A renown dancer, choreographer, and musician, noted especially as a master Congolese drummer, percussionist, and kalimba player, Mr. Sompa utilizes his multiple talents to make known and keep alive Congolese musical and cultural traditions that offer healing, spiritual grounding, and affirming community to the Western world. " (http://www.mbongivillage.org/)

And let me tell you did I feel the healing when I danced in his class. One thing he always mentions during class is that you should be smiling as you dance and you should love yourself.

Here's a clip of Titos and his brother Biza teaching and performing throughout the years.

Welcome

Greetings

Well I am finally starting the blog that I have wanted to do for some time now. I will be sharing with everyone all of the important findings I make in regards to the world of Health, Natural Living and Roots Culture.

The name "Yaram Chosan" comes from the Wolof language of West Africa (primarily Senegal) and means simply Health (or it can mean 'body') Culture (or Heritage).

To me, it stands for a few things;

• the culture and lifestyle of everything pertaining to our well-being - physical, mental and spiritual


• our heriatge and birthright to be healthy, whole human-beings and live up to our highest potentials


• the elements found in indigenous or "roots" cultures, such as those in Africa, Asia, Latin America etc. that promote wholeness and harmony with the Earth.

If any of this resonates with you and you want to learn more, I hope that you will visit often or subscribe to my blog as I share what I am most passionate about.