refresh, restore, renew - part one

the light is coming back. here in the northern hemisphere, the days are perceptibly longer. this morning, in fact, i noticed that despite the slight coating of snow, and the frost in the air, i didn't need to turn the porchlights on to walk the puppies.

i love this time of year. february is a short month, and spring seems not too far away. the worst of winter's cold lies behind me, and the warm days aren't too far ahead. this year i was fortunate enough to spend two weeks in hawaii, and when i got off the plane, i could literally feel the cells of my body expand in the light, turning like a plant toward the sun. needless to say, it's easy to follow the Angel Guidelines in hawaii!

but what if you havent been lucky enough to spend the worst part of winter soaking up the sun?

the food that corresponds to white light and its effect on the body is protein. begin by examining if you're getting sufficient protein for your specific needs. an easy way to check to see if you're getting enough protein is to look at your fingernails. when im not getting enough protein, my nails tend to be much more prone to chips and breaks. your skin can also reflect a lack of protein. protein forms the building blocks of every structure of the body, so it is critical to ensure you're getting enough.

this is why it's important to "eat a white-light food at every meal."

protein doesn't have to mean a meat or dairy product, of course. vegetarian combinations such as rice and beans or pasta and peas, form the complete proteins which are the basis of your physical body. nuts and seeds are other sources of complete proteins.

if you are already following the Guidelines, i encourage you to take this week to take a close look at the amount and sources of protein you're feeding yourself. if you're keeping a food journal, take some time to review how you've been eating in the last month. are there any patterns you'd like to change or tweak in the weeks ahead?

if you're not following the Guidelines yet, i encourage you to begin by noticing how much protein and what kind you eat. if you feel so inspired, keep track in a small notebook or other type of journal. what you may see at the end of a week may not just surprise, but offer a definite place to make a small change that can have a lot of impact on how you feel.

in the next few days, i will offer more ideas for ways to step into spring feeling refreshed, restored and renewed.