Suki S. Miller's Blog, page 5
September 11, 2015
Great coffee doesn’t have to ruin the environment
In my Facebook feed today, a post emphasized the massive amounts of plastic that go into our landfills from the one-cup Keurig coffee machines. It prompted me to write this post today. You can still make a far more rich and flavorful single cup of coffee without a Keurig machine. Yes, it may cost a bit more to start but I promise, it is a worthwhile one-time investment.
We bought our single-cup Italian machine 9 years ago, categorized as super-automatic. With proper cleaning and maintenance, I see no reason that this machine will ever die. Plus it gives us the opportunity to try different beans while always brewing the freshest coffee available. 
This is an obsolete model, but it is still available online refurbished at a far lesser price than what we paid in 2006. It is called Saeco Incanto Sirius, but there are many similar models by Saeco. Plus there are also many similar models still out there that will give you the same great benefits.
The quality of the beverage you get is so far superior to what you get from the Keurig setup, it isn’t really close in comparison.
You can choose between many different beverages, many different strengths, from Expresso to ‘Shorts’ to Cafe Americano. The cup warmer makes sure you aren’t pouring coffee into a cold cup. The bean hopper isn’t overly large, so your beans do not become stale. You see, this is a big difference between this type of machine and the Keurig style coffee machines. You have to use their ‘k-cups’ which are of course plastic. More mess for the planet. Plus they contain coffee that was roasted and ground months, even years earlier, so fresh is never an option with k-cup machines.
Coffee is at it’s best within a week, perhaps two, of when the beans are roasted. The best way to assure freshly roasted beans is to roast them yourself. It’s not hard, it’s not expensive and it’s not complicated. There are many sources on-line for the green beans and they have a very long shelf-life. We don’t do caffeine so we buy decaffeinated green coffee beans. 
Since we prefer a strong European roast, I roast to a dark setting. The roaster we have is perfect for the two of us. We drink coffee mainly on the weekends so to roast a large amount would just be wasteful. The roaster I’ve used for 9 years is the i-Roast. If it is no longer available, I’m sure there are others that are just as good. I roast beans outdoors since the smell isn’t what you’d think. It can be pretty nasty, actually. It’s simple to pop this little beauty out on the patio and plug it in and let it go. It has settings and a timer and makes it simple to roast beans properly.
Once they’re roasted, then I put them in a ventilated bowl or plastic bag and let them breathe for 24 hours before using or sealing.
The choice of beans is very wide. There are also a number of companies that sell green coffee beans of all styles, types and origins. Since we like a rich, dark roast AND decaf, 
the one we found that delivers for us is Decaf Hawaiian Maui Kaanapali Yellow Caturra. We buy these from Burman Coffee Traders and have found their quality and service to be consistent.
Of course both of the machines require proper cleaning and maintenance but then, so does your car, right?
The green beans require no special storage. They do need to breathe and these inexpensive cloth bags allow that. I keep them in a darkened pantry. The cost of the green coffee beans, generally, is about half of what it costs for roasted beans.
This may sound like a lot of work, but if you REALLY like good coffee, this is the way to go!
You can find refurbished Saeco superautomatic machines of all designs, plus you might find other machines from other manufacturers that will do the trick. But generally, European brands will deliver a far better quality machine, with a longer life and great coffee.
September 10, 2015
It pays to invest in wellness
My husband will turn 65 the end of November, and thus I’ve been forced to look at Medicare in detail. Let me tell you, it’s ugly! The many myths I’ve believed have now been shattered. Medicare is not a panacea. 
As a matter of fact, my husband’s Medicare will cost us more for basic annual services such as blood work and checkups than our existing ACA coverage does. (Affordable Care Act) AND he’ll pay $104 monthly which is higher than current premiums, with far, far higher potential financial exposure than the current coverage offers.
It’s discouraging to think that our government pushes those at age 65 into a program that really isn’t the best thing for anyone. Luckily for us, we do everything in our power to stay away from the standard Western medical community by remaining well. Unfortunately accidents do happen and my husband was hospitalized because of an accident in 2010. He was also hospitalized because he ate some bad stuff in 2012. In looking at our coverages, it appears that we would pay far, far more using Medicare than we’d have paid with our previous insurances.
So, it’s become increasingly clear that we MUST keep ourselves healthy. This country is not like France nor is it like Canada, where quality health care is available for all at a minimal cost, if any cost at all. In the US it’s every man for himself. Thank goodness for the wellness-minded providers! At least you are getting quality for what you pay where with the standard medical community, your results are always questionable and quality is long gone.
I invite you all to contribute to a list that we can all share, of health-minded providers, natural healers and alternative healers in the comment section below. You can include health food stores, wellness providers, integrated medicine providers and any other alternative provider that you deem worthy.
I should also add that the same holds true for our beloved furry and feathered family members. The same lack of respect towards wellness, the same cut ‘n’ drug thinking applies to veterinarians.
And if you have been reading this blog, you know that I am a strong believer that reading labels, organic eating, healthy choices and meditation will go a long way towards healing.
I’ll start the list here, but urge everyone to please, please add to the list!
Mitzi Schardt, MSN, NP – Fort Myers / Cape Coral, FL
Robert Murdock, NaturalFamilyPhysicians.com / Fort Myers and Cape Coral, FL
Whole Foods nationwide
Natural Pet Care LLC – Metarie, Louisiana (They do phone consultations)
September 9, 2015
A Healthy Brain … AND our weekly winner!
Deborah Mccottry won our weekly drawing this week. For those who wish to become part of our community and be part of the fun, you can sign up here: Free weekly drawings
Now, today I’d like to pass on some information about brain health. In case you are not paying attention, it’s a growing problem. Dementia and other brain disorders are on the rise. 
The Alzheimers Association states that the US will see a 44% increase in individuals with Alzheimers by 2025. Utah, Alaska and Colorado are projected to have the biggest increase – around 126%, with significant growth in states with the largest populations: Texas (74%), Florida (64%) and California (50%).
One doesn’t have to look too far to see friends and family members who have been touched by this disease. If you’ve seen it, you have most certainly felt the impact.
I have read Dr. David Permutter’s book “Grain Brain:The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers” and I highly recommend it. His approach is complex but then this is a complex issue. It has everything to do with your immune system and keeping it healthy. There are no ‘quick fixes’ but there are things you can do right now to help keep your brain healthy. His book goes into nutritional issues as well as issues of toxicity from our foods and environment. He makes a definitive link between colon health and brain health.
Just to give you a quick run-down on important supplements, Dr. Perlmutter recommends:
*Alpha Lipoic Acid – 600 mg daily
*Coconut Oil – 1 TBS daily (taken straight is recommended but you can use it in cooking)
*DHA – 1,000 mg daily (combined with EPA. He recommends a fish oil supplement but since I have a problem with the mercury in our fish oil supplements, I opt for a DHA derived from marine algae.)
*Probiotics – 1 capsule on an empty stomach up to 3 times daily. Look for a probioitic that contains at least ten billion active cultures, from at least ten different strains, including Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium. For probiotics, I take one that has 150 billion active cultures – Renew Life brand Ultimate Flora Mega Potent. With a history of colon issues and gluten sensitivity, this works best for me.
*Resveratrol 100 mg twice daily
*Turmeric 350 mg twice daily
*Vitamin D3 5,000 IU daily
These are all easily obtainable from Amazon or other sources. If you would like some recommendations, please comment below and I’ll give you links and details.
No, the above is NOT all you need for a healthy brain. You also have to clean out your kitchen and cabinets. Get rid of the junk – glutens, sugars, processed foods, anything containing non-fermented soy, anything that says ‘fat free’ or ‘low fat’, margarines and most oils that are processed in any manner whatsoever.
I know it sounds complicated but isn’t this better than sitting in a vegetative state among your loved ones as their hearts break for you?
I highly recommend Dr. Perlmutter’s book. In reading it, you may find many surprising links to your own health challenges.
And predictably, I come back to meditation. 
September 7, 2015
Anderson Cooper all the better because of Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Last night, I watched an excellent piece on 60 Minutes by Anderson Cooper about Mindfulness.
Mindfulness meditation is just another of the many forms of meditation. I prefer to think of it as the ultimate goal of my meditations.
I enter into my daily meditations usually with a specific intention or two, in mind. I set the intention for the meditation – what I wish to examine or accomplish or what I wish to embed in my psyche. But after I’ve gone through the steps of my meditation for weight loss, wellness, blessings and healing for others, abundance in health, love and finance, the real joy of my meditation is the final step for me – the mindfulness period. During this time, you’re not trying to get from point A to point B. You just are.
For me, it is a blissful state, where I am able to just ‘be’ with no pressure, no agenda, no worries. I finish my daily meditation refreshed and eager to move forward with my day. Since I’ve been meditating daily, without fail, I rarely get angry in traffic as I once did, I am not as frustrated with humans. Note I said ‘as frustrated’. I’m still frustrated. I just don’t get to the point that I allow it to ruin my whole day.
And while the political atmosphere in this country is rancid right now, with racism, hate, ignorance and greed fighting for daily attention, I am not quite as angry about ‘them’ as I once was. As a peaceful person, it is difficult for me to ignore those who harm others with their political acts, their hate-filled speech and actions and their financially driven need to poison our population with toxic foods. The truth is, we all create our own consequences in life and those who harm others will themselves suffer the effects of their hate-drive or greedy choices. It’s just a shame that others have to suffer as well. For that reason, we are adamant about making informed choices for our lives, our pets, our food and our home.
Mindfulness has become part of my center now. I think more clearly and come up with inventive and creative ideas more readily. I am able to connect to my pets and my husband on a more spiritual level and feel I am far more compassionate about others.
It doesn’t take a lot of time. You can do this in a matter of 15 minutes or can go on for hours. I urge you all to give it a try!
September 6, 2015
Cats Love to Meditate
You need not meditate alone. My cats love to meditate with me. My older, recently transitioned cats Mei Mei and Maggie really enjoyed meditating with me, even though it was not a daily event then.
Our fur-girls are age 6 months and 2 yrs 3 months. I’d actually assumed that they would be too rambunctious to enjoy it but they’ve surprised me. What is especially surprising is that Mhysa, the 6 month old, is the one that loves it most. She has become adamant that she be with me when I meditate. Mei Li still comes and goes and is taking it all in.
With her current issue involving the ovarian remnant from the veterinarian’s surgical mistake, I have concentrated very strongly on Mhysa’s healing in my daily meditations. She appears to understand and even digs in deeply by my side, trying to touch both my body and my upturned left palm.
If you share your life and home with these amazing creatures, you probably know how intuitive they are. They can easily access your meditations and understand what you’re doing. But did you know that you can also communicate to them using pictures, without saying a word? I’ve been doing it for years. Yes, I talk to them all day long anyway, but they can grasp the pictures you send very easily and they understand. It is, of course, important to send positive, loving pictures, or just factual pictures. Please don’t freak them out with negative pictures or scenarios!
Before we moved over a year and a half ago, I’d been sending our girls pictures of the new home. When they arrived, with boxes everywhere, they were very cool, calm and matter of fact since they knew what to expect.
Another instance involves long-distance communication: Our kitten, Mhysa, came from California but we couldn’t bring her home with us because she was too young. So she flew by herself on what ended up being a relatively short, easy flight with only one change in equipment. You would expect her to be freaked out, right? I mean, she was only 12 1/2 weeks old at that point. For many weeks, I’d been sending her pictures of her new home in my meditations, I’d sent her pictures of her new sisters (at that time, Maggie was still with us). I’d sent her images of us, of the sounds of the house and of the many kitty beds and her dining area. And then, when I knew she was on the way to the airport, I started ‘sending’ her a gentle, calming heartbeat soundtrack that I’d found on iTunes, to keep her company with all of the frightening noises, sights and smells that go with travel. I listened when meditating and sent the energy to her. If only I had such a calming influence when I travel!!! I hate flying these days! It isn’t what it used to be.
When she arrived at our local airport, we expected a frightened little girl. Instead, we found a calm little one, very happy to see us. When we got home and opened her carrier, she marched right out, looked around as if to say “Yes! This is what I expected.” She immediately made herself at home.
36 years ago, in 1979, I’d seen an animal communicator on late night TV, who explained the visualization process for communicating with our pets. I was lying in bed with my then-4 yr old sleeping toy poodle, Brigitte. She loved more than anything to ‘go out’ to play in our fenced yard. All I had to do was just mouth the words “do you want to go out?” and she would be beside herself. This was long past her last ‘out’ trip at that time. I just concentrated on seeing us get up, walk down the hall, through the foyer, the dining room, the kitchen to the back door and opening it. I only had to do it once. She lept up out of a sound sleep, and went racing down the hall in a frenzy to go out.
There are many ways to communicate with our furry and feathered family members, and this is but one option. We work with an animal communicator if we feel that there are conflicts between them, if there are behavioral issues, if there are health issues or if someone just can’t seem to follow the rules. It’s wonderful to have that resource available for us, because after all, this IS our family.
I will write more on that subject soon, along with contact information should anyone wish to find out more about it themselves. Should you have a need now or need a referral, please feel free to comment below and ask any questions you might have.
In the meantime, I strongly recommend including your cats, dogs, birds and other pets in your meditation rituals. They feel it, they understand it, and they love it. We all benefit.
September 5, 2015
More Info: Ovarian Remnant Syndrome in Cats
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I have more information to share. This issue is far more common than known, based on my experience.
For instance, in my last four kitty girls, two have suffered from these surgical ‘errors’ as vets prefer to call it. I’m afraid I could come up with far stronger terminology. When my babies are hurt, I become a very protective monster.
Thanks to being put off by vets who either did not know what they were doing, or who didn’t want to accept their own failures, my 20 year old Maggie who left us in May lived an entire life of anxiety and stress from the ovarian remnant(s) left behind in a sloppy surgery. Even the vet who DID the surgery (and who charged me $1,500 in tests) claimed to be clueless as to why she had such problems. The vets just tend to chalk it up to a ‘goofy’ cat or to some sort of feline anxiety disorder. I’ve only come to the realization of what my sweet Maggie went through all those 20 years when I began to research the symptoms of my new kitten, Mhysa. I suddenly realized that Maggie had struggled with this her entire life. I’m not about to let Mhysa do the same.
Now, I have run into what appears to be more issues with vets, just trying to determine when to test Mhysa for estrogen levels. I asked a local vet tech and she said she thought perhaps anytime would be fine and she said she’d have the vet call me. I’ve not heard from him as of yet. But since I am on natural bioidentical hormones myself, I know my high and low days in my cycle for estrogen. We test once a year to be sure everything is in line on those days. We don’t test on ‘baseline’ days. So there is no reason to believe a cat would NOT have a similar cycle.
I found what appeared to be a very knowledgeable blog post by a veterinarian in Manhattan (NYC). He confirmed what my instincts told me were true – we would need to test when Mhysa was in the throes of estrus (a heat episode) to be sure of her estrogen levels. After a few days of that, this vet states that the levels drop to baseline quickly, sometimes in as few as 48 hours. http://catexpert.blogspot.com/2015/01/feline-ovarian-remnant-syndrome.html
SO, now the trick is getting the vet here for the blood draw on one of those few days, and then, another tech has told me that it is best to do the surgery when she’s in heat so they can more easily find the swollen ‘active’ ovarian tissue. :::sigh::: The vet we used for her spay, who said he’d ‘make it right’, is not in town so that means a hasty, long-distance trek and of course, the usual ‘fasting’ routine before the surgery. Then, we can just hope this doesn’t happen on days when he is not there, since he only does surgery one or two days a week.
This is yet another reason it drives me crazy to live in a place where wellness services for humans and for pets are almost non-existent and where up-to-date health care is very rare. This is why we use a wellness, integrated health practitioner 6 hours away. I’m more and more concerned about the wellness of my family when it relies on others.
Please, pet owners, be aware of this! It appears these surgical errors are even more common in dogs. Please, please, don’t let the veterinarian blow you off if your female pets are exhibiting symptoms of estrus when they’ve already been spayed. This is really important to their lives, their overall wellness and their mental well-being. AND it can be important for your HOME since often animals that are in heat mark their territories. You can’t blame it on a ‘bad dog’ or ‘bad cat’ when it’s hormonal and they can’t help it.
September 4, 2015
Wellness for our pets: It’s a constant challenge
Wellness for our beloved furry and feathered family members is every bit as much a challenge as it is for us. My particular frustration today is with the veterinary world. I have known a lot of veterinarians over the years, and I continue to have problems with the care they offer our pets.
Our 6 month old kitten is struggling right now. We had her spayed when she was 4 months old, and surprisingly, she was in heat when they spayed her. However, we were told all was well. A few days later, after she’d gotten over the worst of her surgery, she started to show minimal signs of actually being in heat. I mentioned it and was told it was some sort of ‘dominance’ dance with the other cat. Well, it’s gotten worse. This past week, she has cried and shown every sign of being in heat.
I have researched on-line and this appears to be what is known as Ovarian Remnant Syndrome. This occurs when during the surgery the vet fails to remove both ovaries and/or fails to remove ALL ovarian tissue. I was told by the vet who did the surgery that ovaries can pretty much ‘regrow’ if tissue is remaining. It’s unusual but there have sometimes been additional ovaries other than what is expected. And the problem with this is that she will remain in heat her entire life! That is an awful prospect for our little girl. So now, because of a mistake, which the vet swears has never happened to him before, there’s a good chance she will have to undergo another surgery. This has me horribly upset and it breaks my heart to put her through this.
Next, we will do blood testing to see what her estrogen level is. If it’s 25 or over, then there is ovarian tissue still there and that means she has to go under the knife yet again. I honestly can think of nothing else that would manifest these symptoms.
The vet indicates that this is extremely rare, but my research and personal experience proves otherwise. My adored 20 year old girl who transitioned in May, had often displayed estrus symptoms and had an alarming full-blown episode when she was 16 years old. She had been spayed by a local vet as a kitten when we adopted her from Friends of Animals. Through her entire life, she had been a very anxious girl with a lot of odd symptoms and now, I know what it was. Sloppy veterinary surgery.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of disturbing behavior and heard a lot of disturbing comments from vets. I’ve had one vet tell me that our pets don’t feel pain, when of course, they do. I’ve had vets try to induce me to euthanize when it wasn’t necessary. (I will go into that another time.) When attempting to diagnose my older girl’s issues, the ‘second opinion’ vet didn’t accept the tests from the first vet, and insisted on doing tests again. Not surprisingly, the test results were identical, and by then, I had a $3,000 total vet bill between the two of them. They claimed they could find nothing wrong, declared it psychosomatic and then, with her x-ray on the light box, I could see she had spondylosis. I knew because I had something similar, which is a degenerative condition of the spine from injury or from spinal arthritis. I asked about that and they blew me off. YET I know exactly how painful that is!
These are only a few instances. I’d hoped we were finished with all of this, until recently when our baby began to suffer from estrus symptoms.
My husband put it very succinctly: Vets consider our pets to be patients that won’t tell on them. Vets are not counting on pet owners like us, who are very intuitive and who educate themselves. Our pets are the center of our family and nothing is too good for them!
This, however, is reminding me of the surgery my husband underwent in 2012 where the local surgeon made some serious mistakes and to correct them, it would take more surgery. It seems to me that doctors AND vets make an inordinate number of life threatening mistakes every single day. To put your life in the hands of a surgeon (or in the case of today’s post, the life of my adored kitten in the hands of a vet yet again) is a a risky proposition no matter how you look at it.
September 3, 2015
What’s for dinner? Go light!
I don’t know about you, but dinner to me really needs to be light. I sleep far better with a light dinner and a lot of vegetables. We so rarely eat red meat that if we should have red meat for dinner, neither my husband nor myself sleep well. And then I won’t even go into the trials and tribulations of my gastrointestinal tract the next day!
My husband makes a healthy Caesar Salad that is the basis for many great meals. We’ve tweaked this recipe for 14 years and it’s almost perfect! 
Tonight, I’m baking fresh Yellow Tail Snapper and we’ll put chunks of it into the salad. Below is the recipe and photo. At one time, we added grilled shrimp but when I found I was highly allergic to shrimp (a favorite food since childhood), since then we’ve experimented more. Now our go-to is either fresh fish, lobster chunks or chicken.
CAESAR SALAD
In a large stainless bowl wisk together:
Note: All ingredients are organic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground paper
1/4 tsp dried mustard
6 drops of organic Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lime, squeezed (lemon will do)
Scant 1/4 cup good quality organic olive oil ( we love Oleo Beato)
1 heaping tablespoon soy-free Veganaise
1 small clove garlic, pressed (Remove the green center)
Hand tear an entire clamshell of Organic Girl romaine hearts into appropriate size pieces, and add to the bowl.
Add about 1/4 cup of shredded mixed Italian cheeses.
Great as is or you can add fresh fish, shrimp or chicken.
Add croutons to taste (we use gluten free croutons)
Toss well. Spoon onto chilled salad plate. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
It’s an entire meal!
