Wishing you a happy New Year!

Talking about the four personality types and food! Tonight on Read My Lips, on the Voice America online channel!

7 pm ET, 4 pm PT, 12-21-20 Click here to listen! 

https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/3958/read-my-lips-cool-conversations-with-creatives

Click here for details!

https://www.voiceamerica.com/promo/episode/127623

Three Kings Collection 37 sets Dec 2020

#Christmas #three kings #magi #three wise men. For over 20 years I've been collecting each Christmas a set, or two, of the three magi who are said to have come from the east to find the new wisdom. Many of these sets have been gifts from family and friends. I love seeking wisdom, and so I came to love this theme ever since childhood. (I also have over 3,000 books in my library.) Please enjoy all 37 of the different versions of the three wise men in this video: From native American to Mexican, from silver to wooden, metal, ceramic, china, cloth, plastic, resin, and glass, and from 2 inches to 2 feet tall. I also have a plaque which says, "Three Wise Men? You've Got To Be Kidding," and a mug which says, "Three Wise Women, Now That Makes Sense," and a New Yorker cartoon which shows the three wise men "Regifting." I love bringing them out from the attic before each Christmas and enjoying the many ways all different peoples have sought wisdom and are still doing so. Happy New Year!

I'm excited to share that my interview with Linda Thompson on The Author's Show is now posted! Just click here for the direct link.

And below is another link for insight about educating your child at home during the current pandemic.

“Throughout her seven secrets, Rolfe models how parenting can be the most fulfilling work of our lives.”
—Linda Aronson, author of  Big Spirits, Little Bodies

Every parent has the innate power to be successful. But life can get in the way. Today it is harder than ever to be at your best with all the distractions and responsibilities of modern life. In The Seven Secrets of Successful Parents, author Randy Colton Rolfe offers quick and easy tips as well as profound advice to help you be at your best as a parent. 

Filled with personal anecdotes and real-life stories gained from research and case studies, The Seven Secrets of Successful Parents reminds you of the core attitudes and beliefs that empower you to be a successful parent in any parenting situation. Rolfe shares a holistic approach to parenting which enables you to master these goals and more:

• Setting appropriate limits that stick
• Promoting safe relationships
• Inspiring learning
• Nurturing your child’s spirit
• Rebuilding after negative feelings
• Fostering good judgment
• Venting parental frustration harmlessly
• Resisting unhelpful criticism from outsiders
• Encouraging your child to speak up with respect
• Enjoying your child totally, without reservation

The recording is available all day, but only today, until 11.59 pm tonight ET.

So please make time to listen, while you're cooking, training, walking, swiping, working, resting or hanging out. Share it with your family and friends too. They will appreciate it, especially now, as many of us prepare to interact with close family for Thanksgiving.

And if you want more about making your at-home school program work during these uncertain days around kids' education, please check out this recent interview with popular podcaster Michael Guberti! 

Stay safe and healthy,

Randy
"You Can Postpone Anything But Love" TM

Enjoy healthy pasta! ICS #292

Does your family get a longing for pasta as winter approaches and sunset comes earlier? Here are some suggestions on how pasta can support your mental and physical health! It can be a lot of fun to include your family in pasta preparation.

The Core of Vibrant Health ICS #291

The Core of Vibrant Health ICS #291. Why I'm so passionate about sharing the secrets of vibrant health through natural living. Here's my story! It all started with my grandfather peeling a apple!

To snack or not to snack? ICS #290

What are PFAs ICS #289

Watch this short video: What are PFAs, what can they do to our health, and how can we avoid them? Protect your family as much as you can with a superior water filter, avoiding plastic food wrappers and containers, and stain-resistant fabrics, retail sheets, just about anything from which water will slip off easily! ICS #289. I highly recommend the Waterfall water purification system from Nikken which I have used for many years. It requires no electricity or plumbing, and removes 99.99% of contaminants, and also alkalizes, micro-structures, and ionizes the water for easier hydration, and also adds valuable minerals and improves redox potential. To learn more and place your order, visit my Nikken shop!

Stressed? Help is outside your door! 5 Reasons to Go Outside ICS #288

History of Nutritn ICS #287

We won't ever know everything about health! And what we don't know CAN hurt us. Most people think science leads to technology but when it comes to health, science is often behind. Check out this quick history of nutrition science.

How previous epidemics changed building design! Healthy architecture ICS #286

The easiest way to maximize your health ICS #285

It's not that hard to stay healthy if we stick to the foundations we humans have developed over almost 2 million years. Sleep at night in clean cool air, get sun exposure daily, eat foods which have not been refined nor over- processed nor nor contaminated with man-made chemicals from the farm or the factory, stay hydrated with pure alkaline water, get outdoors on the green earth and under the blue sky, move your body in work and play, and relax your body with positive thoughts and expectations. In today's environment of chronic stress, these steps are more important than ever. They can make your day better, your year happier, and your quality longevity longer! Watch this short video: https://youtu.be/9-iJPx93hQ4

Try cinnamon whenever you serve refined carbs

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices and a favorite of one of the four temperament body types! It's been known for decades to help reduce the effects of refined sugar. And many kids love it!
Use it generously. Check out this article:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/health/cinnamon-prediabetes-wellness/index.html

7 reasons to avoid GMOs ICS #283

Over 80% of our corn and soy is genetically altered. This is not the same as hybridizing, that is,  making genetic changes as nature does it but more frequently and deliberately. We not only eat the corn and soy which is GMO, but so do our food animals and the animals that make our eggs and milk, and even our honey. So we need to see if such foods should be on our plates. Go to this video now to find out if we need these to feed the world, or if we should risk being guinea pigs in this perhaps irreversible experiment. https://youtu.be/AxGJ164KyOk. This is the tenth and last in my series on what qualities to look for to keep the food on your plates as nourishing and safe as you can. 

What are Irradiated foods? ICS #282

It is seldom mentioned or even thought about, but much of our food is irradiated.Irradiated food is supposed to be labelled as such, but in restaurants or processed foods with several ingredients, you will never know.

 And yet there are some major questions about its safely. There are no long term studies to determine whether there are harmful consequences. Animal studies have shown an increase in chronic degenerative diseases.

Irradiation creates URPs, which are "unique radiolytic products." These are a result of the free radicals created by using X-rays, electron beams, or nuclear exposure. The stated purpose is to discourage pathogenic microbes which may be in the food.

But the process does not destroy them all, and the free radicals can combine in unpredictable ways with pesticides and other chemicals and produce serious toxins like formaldehyde and benzene.

The process was encouraged mainly by the nuclear power industry to work its way into the food industry to make the nuclear waste from the power plants a part of the food processing process.

Though the food is not actually radioactive, still, is this really what we want to be eating?

Watch this video for more details. https://youtu.be/0R-N5I3NFjM


Randy's Take Home Tips: This is another reason to buy foods marked as organic. Foods labeled USDA Organic, or with other organic certifications are not supposed to have been irradiated. Even spices and herbs need to be organic, because if not, there is a high likelihood they have been irradiated. 

7 reasons for seasonal eating ICS #281

When you are deciding on what to prepare for your family meal, one of the factors to take into account is whether the food is in season. Seasonal eating is getting attention these days to reduce the carbon footprint of food distribution through long distance transportation and to support local farming. But there are health and lifestyle reasons too. At least 7 reasons good reasons.

But keep in mind, it only works if you consider what would grow in your own region in the current season. It is easy if you live in Pennsylvania to get foods even in winter which are in season in in south America where it is summer, and so on.

So watch this short video to hear the 7 reasons to choose seasonal foods.

This is #281 in my series on vibrant Health Through Natural Living! Please subscribe!

Randy's Take Home Tips: Kids enjoy choosing and preparing food, and learning about it can be an adventure! Research together what foods would normally grow in your area say 200 years ago and search out organic versions of it in your grocery store. Of course 200 years ago, all foods were organic so that's a good way to go too!

Put raw foods on the family table ICS #280

Before we humans discovered fire about 100,000 years ago, everything we ate was raw. So our basic eating pattern is raw foods.

They are rich in enzymes and other constituents which help with good digestion and with encouraging a healthy bacterial population in the digestive system.

As a successful species, we migrated to other parts of the world where raw foods were hard to come by, and we learned how to use fire to make foods which were otherwise inedible or unsafe for us safe to eat. We have been doing this long enough that we do have the systems to deal with cooked food.

But that doesn't mean we don't still benefit from eating raw foods! The best way to think about including raw foods is to prepare foods in traditional ways. If a food has been traditionally eaten raw, then that's the best use.

Like an apple. It  contributes more to your health raw than baked. But certain vegetables, like fibrous greens or tubers like potatoes are best cooked. Likewise with beans.

For example, if soybeans aren't fermented or cooked thoroughly they can interfere with normal hormone function. So for your kids, plan on frequent fresh fruit and salads as well as cooked protein foods and vegetables.

And get organic and local whenever possible to avoid adding the extra stress of chemicals derived from petro-chemicals and coal-tar which our bodies never have had to deal with until less than 100 years ago. century.

Here's my short video on raw foods. It's #280 in my series on Vibrant Health Through Natural Living.
https://youtu.be/Pi-PqaA2tx4

Randy's Take Home Tips. It's hard these days when we are trying to shop less often, but try to use raw foods within a week. Keep a fruit salad in the fridge for hungry kids. Chop up an apple, a banana and an orange or grapefruit and add some fresh berries. As you chop, cover the pieces in orange juice to keep the apple and banana from oxidizing (i.e., turning brown). In a covered bowl in the fridge it will keep half the week.( I use a ceramic bowl with a plate on top to avoid any migration of BPA from plastic containers.) You can do the same for a vegetable salad. Make it colorful. Lettuce, radishes, carrots, celery, cabbage, mushrooms, or whatever you have. Just leave off the dressing until it's served. Show kids how to add extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar to the veggie salad to enhance taste and absorption of minerals. Better yet, take time with the kids every couple of days to chop up the fruit or veggies for these salads. (Remember, any task takes two to four times longer with kids but it's more fun and adds to their education and growth way beyond the time spent.) Then show them where the salad is stored and how to serve themselves when they're hungry.  Kids are much more likely to eat food they have helped to prepare. And these salads will nourish them and keep them from choosing some processed snack in a bag or plastic sleeve.

What are pure foods and why do we need them? ICS #279

Why Keeping Your Dishes Simple Helps with Nutrition and Healthy ICS #278

How and Why to Buy Fresh ICS #277

These days sometimes our food isn't so fresh when we are limiting our outings and farmers' markets are closed. But it's still possible and worthwhile to think about seeing that our foods are as fresh as possible., Watch this short video.

3 Risks with Non-Organic Foods ICS #276

Why choose local foods for your family? ICS #275

Why Organic foods ICS #274

What is whole food and why do we need it?

De-Stressing ICS #272

Make sure your kids get sleep when Staying At Home ICS #271

Checklist for Kids' Needs at Home

Sometimes parents feel overwhelmed by what seem to be the almost endless needs of kids at home. In my book The Seven Secrets of Successful Parents, I give a finite checklist of a child's twelve basic needs. If a child gets out of sorts, you can run down this list and see what's missing. When you fix that item, it almost always improves behavior and everyone's satisfaction. 

The first and most important of physical needs is Sleep. Sleep is first because it is in deep sleep that your child's renews their body, digestion, nerves, memory, immune system, hormones, muscles and everything else. Tired kids get easily cranky, uncooperative, inattentive, and unfocused, as do we adults as well. In contrast, well-rested kids can self-entertain, pay attention, learn, cooperate, and sustain interest. Kids today often don't get enough sleep, doing homework, catching a school bus, or trying to grab a little time to themselves on screen or playing with the dog. As a parent, set a good sleep routine to give them at least 8 hours, preferably 9-10 hours. When they are home, let them sleep in, but remember this is no substitute for missed sleep other times. Be sure not to give them too much to worry about. If they are concerned about the Covid-19 virus problem, for example, know that they are aware of it and speak to them about it. Ask them what they are thinking and how they feel. Share your impressions and any actions you are taking. Do this always in age-appropriate language and in reassuring tones. Our children are supposed by nature to know that their parents are keeping them safe, so they can attend to learning, playing and growing. That way we help them to grow into emotionally strong and confident adults. 

   

How dear to us our mothers, the grandmothers to our children

Institute for Creative Solutions Special Announcement  Quick Links www.randyrolfe.com https://amzn.to/3acosXY Join Our List I am pleased to announce that my book Mothers Losing Mothers: Comfort and Reassurance in Your Time of Loss is now available in softcover and also as an eBook on Kindle and through Kindle apps on other devices. Simply go to this link: https://amzn.to/3acosXY. It has been a labor of love to bring these stories and ideas together from mothers who lost their mothers the same year I did, in 2010. Here are some recent readers' comments. "Filled with wisdom and love that highlight the experience of knowing and loving one's mother. Having lost my own mother at a young age, I readily relate. The stories told here will be jewels for all women." Alice Baland, psychotherapist, speaker, daughter, www.EatUptheGoodlife.com.  "An intimate insight into the profound love and bond that exists between mothers and daughters of all ages and into the transformative process that occurs at and after a mother's passing. The stories offer a rare opportunity to share the joys, grief and thoughts of those going through a mother's death." Joanna Infeld, Writer, editor and publisher - KORA PRESS KoraPress.com Here is a short description of Mothers Losing Mothers: A sensitive and powerful portrayal of how to deal with the loss of one of the most cherished relationships of all, between grown daughters and their mothers. A mother and best-selling author who has recently lost her mother shares her own story and the stories of other women who lost their mothers the same year. The loss of our mothers is meant to hurt, in both the divine and natural order. You are not alone in experiencing this loss, as millions are facing the same loss. Mourning is a feeling process which you must honor and allow. There are pitfalls of distraction, self-medication, and misdiagnosis. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, a renewing and spiritual light. These candid stories and the love and wisdom of the author's commentary help move the reader from the Tragedy of loss through seven stages of grief, called the Seven T's, to eventual Triumph. Comfort and reassurance create the space for healing. Each grieving mother tells a different story, but each shares the profound feelings of loss and the need to tell their story, honor their mother, and find ways to transform and renew their lives. The author's insightful commentary is based on her expertise as best-selling author, speaker, family therapist, world traveler, attorney, and theologian.  To purchase a copy, go to this link: https://amzn.to/3acosXY. Please share .Mothers Losing Mothers with all those you care about who have lost their mother or who have a parent going through their final time in this life. They will appreciate your caring and support. Please pass on the word about publication of Mothers Losing Mothers in eBook format for Kindle. It will soon be out in Softcover as well.. I wish you a fine Memorial Day Holiday/ Warm regards, Randy Rolfe You Can Postpone Anything But Love (TM)

Institute for Creative Solutions | 929 South High Street, Suite 150 | West Chester | PA | 19382

Kids At Home? Cook Together ICS #270

When Everyone Is Staying Home

For over 30 years I have been urging members of families  to appreciate how important they are to each other, and now with the ever present reminders that social gatherings are shutting down to try to minimize the impacts of this novel coronavirus, there seems to be a new conversation about what it means to be home with your kids all day, or how to relate to your spouse when you are both searching for new ways to manage work and home responsibilities and concerns in the same home space. Together time is on the rise all of a sudden. 

Here are a few quick tips from years of working with couples and parents to build and keep strong and rewarding relationships. RANDY'S TIPS:

(1) Acknowledge each other when you enter a room where they are, or they enter in a room where you are. Letting someone else know you are aware of their presence is extremely valuable, even if you just saw them 10 minutes ago somewhere else.

(2) Be open about your concerns. Don't let worries build up without letting others know your are feeling stress. They are likely to be a bit more generous with their time and their compassion. If they try to talk you out of it, be sure to own your feelings and listen but don't accept any judgment about your right to your feelings.

(3) Ask. Ask what they are thinking currently about any mutual concerns, like what to do with or for the children, how to pay bills with less money coming in, how to stock up on food, water, or paper goods and so on. Let them know their concerns and wishes are important to you.

(4) Be sensitive to age-appropriate communication with kids and elders. As a parent, part of your job is the shield you child from concerns too complex or unimaginable for their age or maturity. Be sure to let them know that things will sort themselves out okay. For elders, try not to burden them with concerns they can do nothing about. If your the sandwich generation, reassurance both up and down is your role, while you seek to take care of yourself through networks who can support you without taking on extra stress. 

(5) In close quarters, communication means everything, so you won't get on each other's nerves but instead feel supported and loved. At the same time, quiet and time alone must be respected too. Respect each family member's space and time to themselves. 

(6) Keep things in perspective. Things that may be annoying or frustrating on a normal day may need to be overlooked when new ways of being and interacting are emerging.

(7) Whether it's your partner, your child, or your elder, repeat often how you appreciate them, appreciate having them in your life, the little things they do every day, the silly things which amuse you and endear them to you, how you love them, your memories together, and your wishes for their future.

(8) Plan some good excuses to laugh together. Funny movie, silly game, preparation of a favorite meal, funny memories, family albums (real or digital!), a phone call or video call with a beloved relative.

I hope these thoughts help enrich your day!

Stocking up traditions ICS #269

Immune system support ICS #268 Key reminders on how to keep your family strong!