by Kristina Amelong 

(PART 1 of Kristina's personal wellness story entitled "Golden Arches")

What is well-being? How do we create well-being within our own lives? What do we need to learn to attend to life’s challenges with a growing vitality?

In her diary, A Burst of Light: Living with Cancer, Audre Lorde writes, "Another secret is to find some particular thing your soul craves for nourishment -- a different religion, a quiet spot, a dance class -- and satisfy it. That satisfaction does not have to be costly or difficult. Only a need that is recognized, articulated, and answered."

My journey of well-being began at McDonald's, the day I turned 16. I showed up drunk that first day, or, more accurately, hung over -- I had been drinking an assortment of stolen liquor since 8 a.m. By 4 p.m., the start of my 3-hour Friday night shift, I boasted a respectable hangover.

My job was buns. My entire focus centered on the hamburger bun, top and bottom -- the same bun found in the Happy Meal. I was to listen for the woman in the blue uniform to call out some number of burgers, always a multiple of two.

"Twelve burgers!"

As I split each white bun in half, I placed the tops face down on one stainless steel tray and the bottoms face up on a separate stainless steel tray. I then put the tray of the bottom buns, lying face up, in the toaster.

The waiting part was the hardest -- standing with nothing to do (which I was quickly trained not to do). This nothingness invariably led my attention to just how deathly ill I felt. At one point, I ran to the bathroom to throw up. Luckily, no one seemed to notice.

Sixty seconds later, the bun buzzer went off. I scrambled to take the stainless steel sheet and its buns out of the toaster, without losing any. Once this was done, the tops went in. Next I placed the perfect amount of mustard, ketchup, onions, and pickles on the bun. Once accomplished, I called out, "Cheese on a dozen?"

The woman in the blue uniform responded, "Eight, please."

Finally, I placed all twelve tops onto the tray of twelve burgers in one elegant move. Done!

Throughout the years, five in all, I delighted in the burgers I flipped, the French fries I brought to a crispy perfection, and the Coca Cola I passed off with a smile. But preparing and serving the food weren't the only skills I learned.

While my time at McDonald's may have contributed to my later chronic illness, in many ways it also helped to save my life:

• I learned how to think and how to work with people
• I learned how to be a part of a team and how to show up
• I learned how to listen, work hard and respond flexibly to new situations
• and, I learned how to improve myself

Now, at 46, I am continually awed at how the skills I learned at McDonald's help me to stay healthy, grow emotionally, and attend to life's challenges. Join me as I share my journey of well-being in continued posts.

READ NEXT POST IN THIS SERIES

Labels: addictions, alternative health, diet and lifestyle, natural healing

by Stephanie Carnes
OHN Contributor

Coffee can be very hard on your body. It makes the body overly acidic, kills the healthy microbes in your gut, and tends to throw your blood sugar off balance. An addiction to this beverage is a sign that your adrenal glands are already exhausted, and coffee drains those glands even more. All of these imbalances make it hard for the body to truly rest, and they make it hard for the individual to know what their limits are.

Many people find that coffee is almost impossible to give up because it is one of their most important and essential daily rituals. People need rituals that allow them to feel that life is good and that they can handle the chores of day-to-day life. Unfortunately, for many this contentment comes with their daily cup of coffee. If this is the case with you, you will want to find a coffee substitute like green or herbal tea, at least for a period of time. Go out and get yourself a lot of different teas, experiment and have fun!

Besides the excess sugar or NutraSweet found in soda, studies demonstrate that phosphorus, a frequent ingredient of soda, can deplete bones of calcium. Phosphorus, which occurs naturally in some foods and is used as an additive in many others, appears to weaken bones by promoting the loss of calcium throughout the entire body. With less calcium available, the bones suffer by becoming more porous and prone to fractures and osteoporosis.

Additionally, alcohol contains elements of fermentation that can be dangerously stressful and damaging to the liver, which is our major filter of toxins as well as the major organ of digestion. Alcohol also damages glandular/immune organs, connective tissue and the nervous system. For those of you who find it hard to give up alcohol, twelve step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are welcoming and have healing tools that do work. Your life will be greatly enriched by doing the emotional and spiritual work of the steps.

You may be putting undue strain on your digestive and detoxification systems if you are over-consuming these beverages. It is recommended to eliminate them from your diet all together if you have chosen to embark on the Optimal Health Center detoxification plan.

For more information on Kristina Amelong’s Step-By-Step Guide to Nutritional Therapy and Cleansing, please view the source below.

SOURCE: Ten Days to Optimal Health (Amelong 2006)

Labels: addictions, blood sugar, caffeine, calcium, NutraSweet, osteoporosis