The Daily Practice! The Great Caffeine Debate!

I feel as though lately, I have had alot of people ask me my thoughts on coffee and caffeine, esp as alot of people are doing the Roots Wise cleanse and talking about eliminating coffee from their diet. My take is that caffeine in and of itself is not a bad thing...rather it's how we incorporate caffeine into our lives that can make it harmful. Along with excess caffeine consumption seems to come excess stress. We create a vicious circle of stress and fatigue with the use of excess stimulants, for our bodies to have to deal with. Often lack of energy starts with sub-optimum nutrition leading to fatigue which leads to the use of stimulants for energy.... leading to an over use of stimulants causing stress, anxiety, mood swings and even more fatigue from the crash....leading to a dependence on stimulants causing exhaustion, depression, chronic fatigue and an inability to cope with stress....all of which ultimately leads to withdrawal and all the BS that comes with that!!! Sounds like a damn good time eh?! Key to all of this is the word EXCESS. There are so many debates going on about whether or not caffeine is good for you or not and so much research being done to prove both points. After so much research and experimenting on my own, I believe that since caffeine is something that has been ingested for thousands of years (via various herbs around the world) there has to have some redeeming qualities...If I didn't think so, I would have started an Energy Tea Company! In an attempt to continue to keep the Daily Practice posts brief, here is a quick summary:

• Caffeine in moderation can be good for us on so many levels
• Caffeine in excess, in any form, can lead to adrenal burn out, chronic fatigue, depression, etc, etc, etc!!!
• Make your caffeine count by choosing sources that are richer in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants such as green tea or yerba mate
• If you crave real - long lasting energy: decrease your caffeine consumption, increase your water intake, get plenty of sleep and MOVE!!
• Limit coffee or tea to no more than 2-3 cups/day...remember a cup is 8 oz not 24!

There are various sources of caffeine and an energy boost out there...know what you are ingesting and make the best choice. Moderation is the key to living a long, healthy, energized life! Your challenge this week for the Daily Practice: be conscious of your caffeine intake from all the various sources that surround us, do some of your own research, cut back as best you are able and take time to enjoy it...there are tea rituals all over the world for a reason....but it's how and when we ingest that determines how it affects us. Live a life with less stress!

The Daily Practice!! This is SERIOUS!!!!

Your Daily Practice for every day for the rest of your life....reduce your consumption of plastic as drastically as you can!

Plastic has taken over, taken control of our lives and soon will be the death of us as a species after it kills our oceans...Sound a little dramatic I know but it's not at all. What we have created, plastic, will ultimately destroy us. The evidence is undeniable and devastating. We have already heard of the dangerous effects that the chemicals in plastic have on humans...

• Direct toxicity, as in the cases of lead, cadmium, and mercury
• Carcinogens, as in the case of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)
• Endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, infertility issues, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children.

But what about our environment, our oceans and all of marine life... Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?? It is destroying our ocean...and we can take action!!

"Most of our waste today is comprised of plastic. Plastic, which is made from petroleum, is a material that the Earth cannot digest. Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists, except for a small amount that has been incinerated, releasing toxic chemicals.

In the ocean, plastic waste accumulates in swirling seas of debris, where plastic to sea life ratios are 6:1; where birds and mammals are dying of starvation and dehydration with bellies full of plastics; where fish are ingesting toxins at such a rate that soon they will no longer be safe to eat.

The largest of these garbage swills is known as the Pacific Gyre, or The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco."

Please, please watch this video: Great Pacific Garbage Patch This utterly disgusts me, infuriates me, makes me want to do everything I can....hence why I am sharing this with you. This time of year plastic surrounds us at even more alarming rates. Black Friday is around the corner...boycott it! Cut your consumption of plastic, eliminate the use of so many plastic bags and so many plastic water bottles. With an estimated trillion single use plastic bags being consumed around the globe every year, earth's fragile eco-systems are crying out for help. Countless species are suffering from the litter of plastic bags which are designed to be used only once and then tossed into the heap. This christmas, give more by giving life. Think about your purchases before you swipe the card...even better don't swipe them at all. Give gifts that mean more, that last a lifetime...gifts of friendship, time spent, health, a cleaner environment/home for your kids and grandkids. Instead donate to a your favorite organization working to clean our oceans in your loved one's name. Here are a few examples:

• Surfrider Foundation
• Oceana
• Water for People
• Trekking for Kids
• Shelterbox
• 1% for the Planet

The 1% for the Planet website has a great database of non-profits to check out. Right now is the time for so many reasons. We as a society are fired up right now, not just aobut the state of our environment but also the state of our economy and class division. This last quarter is what the giant corps, that we are fighting against, are literally banking on! Boycott Black Friday. Boycott consumerism. Boycott plastic. Do what you can, even if it's only a little right now...every bit helps. Please, pretty please!!

Best F-ing Year!!

“The Best F-ing Year”-A bold new concept designed with the sole purpose to inspire people worldwide to have the best year of their lives and spread the message to others.

This is NOT a business idea and the goal of this is not to generate income but instead to generate positive ACTION in peoples lives. This is not at all solely about fitness or health or losing 30 pounds. It is about each and every persons interpretation of living each and every day fully culminating into a years worth of those experiences.

We are trying to start a revolution of living life fully for everyone. Most of us here are blessed to know how to live fully and full of adventures but we are living in a world of 1 in 3 obesity and rampant unhappiness. let's help those people, ourselves and everyone else looking for a little inspiration!

T-Shirts Are Available!!

We started with a small batch to see and now need more! People are stoked and want to spread the word! Your "F-ing" can mean whatever you want it to!

We will be placing another shirt order on or around December 5th. Get your order in now! Gift giving season is around the corner....why not give those you care about the gift of inspiration! Forget about material itmes and inspire instead...it lasts a whole hell of alot longer! A portion of the procedds from each T-shirt sale will go to various charities as the word spreads. The first organization we picked will be the Maple Street Bike Park in Essex, Vt. The bike park will be a rad community gathering spot to hone your skills, get out and learn to ride a bike, practice your dirt jumping technique and straight up just move!!

T-shirts are black with White lettering across the front for the men and charcoal with white lettering for the ladies. The ladies will be a slimmer fitting women's shirt. (in the pic below Skye is wearing a men's brown with black and white design...these new ones will just be black and white like the logo)

$15 for short sleeve and $20 for long sleeve (men's only) (few more bucks this batch b/c we went with higher quality tees and this doesn't include shipping if you want us to ship)

Shirts come with some stickers too! Start tagging your own stuff or other people's stufff....below is a sample of what we have been up to!

Send a check to Megan Walsh or Skye Nacel at:

P.O. Box 897

Morrisville, VT 05661

And we'll get you your goods to you by Dec 20th one way or another!

If you want us to ship shirts to you...add $5.00 for S&H.