Every once in a great while, we discover a new idea so brilliant that it takes the rest of humanity years to accept it and make it part of their daily lives. Electricity, telephones, cars, and even TV fall into this category. People needed time to wrap their heads around the idea that something so beneficial could be produced so easily.

I felt the same way when I first heard about water ionizers. “A little machine that makes magic anti-oxidant water? For way less than the cost of bottled water? That has to be a scam”, I reasoned. A few years later my in-laws were excitedly telling me about the holistic health benefits of their new water ionizer machine, and I had to reconsider.

So they told me their first hand accounts and I was shocked. They’re not health nuts by any means. All they did was add in the alkaline water instead of drinking bottled water and filtered tap water. With that ONE change, they began to detox and experienced weight loss without effort, more energy and deeper sleep, they “felt hydrated for the first time ever”, and the water was even “much easier to drink”. (That’s due to the newly “micro clustered” water molecules, which actually do hydrate our bodies much better than non-ionized water.) Now as someone who eats and drinks in a very health-conscious way, I was skeptical that one could still make less-than-awesome food choices and feel great with the simple addition of water. And yet that is exactly what my in-laws experienced. They are still loving their water ionizer and discovering new cumulative health benefits as time goes on. There are other benefits that they, and their friends have experienced, but they are so wonderful as to be unbelievable sounding so I’m not going to mention them here. Let me just say that I think Fountain of Youth would be an appropriate name for the KYK Genesis water ionizer.

If I hadn’t witnessed it myself, I don’t know if I would have believed these amazing claims. Ionized, alkaline water is not yet available in stores so it’s one of those products that we still have to experience through our friends and family. Or we act on faith and see what amazing results we will personally experience. Plus there’s a 60 day money back guarantee so there is plenty of time to see what improvements you notice from drinking and using ionized, alkaline water.

Have you tried a water ionizer? Leave your stories, questions, and comments below and share the love!

Both of Wild Divine’s products combine biofeedback data with an enlightening interactive format. Their flagship product, Healing Rhythms is described as a “guided training program” and is better suited for adults and teens. The Passage: Journey to Wild Divine is presented as a beautiful interactive game and is adventurous fun for all ages. (There is another game – Wisdom Quest – that can also be used with The Passage.) Here’s a video clip of The Passage:

Even if you have never meditated before, the very act of watching your biofeedback levels will begin to bring you into a state of calm. Playing with the games will bring anyone into a deeper state of inner peace. The manufacturers don’t talk about the health benefits much, but that’s the part I find especially amazing. The biofeedback unit measures the Heart Rate Variability, and HRV is the best predictor of future mortality and morbidity than any of the standard risk factors (cholesterol, smoking, exercise levels, etc). That means using a Wild Divine product helps us learn to be relax while transforming our health, too. Now that’s holistic health care.

Besides the game versus training format of the two systems, my research shows one other consideration. The Passage game system does not come with detailed graphing abilities, but separate Grapher Expansion software is available. This is the package I will be purchasing, because I want the flexibility of lots of game play but still have the option to just quietly watch my body’s rhythms. Plus, I can add the Wisdom Quest game later if I want.

This certainly isn’t the only way how to meditate, but it is an innovative new tool that promises to open humanity’s understanding about the body-mind connection. Have you tried any of the Wild Divine biofeedback products? We would love to hear your feedback!

Image courtesy of Hector Landaeta.

BONUS COUPON: Get $10 off a $50+ purchase. Just use Coupon Code AP2P during checkout. Expires January 31st, 2008.

The Best Electric Tea Kettle: This is the best electric tea kettle, simply because it outperformed all other models due to its awesome heat retention, quick boiling time (twice as fast), automatic shut-off, and safety features. The perfect gift for those tea lovers.
$69.95

We lay our bodies on our sheets about a third of our lives, which, from my point of view, is too much time spent with the most chemical-laden crop in the world. Thanks to the many online retailers soft organic sheets are an affordable nightly luxury that we should all enjoy.

Right now Gaiam is having an Organic Sheet Sale with prices as low as $40 per sheet. They also carry attractive printed organic sheets vs the standard solid white most retailers carry.

Viva Terra carries organic Pima cotton sheet sets in queen and king, as well as organic Duvet Covers. If you are in need of other sizes I’d head over to Design Public for their organic full fitted and flat sheets.

For the little ones, who probably benefit most from chemical-free sheets, Kee-Ka carries organic cotton baby bedding in solid colors and delicious cupcake patterns. Pair the sheets together with an organic blanket and your baby should be all set.

If you happen to live in an especially sunny climate, such as our own San Diego “300 days of sunshine” California, you might find yourself wishing for a little relief from the heat. When you’re outside and away from your air conditioned houses and cars, try using a portable mister like 8.5″ tall Cool Blast. All is takes is a superfine mist of water and you’ll be feeling 30 degrees cooler. It doesn’t even need batteries. Brilliant! They’re even on sale right now, so you can beat the heat all summer for just a few bucks.

On Sale: $14.99 or 2 for $25 (usually $20 each)

Used by travelers to reduce aircraft engine noise, and by others preferring tranquility in their work, these Bose headphones are renowned for their full-spectrum noise reduction and comfortable fit. Both styles feature tiny microphones inside the ear cups that identify unwanted sound and a correction signal prevents the noise from reaching the speakers, ensuring external noise reduction.

This special offer includes a free MP3 player that has voice recording, voice playback capabilities, and comes preloaded with 38 songs. Hurry, as this offer ends June 30th 2007.

Did you know that about 1/3 pounds of chemicals are used to grow and manufacture just 1 pound of cotton? Towels are a daily necessity, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to dry off with chemical-laden materials everyday. Another neat thing about organic cotton is its super absorbent capability. Organic cotton towels are more absorbent than conventional ones, which means you’ll dry off faster and your towels will sustain less wear and tear.

You won’t have to sacrifice elegance for buying green either. Each towel boasts a Dobby hem, the trademark of fine linens. These would make a great bridal shower or housewarming gift, but would be perfect gift for yourself, too.

$6.00-$29.00

Posh Tots has an awe inspiring collection of fantasy furniture available in many different themes: each one a unique work of art. One of the grandest beds they offer is the Fantasy Coach bed. Themed like Cinderella’s pumpkin coach, this bed is as magic as the real thing. This princess carriage bed is handcrafted in England, and is sure to make all your little girl’s dreams come true. For those of you with little pirates in training, you’ll love the ornately decorated Shiver Me Timbers bed and bedding. If your little swashbuckler dreams of sailing the deep blue sea, and wants to be the captain of his own pirate ship, then this is the bed for him! Another amazing bed is the Gingerbread Cottage. A Posh Tots exclusive, this charming cottage is sure to make your little girl feel just like Goldilocks. It’s a 2 story cottage with room for a twin size mattress, and an entire upper floor for imaginative play.

These beds are exquisite, but being a splurge item, they are not for everyone. If you have the budget for a fantasy bed, Posh Tots is the place to order from, otherwise you can try your hand at making your own!

$1,000-$49,000

COUPONS: Save 10% on orders $200-$999 with code LOVE10
Save 15% on orders over $1000 with code LOVE15
Coupons good until 2/28/07