My Life as a Warrior Princess

- By JENNIFER SKY - September 9, 2013 - The New York Times

EVERY time Fashion Week returns to the city, the subways crowded with long-legged adolescents with stylish shoes and wary eyes, I can’t help but think about myself at age 14. That’s how old I was when I started working in the fashion industry.

I had wanted to go new places, to try bold new things. But I soon learned that this was a world where young women’s rights were worth less than the clothing they wore. In Italy, I was hired for a bathing suit shoot. The photographer made me stand in a freezing pool for hours, then screamed in my face when my skin turned an unattractive shade of blue. In Mexico, I was given drugs, then coerced into going topless for a shoot. I learned the hard way that my body was not my own.

I felt powerless, and after just a few years, I wanted out. So I found myself, at 17 in 1994, sitting on the floor in a corner of the Wilhelmina modeling agency, reading a pilot script for the first season of the television show “Xena: Warrior Princess.” I remember being excited by this incredible land of make-believe, a land where women ruled.

I auditioned for the role of Gabrielle, a farm girl who becomes a fighter. Although I did not get the part, I eventually made my way to Los Angeles, where, a few years later, I was cast in the stunt-heavy role of the Amazon warrior Amarice.

I traveled to New Zealand, where the show was filmed, and I soon realized that acting was nothing like modeling. Everyone was constantly asking me if I was O.K.; if I needed to take a break. They assured me that the stunt person could do this or that move if I was not comfortable with it.

Perhaps the main difference, then and now, is that actors have a union and models do not.

Xena, however, was also special. It was feminism at work, with female lead characters who were unapologetically powerful and sexy. During my time on the show, on six episodes from the fourth to the fifth seasons, I kicked butt. Off screen, I was trained in numerous fighting techniques, in archery and horseback riding. On screen, I hung with a Christ figure called Eli; I had a same-sex lover and a boyfriend of a different race than mine; I threw bombs and walked along high wires. I killed so many bad guys that they began to look the same. In fact, they were the same - 20 or so stunt men and women who did the most difficult tricks and falls, making the rest of us look good.

And I did it all in a wig of wild red hair and leather short-shorts.

Xena, which ran for six years before it ended in 2001, was a show that charmed even as it taught its audience a thing or two. It never reached too far beyond its kitschy foundations: in one episode, characters were crucified; in another, we did musical numbers. But it managed to bring home thought-provoking story lines about same-sex love, about religion, about soul mates and manifest destiny. Gender was not relevant in the Xenaverse. There, a girl or a boy could be a warlord or a farmer, a bard or a sad sack needing protection.

For me, in my early 20s, still recovering from an adolescence of exploitation at the hands of the fashion industry, it was shout-it-to-the-heavens inspiring. Joining this world of warrior princesses reignited the hope-driven child in me. I crushed so hard on Xena that I wrote Lucy Lawless, the actress who played her, a fan letter - and I worked on the show.

When I was growing up in a small town in the South, I thought a lot about what I wanted to be. I started out thinking I wanted to be a cheerleader, because cheerleaders were athletic and wore cute skirts. I moved on to wanting to be a lawyer: to stand up and argue my case with strength and conviction, to help people in need. I eventually settled on hoping to be an actress, and was lucky enough to become part of Xena’s world. There, I was able to embody all my hoped-for attributes: strength, athleticism, courage, grace under pressure, looking good in shorts.

I haven’t done any acting in a few years, but I carry Xena’s lessons forward. And I never forget how much we all need our heroes and heroines, our mythical gods, our warrior princesses. For all its pomp and glamour, the fashion industry was never able to give me that kind of hope.

Jennifer Sky, a former model and actress, is working on a memoir.

Many Benefits of Crushed Raw Garlic, The Wonder Drug

Garlic’s great bulb has countless benefits. No other plant has been held out for so long as a cure for so many human ailments. That is why garlic has been considered as the natural "Wonder Drug". The best way to enjoy garlic’s health benefits is to eat it raw and crushed.

Garlic has been used medicinally for many years for treating insect bites, tumors, ulcers, snakebites, wounds, headaches, heart disease, cancer, pimples, measles, sore throats, and many diseases. Garlic also prevents infections such as the flu, common cold and cough due to its high Anti-bacterial, Anti-fungal and Anti-viral property.

As the common proverb said: "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away".

In the same manner: "A single bulb of garlic a day, keeps many diseases away".

In general, garlic exhibits antioxidant activity, which is good for your digestive system, skin and more. It also contains flavonoids, which is good for keeping your heart and body healthy.

Garlic contains a range of compounds including "Allicin", which is a pungent oily liquid that gives crushed garlic cloves their characteristic smell, and has been shown to be the antibacterial agent due to its active sulphur.

Raw garlic is very smelly, so in order to reduce its smell. Crushed first and chopped raw garlic, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, which would provide enough time for the alliinase and alliin in garlic to interact with oxygen in the air and form allicin. Simply add one clove for children and two cloves for each adult per day, into your room temperature gravy and foods, salad dressings, soup, yogurt, or garnish it before serving in your own style.

It is better for your digestive system and health to eat your foods at room temperature. You should never drink hot beverages and eat hot foods, rather lukewarm, or room temperature.

A Few Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is just magnificent and phenomenal. The followings are a few basic known and reliable home remedies for some specific ailments, which you can try at home.

If you have cold and flu, then take small amount of garlic every day until the infection disappears. Garlic tends to reduce the frequency of colds and flu without any side effects. A suggested dose would be two or three cloves of raw, or lightly cooked garlic a day.

We all face horrid acne, blemishes, blackheads during our teens. If you want to reduce it, or if you just want to glow up your skin, then take two cloves of crushed raw garlic regularly with lukewarm water early in the morning. Garlic works as a blood cleanser and clean your system internally. Do not eat chocolates, spicy, or oily food during this treatment and rinse your face five times a day with cold water. Drinks lots of water daily to flush off toxic waste from the blood and urinate whenever you feel that your bladder is full. Else, apply a cut of raw garlic clove gently on the affected area only if you have no sensitivity to it.

Those with High Cholesterol Level, can add raw garlic in their foods. This is the better way for heart patients to reduce their cholesterol level. Modern medical science suggests a very good reason that garlic could reduce cholesterol, i.e. "Garlic is a proven anti-oxidant". This property might help to prevent (LDL), the Low Density Lipo Protein from being oxidized. This way the cholesterol build-up that clogs the arteries will be be reduced by raw garlic use.

If you are very fat and want to loose weight, squeeze half lemon juice in one glass of lukewarm water and drink it with two cloves of raw garlic regularly twice a day (morning and evening), for about three months. Avoid using starchy foods and fats. Do exercise regularly. You will amazingly feel a great change in your health and body.

If you have Wrinkles, and you want to use anti ageing cream, it would be better to use 3 cloves of crushed garlic regularly as it has a powerful antioxidant effect, which help to protect the body against damaging "Free Radicals". Remember, out skin is made up of collagen and it looses elasticity on yearly basis. Therefore, use garlic and do exercise regularly for the positive results.

If you have Earache, put two or three drops of warm garlic oil in the ears.

Take garlic to boosts the weight of babies in the womb. Thus, when they are born, they are heavier than they would have been if you hadn't taken garlic. Some babies are born too small, so garlic is a definite boon in these cases too.

Take two raw garlic cloves daily to reduce the risk of cancer, due to its Anti-Carcinogenic properties. It helps prevent cancerous compounds from forming and developing into tumors. It also inhibits the growth of tumors.

If any insect bites you at the seaside, you just crush the garlic and apply it to the affected area to reduce pain and to remove poison.

Best Safe Way of Taking Garlic

Adults could enjoy 2 cloves of raw garlic and children 1 fresh garlic clove. Crush the raw garlic cloves and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, eat it raw, before going to sleep, swallow with a glass of milk, or water. - Do not take more than 2 raw cloves of garlic per day, as it might make your blood too thin, causing serious ailments.

Contra-indications Precautions

To enjoy garlic’s health benefits, adults should never consume more than 3 to 4 raw cloves of garlic a day and children 1 to 2 small cloves.

Patients suffering from heart and other cardiovascular problems and diseases should take medical advice before consuming raw garlic.

It is best to avoid garlic before any surgery because it could probably disturb Anticoagulants.

If you are on any medication, always check with your doctor first before taking raw garlic.

Asthma patients should not use it as it worsens the symptoms of Asthma.

People with sensitive skin should use caution applying raw garlic physically on the affected area. Raw garlic can burn delicate skins. Do not use directly on skin if your skin is sensitive or susceptible to rashes, or other skin reactions without consulting your doctor first. People who are, or may be allergic to garlic, or any of its sulfur compounds should not try direct raw garlic application on their skin.

Garlic’s Side Effects:

Although, garlic is a natural Anti-biotic but a very small number of people have been known to exhibit Hypersensitivity to garlic. Garlic allergy includes skin rash, higher temperature than normal and headaches. Garlic intolerance could result in Heartburn or Flatulence.

Points To Be Noted

It is important to remember that the effect of garlic on cold and flu comes from Allicin and this can be obtained from crushed, raw garlic and is destroyed by cooking. Garlic cloves cooked whole have very little medicinal value. Garlic with strong smell has more Sulphur in it, which is good enough for medicinal purpose.

Few Facts About Garlic, The Wonder Drug

* Garlic helps to boost up our Metabolism rate. Thus help us to reduce our weight easily.

* Garlic helps reduce Atherosclerotic buildup (Plaque) within the arterial system.

* Garlic lowers and helps to regulate Blood Sugar.

* Garlic helps to prevent blood clots from forming, thus reducing the possibility of Strokes.

* Garlic helps to prevent Cancer, especially of the digestive system, prevent certain tumors from growing larger and reduces the size of certain tumors.

* Garlic helps to detoxify and remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from your body.

* Raw garlic is a proven natural antibiotic and, while far less strong than modern antibiotics, can still kill some strains of bacteria that have become immune or resistant to modern antibiotics.

* Garlic dramatically reduces yeast infections in your body parts.

* Garlic helps to make your immune system stronger against cancer, ulcers, hemorrhoids etc.

Freshly Crushed Raw Garlic is Much Better For The Heart Than Processed

On July 29, 2009, a new research study reports the first scientific evidence that freshly crushed raw garlic has more potent heart-healthy effects than dried garlic. Also most of the garlic's benefits are due to its rich array of antioxidants.

One of Garlic's heart-healthy effects results from production of hydrogen sulfide, a signaling substance that forms after raw garlic is crushed and eaten after 10 minutes, it relaxes your blood vessels acting as a chemical messenger in your body. But dried, or cooked garlic loses its ability to produce hydrogen sulfide.

The scientists gave freshly crushed raw garlic and dried and cooked garlic to two groups of lab rats. The results of the study showed how well the animals' hearts recovered from simulated heart attacks. "Both crushed raw garlic and cooked and dried garlic did reduce damage from lack of oxygen. But the fresh raw garlic group had a significantly greater effect on restoring good blood flow in the aorta and increased pressure in the left ventricle of the heart."

The very same recent scientific research tells us that slicing, chopping, mincing or pressing garlic before cooking can enhance the health-promoting properties of garlic. Garlic is rich in a wide variety of sulfur-containing compounds. One of the best studied is a compound called alliin. Alliin and a related enzyme (named "alliinase") are present but separated inside certain garlic cells when the garlic is whole and unbroken. But when garlic is cut, chewed, chopped, or crushed, these cells can rupture.

When they do, the aliinase enzyme can come into contact with the alliin molecule and cause the creation of a new compound called allicin. Allicin can be a very valuable garlic molecule in terms of its health benefits, because its intake has been associated with cardiovascular, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer benefits. Allicin is also one of the garlic compounds that contributes to the pungent aroma and "bite" we experience from garlic. Chopping, mincing, crushing, or pressing garlic and allowing it to sit for 5-10 minutes can help provide enough time for the alliinase and alliin in garlic to interact and form allicin.

How To Awaken The Divine Masculine Within You

- By Lisa Thiel - Jun 8, 2013

The divine masculine is what is going to support the birth process of the new earth, which is being brought into manifestation by divine feminine. Thus, the new earth is a co-creation that depends on divine feminine and divine masculine both coming into its full respective power.

In our modern society, masculinity has been seen as a problem rather than something that should be embraced, because it is rare that any man exhibits true masculinity.

The only example of masculinity we currently have is the shadow side of masculinity. This shadow side of masculinity fuels the societal idea of competitive hierarchy. In other words, it fuels the idea that one person on top of another person.

The shadow side of masculinity perpetuates vertical thinking. Vertical thinking is comparative thinking; where it is possible to be better than or less than someone else. And so, the power struggle was born.

Divine masculine represents action, direction, movement, responsibility, strength, focus, fatherhood, the sun, generosity, encouragement, material abundance, clarity, intellect, transformation and growth.

The divine masculine is what is going to support the birth process of the new earth, which is being brought into manifestation by divine feminine. Thus, the new earth is a co-creation that depends on divine feminine and divine masculine both coming into its full respective power.

You need to be willing to heal your negative emotions relative to anything you identify as male to set the masculinity within you free. It is exhausting suppressing the essence of who you are. And so, it is time to quit suppressing who you are.

In this episode, Teal explains how men can open up to the divine masculine within themselves.

Ask Teal Website - http://www.askteal.com