24 Seven January 2022

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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Joan Herrmann
—
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lindsay Pearson
—
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Matt Herrmann
—
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Chris Giordano
Andrea Valentie
Oliver Pane
—
CONTRIBUTORS
Rick Hanson, PhD
Mark Hyman, MD
Guy Finley
Gayle M. Gruenberg
Joan Herrmann
Linda Mitchell, CPC

FROM THE EDITOR
—
Three words that everyone fears hearing are, “You
have cancer.”
At 26 years old, Chris Wark heard those words when
he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Chris had
surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor and a third of
his colon. His doctors recommended a rigorous course
of treatment, which included chemotherapy. But after
surgery, instead of the traditional chemotherapy, he
decided to forego their recommendations and radically
change his diet and lifestyle in order to promote health
and healing in his body.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Chris. In
our conversation he described his healing journey and
he shared the strategies that he and many others have
used to heal cancer. These strategies include adopting
the beat cancer mindset; radical diet and lifestyle
changes; mental, emotional, and spiritual healing; and
advanced integrative therapies.
Chris is the author of Chris Beat Cancer and Beat
Cancer Kitchen.
Listen to my conversation with Chris:
www.cyacyl.com/shows/chris-wark
— Joan Herrmann

CHRIS WARK
ISSUE NO.135

INSIDE THIS
ISSUE
EAT HEALTHY ON A BUDGET
BY MARK HYMAN, MD
PAGE 12
OPEN YOURSELF TO THE PRESENCE
OF THE ASCENDING SPIRIT
BY GUY FINLEY
PAGE 18
HOLD WANTS LIGHTLY
BY RICK HANSON, PHD
PAGE 22
ON THIS MONTH’S
COVER
AT 26 YEARS OLD, CHRIS WARK WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH STAGE 3 COLON CANCER. HE HAD SURGERY
TO REMOVE A GOLF BALL-SIZED TUMOR AND A THIRD
OF HIS COLON. BUT AFTER SURGERY, INSTEAD OF
THE TRADITIONAL CHEMOTHERAPY, HE DECIDED
TO RADICALLY CHANGE HIS DIET AND LIFESTYLE IN
ORDER TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND HEALING IN HIS
BODY. CHRIS DESCRIBES HIS HEALING JOURNEY
AND SHARES THE STRATEGIES THAT HE AND MANY
OTHERS HAVE USED TO HEAL CANCER. THESE
STRATEGIES INCLUDE ADOPTING THE BEAT CANCER
MINDSET; RADICAL DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES;
AND MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL HEALING,
AS WELL AS ADVANCED INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES.
CHRIS IS THE AUTHOR OF CHRIS BEAT CANCER AND
BEAT CANCER KITCHEN.
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION WITH:
www.cyacyl.com/shows/chris-wark
CLOSE THE STABLE DOOR BEFORE THE HORSE BOLTS
BY JOAN HERRMANN
PAGE 26
21 DAYS TO A POSITIVE MINDSET
BY LINDA MITCHELL
PAGE 28
ORGANIZING YOUR DIGITAL FILES
BY GAYLE M. GRUENBERG
PAGE 32
24 SEVEN MAGAZINE

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ISSUE
NO.135
JANUARY
2022
E AT
HEALTHY
ON A
BUDGET
Knowing full well we are short on time and often money, fast
food manufacturers and grocers lure us into convenient,
heavily processed meals that take a toll on our waistline, our
overall health, and believe it or not, our budget.
Written by Mark Hyman, MD

W
With our busy lives, these
temptations seem so much easier and affordable
than cooking. Between our never-ending to-do lists,
demanding jobs, children’s busy schedules, and perhaps
less-than-stellar skills in the kitchen, cooking seems to
slide down to the bottom of our list of priorities.
Unfortunately, we’ve now raised several generations of
Americans who don’t know how to cook. And it’s killing
us.
The food industry wants us to believe that cooking is
difficult, time-consuming, inconvenient, and expensive.
They’ve brainwashed us to believe that we “deserve a
break today.”
Nonsense. You can eat well for less money by making
simple, whole, fresh food. In fact, a simple dinner for a
family of four consisting of roast chicken, vegetables, and
salad can cost about half of what dinner at a fast food
restaurant would.
The Expensive Cost of Cheap Food
When people tell me they cannot afford organic
produce or healthy cuts of meat, I ask them to consider
the gargantuan markup of many convenience foods.
Manufacturers package them in “value-priced jumbo
sized” containers and grocery stores promote them with
price cuts to create the illusion we are getting value.
When people tell me eating healthy is expensive, I ask
them to factor in what they spend on designer coffees,
bodegas, grab-and-go meals, and other conveniences
that might spare them a little time but at the expense of
their health.
Relying on inexpensive, overly processed food is
tempting given our demanding lives and schedules, but
the cost is quite large.
Feasting on the sodium, fat, and sugar bombs disguised
as food can lead to serious diseases that cost hundreds of
dollars in doctor’s visits and prescription drugs. Chowing
down on these things make us sick and sluggish, resulting
in less productivity. When we feel crummy, it ripples into
other areas of our lives. We have less patience for our
loved ones, for instance, and less energy to work or enjoy
ourselves.
In the bigger picture, that “value menu” is anything but
a value.
You Don’t Need to Spend Half Your Paycheck to Eat
Healthy
Even if time and money aren’t on your side, you
can still eat healthy. This is one of the most common
misconceptions I hear. I understand the challenges of
trying to eat well with limited financial resources, limited
time, or both. But you don’t have to be rich or retired to
eat well and take care of yourself.
Dispelling 3 Healthy Eating Myths
The food industry spends billions of dollars each year
and has become incredibly crafty at convincing us that
sugary, processed foods are a real value. Let’s look at
three of their myths and consider the truth about eating
healthy.
1. Healthy food costs more. Research shows eating
healthy, whole, real food isn’t necessarily more expensive
than eating junk food, fast food, processed foods, or
convenience foods. In fact, the top four things purchased
in supermarkets are all drugs: sugar, caffeine, nicotine,
and alcohol! If you give up those “drugs,” your grocery
bill will go down dramatically.
2. Healthy food is hard to find. You don’t have
to shop in a gourmet food store, a health-food store, a
farmer’s market, or eat only organic to eat well. There are
plenty of healthy foods right in your local supermarket.
Just shop around the outside aisles of the store. Another

convenient way to access healthy food is online.
3. Healthy food takes lots of time to prepare. You
don’t have to spend hours cooking complex meals to eat
well. Good quality, fresh food is easy to prepare and enjoy
once you learn how.
10 Strategies to Eat Well on a Budget
Ultimately, it is up to us to take control of our kitchens
and our lives. The most radical message we can send the
food industry – which considers money, not our health in
regard to its bottom line – is to prepare our own meals,
make the best food selections within our budgets, and
reclaim our health.
This does not mean turning bargain food shopping into
a second hobby. We are all overworked, overstressed, and
overtaxed. Most of us don’t have time to scrupulously
compare store prices or cut coupons.
Even so, there are ways of making choices that work
within our resources. Here are 10 ideas based on how I
save time and money and create better health for myself.
1. Keep a journal. This might be the most eye-opening
experience you will encounter to better budget your time,
resources, and money. For just one week, keep a journal
of every cent you spend and how you spend every hour of
the day. Think of money as your life energy. It represents
your time in physical form. How do you want to spend
this life energy?
2. Choose three things that give you more money. For
example, don’t buy that $2 coffee every day — that’s $730
a year! Likewise, you might find yourself gravitating
to the vending machine daily. You can put that money
towards much better use.
3. Buy in season. You will almost always get fresher
produce, probably locally grown, for less money, when it
is in season.
4. Learn the dirty dozen. Not everyone has the budget
to buy 100 percent organic, but the more you can, the
more you will avoid GMOs and have better health.
5. Frequent discount grocery stores. Search out cheaper
sources of fresh, whole foods in your neighborhood. My
top choices are stores like Trader Joe’s and shopping clubs
like Costco or Sam’s Club, where you can buy vegetables,
olive oil, fruits, nuts, canned beans, sardines, and salmon
at much lower prices than regular supermarkets or other
retail chains.
6. Think about joining your local food co-op. Co-ops
are community-based organizations that support local
farmers and businesses and allow you to order foods and
products in bulk at just slightly over the wholesale price.
This takes a bit of advance planning but will save you
money.
7. Join a community-supported agriculture program.
Buy direct and cut out the middleman.
8. Keep some basics on hand. Develop a repertoire
of cheap, easy-to-prepare meals. Have the ingredients
available at home at all times so you don’t get stuck
eating food that doesn’t make you feel well or help you
create the health you want. This takes planning but is
well worth it.
9. Create a “potluck club”. Have coworkers share the
responsibility of making lunch for the group once a week
or every two weeks. No more buying lunch out, and you
get to eat real, whole fresh food and only have to cook
a few times a month. Or create a “supper club” with a
group of friends; rather than go out to dinner, once a
week or once a month rotate dinner parties at one
another’s homes. You will build community and health
at the same time.
10. Order staples online. Why pay retail for healthy
kitchen staples like turmeric, coconut oil, and almond
butter?
About The Author
MARK HYMAN
Mark Hyman, MD, is a practicing family physician and an
internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and
advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. He is the founder
and director of The UltraWellness Center, the head of Strategy and
Innovation of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine,
a 14-time New York Times bestselling author.
To Learn More Visit:
www.drhyman.com

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January 2022 Issue
Open Yourself to the Presence
of the Ascending Spirit
Written by Guy Finley
W
We have an innate need to rise
above ourselves, to open ourselves to higher influences.
Our present condition is imagining what we need to
do in order to get above ourselves, never seeing that
whatever we imagine belongs to our past, to something
known. In a manner of speaking, it belongs to the very
earth - the body of ideas and social values, morals,
traditions, religious icons - all those things that seem to
lift us, but in truth sit beneath us and drag us down into
their world, into tension and further division.
You are, whether you see it or not, in a constant state of
tension. There’s always something that has to be fought
with and overcome. And the mind doesn’t discern. It can
be fighting with its past. You can be tense because of
relationships that have been gone for 50 years, but you
don’t know it because the mind calls up an image, imbues
it with the sensation and emotion from the experience,
and then puts you in a struggle to try to free yourself
from it, which is tension.
And every effort to free yourself using your mind is
doomed to fail. It has to fail because you’re creating the
bars of the prison through the activity of trying to liberate
yourself. You make tension when you want to triumph
over what you think you are.
Is it possible, at any moment (which is right now) to
be aware of tension in yourself, and in that awareness of
the tension, to be aware of the ascending spirit of higher
influences whose presence is always present in you?
Any time that you bring your awareness into the whole
of that tension and deliberately relax yourself from it, it’s
just like an air balloon. You can sense the ascending spirit
when you give your full awareness to releasing yourself
from the fixation you have with your tension. The release
of the tension opens the door for your awareness of this
ascending movement in you.
Here is an exercise. Ask yourself this question: If
I’m tense and I don’t know it, who am I? Where is my
attention? Who has my attention? And for what is it
being used if I’m tense and negative?
Purses used to have strings that you’d pull on to close
the mouth of the purse. That’s exactly what tension
does. It closes the purse string to the Divine. The purse
of possibilities is closed off. Would you ever do that,
consciously? Never. Yet, that’s exactly what happens.
That tension blinds us to the possibility of being
present to the ascending spirit, the ascending force, the
little part of us that wants to rise. Our awareness in the
moment of tension is the invitation for an ascension that
cannot be brought about any other way.
About The Author
GUY FINLEY
Guy Finley is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher
and bestselling self-help author. He is the founder and
director of Life of Learning Foundation, a nonprofit center
for transcendent self-study located in Merlin, Oregon. He
also hosts the Foundation’s Wisdom School — an on-line selfdiscovery
program for seekers of higher self-knowledge. Guy
presents two free talks each week via GoToWebinar. Each talk is
followed by an open Q&A session.
To Learn More Visit:
www.GuyFinley.org/online

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ISSUE NO.135 JANUARY 2022
HOLD
WANTS
LIGHTLY
Written by Rick Hanson, PhD

G
Getting caught up in wanting
– wanting both to get what’s pleasant and to avoid what’s
unpleasant – is a major source of suffering and harm for
oneself and others.
First, a lot of what we want to get comes with a big price
tag – such as that second cupcake, constant stimulation
via TV and websites, lashing out in anger, intoxication,
over-working, or manipulating others to get approval
or love. On a larger scale, the consumer-based lifestyle
widespread in Western nations leads them to eat up –
often literally – a huge portion of the world’s resources.
Similarly, much of what we want to avoid – like the
discomfort of speaking out, some kinds of psychological
or spiritual growth, standing up for others, exercising,
being emotionally vulnerable, or really going after one’s
dreams – would actually be really good for oneself and
others.
Second, some wants are certainly wholesome, such as
wishing that you and others are safe, healthy, happy, and
living with ease; it’s natural to want to give and receive
love, to express yourself creatively, to be OK financially,
to be treated with respect, to make a big contribution, or
to rise high in your career. And many things in life are
pleasurable – some of my personal favorites are morning
coffee with my wife, walking in the wilderness, watching
the SF Giants win the World Series last year, seeing kids
flourish, writing these JOTs, and laughing with friends
at dinner.
But even with wholesome wants and pleasures, trouble
comes when we get driven about them – grasping after
them, insisting that they continue, craving and clinging,
taking it personally when there’s a hitch, getting pushy,
or staying in a tunnel with no cheese. The art is to pursue
wholesome desires with enthusiasm, discipline, and skill
without getting all hot and bothered about them – and to
enjoy life’s pleasures without getting attached to them.
For even, the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences
always end. You are routinely separated from things you
enjoy. And someday, that separation will be permanent.
Friends drift away, children leave home, careers end,
and eventually, your own final breath comes and goes.
Everything that begins must also cease. Everything that
comes together must also disperse.
Given this truth, grabbing after or clutching onto the
things we want is hopeless and painful. To use an analogy
from the Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah: if getting
upset about something unpleasant is like being bitten by
a snake, grasping for what’s pleasant is like grabbing the
snake’s tail; sooner or later, it will still bite you.
Therefore, holding wants lightly is helpful in everyday
life, bringing you more ease and less trouble from your
desires, and creating less trouble for others – even
across the world. And if you take it all the way to its end,
holding wants lightly is a powerful vehicle for liberation
from all of the suffering rooted in desire.
About The Author
RICK HANSON
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, Senior
Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC
Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author.
To Learn More Visit:
www.RickHanson.net

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January 2022 Issue
Close The Stable Door
Before The Horse Bolts
Written by Joan Herrmann
D
Does this sound familiar?
You’re having a particularly stressful day
and someone does something that you
perceive to go against your belief or what
you are trying to accomplish. Rather
than finding out the facts or taking time
to cool off, you immediately pick up the
phone and call the person or compose a
less than friendly email. Then, minutes
after your knee-jerk reaction, you are full
of regret and wonder how you are going
to rectify the situation.
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. In the
not too distant past I was probably one of
the most impetuous people you will ever
meet. I had to address every situation in
a flash, usually without much thought to
the facts or the consequences. I was an
emotionally charged individual.
I like to believe that I am becoming finer
with age, just like wine, but the reality is
that it took many knock downs for me
to finally learn the lesson. Situations
don’t have to be addressed immediately.
It is OK to take time to review the facts,
analyze what happened, and to breathe,
calm down and think rationally. No good
decision is ever reached during a highly
emotional state.
Any impulsive reaction usually, at
some point, requires a cleanup action,
when you must apologize and try to
repair the damage. In some cases, the
wounds are too deep.
My advice? Practice patience. Create
a plan for these types of situations. Try
taking a walk around the block a few
times to cool off. Call a friend. Write a
note or email and then trash it. Think
before you speak. Assess the situation to
gain clarity. Get the facts.
It’s not always easy but remember
there is no point to closing the stable
door after the horse has bolted. Learn to
keep the door shut before the horse gets
out; it will lessen the amount of manure
that must be cleaned up later.
About The Author
JOAN HERRMANN
Joan Herrmann is the creator of the
Change Your Attitude…Change Your
life brand and host of the radio show
and podcast, Conversations with Joan.
She is a motivational speaker and the
publisher of 24 Seven magazine.
To Learn More Visit:
www.JoanHerrmann.com

21 Days To
A Positive
Mindset
Written by Linda Mitchell
I
It’s easy to let
disappointments, frustrations and daily
struggles alter your overall mindset. When
things go in every direction except the one you
want, it’s easy to get discouraged, however,
remember that struggles and obstacles are only
temporary. Look at each challenge as a steppingstone
to future success. This 21-day plan will
help you develop a positive mindset so giving
up won’t be an option for you!
Want to be like most high achievers?
Eliminating negative thinking is a prerequisite.
You can achieve a changed mindset in as little
as 21 days; and don’t be surprised to learn that
all the tools you need are already within you.
This plan will help you cultivate and expand

the necessary skills. Commit
to making these important
changes for 21 days:
Confront
your
disappointments. Avoid
sweeping them under the
rug, even if you’d rather not
face them. When you ignore
disappointments, feelings
linger, and unhealthy patterns
develop. What you resist
persists and often pops back
up at the most inopportune
times, so allow yourself to
fully feel the disappointment
and you’ll likely find it’s
more manageable than
expected. Find solutions or
a way to pivot your plan and
keep going. You owe this
to yourself. Resist allowing
disappointments to diminish
the joy of other achievements.
Reflect on your
achievements. Spend a few moments each day
acknowledging your successes including the
smallest ones you can think of. Remember, the
greatest architectural structures begin with
small pieces of stone. Celebrating large and
small accomplishments daily creates a solid
foundation for future victory and attracts more
success and positivity into your world. Begin
by noticing how many little things cause you to
smile each day. Those small accomplishments
add up, even if the impact doesn’t seem farreaching
in the moment.
Center yourself spiritually. Spiritual balance
is important to creating inner peace. This
leads to positive attitudes and enjoyable days.
When you’re at ease with what’s happening
in your life, it’s harder for difficulties to take
control. Stay in the present moment and avoid
ruminating over past events or worrying about
future possibilities. Daily spiritual practices
keep you grounded and sane in unpredictable
times. It’s what allows you to be more accepting
of situations even when you don’t like them.
Discover which practices feel best to you
(meditation, prayer, journaling, yoga etc.) and
reserve even a brief time each day to sit in
stillness to connect with your inner self. Pay
attention to the wisdom that comes up. Allow
all emotions, thoughts, feelings and inspirations
to be received. Each has a message and purpose
and may even help you attain emotional healing.
From The Story
“When things
go in every
direction
except the one
you want, it’s
easy to get
discouraged.”
Surround yourself with positive people who
support and uplift you. These influences help
nurture your new mindset. Having friends and
family around can remind you of how beautiful
life can be. Their support makes a world of
difference so make a special effort daily to
connect with people who bring out the best in
you.
Visualize your goals and desires coming to
fruition. This is time well spent. What we focus
on expands! The more you visualize what you
want – rather than focusing on the problem –
the more positive you’ll feel. As a bonus, this
practice helps rewire your brain for success and
accelerates the transformation of desires into
physical reality.
You’re only as successful as the effort you put
into making positive changes so intentionally
focus on these adjustments every day for 21 days.
It takes that long to initiate habits, whether good
or bad. Your aim is to form positive habits and
use them to cultivate a peaceful, contented and
fulfilling life.
By day 22, you’ll realize how much you enjoy
and yearn to continue everything you practiced
for the last three weeks. You’ll likely want to
expand your new principles of positive living.
That’s when you know you’ve transformed into
a positive thinker with all the promise in the
world!
About The Author
LINDA MITCHELL
Linda Mitchell is a board-certified coach,
speaker, intuitive healer and LMT. She
empowers people who are stuck, overwhelmed
or desiring change to release their fear, gain
clarity, balance and freedom as they move
through life’s challenges and transitions and
step into their next meaningful role.
To Learn More Visit:
www.LivingInspiredCoaching.com

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ISSUE
NO.135
CULMINATION
JAN
2022
ORGANIZING
YOUR
DIGITAL
FILES
Written by Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD ®

L
Let’s face it, life is becoming
increasingly electronic. Humans have even grown a new
appendage: a digital device. Our devices enable us to always
be connected to one another, in constant communication
with our colleagues and families. They have erased what
was once known as patience and replaced it with an
urgent need for the right now. We can’t stand the idea of
waiting or searching for something. We’re used to getting
instantaneous information at the push of a button or voice
request. We maintain that time is money. So in order to
find what we need in seconds and share information with
interested parties, it’s essential to keep our digital files
organized.
Not everyone knows how to do that. Here is guidance for
creating an organized digital file system.
If you’re used to a physical paper-management system,
think of your digital system as an electronic file cabinet,
with a similar hierarchy of categories. The cabinet is the
main unit that contains your files. Most operating systems
come with a built-in “cabinet,” a folder that may be called
“documents,” “my documents,” or “my drive.” This is the
base of your system, where all of your files will live. If your
system were a tree, this would be the root.
Within a file cabinet there are drawers. I recommend
assigning one main category of information to a drawer.
For instance, one drawer can be for business files and one
for personal files. In your digital system, you would create
one folder within the main “documents” folder for each
category: one for business and one for personal. Using the
tree metaphor, this would be the trunk.
Each drawer of a file cabinet holds hanging folders. These
are the sub-categories of the business and personal main
categories. In the business drawer, there may be folders for
financial, human resources, and marketing. In the personal
drawer, you may have folders for family history, medical,
and recipes. The same sub-categories can be created
digitally. These would be the branches of the tree.
In the hanging folders of a cabinet there are file folders
for topics within the sub-categories. The financial hanging
folder in the business drawer may hold files for accounting,
insurance, and taxes. In the personal drawer, there may be
a medical file for each family member. These would be the
leaves of the tree.
Some words of advice:
Keep it simple and think in broad strokes. Limit the
number of main categories and sub-topics to as few as
possible, preferably between five and seven. Make a list
of your topics and subtopics (in an outline or using sticky
notes) and arrange them before creating your digital
system.
Use an easy naming convention, with titles that you
would remember. If “keeps me out of jail” works for you,
then certainly use it.
Save new files to the applicable folder as you create them.
The desktop is only for programs you use daily.
Weed out old files regularly.
Back up constantly.
About The Author
GAYLE GRUENBERG
Gayle M. Gruenberg, CPO-CD ® , CVPO is the chief executive
organizer of Let’s Get Organized, LLC, an organizer coach, and
the creator of the Make Space for Blessings system.
To Learn More Visit:
www.LGOrganized.com

2022
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