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Dina Colman Mitchell

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I am always amazed at what I see sticking out of my neighbors' recycle bins. I'm pretty sure brooms are not recyclable. Plastic bags, nope. Aluminum foil, yes (this one surprised me when I first found out). Check your recycle bin and see if there is any information on it. Mine has a sticker clearly outlining what items are recyclable. Another way is to contact your waste company or look on their website. If you don't know who your trash company is, next time you get the trash bill, see who you pay it to. Then look them up online. You can also try Google to find out. I typed "trash contra costa" into Google (Contra Costa is the county I live in ) and Allied Waste was the first thing to come up on Google which is my local waste management company. Your waste company's website is likely to have a host of information about what is acceptable for recycling with ideas on where to recycle the products that are not accepted. Each area is different, but here are some general rules of thumb.
  • Plastic bags and styrofoam are not recyclable in household bins. There are places that recycle bags, but your recycle bin is not one of them. Take plastic bags to your local grocery store or drugstore. There is a law that says these stores (if they are over 10,000 square feet) have to offer in-store recycling programs for plastic bags. 
  • Recyclable paper includes white office paper, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, phone books, brown paper bags, magazines, and junk mail. Papers should be free of plastics, food items, rubber bands, binder clips, and tape. Staples and plastic window envelopes can be recycled. Paper items that should not be placed in your recycle bin include waxed paper (including cartons and cardboards), laminated paper (including fast food wrappers and pet food bags), stickers, and photographs, to name a few.
  • Other recyclable items include milk and juice cartons, egg cartons, aluminum cans, containers and foil, steel/tin cans, glass bottles and jars and plastic bottles, containers, and jugs with the acceptable recycle number. For example, in my area, plastics 1-5 and 7 are accepted. This means plastics with #6 should be placed in the trash (this is probably the case in most areas since it is very difficult to recycle). You can typically find the recycle number on the bottom of the item with the recycle symbol. If you don't see a number and the recycle symbol as shown below, it is probably not recyclable.


Every time you go to throw an item away, just be mindful of where it belongs—trash or recycle bin. If everyone in the U.S. separated the paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum products from the trash and instead put them in the recycle bin, the waste in landfills would be reduced by 75%!
Even I need a friendly reminder to keep it simple. Last week, I asked some of my running friends how they get the smell out of their running clothes. I use Trader Joe's laundry detergent which I like for my regular clothes, but I was starting to feel like my clean running clothes still had a smell to them. One of my friends, Rosaura, suggested I try distilled white vinegar. Why didn't I think of that, especially considering I use it to clean my house? I was ready to go out and buy a sport wash but using vinegar saves me money and aligns with my use of natural products. I simply put the vinegar in the "bleach" section of my washing machine and my clothes came out without any smell.

Because we have so much choice when we go to the grocery store or drugstore, we get caught up in the complexity of it all. Try to remember every now and then to go back to the basics. It is safer for you and the environment and will save you money to boot. For example, to clean my house, I use distilled white vinegar as my "windex" (1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water) and baking soda as my "comet". Many conventional cleaning products leave indoor air pollution because of the petrochemical VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and synthetic fragrances. These toxins build up in your home each time you use these products. As they evaporate, they can make their way into your body and be dangerous to your health, including dizziness, watery eyes, skin rashes, and respiratory problems. Vinegar and baking soda can be your new best friends. They are safe, economical, and can be used for much more than dyeing Easter eggs and keeping your refrigerator odor-free. Get creative. I just found a new use for the vinegar. I simply needed a friendly reminder to go back to the basics.
Have you noticed that people stop using their legs as soon as they get on an escalator? Are you one of them? It's dumbfounding to me. Notice it next time you get on one. We seem to go into autopilot and just allow the escalator to carry us up or down. The same thing happens on the moving walkways in the airport. Unless you have limitations that prevent you from using your legs on an escalator, don't just go along for the free ride! Okay, granted the escalator did start out as an amusement, not as a practical transportation device. It was first seen in 1859 as a novelty ride at Coney Island. Nonetheless, it is now used to get us from one place to another. Next time you get on an escalator, see it as a way to get to your destination faster, not slower. It is there to help you, but not carry you. The general rule of thumb is to try to get 10,000 steps every day. I highly recommend wearing a pedometer. If you do, I guarantee, you will be using your legs on your next escalator ride to help meet your daily goal of steps!

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." — Dr. Seuss

Perhaps if I had read more Dr. Seuss in my childhood, I could have saved myself a lot of time, effort, and heartache. It has taken me 40 years to figure out that being authentic is the best thing I can do for my health and wellness. I find that it takes work and causes me stress when I am not being true to myself.

Living true to yourself means following your own path despite what others are doing. It means not trying to be someone you are not in order to please others. It is easy to get caught up in what you think you should do, what society expects from you, or what your friends want you to do. This can take many forms—including how you eat, exercise, make your living, and spend your free time.

Think about what it feels like when someone loves you for exactly who you are, quirks and all. There is no condition on whom you have to be in order for this person to love you. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you are not. This is unconditional love and it feels great. Try to give this feeling back to the friends and family in your life. Love them, not just for who they are, but because of who they are.

You know what is right for you. You just need to be open enough to hear it and courageous enough to listen. Embrace the fact that you are unique. No one is exactly like you which means that what is authentic for you may not be what is right for someone else. And, what is right for someone else may not be right for you.

My friend Rachelle gave me a birthday card this year that said, "Be you. Nobody does it better." That’s right. No one does it better.

Do you feel free to be you? If not, how can you make it possible to feel that freedom?

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  • She truly cares

    I initially started working with Dina to help me with my diet for an autoimmune disease I have been battling for years. She has also helped me with stress, relationships, and work. She is very encouraging. I am now happier and healthier because of Dina. She truly cares about you and it definitely shows in the difference it has made in my life.
    Mary M.
  • Guidance & knowledge

    Reaching out to Dina was one of the best decisions I've made this past year. Every aspect of my life; spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, was out of balance. She was and continues to be exactly what my life was missing; someone to hold me accountable, a cheerleader, a confidant, a trustworthy advisor, a coach!
    Lisa H.
  • Saved my life

    Dina has provided me with the tools and knowledge that I needed to make changing to a healthier lifestyle a manageable goal. She never judged me when I stumbled but has only given me the encouragement and steps I needed to get back up and try again. I will be forever grateful to Dina because she has literally saved my life from the downward spiral I was in.
    Kristin A.
  • Helped me balance my life

    After the my mom's death, I withdrew from life. Dina helped me move past the self-destructive tendencies I had used to cope with my grief. She is a compassionate listener, offers gentle suggestions, and provides nonthreatening accountability. Through our sessions she helped me balance my life. I don't know where I'd be without her.
    Liz L.
  • Lost 10 pounds

    Working with Dina has helped me to manage and control my prediabetes. I have lost 10 pounds with her guidance by being more aware of the food I am eating. I like working with Dina because I feel that she really tries to find ways for me to be healthy in my life—the things I like to do and eat—rather than providing a cookie cutter solution.
    Diane C.
  • Feel stronger and happier

    Dina and her Four Quadrant Living consistently give me simple, easy to implement suggestions to make my entire life healthier. With Dina's gentle guidance, I have vastly improved the way I eat, the way I deal with stress and, basically, the way I balance my life. It is impossible to not feel better, stronger and happier when working with Dina.
    Gracie T.
  • Offers variety of services

    Dina's approach is never threatening or condescending and she offers a variety of services that fit many, many different needs - whether just a little nudge when it comes to diet or organization or an all-out weekly session helping with all four quadrants. Highly recommend!
    Tiffany T.
  • Highly recommend her

    It wasn't just about food but my overall well-being. I got the tools to work toward the things that I wanted to achieve. I love that I can email Dina with any question that I might have along the way! I highly recommend her.
    Gabriela V.
  • Amazed at improvement

    By the end of the 3rd week (of the Detox Program), I started to notice changes. I felt less tired and was actually sleeping less. I was amazed at the improvement in my well being. Dina was great in providing information and motivation throughout the program. She presented a nice balance of telling me what I needed to know without overwhelming me.
    Dave L.
  • Invested in her clients

    Dina offered ideas on dealing with my job stress. I felt the ideas really catered to me and my job specifically, rather than being some general ideas I could get from internet research. I use one of the fantastic ideas religiously to help destress after every shift. I was so pleased with my experience, I recommended Dina's Four Quadrant Living to my sister.
    Bev Y.