2011-10-30

Kristen's Raw - Living Food / Longer Life


*this is an excerpt from Kristen's Raw website (www.kristensraw.com) on how to start transitioning to a high raw diet...and how easy it is!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kristen Suzanne was a competitive natural bodybuilder in her early 20's and has been 100% vegan since 2002. At that time, she was approximately 50% Raw, with her cooked foods comprising mostly tofu, vegetables, and pasta. In 2005, Kristen migrated to being 75% Raw. Since 2006, she has been 95% Raw. In Raw Foodism parlance, this equates to somebody eating almost only Raw meals AND/OR attempting to always eat Raw meals that may contain very small amounts of an ingredient that isn't Raw (spices are a common example, as it's not always easy to ascertain how a spice was dried or prepared).

Some Raw Foodists are careful in their attempt to be 100% Raw, which we support. Wherever possible on the site, we strive to make clear whether recipes or other resources are 100% Raw or merely High Raw.

"High Raw"

On this site, we recognize the value of incrementalism, and we're aware that all people are different, have different priorities, and that we're all at different places along our journey through life. So while we appreciate (and often personally strive for) being 100% Raw (at least most of the time), we know that sometimes that doesn't happen, despite the clear health benefits. We therefore embrace the notion of what is often called the "High Raw" diet, which typically refers to an all vegan diet (no meat, dairy, or eggs) that is 75-80% Raw or more. That said, we fully support 100% Raw Foodism.

How to Get Started

Remember that your choices are abundant on this diet. You can eat a lot or a little. It works for everyone! And, I mean everyone! You can do this a variety of ways. These steps alone will get you eating about 50% Raw foods and well on your way to superior health.

Here's One Way to Do It

Adding Raw foods to your everyday diet:

1. Start your day with 16 oz of pure water and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Then have a powerful, nutrient-packed green juice, or smoothie made with greens such as kale and fruit such as apples.
2. Begin lunches and dinners with a salad and some fresh homemade Raw dressing, maybe dress the salad up with avocado or soaked nuts/seeds. Another option is to have Raw soup as a starter before your meal.

If you snack, eat fresh fruit or raw vegetable sticks, and/or drink fresh, powerful nutrient-packed green juices as between meal snacks instead of other snacks. Drink pure water between meals.

Reducing or eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet:

1. Start by reducing or eliminating junk food, packaged snacks, fried foods, caffeine, alcohol, white sugar, and white flour. Here is the first step: Go through your cabinets and just throw them away. Don't say, "I'll just eat these but not replace them," actually toss them out. Ceremoniously, if you like. Your life is about to change.
2. Then reduce or eliminate animal products, especially red meat and pasteurized dairy products.
3. Then reduce or eliminate cooked starches, especially wheat.


Another Way to Do It

(This is the way that I found worked best for me.)

Start out by picking just one day a week to eat 100% Raw. You'll see how easy it is and how amazing you feel that you'll be excited to do that more than one day a week, maybe two to three days.

After that, you start increasing to one week straight, then two weeks, then up to a month (leaving a little wiggle room here and there, for times you just "can't" do it, perhaps due to social situations). Just find what works for you. The reason this plan worked better for me, as opposed to the method described above for gradually adding Raw food into each day's diet, was that I was finding it too hard to give up the addictive cooked food. I found that, if I had even just a little bit of cooked food in the course of a day, it was a slippery slope — it made me want to eat more and more cooked food, despite knowing how unhealthy it was.

I worked much better for me to completely eliminate all cooked food for just one day, initially. My ultimate goal was to eat 100% Raw most of the time, with an occasional cooked meal. To do that, I had to have days that were solid Raw. I noticed that it was during the 100% Raw days that I felt the best and I soon became addicted to that high energy, waking up without headaches, feeling so great that I couldn't stop smiling. Over time, quickly at that, I became close to 100% (reserving a couple of percentage points for times when the situation still required some flexibility).

Finally, whichever way you choose that I just discussed, you'll ultimately (hopefully) start living a predominantly Raw lifestyle that will knock your socks off. It's important that you learn how to make foods and meals that replace your current diet and learn how to make Raw food prep EASY! Saturate yourself with this knowledge — it's a lifestyle more than a diet — and it will become second nature. You'll be SO HAPPY you did! Everything in your life will improve! The words "fitness" and "health" will take on whole new meanings because you'll experience them in ALL areas of your life. You'll be physically fit, emotionally fit, and mentally fit. I promise!

Some smart next steps for you to follow would be to:

1. Check out my books (and ebooks if you want to save trees!). I've written them to make Raw food extremely EASY for beginners, but the books also cover a lot of exciting new ground for people who are more famliar with Raw. If you're really excited about getting started and really want to understand the essentials, then I highly recommend you start with this one.
2. Also, you'll want to get some basic equipment: a blender, juicer, and food processor. Also consider purchasing a dehydrator.
3. And, Nike says it best… Just Do It!

2011-07-17

The Secret to Losing Weight - The 10 Pritikin Essentials


There are 10 levels in total, and they’re all spelled out in this book. You’ll learn much more in Part Two about the specifics of the 10 essentials of the Pritikin Program, but here is a quick glance:

1. Healthy, satisfying eating starts with super salads, soups, whole grains, and fruit.

Start every lunch and dinner with a large, delicious salad or soup. Super-sizing actually makes good sense when applied to salads. People joke that the salad bowls at Pritikin are so big they have a diving board on one end.

2. Eliminate high-calorie beverages.

One in every five calories we consume comes from a beverage—and those calories don’t do much to quell hunger. Soft drinks and frappuccinos are calorie-rich, but so are fruit juices. One glass of orange juice has twice the calories (100 to 110) of a whole orange (50) – or about the same as in a regular soft drink.

3. Trim portions of calorie-dense foods.

The Pritikin Edge shows that you never need to go hungry. Every day you’re enjoying large portions of water-rich, fiber-rich foods so that you’re satisfied and have less room for calorie-dense foods.

By switching your morning bowl of corn flakes for a bowl of hot oatmeal and fruit, you’d take in approximately 250 fewer calories each day. That one simple change to your daily diet could help you drop about 25 pounds in one year.
4. Snack smarter.

Every snack counts—and choosing healthier options like yogurt and fruit will keep you satiated and energized without packing on the pounds. Eating just one less 100-calorie cookie a day can cause you to shed 10 pounds in a year. The Pritikin Edge has dozens of suggestions for healthy, satisfying, and non-fattening snacks.

5. Forget fast food; dine unrefined.

Fast food restaurants are part feed lots and part salt licks. Two large orders of fries and two regular soft drinks provide enough calories to sustain a 135-pound person for an entire day without eating anything else. Of course, no one exists on just two orders of fries and two soft drinks in a typical day, which is exactly why 135-pound Americans are an endangered species.

6. Watch less, walk more.

We were meant to chase lunch, not order it. If you walk an extra mile a day, you’ll lose ten pounds in a year.
7. Go lean on meat, but catch a fish.

The absolute best fats for your heart are omega-3s, found in fish and flaxseed oil. But no oil, even so-called “good" ones, should be considered a weight-loss food. Coating your salad with olive oil can tally up as many calories as two scoops of premium ice cream.

8. Shake your salt habit.

Excess salt intake is a major contributor to high blood pressure, yet most Americans ingest 4,000 to 5,000 milligrams of sodium a day—far more than the recommended 1,500 milligrams. Salt has snuck into all kinds of foods. Many breads contain more salt, ounce for ounce, than potato chips. The Pritikin Edge shows how to cook and order tasty, low-salt foods.

9. Don’t smoke your life away.

Every minute spent smoking shortens your life by a minute, not to mention the wrinkles and erectile dysfunction it causes. The good news is that you will gain back years of your life if you quit.

10. Step around stress.

The link between our emotions and health can’t be overstated. One study found that people who didn’t take annual vacations were 32 percent more likely to die of heart disease. Managing stress by getting enough sleep, making time for friends and loved ones, and trying techniques like meditation will help keep your heart and waistline in shape.

Adopting one or two of these essential lifestyle practices is okay, but optimal health and success at losing weight requires that you follow the whole program.

Why? Because obesity, inactivity, heart disease, and emotions are intricately connected. Couch potatoes tend to be depressed; depressed people eat more; people who eat more gain weight; those who gain weight tend to sack out on the couch rather than exercise; lack of exercise contributes to heart disease and obesity; both can trigger depression... you get the picture.

Embracing all 10 essentials of the Pritikin Program is the secret to losing weight, feeling healthier, and, best of all, more fully enjoying your life right here and now. In The Pritikin Edge, you’ll learn that all 10 are easier to adopt than you might think.

From THE PRITIKIN EDGE by Robert A. Vogel. Copyright (c) 2008 by Dr. Robert Vogel and The Pritikin Organization, LLC. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

2011-07-11

THE HUNDRED-YEAR LIE. HOW FOOD AND MEDICINE ARE DESTROYING YOUR HEALTH

MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES by Randall Fitzgerald
(excerpt)

Traditional medicines and the ancient wisdom traditions that utilized them have always been based upon observations about the laws of nature.

For a broad and in-depth description of natural remedies addressing at least 160 health problems, may I recommend the book Alternative Cures, by an expert in the field of natural healing, Bill Gottlieb.

In the meantime, the following list provides a foundation for understanding the extent to which modern scientific methods have already demonstrated the effectiveness of ancient remedies.


Cancer: Ginseng has played many healing roles in ancient Chinese herbal
medicine; in 2004 the journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation,
reported a study from MIT revealing that ginseng can promote the
growth of blood vessels (a key to wound healing), while another form of
ginseng with a preponderance of two key ingredients can halt the formation
of blood vessels, which can help to kill cancerous tumors.

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
reported in the October 2005 issue of Clinical Cancer Research how curcumin,
the main ingredient of tumeric, repels the spread of cancer to lung
tissue and shuts down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer. Curcumin,
a member of the ginger family, has been a mainstay in both traditional
Indian and Chinese medicine for thousands of years.


Carcinogens: Practitioners of traditional medicine from India and
China have long contended that synthetic vitamins are much less effective
than plant-based vitamins in removing toxins from the body and keeping
the immune system healthy; in 1994 the Tufts University Health and Nutrition
Letter reported that researchers have compared synthetic vitamin C
to naturally occurring food-derived vitamins and found that synthetics
failed to reduce carcinogenic nitrosamines, while food-derived sources “reduced
to significantly lower levels” these toxins.

The explanation given:
“Vitamins as they appear in nature are in complex interrelationships with
hundreds, even thousands of other biochemicals within the complex
natural food matrix.”

Depression: Many cultures have traditionally used Saint-John’s-wort as a
treatment for depression and mood disorders, especially in women; in 2005
the British Medical Journal reported that Saint-John’s-wort has been found
effective against moderate depression and it also exhibits fewer side effects
than paroxetine, one of the more common synthetic antidepressants.

A root extract called golden root or Rhodiola rosea, has been used for
centuries in Russia to cope with the cold Siberian winters and stress; pharmacology
studies in the twentieth century discovered that the root stimulates
brain chemicals that elevate mood and fight stress and depression.

Gastrointestinal Disorders Green tea has a long history in traditional
Chinese medicine as a promoter of gastrointestinal health; during 2004 The
European Journal of Pharmacology reported that green tea has numerous
pharmacological properties that promote health, including antioxidant,
antiinflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, and anti-arterisoclerotic
effects.

Heart Disease: The ancient Aztec Indians used a species of magnolia fruit as a treatment for heart problems; clinical studies in the twentieth century determined that the fruit contains chemical compounds effective for a variety of heart conditions.

Allergic inflammatory diseases were historically treated in Korea using
an herbal compound called allergina; a 2004 clinical study published in
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by a team of pharmacologists
at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences found convincing evidence that allergina works synergistically to enhance cardiac health and overall health.

Alzheimer’s: A spice used for many centuries in the Indian ayurvedic tradition,
called curcumin, was reputed to increase mental clarity and boost overall immune system health; a study appearing in 2005 in Journal of Biological Chemistry found that curcumin was effective in breaking up Alzheimer’s disease-causing plaques. It is also under study as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis.

2011-06-09

Farmer Joel Salatin Puts 'Nature's Template' To Work


Joel Salatin and his Polyface Farm, 550 acres of rolling hills less than 60 miles west of Charlottesville, have become icons of local food, alternative agricultural practices and sustainability, thanks in part to their prominent role in Michael Pollan's 2006 best-seller, "The Omnivore's Dilemma."

On Thursday afternoon, Salatin spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in the University of Virginia's Clark Hall about the myriad problems with conventional American agriculture, and how farming differently could cure a host of current social and environmental problems – while also making more money for small farmers.

Recently featured in the films "Fresh" and "Food, Inc.," and honored last week with a $100,000 Heinz Award for creating environmentally friendly farming techniques, Salatin farms by harnessing relationships between grass, herbivores, birds and insects, and adapting those long-evolved synergies, which he calls "nature's template," to a family farm.

In nature, he said, soil fertility is built up by a relationship of herbivores, perennials (grasses) and periodic disturbance. Think of wildebeest roaming the Serengeti in Africa, or bison on the American plains 1,000 years ago. Wildebeests and bison mob together in herds for protection from predation, always on the move and grazing as they go.

Grasses, by their nature, always maintain a balance of biomass above and below the soil, so when the grass is cut down by grazing, the grass responds by sloughing off an equivalent amount of its root structure, injecting that biomass into the soil, which both builds fertility and sequesters carbon in the soil. The process, he explained, is called the "grass pulse."

A herd of wildebeests or bison produces fertilizing manure, while the steady movement of the herd keeps it separated from the pathogens, parasites and insect larva in the manure. The insects growing in the manure and generally following the herd attract birds to feed on them. (Think of images of a pencil-legged bird balanced gracefully on the horn of a rhinoceros, or standing on the back of a water buffalo.)

Salatin harnesses these relationships between grass, herbivores, birds and insects by moving his cows daily into new sections of pasture, and following that movement with mobile chicken pens. The chickens naturally peck through the insect-rich manure, better spreading out the manure and improving its fertilization of the field.

In contrast, about 40 years ago the USDA (disparagingly pronounced "U-S-duh" by Salatin) began promoting feeding cows corn, grain and agricultural waste products that include chicken manure and the ground-up waste from slaughterhouses (including remains of cows). His farm didn't do that, Salatin said, because it violates nature's pattern of what cows eat.

The crowded and unhealthy conditions of factory farms cause such stress on cows that their immune systems must be propped up by antibiotics, vitamins and nutritional supplements. But the cows still collapse after just a couple of lactation cycles, often living less than five years, he noted, as the breeding of dairy cows exclusively for higher milk production has created cows that rob calcium from their own skeletons in order to produce more milk.

The intensive agricultural use of antibiotics has spurred pathogens to become more virulent and dangerous to humans (mad cow disease, for instance), he noted, giving America a "real pathogen problem," he said.

In contrast, Salatin's cows don't have such skewed genetics, and are not given hormones, antibiotics or nutritional supplements. They remain healthy, going through at least 10 lactation cycles, on average.

In his talk, sponsored by U.Va.'s Department of Environmental Sciences and Environmental Thought and Practice Program, Salatin took issue with those who portray cows as a contributor to global warming because of the methane they produce. The same amount of methane will be produced, no matter whether a given amount of herbage is mowed and decomposes on the ground, or rots in a swamp, or is digested by a cow, he said. While cows have led to a lot of ecological destruction, such as overgrazing land, "Don't blame the cow; blame the management of the cow," he said.

The cow can be a most efficacious healing instrument for America's farms. Thanks to his careful fostering of the "grass pulse," Salatin's Polyface Farm fields have increased their organic matter from 1.5 percent to 8 percent of soil content over the past 50 years, sequestering carbon in the process.

If every farm with cows in America adopted Polyface's practices of "mob-stalking, herbivorous, solar-conversion, lignified, carbon-sequestration fertilization," in less than 10 years, they could sequester away all the carbon released since the beginning of the Industrial Age, he said.

So why doesn't America do this? With the vim and defiance of a fire-and-brimstone country preacher, Salatin explained that conventional agriculture will be slow to change because it has become so emotionally and economically invested in capital-intensive (and petroleum-intensive) machines and infrastructure, and "monuments to man's stupidity" like towering grain silos ("bankruptcy tubes," he sneered) and mile-long Tyson chicken houses.

Salatin's own farm nets $150,000 per year, and his methods don't require a tradeoff of either doing better for the environment or better for the pocketbook, he said. In fact, his methods offer more viability for family farms and community-scale agriculture.

On top of that, Polyface practices make American farms and food more attractive, aesthetically and aromatically, from the field to the plate, drawing people to get to know their food, an appropriate connection to one's "dinner dance partner."

— By Brevy Cannon

2011-06-08

Vegan FAQ's and Answers



Logic-based Vegan FAQs:

If everyone only ate vegetables and grains, would there be enough to eat?


If everyone was a vegetarian, we would actually have more food to feed hungry people across the world. Most of the grain we produce is fed to animals, and if we stopped doing that, no one would be starving. The cattle population across the world eats enough calories to feed 8.7 billion people.

Additionally, a great deal of the Earth is cleared to make room for animal farms. The natural ecosystem and makes it harder for certain plants to grow and thrive. If we stopped clearing land for animal grazing, there would be more land for crops to feed humans.

If we all stop eating animals, they will overrun the Earth. Isn't it better to eat them than let them just die and go to waste?

It is true that if we stopped eating all animals today, there would be billions of farm animals who would "go to waste." But there's no way that would ever happen. The likely scenario is that we would gradually decrease the amount of meat we eat, and factory farmers would gradually decrease the number of animals they bred for food.

Eventually there would be no more farm animals than any other species on Earth and the ecosystem would return to a natural balance. There are numerous reports that show the measurable difference it would make if the inhabitants of Earth would eat a vegetarian diet.


Animals kill other animals for food, so why shouldn’t we?

Animals kill to survive, and humans simply don't need to do so because we have modern resources that allow us to avoid animal products and still survive.

If we were to imagine ourselves back in the wild, without any of the modern world, we wouldn't be part of the same food chain with chickens and cows. It's more likely we would be eating vegetables, fruits, grains, and the occasional small animal like squirrels and other rodents.

Besides, if we are going to ask this question, shouldn't we then make ourselves use the same methods for killing animals as other animals? That would mean we would need to hide behind bushes and hunt the animals, slaughter them ourselves, and process them. Our food system has nothing to do with nature's original purpose.


Aren't humans natural carnivores?

Human bodies are very different from the bodies of carnivores. Carnivores have short digestive tracts, sharp claws, and curved fangs; humans have long digestive tracts for vegetable matter, flat thin nails made for protection from dings, and flat teeth for grinding at plant protein. Even human canine teeth are far flatter than those on carnivores.


Isn't being a vegan expensive?


Vegan food can be as pricey as you choose to make it, just like with non-vegan food. Mock meats and cheeses are often expensive, but the standard diet of grains, vegetables, beans, and fruits is pretty cheap. Most beans and grains can be found in the bulk section, and fruits and vegetables can be bought at farmers' markets or even grown by individuals.


Isn't it hard to become vegan?

Some people find it difficult to become vegan, and others find it simple. The easiest thing to do is follow along with what you believe, and don't force yourself to make changes faster than you feel comfortable. If you try to abstain from something just because you know you should, but you are not truly ready to do so, you are more likely to bounce back and start eating meat again.

Even if you cut back on your meat and dairy consumption just a little to start (i.e. Meatless Mondays), you are making progress and are helping yourself and the world around you. When you feel you are ready, maybe you can add a Tofu Tuesday or a Soybean Sunday.


Aren't you hurting plants by cutting them down?

Plants do not have nervous systems or anything structural that perceives pain. Additionally more plants are cut down to feed farm animals than to feed humans, so by being a vegan, you are still killing fewer plants than as a meat-eater.


If you were stranded on a desert island, would you eat animals?


It's hard to say, because in a survival situation we might do anything to save ourselves, but this is more of a hypothetical question than one that warrants an answer. Most of us are not in this situation, and most of us have the resources to be able to make choices that don't involve eating animals.


Health-based vegan FAQs:

I heard that vegetarians don't eat enough protein, is that true?


No, vegetarians do not have trouble getting enough protein. Whole grains, vegetables, and beans provide more than enough protein to stay healthy. Most people actually eat too much protein, and when the body has more than it needs, it excretes the rest in our urine. Animal protein also leads to increased risk for several llnesses.


Is a vegan diet healthy?

Simply eating vegan is not going to ensure you are eating healthy food because there is so much junk food available nowadays that has no animal products in it. However, if you eat a healthy vegan diet, you are undoubtedly going to be healthier than a person eating a "regular" diet.

A healthy vegan diet is based around whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. This diet is low in fat, has no cholesterol, and provides plenty of protein, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients for optimal nutrition. Healthy vegan diets are great for everyone; including children, infants, pregnant and breast-feeding women, adults, and senior citizens.

Many studies show that vegans have lower rates of diseases such as high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, cancers, and heart disease.


Seafood is high in fatty acids and low in fat, so it's healthy, right?

Much of the fish we find in the grocery store is factory farmed, which means they are given antibiotics and growth hormones with a highly unnatural corn diet. Because of that, they are not actually healthy. Many sea creatures also have super high cholesterol levels. And, any toxins in the water get passed onto humans, so they are often very high in chemicals.


Farming Industry Vegan FAQs:

Don't farmers treat their animals well so they'll produce more milk or eggs?

Contrary to popular belief, animals are not raised on old-fashioned farms where they walk around on grassy fields, make babies when they are ready, and crow to wake up the farmers. Modern farms (commonly called factory farms) are made to process animals as quickly, cheaply, and efficiently as possible. Animals are never given medical care, are often genetically engineered, and are fed hormones, antibiotics, and medicine. They are not treated well, by any stretch of the imagination.


Doesn't it help the cows to be milked?


Cows produce milk in the same way that humans do- when they have a baby. In nature, the calf would drink his mother's milk and then she would no longer have a supply of milk. On factory farms, dairy cows are artificially inseminated so that they constantly have milk. They also have their calf taken away from them immediately after birth and are made into either veal cows (males) or future dairy cows (females.)

Additionally, dairy cows are given growth hormones so that they produce much more milk than they would have in nature. Those hormones cause their udders to be engorged with milk, which leads to infection and intense pain for the cow. When her udders are attached to the milking machines, the udders grow external infections, fill with cuts and puss, and hurt her.

Once they are no longer able to produce a large amount of milk, they are slaughtered. Needless to say, milking a cow does hurt the cow.


It's natural for chickens to lay eggs, so why is it bad to eat eggs?

The egg laying hens go through some of the worst abuse of any factory-farmed animal. These hens are packed into cages with numerous other hens, and those cages are stacked several layers high. As the hens on the top defecate, the poop falls into the cages below. The hens are unable to stretch their wings or legs, and often develop severe bone disorders. When the chickens die, they are often left in the cages where the other hens trample them as they begin to grow around the wires.

Of the eggs allowed to hatch, the females become laying hens. The males are useless, so they thrown into a trash heap where they suffocate or are crushed, or they are ground up alive.


Can fish feel pain?

Fish have brains and nervous systems just like other birds and mammals, so they can feel pain. Their mouths and tongues are used like mammals use their hands. Research also shows that fish have a sense of fear, showing bursts of adrenaline and breathing rates when they are threatened.


Aren't free-range farms good enough?

The term "free-range" has been badly misused in the food industry. Many people believe they are ensuring that the animals they are eating have lived a fufilled life, when in fact their life is no different than any other farm animal.

A product can be labeled as "cage-free" or "free-range" if the animal had access to the outside, no matter how unrealistic that access is for the animals. In most cases, the access is a tiny door to a tiny yard that the animals never use because their feed is located inside the barn.

There are many ways that farmers get around using terms that make people feel more comfortable with their support for the farming industry. The only truly safe way to avoid supporting the factory farming industry is by avoiding eating animals at all.


Aren't kosher animals treated better?

Kosher slaughter rules say that blood is not kosher, so it must be removed from the animal before slaughter. Animals have their necks cut so they bleed to death before they are slaughtered. However, with the strenuous demand on slaughterhouses in the modern era, often the animals are cut improperly, are still alive when slaughtered, or a number of other awful scenarios. There is a popular DVD about a huge investigation of a Kosher slaughterhouse in 2004 called 'If This Is Kosher'.


Moral-based Vegan FAQs:

The Bible says we should eat meat.


There are thousands of different perspectives on the interpretation of the Bible, but nowhere does it say that humans are require to eat animals. In fact, a common view is that God put Adam and Eve in Eden to represent how he wanted humans to behave, and they ate no animal products while there.


Do you care more about animal suffering than human suffering?

Human suffering and animal suffering are actually related more than one would assume. You cannot be concerned about one without concern about the other.

Much worldwide human suffering is linked to humans not having access to vital resources like food, water, and shelter. The animal industry leeches these resources from humans, especially food and water. By spending so much money and resources on feeding and watering animals for human consumption (mostly in Western countries), we are stealing it from people who need it most.

Also, in Animal Liberation, Peter Singer makes the case that assuming humans are of more importance than animals is speciesm, a prejudice toward one animal over another. A speciest believes that a human's suffering is more significant than another species' suffering, and disregards the fact that "pain is pain."


Why should I care about hurting animals for food?


Most people would feel bad upon seeing a domestic animal like a cat or dog suffer, and would never consider harming one themselves, but they don't stop to think twice about eating an animal. Farm animals feel pain and emotional stress the same as humans, and certainly as domesticated pets. Their suffering is no less intense just because they don't speak English or walk on their hind legs or live in our house with us.

As Peter Singer covers in Animal Liberation, just because we enjoy the taste of some animals doesn't mean that we should be freely allowed to eat them whenever we please. Humans aren't free to exercise any of their desires anytime they want, and food choices should be the same.

Even if you didn't physically kill the animal yourself, you paid for the killing when you bought the animal product at the store.


Why should animals have rights?

People who believe in "animal rights" believe that all animals have worth, regardless of what need they can serve for humans. It's the belief that every being has the right to life without suffering or pain.


Miscellaneous Vegan FAQs:

Why don't vegans eat honey?

Some vegan eat honey, and others don't, largely because they disagree about whether or not insects can feel pain. Some vegans believe that because honey comes from insects, it is not right for humans to take it and use it for consumption.

There are many different definitions for the word "vegan," but even if someone eats honey, they are still making a huge impact by avoiding all other animal products.


Is sugar vegan?

While there are no animal products in refined sugars, they are sometimes processed with bone char (from animals), and so some people do not consider it to be vegan. There are many alternatives to refined sugar that are available at most grocery stores.


I love the flavor of meat/cheese/ice cream and I don't think I could give it up.

All vegans remember a time when we thought it would be impossible to give up one part of our diet. I had the hardest time with cheese because I loved the flavor of it so much. What I found is that my taste buds actually changed over time.

While it was hard at first, overall it was much easier than I thought it would be to give it up. There are some really good substitutes for our favorite foods in the vegan world, and when you are just starting out, it's a good idea to transition with foods that are familiar to you.

Plus, it's better to be partially-there and occasionally eat some meat or dairy than to completely give up on the idea because you know it will be hard.


What are hidden animal ingredients?

There are resources you can use to figure out if products are made or processed with anything that comes from animals. Sometimes taking such a strict approach can make a vegan diet very difficult to maintain. In my opinion, it's better to focus on the obvious animal ingredients, and draw the line at doing the best you can, rather than force yourself to uphold a very difficult standard.


How can you find nice shoes that aren't made from leather?

There are so many resources for finding non-leather accessories nowadays, so you don't have to wear beige hemp clothes and shoes to live a vegan lifestyle.


Is it possible to find household products that aren't tested on animals in everyday stores?


Yes. Many large companies still do unnecessary cosmetic testing on animals, but many have also ended the practice. Most animal-friendly companies list it on their labels. Also, if you have a Whole Foods near you, they never sell products that are tested on animals, and they have a huge selection.

2011-06-06

The China Study



"...This is exactly what I saw in the Indian research paper 16 when I was
in the Philippines. The chemical was protein, fed to rats at levels that
are well within the range of normal consumption. Protein!

These results were more than startling. In the Indian study, when all the rats had been
predisposed to get liver cancer after being given aflatoxin, only the animals
fed 20% protein got the cancer while those fed 5% got none."

2011-05-29

Vegan Diet Plan


You can get all of the nutrients you need with a 1500 calorie vegan diet plan. Going vegan can help maintain colon health and can provide you with very healthy foods. It’s important to plan carefully, however, and try new things you might not otherwise consider. The following represents a modification of the traditional food pyramid that works better with a vegan diet (and is more ecological for the body). The diet outlined is especially good if you want to improve your immunity and lose belly fat.

Choose grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice or amaranth. Even if you’re not allergic to wheat, you may find that you feel much lighter and have more energy without it. Plus, these grains also have protein and other valuable nutrients. You’ll also want to choose vegetables that are rich in calcium, vitamins, minerals, and ones that have some protein. In this plan, fruit will be limited to 2 – 3 servings a day, and the goal will be to eat whole fruits versus juice. This will help the body stay balanced from the standpoint of friendly bacteria and yeast.

The diet below includes 2 servings a day of legumes, including beans and meat substitutes such as tempeh and tofu. You also want 2 servings of healthy fats in raw nuts and seeds or avocado to help you get valuable omega 3 nutrition and fatty acids.

Breakfast

Breakfast is a good time to re-hydrate your body and get the colon moving. You can make a lovely smoothie with a medium-sized banana, one cup of unsweetened soy milk, and 1 tablespoon of raw almonds, walnuts, or flax seeds. Thicken it up with a quarter cup of silken tofu and throw it all in a blender.

Mid-Morning Snack

Eating throughout the day helps regulate blood sugar and keeps your energy up so that you can stay active as much as possible throughout the day. Cut up an apple and add a tablespoon of raw almond butter or natural peanut butter. Raw nut butter contains less free radicals and is healthier for you than cooked. Definitely avoid peanut butter that has added sugar or hydrogenated oils.

Lunch

You can make this at home the night before and then microwave it at work or just eat it cold. Take 1 -2 servings of quinoa and cook it according to the instructions. (If you do one serving, supplement with 5-6 small crackers, and the dish can be like a dip.) Put 2 cups of raw dino kale and half a purple onion in water and organic vegetable broth in a sautee pan. Cover the pan and let simmer until the kale is soft. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Add one cup of lentils, and you have an excellent and comforting lunch!

Mid-Afternoon Snack

Try to find whole grain crackers, wheat free if possible. Have 6 of those with one serving of a vegetable puree made from one serving of vegetables pureed with one quarter cup of silken tofu.

Dinner

Using water, stir fry 2 servings of tempeh with a half cup of raw red pepper. Supplement it with a salad that includes red or green leaf lettuce, carrots, and 2 servings of garbanzo beans. Add one tablespoon of a low-fat dressing.

Reduce Food Cravings

As austere as veganism may sound to meat-eaters and to those who regularly include dairy and egg products in their diet, it may be easier than other weight-loss diets to follow. In one recent study, persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were given either a traditional diabetic diet or a vegan diet to follow. Those on the vegan diet had an easier time sticking with the plan and reported fewer food cravings, according to researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the University of Toronto and Georgetown University who published their findings in a 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." Participants on the low-fat vegan diet lost more weight than those on the conventional diet. The vegan diet also helped lower their cholesterol and their blood sugar, reducing their need for insulin.

Maintain Weight Loss

Dieters often find it easier to shed pounds than maintain weight loss. A vegan diet may improve the odds of staying slim. In a study led by M. Rosell at the University of Oxford, England, researchers found that vegans were less likely to gain weight than vegetarians, fish-eaters and meat-eaters. The study, published in 2006 in the "International Journal of Obesity," followed the eating habits and weight measurements of 22,000 people for five years. Vegans gained an average of 1.25 pounds over five years, about one-fourth the average weight gain of all participants in the study.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/244006-vegan-weight-loss-core-plan/#ixzz1Nm0gJxph

2011-01-24

7 Days of Vegetarian Meal Plans (For Aggressive Weight Loss) by Eat to Live author Dr. Joel Fuhrman M.D.

7 Days of Vegetarian Meal Plans
(For Aggressive Weight Loss)

by Eat to Live author Dr. Joel Fuhrman M.D.
• = Recipes follow

Day One

BREAKFAST
Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Orange
Grapefruit

LUNCH
Apple Pie Salad*
Whole-wheat pita pocket stuffed with Tasty Hummus Spread*
or Grandma Tillie's Eggplant Dip*
Lettuce and tomatoes
1 or 2 fresh fruits

DINNER
Salad w i t h lemon and shredded pear
Steamed Swiss chard and zucchini cooked w i t h onions, mushrooms,
and stewed tomatoes
Acorn Squash Supreme*
Blueberries


Day Two
B R E A K F A S T
Oranges
1 cup oatmeal
1 ounce walnuts
1 ounce raisins

L U N C H
Raisin Coleslaw*
Vegetable or bean soup
1 or 2 pieces of fresh fruit

D I N N E R
Salad with Orange/Sesame Dressing*
Dr. Fuhrman's Famous Anti-Cancer Soup*
Baked potato with nonfat tomato sauce

Day Three
B R E A K F A S T
Baked apple with raisins and cinnamon

L U N C H
Salad-stuffed pita with Tasty Hummus Spread*
Fresh fruit

D I N N E R
Mixed baby greens, with cracked peppercorn dressing
Broccoli and Red Pepper Soup,* slice of seven-grain bread
Corn on the cob with Vege Base seasoning

Day Four
B R E A K F A S T
Frozen Banana Fluff* with one tablespoon of ground flaxseed
added per person

L U N C H
Salad with lemon
Raw vegetables (string beans, carrots, broccoli, peppers), with
Spicy Bean Dip*
Fresh or frozen strawberries

D I N N E R :
Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, with Zesty Tomato-Garlic
Dressing*
Lisa's Lovely Lentil Stew*
Steamed string beans w i t h garlic powder

Day Five
B R E A K F A S T
Dried apricots, soaked overnight in soymilk

L U N C H
Celery stalks stuffed w i t h Spicy Bean Spread*
Frozen artichoke hearts, dipped in low-calorie dressing
Frozen blueberries

D I N N E R
Romaine lettuce soaked in orange juice
Tofu Chow Mein*
Green apple slices in lime juice

Day Six
B R E A K F A S T
Whole grapefruit, fresh pineapple
1 oz. sunflower seeds

L U N C H
Bean Burgers*
Green salad w i t h Bloody Delicious Dressing*
Apple or pear

D I N N E R
Quick Corn Stew*
Salad w i t h Brainy Blueberry Dressing*
Eggplant Patties*

Day Seven
B R E A K F A S T
Oranges, green apples
Baby spinach and baby romaine w i th
Mango-Pineapple Shazaam Dressing*

L U N C H
Raw veggies, dipped in Grandma Tillie's Eggplant Dip*
Seasonal fresh fruit

D I N N E R
Tomato Barley Stew*
Broccoli Vinaigrette*
Vegetarian Chili* or one of Ginny's Chilis — Savory Soy Chili or Roasted Pepper Chili
Frozen orange juice pops

Dr. Kiki Sidhwa's Fruit & Raw Detox


"Detox diet plans can help you lose weight, and rejuvenate your body. In a world filled with toxins, detox diets are becoming ever more important. A detox diet can cleans years of toxin build up in the cells resulting in clarity of mind, health, energy and a new beginning for people who are sick.

I have no doubt in my mind that long fasts have the best results in chronic ailments. But not many people have the time or inclination nor the necessary grit and commitment to undertake such a fast. For those who want to detoxify themselves the following practical suggestions will go a long way in helping them to detoxify.


Simple steps to help overcome overeating...

The Detox Diet Plan

For one week put yourself on a monotrophic diet , i.e. eat only one type of fruit at each meal.

For example:

Detox Diet - Breakfast

Breakfast could be melon only. Eat as much as you like and feel satisfied that you have had enough. All types of melons are good. Honeydew, Cantaloupe, Gala or Watermelon.

Detox Diet – Lunchtime

Eat only oranges and grapefruit or pineapples or plums whatever you fancy but don’t mix the fruits. Eat till hunger is satisfied.
4 p.m. Have a large (12 oz.) glass of freshly pressed carrot juice.

Detox Diet - Evening

Eat only apples, pears, grapes or bananas. Eat only one fruit at a time and eat till hunger is satisfied. During the week you can vary daily the fruits you want to eat on that particular day.

You can resume your household duties or light office work but do not exert yourself physically. Conserve energy. It is possible that some of you may feel some reactions, like light headedness, nausea at times, a little listlessness and feeling of tiredness and mental irritability. Persevere – Rome wasn’t built in a day. After all it took you years to get into the toxic state that you now find yourself into. The symptoms will go away eventually. Lots of sleep and rest are essential at this stage so do not plan any social events.


The Detox Diet Plan continued …

After these days – I suggest you go for one month on an all raw food diet as follows:

Detox Diet – Breakfast

Fresh fruit only of oranges, kiwi’s, pineapple, apple, plums, grapefruit or any other acid fruits. You can now mix the fruits. Eat enough to satisfy your hunger. Just one orange and one apple will not be enough. You have to get your calories from the fruit you eat.


Detox Diet – Lunch

Eat heartily of grapes, pears, bananas, mangoes, fresh dates, and with this meal eat a head of lettuce, 1-2 sticks of celery and a handful of dried raisins or sultanas, or 3-4 dried figs or 10-12 dried Hunza apricots.

DETOX SNACK
4 p.m. A large 12 oz glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice.


Detox Diet – Evening

A large Rainbow salad of grated red cabbage, grated carrots, grated beetroot, chopped up celery, watercress, cucumber, and red or green peppers. A dressing could be made as follows: Put 2-3 tomatoes in the blender, 1 whole peeled large size avocado and a pinch of marigold bouillon powder and 1 tea spoonful cold pressed linseed oil or olive oil. Blend the lot and pour it on your Rainbow salad and mix thoroughly. Enjoy it with some lettuce leaves. To this salad you add 3 ozs of nuts and seeds. Not salted nuts and not peanuts. Brazil, Cashew, Almonds, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds. Whatever you fancy. Chew well or grind the nuts dry and sprinkle on the Rainbow salad or put ground nuts in a blender, add just a little water and make it into nut cream.

On such a regime — if you have not cheated in between — at the end of that month you will feel cleaner, fitter, a little slimmer and more energetic with the added bonus of some of your symptoms disappearing. No cooked food should be eaten. Full activity can be resumed on this raw diet. This regime has worked on thousands of cases.


The choice is yours. Remember no one can cure you. Your own body, given the opportunity will rebuild itself."

Dr. Kiki Sidhwa


You can contact Dr. Kiki Sidhwa by writing him at:

3 Harold Grove
“Shalimar”
Frinton-on-Sea
Essex, CO139BD UK
or by calling him at 44 (0)125-567-2823

2011-01-09

The Hay Diet


The Hay Diet was named after Dr William H Hay 1866-1940.

After 16 yrs medical practice Dr Hay's health broke down, he developed high blood pressure, brights disease and a dilated heart. There being no treatment available for dilated heart at the time Dr Hay was inspired to treat his own symptoms.

He did this by eating 'fundamentally' as he called it, taking foods in a natural form and not mixing proteins and starches at the same meal. (Pavlovs experiments with dogs showed that starches are digested in about two hours, proteins are digested in about four hours but a protein - starch mixture can still be digesting 13 hours later, food taken on top can lead to fermentation and toxic by-products putting strain on the system .

The result of this was a complete remission of symptoms and a reduction of weight from 225lbs (100kg) to 175lbs (80kg) in about 3 months. He believed he had a 'surefire treatment for diabetes'. Although ridiculed at the time, some modern research has produced evidence of a close connection between refined carbohydrates and allergies, skin problems, migraine, fatigue, depression, schizophrenic and aggressive behaviours.

The Diet food combininig chart is above (just click to zoom) - It's very simple - fruit is best taken alone at breakfast time (the sugars ferment if fruit sits on top of an evening meal) and don't mix columns 1 and 3.

Tables 1 and 3 are incompatible.


* Mix anything from List A with List B

* Mix anything from List C with List B

* Never mix List A and C!

* Mix vegetables or salads with pulses i.e. beans/lentils - make these and unprocessed foods the main part of your diet.

2010-12-13

Top 6 Super Foods


Amazing Wheatgrass Juice

Wheatgrass contains most of the vitamins and minerals needed for human health. It's a whole meal and complete protein with about 30 enzymes. It has up to 70% chlorophyll (which builds the blood). It's an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Wheatgrass cleanses the body (natural raw detoxer) and it eliminates body and breath odors. The natural value of wheatgrass juice is so high that many people don't feel the "cravings" that lead to overeating. It's great for the skin and first and second decree burns.

Did you know that all grasses are edible and that there are over 400 varieties?

Magic Goji Berries

Tibetan goji berries are extremely rich in anti-oxidants which help protect the cells in our bodies from diseases like cancer. They're also an excellent source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber. They have more amino acids than bee pollen, more beta carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach and 21 trace minerals. Goji Berries contain of 13% protein! It's been used to treat eye problems, skin rashes, allergies, insomnia, liver disease, diabetes, cervical cancer, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It's a powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial food.
Sexy Maca

Maca is a radish like fruit that grows in Peru. It's one of the top 5 super foods enjoyed by raw foodists. It's extraordinary rich in nutrients: 10% protein, 60% carbohydrate and full of fatty acids, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals trace.

Maca is famous for its amazing health benefits and used to boost, energy, strength, libido, sexual function and fertility in both men and women. It's a natural viagra with no side effects and it's said to relieve symptoms of menopause within days.

The Peruvian root works gradually, not instantly. You need to eat maca continually to receive the full benefits. For the best results look for organic raw maca powder.

Maca balances the body's systems: it'll raise low blood pressure and lower high blood pressure as needed. Maca boosts immunity and harmonizes the body's overall vitality.
Discover Bee Pollen

Bee pollen contain more than 96 different nutrients, including every single nutrient that you need to live. It's made up of 40% protein. It's a natural energizer, slows down the aging process, and lowers cholesterol levels.

This super food reliefs discomfort from PMS, prevents prostate problems, improves sperm count, boosts the immune system, and detoxifies your body. It alleviates allergies, improves endurance, strength and mental clarity. It promotes weight loss: the rate at which your body burns fat and it reduces cravings. It regulates your mood and helps control stress in your life.
Hemp Seed Secrets

Hemp is one of the purest, most complete plants on earth. It has the perfect balance of Omega 3 and 6 for sustainable human health. This makes raw hemp seeds incredibly powerful against cancer. It might be the single best food to prevent it. It's a high quality, complete raw food protein and has a massive trace mineral content.

It's the only seed that doesn't need to be germinated before eating: it has no enzyme exhibitors. Therefore it's easy to absorb.
Heavenly Chocolate

Although controversial, many find raw chocolate a super food. It's rich in anti oxidants and magnesium. And as long as you're healthy and use is sensibly it's a super, tasty and healthy addition to your recipes.

The benefits of raw chocolate?

* It's a major source of magnesium. Therefore a great laxative, it releases PMS symptoms, it's good for the brain and heart.
* It's the number 1 anti-oxidant source. 30X as much as green tea and 10X that of blueberries.
* It does not contain caffeine.
* However, it does contain theobromine (a sister molecule of caffeine). This makes raw chocolate the best medicine against asthma.
* It contains serotonin and triple defense. Together they protect us from the damage of stress.
* Chocolate is the number one weight loss food. It's so nutrient dense. If you eat a few beans you feel fantastic and satisfied. You won't feel hungry and you can go for hours without food.


TRY IT OUT!
*credits to www.thebestrawfood.com

2010-11-18

Meal Frequency: How often should I eat?

My advice is to eat between five to six meals per day. By eating smaller portions of food more often you will feel less hungry in between meals and not deprived. When people only eat, let’s say, two large meals per day, their bodies go into a starvation mode and try to hold on to calories. By eating every three to four hours you keep your body from storing as many calories (as fat) because your body has a steady supply of food to use for energy. Think of your metabolism as a wood burning fire. If you don’t stoke the fire and add wood at regular intervals, it goes out. The same is true with your body: a steady intake of nutritious fuel at regular intervals keeps your metabolism steady and elevated, your blood sugar stable, and your body operating at maximum efficiency.

Mini-meals should be balanced, containing proteins, carbohydrates and fat. This also helps to maintain steady insulin levels. However, eating more meals is not a license to overeat! Your goal is to eat smaller, nutritious meals that will satisfy your body’s needs. Soon you will begin to notice that you are less hungry overall and you need less food to fill up at each meal.

The easiest way to avoid missing a meal is to have plenty of nutritious foods available such as fruit, yogurt, light cheese, whole grain crackers and bread, and nuts that you can eat when you’re short on time.
Sample day menu

Breakfast

1 egg
1/2 of a whole wheat bagel
2 teaspoons of jam
1/4 of a cantaloupe
1 cup of coffee

Snack #1

Light yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup reduced-fat granola
1 ounce of raw almonds

Lunch
Grilled Asian chicken salad with light dressing
1 small whole grain roll
Mineral water

Snack #2

1 cup minestrone soup
6 whole grain crackers
1/2 cup red grapes

Dinner

4 ounces of broiled fish
3/4 cup steamed green beans
1/2 sweet potato, baked
2 teaspoons whipped butter
4-ounce glass of wine

Michèle Turcotte, MS, RD/LDN
Contributing Expert

2010-02-02

Crash Course on Eastern Medicine, Nutrition and All things Healthy


I've been doing a lot of reading lately and got a hold of this new (actually old) gem:
Daniel Reids' The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity

This book was written with the purpose of exploring the essence of Chinese medicine including acupuncture, massage therapy, sexual ed, trophology (the study of how to mix carbs, fats and proteins correctly for a better digestion), meditation, and nutrition.

Here's a glimpse of the book:

"Chapter 1

Diet and Nutrition

Food and drink are relied upon to nurture life. But if one does not know that the natures of substances may be opposed to each other, and one consumes them altogether indiscriminately, the vital organs will be thrown out of harmony and disastrous consequences will soon arise. Therefore, those who wish to nurture their lives must carefully avoid doing such damage to themselves.

[Chia Ming, Essential Knowledge for Eating and Drinking, 1368]

One of the great advantages of learning Tao is that the same basic principles apply to everything from the macrocosmic to the microscopic. In the case of diet, the overriding Taoist principle of balance between Yin and Yang is established by harmonizing the Four Energies and Five Flavors in foods.

The Four Energies in food are hot, warm, cool and cold. These categories define the nature and the intensity of energy released in the human system when food is digested. Hot and warm foods belong to Yang; cool and cold foods belong to Yin. The former are stimulating and generate heat, while the latter are calming and cool the organs.

The Five Flavors are more subtle distinctions based on the Five Elemental Activities: sweet (earth), bitter (fire), sour (wood), pungent (metal) and salty (water). Each of the Five Flavors has a 'natural affinity' (gui-jing) for one of the five 'solid' Yin organs and its Yang counterpart: sweet influences pancreas/stomach; bitter moves to the heart/small intestine; sour has affinity for the liver/gallbladder; pungent affects the lungs/large intestine; and salty associates with the kidneys/bladder.

The therapeutic effects of the Four Energies and Five Flavors are as follows:

* Cool and cold Yin foods calm the vital organs and are recommended for summer menus, as well as for combating 'hot' Yang diseases such as fever and hypertension. Yin foods include soy beans, bamboo shoots, watermelon, white turnips, cabbage, pears, squash and lemons.

* Warm and hot Yang foods stimulate the vital organs, generate body heat and are recommended for winter consumption, as well as palliatives for 'cold' Yin diseases such as anemia, chills and fatigue. Yang foods include beef, mutton, chicken, alcohol, mango and chilies.

* Sweet 'earth' foods disperse stagnant energy, promote circulation, nourish vital energy and harmonize the stomach. Corn, peas, dates, ginseng and licorice are examples of sweet foods.

* Bitter 'fire' foods such as rhubarb and bitter melon tend to dry the system, balance excess dampness, and purge the bowels.

* Sour 'wood' foods such as olives and pomegranate are astringent, tend to solidify the contents of the digestive tract, stop diarrhea and remedy prolapse of the colon.

* Salty 'water' foods such as kelp soften and moisten tissues and facilitate bowel movements.

* Pungent 'metal' goods such as ginger, garlic and chili neutralize and disperse accumulated toxins in the body.

Taoists balance their diets according to favorable combinations of energies and flavors and strictly avoid combinations that conflict. They also avoid excessive consumption of any single variety of food-energy. For example, frequent excessive consumption of 'hot' fatty Yang foods can cause fevers, heartburn, congestion, chest stagnation and other unpleasant effects of 'heat-energy excess'. As this excess 'evil heat' seeks escape from the body, carbuncles and absesses may develop. Too much pungent food can cause gastro-intestinal distress, upset the stomach and result in hemorrhoids. Even the freshest, most wholesome foods are rendered nutritionally useless if consumed in combinations that interfere with digestion, cause putrefaction and fermentation, block assimilation and cause internal energy conflicts.

Mother Nature's Menu

When formulating personal dietary guidelines, it is helpful first to determine your own basic metabolic type, of which there are three: vegetarian, carnivore and balanced. The vegetarian and carnivorous types each represent about 25 per cent of the general population, with the remaining 50 per cent falling into the balanced category. These human metabolic types stem from the prehistoric switch by some segments of the human species from a fruit and nut based diet to a meat diet.

Vegetarian metabolisms are 'slow oxidizers', which means that they burn sugars and carbohydrates slowly. Because the body must burn sugar in order to provide sufficient energy to digest meat and fat, slow oxidizers have trouble burning sugar fast enough to efficiently digest large quantities of meat, eggs, fish and other concentrated animal proteins. Consequently, large doses of protein foods tend to make vegetarian types feel tired and sluggish after meals. An easy test for metabolic type is to eat a large steak or a whole chicken and see how you feel afterward. If it leaves you feeling 'wiped out', mentally depressed and lethargic, then you probably tend towards a slow-oxidizing vegetarian metabolism, in which case you should restrict protein and fat consumption and favor vegetables, fruits and carbohydrates in your diet. If a large intake of concentrated animal protein leaves you feeling strong, vital and mentally alert, then you probably lean towards a fast-oxidizing carnivorous metabolism.

Since carnivorous metabolisms burn sugar and carbohydrates very rapidly, excess consumption of sugar or starch tends to make them excessively nervous and agitated due to overstimulation of the nervous system. Fast oxidizers derive energy by digesting large quantities of animal fats and proteins, which are sent to the liver for conversion into glycogen. The liver then dispenses the glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of glucose -- the only form of fuel the body can burn -- in gradual measured doses, as needed. That's why fast oxidizers require a steady supply of protein and fat in their diets and should restrict intake of sugars and starches.

Fortunately, most of us have balanced metabolisms that can handle both varieties of food when properly combined. Although our digestive tracts were originally designed by nature for a diet of fruit and vegetables, our digestive systems have evolved the capacity to produce the gastric juices required to digest the meat that became part of the human diet 50,000-100,000 years ago. If large quantities of animal protein don't leave you feeling depleted, and if large doses of sugar and starch don't make you nervous, then you are probably a balanced metabolizer who needs only worry about selecting wholesome foods from both categories and combining them properly for consumption. In the Tao of diet, however, these are just the first steps in regulating diet. Season and climate, for example, must also be considered in order to ensure that the extreme external cold winter is balanced by the extra internal heat of Yang-foods, hot summer weather is complemented by cooling Yin-foods, dry climates are compensated with extra moisturizing foods, and so forth. Foods consumed out of harmony with season and climate can cause all sorts of problems, including skin eruptions, constipation, gas, fatigue and bad breath.

Taoists tend to favor local produce because it is far more likely to be fresh and brimming with the vitality of its own chee. Today, the modern food-processing industry, in conjunction with high-speed transport, has made it possible to eat Florida oranges in Alaska, frozen prawns in the middle of the desert and all sorts of processed packaged 'junk food' any time of day or night, anywhere on earth. As a result, modern diets are completely out of synchrony with the natural prevailing conditions of geography, season and unseen cosmic forces."

You can buy it online here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Tao-of-Health-Sex-and-Longevity/Daniel-P-Reid/e/9780671648114/#EXC

Or

Here's a link on all things Daniel Reid: http://www.danreid.org/about-daniel-reid-writer-chinese-medicine-tcm-health-tao-taosim.asp

2009-10-31

Find Organic Produce Near You with Local Harvest



Local Harvest is a website that gives you the tools to find any farmers market, grocery store, restaurant, organic farms and online store that is closest to where you are located.

There's also a forum, an events calendar, newsletter and so much more!

Check it out at www.localharvest.org

Spiced Apple Cider from Martha Stewart's Living



Here's an opportunity to make a Healthy Halloween type treat for any guests coming to your home today.

Ofcourse Martha Stewart's recipes never fail!

So, here it is:

Spiced Apple Cider

Ingredients
(Makes about 16 cups)

* 32 whole allspice berries
* 24 cinnamon sticks
* 24 cardamom pods
* 12 whole cloves
* 12 strips (2 inches wide) orange zest (from about 3 oranges)
* 1 gallon apple cider

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Cider can be kept warm over very low heat. Strain before serving, reserving cinnamon sticks for garnish if desired.

**From Martha Stewart Living, October 2007**

2009-10-30

The Transcendental Meditation Program


About 5 months ago I went to see a lady by the name of Sonia Steed. They had recommended her as the representative of Transcendental Meditation here in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I did a week long program that entailed learning the technique of this type of meditation and the benefits of practicing it on a daily basis.

So here's what it boils down to:

What is the Transcendental Meditation (TM)
technique? It is a simple, natural, effortless
procedure practiced 20 minutes twice each day
while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.
It’s not a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle. It’s
the most widely practiced, most researched,
and most effective method of self-development.

What happens when you meditate?
The Transcendental Meditation technique allows
your mind to settle inward beyond thought to
experience the source of thought — pure
awareness, also known as transcendental
consciousness. This is the most silent and peaceful
level of consciousness — your innermost Self. In this state of restful alertness, your brain functions with significantly greater coherence and your body gains deep rest.

How many people practice the TM technique?
More than five million people worldwide have learned this simple, natural technique — people of all ages, cultures, and religions.

How much scientific research has been done on the TM technique?
Over 600 research studies have been conducted at more than 200 universities and research centers (including Harvard, UCLA, and Stanford). These studies have been published in more than 100 journals

Where did the TM technique come from?
The Transcendental Meditation technique is based on the ancient Vedic tradition of enlightenment in India. This knowledge has been handed down by Vedic masters from generation to generation for thousands of years. About 50 years ago, Maharishi — the representative in our age of the Vedic tradition — introduced Transcendental Meditation to the world, restoring the knowledge and experience of higher states of consciousness at this critical time for humanity. When we teach the Transcendental Meditation technique today, we maintain the same procedures used by teachers thousands of years ago for maximum effectiveness.


8 Reasons to do start:
- Improves Brain Function
- Health (it's proven to be THE most effective wellness program)
- Focus
- Creativity
- Equanimity
- Happiness
- Relationships
- Peace

10 FACTS - What it is and what it isn't

1. Simple: The Transcendental Meditation technique is a simple, effortless mental process practiced for 15–20 minutes twice a day, sitting quietly and comfortably in a chair with the eyes closed.

2. Easily learned: The Transcendental Meditation technique can be easily learned by anyone and is enjoyable to practice.

3. Immediate benefits: The benefits of the Transcendental Meditation technique are immediate and increase over time. The technique’s positive effects—for mind, body and relationships—have been verified by hundreds of research studies conducted at top medical schools and published in over 350 peer-reviewed scientific journals.

4. No belief required: The Transcendental Meditation technique does not involve belief. In fact, you can be thoroughly skeptical and the technique will still be fully effective.

5. Develops the total brain: Brain research shows that the Transcendental Meditation technique develops the total brain, increasing creativity and intelligence and improving decision-making and problem-solving abilities.

6. Not a lifestyle: The Transcendental Meditation technique is not a religion or philosophy and involves no change in lifestyle.

7. Reduces stress and high blood pressure: Medical school research funded by the National Institutes of Health shows that the Transcendental Meditation technique is the most effective mind-body practice for reducing stress and stress-related disorders, including hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke and atherosclerosis.

8. Unique: The Transcendental Meditation technique is unlike any other form of meditation or self-development—in practice and results. The technique is distinguished by its naturalness, effortlessness and profound effectiveness.

9. Systematic instruction: The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught by certified teachers through a systematic course of personalized instruction and includes extensive follow-up and support, ensuring that everyone who learns gains maximum benefit.

10. Nonprofit organization: The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught through a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization. The organization’s goal is to develop the full potential of the individual, minimize the negative impact of stress, and bring unrestricted and fulfilling progress to all areas of society.

**For more information visit: www.tm.org**

2009-10-28

Flora&Fauna Boutique


flora&fauna, and eco-fashion label, was started by a woman named Pauline when she moved to Vancouver after studying Fashion Design in Toronto.

The label incorporates animal oriented themes and supports animal welfare and organizations related to nature and its conservation.

All of their clothing are produced locally and sustainably made!

For example the Squirrel Beach Dress that I love is:

• 68% Organic Cotton, 28% Soy, 4% Spandex
• Ethically and sustainably made in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Check them out at: http://floraandfauna.ca/collections/fall09/index.php

"Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals Turned Me Vegan", Natalie Portman's article on the Huffington Post


Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals changed me from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist. I've always been shy about being critical of others' choices because I hate when people do that to me. I'm often interrogated about being vegetarian (e.g., "What if you find out that carrots feel pain, too? Then what'll you eat?").

I've also been afraid to feel as if I know better than someone else -- a historically dangerous stance (I'm often reminded that "Hitler was a vegetarian, too, you know"). But this book reminded me that some things are just wrong. Perhaps others disagree with me that animals have personalities, but the highly documented torture of animals is unacceptable, and the human cost Foer describes in his book, of which I was previously unaware, is universally compelling.

The human cost of factory farming -- both the compromised welfare of slaughterhouse workers and, even more, the environmental effects of the mass production of animals -- is staggering. Foer details the copious amounts of pig shit sprayed into the air that result in great spikes in human respiratory ailments, the development of new bacterial strains due to overuse of antibiotics on farmed animals, and the origins of the swine flu epidemic, whose story has gripped the nation, in factory farms.

I read the chapter on animal shit aloud to two friends -- one is from Iowa and has asthma and the other is a North Carolinian who couldn't eat fish from her local river because animal waste had been dumped in it as described in the book. They had never truly thought about the connection between their environmental conditions and their food. The story of the mass farming of animals had more impact on them when they realized it had ruined their own backyards.

But what Foer most bravely details is how eating animal pollutes not only our backyards, but also our beliefs. He reminds us that our food is symbolic of what we believe in, and that eating is how we demonstrate to ourselves and to others our beliefs: Catholics take communion -- in which food and drink represent body and blood. Jews use salty water on Passover to remind them of the slaves' bitter tears. And on Thanksgiving, Americans use succotash and slaughter to tell our own creation myth -- how the Pilgrims learned from Native Americans to harvest this land and make it their own.

And as we use food to impart our beliefs to our children, the point from which Foer lifts off, what stories do we want to tell our children through their food?

I remember in college, a professor asked our class to consider what our grandchildren would look back on as being backward behavior or thinking in our generation, the way we are shocked by the kind of misogyny, racism, and sexism we know was commonplace in our grandparents' world. He urged us to use this principle to examine the behaviors in our lives and our societies that we should be a part of changing. Factory farming of animals will be one of the things we look back on as a relic of a less-evolved age.

I say that Foer's ethical charge against animal eating is brave because not only is it unpopular, it has also been characterized as unmanly, inconsiderate, and juvenile. But he reminds us that being a man, and a human, takes more thought than just "This is tasty, and that's why I do it." He posits that consideration, as promoted by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has more to do with being polite to your tablemates than sticking to your own ideals, would be absurd if applied to any other belief (e.g., I don't believe in rape, but if it's what it takes to please my dinner hosts, then so be it).

But Foer makes his most impactful gesture as a peacemaker, when he unites the two sides of the animal eating debate in their reasoning. Both sides argue: We are not them. Those who refrain from eating animals argue: We don't have to go through what they go through -- we are not them. We are capable of making distinctions between what to eat and what not to eat (Americans eat cow but not dog, Hindus eat chicken but not cow, etc.). We are capable of considering others' minds and others' pain. We are not them. Whereas those who justify eating animals say the same thing: We are not them. They do not merit the same value of being as us. They are not us.

And so Foer shows us, through Eating Animals, that we are all thinking along the same lines: We are not them. But, he urges, how will we define who we are?

**This is an excerpt of an article that Natalie Portman wrote for the Huffington Post.
To Read more go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/natalie-portman/jonathan-safran-foers-iea_b_334407.html**

Exercise for people with busy schedules




As we all know, exercise is a key ingredient in any weight loss program. Aside from making us lose weight or keep the weight off, it makes us feel better.

With everyone being so busy these days, maybe spending 9-10 hours at an office, being a full-time mom and keeping the house & kids in order, or just trying to have a life...it seems hard to find a couple of minutes in our day to make the effort to be active physically - but as the saying goes "when there's a will there's a way".

There's aerobic/cardio and strength training type exercise. Aerobic burns fat/calories while you are doing it and strength training does so by increasing your metabolic rate making you burn more calories "in the long run" while your body is at rest (RMR).

The following are a mix of both types.

First and foremost, STRETCH and WARM UP for 5 minutes.

#1. Walking!

Go for a 10-15 minute fast speed walk around your neighborhood. Walk your dog, go to the grocery store, or walk to work! Go anywhere! Try really fast walking for 2-3 minutes and then 2-3 minutes at a normal pace and like that on & off. I usually go to and from work (10 blocks away).


#2. Get on your bike! (real one or indoor cycle)

Warm-Up spending the first 2–6 minutes finding the appropriate amount of resistance to start with, proper pedal stroke to warm up and keep treading. Once that's over, spend 5-10 minutes going full strength at maximum capacity, then slow down and add another 5 minutes at normal pace.

#3. Squats!

Personally, I hate squats. But they are a great exercise for the lower body! Particularly your buttocks and knees. So, put your feet at shoulder width while facing forward and squat down-and-up 10-20 times for 2 or 3 sets. If you get good at it, and it becomes easy, then add some dumbbells in your hands while working out.

#4. Stepping!

This workout is so easy it feels like you're not actually doing much. But you are!
I think starting out with 100 steps is the way to go...it'll take you about 5-10 minutes at first...and then you can start adding more and more sets as you go. Sets of 20 steps is ideal. Either use the stairs at home, or at a place nearby, or stack something you can "step on" of about 15 inches tall, if you can't find anything then just buy one!

#5. Push-ups and Sit-ups! (I included a really good description from Clint Hale @ eHow)

Push-Ups
A military workout regimen includes extended sets of push-ups called "supersets." Military trainers recommend doing three types of push-ups: regular push-ups, wide push-ups (in which you widen the distance between your hands on the ground) and close/triceps push-ups (in which you bring the hands close together to work the triceps).

Sit-Ups
Supersets for sit-ups are also a three-pronged regimen, including regular sit-ups.
Also included are reverse crunches, in which you lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. From there, place your hands beside your head or extended flat to your sides. With your feet crossed at the ankles, lift your feet off the ground until your knees are placed at a 90-degree angle. Press your lower back on the floor to contract the abdominal muscles, and then lower your legs back down to reset your original positioning.

The third sit-up recommended is a double crunch, in which you lie on your back with knees bent and cross your feet at the ankles. From there, exhale as your curl your legs toward your chest and lift your shoulders from the floor. Then, bring your legs and shoulders back down to return to form.

Sit-Up and Push-Up Supersets
To achieve a true "superset," military trainers recommend doing the following non-stop 5-10 times:

--10 regular push-ups
--10 regular sit-ups
--10 wide push-ups
--10 reverse crunches
--10 close/triceps push-ups
--10 double crunches

By doing the above five times, you will have completed 150 push-ups and 150 sit-ups in a little more than 10 minutes.

So there you have it, no excuses! Get off your butt and do something!

Love, E.

2009-10-27

Best Vegetarian Recipes





I got to hand it to you, it's hard being inventive and original when it comes to daily cooking. Mostly we all fall for the same patterns and menus over and over again.

So, below I'll be sharing the menus that I cook for my loved ones on a regular basis.

They are easy, fast, healthy and best of all YUMMY!

All-in-one salad:

Fresh Spinach Leaves
Nuts
Raw Goat Cheese or Blue Cheese
Black Olives
Avocado
Baby Tomatoes
Garlic Paste (blended garlic cloves, lemon, salt, pepper)
Olive Oil

I usually serve it with grilled onions and baked sweet potatoes.

Potato Quiche/Pie: 2-4 people

Wash and peel three large white potatoes
Slice them very thinly
Heat oil in frying pan
When hot - fry all potato slices
When done (cooked but not crispy) take out and put in large bowl
Crack 6 eggs and scramble
Stir them in the bowl with the potatoes

Use the same frying pan that used for the fries (take out all excessive oil used before but leave in a good 3 tbsps)
When pan is hot, throw in the entire mixture.
Spread it out evenly.

When the bottom is brown (check by using fork to lift it up), place a large plate (larger then pan) over it and turn the pan over.

Then put some more oil in the pan to heat.
Slide the pie from dish to pan once again, this time on the uncooked side ofcourse.

Wait till brown again.
Et Voila!

Mega Sandwich:

Bake a soy patty 3-4 minutes on each side
Whole Wheat Bread
Add lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, red onion, avocado slices and cheese of choice
Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup and a dash of Tabasco

Done!

Veggie Curry: 4 people

In a large pan heat 3 tbsp of olive oil
Stir in 2 big white onions chopped in big chunks
Any vegetable previously steamed or boiled (personally I use carrots, garbanzo beans, butter beans, potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower, spinach, sweet corn, etc.)
Throw in 4 slices of peeled fresh ginger, 2 garlic cloves & laurel leaves
1 chili pepper (deseeded and finely chopped)
Put 3-4 cups of brown rice, uncooked
Keep stirring, until rice and veggies are oiled and warm
Pour vegetable broth over the rice until it is all covered
Pour in 1 can of peeled and chopped tomatoes
To make the Thai version, just add 2 cups of coconut milk at this point
Salt (sea salt preferably) and pepper
Lime or Lemon Juice to taste (a couple of spoonfuls)

In about 25 minutes the broth will be evaporated and the rice soft. If more time is needed then pour in some more broth and wait again.

Dinner is served!