Saturday, February 28, 2009

Exotic raw



Snake wine (rư"u rắn in Vietnamese) is an alcoholic beverage that includes a whole venomous snake in the bottle. It originated in Vietnam and can be found around Southeast Asia. The snakes, preferably venomous ones, are usually not preserved for their meat. They are preserved to have the snake poison dissolved in the liquor. However, because snake venom is protein-based, they are unfolded and therefore inactivated due to the influence of the denaturing effects of ethanol.

A large venomous snake can be placed into a glass jar of rice wine, often with many smaller snakes, turtles, insects, or birds, and left to steep for many months. The wine is drunk as a restorative in small shots or cups...

Body fluids of snake are mixed into wine and consumed immediately in the form of a shot. Snake blood wine is prepared by slicing a snake along its belly and draining its blood into a mixing vat with rice wine or grain alcohol. Snake bile wine is done through a similar method by using the contents of the gall bladder. Snake meat, liver, and skin can be prepared to accompany the drinks

submitted by Kathy

Friday, February 27, 2009

I am an instrument of the Infinite Presence



I AM
an instrument
of the
infinite
Presence

Chia Seeds


Chia seeds, (yep...."ch.ch.ch.chia"...you got it) are the new, hot, anti-aging food! They are high in omega 3s and they feed your brain with those important good fats. Tiny like sesame seeds, you can sprinkle them on your foods for an extra kick.

Try getting about 2 TBS a day for awhile and see how you do! I oz has 4 g of protein, and 9 g of fat...the good fat. These little guys pack a punch!

Nuts online is a source if Whole Foods doesn't have them.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Clarkia - Parasite cleanse and more...

So finally listened to my hit regarding parasites and fungal stuff so I ordered Clarkia which you can find here http://drclarkia.com/ and read about here http://www.curezone.com/diseases/parasites/clarkia.html

Im on day 2 and starting to feel things shifting which feels very good. Supposedly you can use it for all sorts of things and it even works for children and pets. The dosages are on the curezone site i believe.

Ill keep you all posted on how it goes. Its something like 2 weeks on 1 week off and you just add drops to water gradually increasing drops.

Good oils and Fats are not the bad guys

When eating raw, and even raw-ish, as we like to say, you need the good fats and oils. If you don't get enough, your body let's you know it!

Your brain needs fats. It's 60% fat! Hence the phrase "fat head?" The myelin sheath that covers your neural connections-largely fat-75% fat. Fat has gotten a bad wrap. Fats are messengers. Fat regulates key aspects of the immune system, blood circulation, inflammation, memory and mood. The good fats are essential to good moods, good brain function and good living!

Lack of omega 3s can lead to depression, poor memory, low IQ, learning issues, dyslexias, poor sleep. The good fats, omega 3s, and from good fish sources. Salmon, mackerel, herring, yellow fin tuna, then anchovies, eel and sardines.

According to Dr. Charles Krebs, in his book "Nutrition and the Brain", thinking is a biochemical process and we absolutely need the right nutrition for our neurotransmitters to function. Proteins make neurotransmitters, and it's why many people feel good on a high protein diet. That, coupled with the fact that our brain NEEDS the right sort of fats.

So where does that leave us?
Take omega 3s. Add them to your diet. Get a good fish oi, which is assimilated better than flax seed oil, by the brain. If you want to stay vege based, do the flax seed, and Udo's has a great 3-6-9 blend. You can get these in gel caps. I took them periodically through the day during my last week of classes and it helped immensely!

Vindicate fat, and bring it back into your life. Good fats will help your body to let go of the bad fats. Cooked fats are toxic. Add olive oil to your salads, and enjoy!

MJ the biggest US crop



This is pretty interesting-and may be why they legalize it soon, although in a way-it is! Hey, if they are paying taxes, then it's legal. The general public just hasn't caught up.

Diuretic Vegetables-of course

Bloating and edema are a build up in the body of things that, were everything working right, would be releasing. Logical. That's not rocket science.

If things aren't working the way they should, there is a reason, because the body WILL if it CAN, so again, logically, if everything works in cooperation, your whole body is a symphony of relationship. If something is off, everything else flexes to accommodate.

Chronic issues, see a doctor, or a Naturopath, or an Allopathic doctor, or an Acupuncturist, or even an Herbalist. But what if it's temporary?

Sorting for simple ways to support our functions on a daily basis, what can we do? You wake up feeling bloated. Your pants are tighter, maybe the skin on your hands feel tight.
How can we eat to support our body's best functioning?
How can we naturally get our body to start releasing those fluids instead of retaining them? Ew.

Juice green! Eat as much raw for a few days as you can manage.

Diuretic foods include:
Asparagus, artichokes, celery, melons, parsley, cucumbers, brussel sprouts.
Brussel sprouts stimulate the kidneys. Cabbage and carrots are also good for elimination.

Juice them, eat them. Add them to your daily fare and feel the fluids release!
Watermelon, cantaloupe and cranberries are great too.

Remember, if you detox too quickly, you may get a slight headache, or feel flu-like symptoms. This is a good thing! Support that release action with water, hot lemon juice tea, a footbath, and add some vitamin E, C, or alpha lipoic acid for anti oxidant action. Just a suggestion. It's what I do. You might find it helpful too. Of course, this is not medical advice, just some suggestions from one friend to another!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Herbal Diuretics

If high blood pressure is brought down with a prescription diuretic, I wondered what herbs might do the same thing?

Dandelion-cleanses the liver, and the blood, improves kidenys, spleen, pancreas and stomach. Hmmmm. Not so bad for a weed.

Stinging Nettle-detoxifies the urinary system, and is another bothersome weed!

Pau d'Arco-used for pain and inflammation of the prostate, arthritis, ulcers, boils, and some cancers. Also is an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral.

Fennel, asparagus, parsley, borage, saw palmetto are all good for high blood pressure. Oh, stay away from rosemary as it raises blood pressure, and no on comfrey too as it blocks blood flow to the liver.

Guide4living.com

Another great Amazon herbal site:
Amazon Therapeutic Laboratories looks interesting, but I haven't ordered from them. Might want to keep it as a reference though. It's funded by the non profit institute of traditional amazon and andean medicine.

Turmeric the spice, and a soup recipe

Turmeric. botanically known as Curcuma longa. Turmeric is related to ginger, and saffron, and is a potent antioxidant, known to contain anti-cancer properties, and is good for detoxification of the body. It is profoundly anti-inflammatory, and is more potent than an anti-inflammatory steroid. For gut issues, as well as tissue healing. It's an astringent, and tightens. It's been used for polyps, hemorrhoids, degenerative brain issues, post nasal drip. It can be used for any wet and expanding tissue issue. It's an immune enhancer, cellular detoxifier.

Powdered turmeric, by itself can be very hard on the liver, creating a "heating" or irritating effect that can worsen Pitta related problems, so add it to your foods. It works best if you sauté it in a little oil or ghee or you add a little bit to soups or stews. It has water-soluble and fat-soluble components like most spices.

It's an incredibly powerful spice. Add it to your foods. Recipes using tumeric are usually Indian, although you can add it to eggs, sprinkle it on soups, use it on fish and chicken, stir fry. BTW-India has the lowest rate of Alzheimer's in the world. It's turmeric that gives ballpark mustard it's golden color.

If we begin to use more spices, we will find that our bodies can balance more readily. Remember-nature gives us her true medicines.

Try this out for a quick turmeric dinner-
Clean and wash, peel if necessary whatever vegetables you have around; these work well, but if you don't have them, use what you do!

Sweet potatoes, carrots, red onion, celery and bell peppers
Saute in a bit of olive oil until soft - about 5-7 min
Add chopped stewed tomatoes and some broth to cover and simmer for 20 min or so until soft.

Spices that work great together are:
Turmeric
salt and pepper
garlic
cayenne
thyme
ginger
add these to taste. We like spicy so I don't want to add the amounts I use! :)

If you have fresh kale, strip out the center stalk and chop into bite size pieces.
You'll stir these in at the end.

Serve with chopped nuts: cashews, pinenuts, walnuts all work.

If you like chunky vegetables, like I do, serve it chunky.
If you don't, whip it into the blender
(before adding the kale or nuts.)

Inspired by "The Whole Foods Market Cookbook" by Steve Petusevsky with modifications by me!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Finding Raw Light


I've been curious why eating raw became an ordeal in my mind, when it had so fed the body? Why had I succumbed to the illusion that it was hard, or complicated, or too expensive? Why had I allowed myself to numb out again and fall asleep to the truth of what fed me?

It's a funny thing because I found the moment to start.
And it was today.

And for today, it was easy.
For today I surrendered moment by moment, hour by hour, to my ever opening choice.
Today, I had my first raw food day.

Tonight I have a headache. i rejoice in it though, because I know it is due to the release of toxins that my body is joyfully releasing. I welcome the reminder that I have indeed been self-indulgent.

Again, I remind myself it's not about perfection, but balance. So my goal is 70% this time, knowing I need to feed myself protein as I desire it, and omegas.

Now I know what feeds my brain. Now I know what feeds my body.
The goal is to bring them into alignment.
All this life my goal has been balance. And again, I stand in that juxtaposition, on tippy toes...

Monday, February 23, 2009

Dine Well

"One cannot think well, love well or sleep well if one has not dined well."
Virginia Woolfe

We've lost right relationship with food, on a daily basis. Well, not all of us, but a lot. The busier we get the more we sacrifice-and unfortunately, we sacrifice the things that feed us-emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally.

Without the right nutrition, and in the right balance, we start to lose brain function.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Raw Nori Wraps



Don't these look awesome? Utopia - great site for raw food inspiration.
Utopia Kitchen

check it out!

living food preparation play day

anybody interested in making a date for some living food play?
i would love to just spend a few hours making some food with some friends...
anyone?

things i would like to make :

nut cheeses
some fun flavored soaked and dehydrated almonds
live sprouted granola with fresh fruits and coconut yogurt

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Composite Shaman



How many animals can you count?
How many archetypes make up a whole?

Monday, February 16, 2009

Gifts from God-tomatoes protect the prostate

Plants, essential oils, flower essences, homeopathic remedies...they're all made from living energies.
Pharmaceuticals may copy the molecular composition, but the missing ingredient is the life force that is imbued from connecting with that living substance. That can't be replicated in a lab.

The AARP has a great article on healing foods if you want to read it. You know what? They are all unprocessed foods, or ancient techniques such as fermenting, which is considered raw.

Beans ward off colon cancer, tomatoes protect the prostate, blueberries are good for our mind, salmon good for the bones, cabbage is a breast-cancer defense.

Here's an excerpt:
Tomatoes: Protect the prostate
Scientists have known for years that regularly eating tomato-based foods can reduce a man's risk of prostate cancer by up to 35 percent. More recently, studies have shown that men who already have prostate cancer may benefit as well. When researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago fed one serving of pasta with tomato sauce every day for three weeks to 32 men who were scheduled for prostate surgery, the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the patients' blood dropped by nearly 20 percent. (PSA is a measure of prostate-cancer-cell activity, so the lower the level, the less active the cancer cells.) The likely active ingredient in tomatoes is lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is thought to also be protective against lung and stomach cancers. In an interesting twist, fresh tomatoes don't appear to be as protective as cooked tomatoes. Men with prostate cancer should try to eat cooked tomatoes daily, in soups, chilies, marinara and spaghetti sauces, or other dishes. Those trying to prevent the disease should indulge twice a week.

Lycopene, as we've talked about before, is highest in tomatoes that are highly cooked-dehydrated is the highest, so raw tomatoes aren't as good this time.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Honey and the Heart

Funny thing: I've been eating raw organic honey lately. It tastes wonderful. Tonight I thought I'd find out what it's really doing for my body.

It's considered support for the heart! Suggestion is to eat it daily, with cinnamon to reduce cholesterol in the arteries and strengthens the heartbeat and revitalizes arteries and veins.

Arthritis patients that take it daily have 'cured' their arthritis. In Copenhagen, patients were given 1 TBS of honey and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and in a week 73 patients out of 200 were completely relieved of pan and within a month most all of the 200 could walk without pain.

2 TBS of honey and 1 tsp of cinnamon in hot water is said to cure a bladder infection.

Two TBS of honey and 3 tsp of cinnamon in 16 oz of hot water brought cholesterol down 10% in 2 hours!

Taken 3x a day an chronic cholesterol is "cured". Pure honey taken daily 'cures' cholesterol.

This same mixture of honey and cinnamon is good for coughs, colds, sinus issues.

In Ayurvedic medicine honey is prescribed to strengthen the semen-take it at night, and in the Far East women who don't conceive take honey and cinnamon.

Honey and cinnamon can help with stomach aches, ulcers, and with gas issues.

Honey and cinnamon strengthen the immune system and protects against viral and bacterial attack. And in Spain a scientist says it kills the flu virus! Go honey!

Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood cells too.

Now for the big guns: Research in Japan and Australia revealed that advanced stomach cancer and bone cancer was 'cured' with honey. How much? 1 TBS daily and 1 tsp of cinnamon for one month-3x a day.

Seniors that take honey and cinnamon-are more alert and flexible.

And for hearing loss: take honey and cinnamon in equal parts daily.

Now, we're talking about raw, organic so that the enzymes are not killed through the heat process of pasteurization.

Now as to weight loss:
before bed/on an empty stomach:
1 part cinnamon to 2 parts raw honey.
1 c hot water.

here's the trick:
Pour hot water over cinnamon, and let cool. Then add honey. Don't pour hot water of the honey.
Drink half before bed, then the other half in the morning.

Cleansing inside and out

Baking soda is a natural cleaner. It acts as a neutralizer-it neutralizes acid. Acids are the medium in which bacteria thrive. So, if you brush your teeth with baking soda, it neutralizes bad breath.

It's inexpensive, and it is natural. It's good for us. SO, why aren't we using it more? You can use baking soda to clean with instead of expensive and toxic cleansers.

So that brings me to cellulite: which is an indicator of over acidity in the body. The body uses body fat to store toxins that it can't get rid of, and keep the blood ph levels remain constant. When acid is present in the blood, the body needs to neutralize it with an alkaline substance. If it can't be neutralized, the body stores the acid in ... you got it ... our fat cells.

So we've talked about the secondary gain of our fat, right? The body thinks it needs it ... the fat that is ... to store the acid. Acid, if it were an emotion, could be equated to anger, resentment, pain, grief. Makes sense so far, right? IF we clear the toxic emotions, that stress our system, we should lose fat.

That's in a perfect world.

Cellulite is excessive water in the upper layer of the skin. What causes this sort of water retention? Eating cooked proteins, salts and spices, foods that cause high blood sugars, constipation, imbalanced hormones and excessive grains!

Stimulate the kidneys with parsley and stimulate the liver with ginger. Use more herbs.
Balance the hormones.
Eat more raw!

Take hot baths with baking soda and epsom salts, and we begin to come into balance and become more alkaline.

Bath Salts - Aromatherapy - quickie recipe

I love epsom salt and baking soda baths in the evening. I love them in the morning. I love them when I'm feeling stressed. I just plain love em. I feel good after, I relax, and they are good for you too. I add drops of my favorite essential oils to the hot water. Aaaaahhhh ... heaven.

Epsom salt is inexpensive, and so is baking soda. But scented bath salts are not cheap to buy! They've become big business!~

They are easy to make though-and here's how.

Those same ingredients I mentioned up above-that's it.
Epsom salt
Baking soda
Essential oil

Stir them together and viola!

How much? Oh you are so exacting. I'm Greek! A pinch of this a pinch of that...oh ok.
Try this:
6 parts epsom salt
1 part baking soda
30 or so drops of your favorite essential oil
(and if you want a pretty color, add a few drops of food coloring but you want to only add a few!

Use a glass or metal bowl to mix everything in.
Add the oil in drops, slowly as you stir so they get mixed throughout
Add the drops of coloring and mix it up again

Store in an airtight glass or ceramic container, and cure for 24 hours before using and use about a cup in your bath. MORE If it's a big tub!

Some of my favorite essential oils to use in the bath are:
Frankincense
Sandalwood
Lavender
Sweet orange
Eucalyptus
Rose

You can try some of the oil blends that are out there too!
Happy soaking!

Grow Food Volunteer Program

This site offers volunteer internships across the country at organic farms, restaurants, nurseries. Great idea! Learn something new in exchange for your help. I like it! There are 5 on the list for Utah.

GROW FOOD VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Raw Organic Honey

There are some amazing foods on our planet, and raw honey is one of them. The Greeks thought of it as 'the nector of the Gods'.

It's easy to digest, easy for the body to use, and it has healing powers too. All great things come from the planet herself, don't you think?

Honey is antibacterial and is an antioxidant, and as we know about color-the darker the honey the higher the antioxidant value. It helps with asthma, allergies, and heals minor burns, scrapes and skin issues. It's soothing for the throat too. Honey helps us sleep. Some studies say it helps us assimilate calcium.

Buy organic-bee keepers that are organic don't kill the bees to harvest the honey. I didn't know this, but bees are killed with calcium cyanide and carbolic acid to harvest the honey!

If you are using honey instead of sugar when cooking, remember that honey is sweeter, and it adds more moisture, so less honey is best. Don't feed honey to little ones under one.

Just for fun, here's a link to making mead that age old drink that Robin and his merry men drank by drafts!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Raw food recipe-Lettuce Wraps

Yesterday I bought the raw food staple-avocados. I'm finding myself choosing more raw, and the more I do, the better I feel. The suggestion is, allow yourself to gradually transition to more fresh and raw, living food. I'm starting afresh, again!

Raw Food Recipes that are easy, fast, and inexpensive are what we are all about. I can't take time for elaborate concoctions: cooked or raw.

Raw is living food. It really feeds you. A friend just said that she has been adding more raw food and she's noticing how much MORE energy she has in her day to day life. Yes! We all need energy, don't we?

Try this instead of a bread sandwich:

Lettuce Wraps:
2 ripe avocados, mashed
2-3 tomatoes-nice big juicy dark red ones-diced up
1/2 a jalapeno pepper-diced
2-3 slices of onion-diced
garlic-which I like-so 2-3 cloves-diced
half a lime-juiced
6-8 leaves (kale, collard, romaine or iceberg) washed and dried
Spices that work: s&p, cayenne, tumeric, parsley, cilantro.

that's the basic, but for variety you can add, corn, edamame, diced mango, diced cucumber, shredded carrot, diced celery.
You can add just about anything you want to the base of avocado garlic and tomato-let your personal creativity soar!

If you are taking this for lunch at work, increase the lime and don't fill the lettuce boats until it's time to eat. Scoop the mixture onto the leaves and roll or fold just like a taco...yum!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

World Headlines with a click

Todays front pages around the world

This is a fascinating site. Not only can you click on any state in the country and read the headlines, you can do it for anywhere in the world. Course you have to be able to read that language to make it work for real.

But I noticed something. In the WHOLE state of Utah, we have two newspapers. Two. It's a big ol state for just two newspapers, don't you think? Idaho has 4. Us, North Dakota and Wyoming...but come on now. Wyoming only has a state population of 450,000!

IOWA has 4! So what do you think about that? How much light can two newspapers spread with the whole state to cover? Isn't that sad? Little Ohio has 14 newspapers! Wow! But no. Vermont...tiny sliver that it is, has 2 as well. But you could fit about 5 Vermonts in the state of Utah, if not more. A lot of wide open territory, yes sir.

Anyway-alot of fun to look at what the world is talkin' about! And despite how we think we are so important, they aren't a talkin' about us!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Transcend it!



Transcend it

you float
you float across the sea
you say you're guaranteed
to transcend it
and you fly
you fly across the sky
your arms are open wide
you're transcendent
you're transcendent

go child
go and find the arms that hold you
know child
know no one will ever harm you
you've run miles
and finally found the thoughts that calm you
so stretch out
stretch out and be

in space
you can barely breathe
I'll tell you what you need
to transcend it

you're whole to a broken soul
just hold to another soul
and if they let you go
you're transcendant
transcendant

go child go
and find two arms that warm you
you know child
know no one will ever harm you
you've run wild (you've run miles)
and finally found the thoughts that calm you
so stretch out
stretch out and be
at peace

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Be the Cause - Giving Back

Be The Cause is a non-profit dedicated to assisting people in spearheading causes. It made me think about what we can do to help. What about a service vacation? This year they are going to South Dakota to build housing for the needy on the Lakota reservation. They are joining with the Okiciyapi Tipi Habitat for Humanity. It's a good idea. The dates are April 4-15.

A friend of mine is going to go help build homes on an Indian Reservation in June through here church. She said "I've lived a comfortable life and I just want to give back."

SO many of us are getting that message now-but how to do it? I have friends that went on a mission to Africa over the Holidays to do dental work there. I've other friends that have moved to Peru to build schools.

What can we do to give back, to bring the light in through our concrete action? If you have a good idea, let's hear it. April doesn't work, but we can start to think about something we can do this summer.

"If because of your generosity and love a few humans find their lives,what do you think will happen?" - Rumi

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Biblical Barley Water!

I made the barley water, and I didn't like the taste. The recipe called for a cup of barley to 8 cups of water. Well, it came out slimy and too thick for my taste.

Today I talked to the friend that suggested it, and she said "Way too much barley!" When she made it, she put 2-3 TBS of barley to 8 cups of water. Me bad!

So I'm going to try it again and let you know. Meantime, LOVE the cooked barley, and so will your intestinal tract. Barley is chuck full of nutritional value, a good source of niacin. But, if you are wheat intolerant, gluten intolerant, barley is still a gluten product, so don't do it.

Gluten intolerance appears as chronic symptoms like aching joints, gastro-intestinal problems, depression, eczema, low blood iron levels and more. Wheat, rye, barley and oats are all considered gluten products.