Getting your B12

Some vegetarians believe that you can get B12 from seaweeds and soy, but it is pretty generally believed now that you can't and some of the algae can actually disrupt B12 metabolism. It's a hotly debated topic in vegan circles. Me, I shy away from the politics and we do what we do-we notice how our body feels.

We get B12 from animal proteins, eggs, and dairy. Hmmmm. And not yogurt apparently because of processing. You can look for B12 fortified foods, and if you notice they always talk about adding brewer's yeast to your smoothies-well that's because brewer's yeast has B12! Slick eh! It doesn't take much of it to make a difference by the way but it is vitally important.

B12 is for our red blood cells and our nervous system and cellular replication. All vital important things and we absolutely need B12. Now you could have been low for years but the raw experiment might be kicking in some symptoms or this totally may not be you. BUT if you aren't eating anything that will bring you in B12 read on.

SO if you have NOT been adding B12 specifically to your vitamins, you may want to do that. B12 helps your blood utilize iron, which then helps your body carry oxygen. So! If you are low in B12 here are the symptoms:

Symptoms of B12 deficiency are:
excessive tiredness
breathlessness
listlessness
pallor
poor resistance to infection
and:
a smooth, sore tongue or sore tender places on the roof of the mouth that come up suddenly without having hurt yourself
menstrual disorders
Anaemia

The body can store small amounts-in the liver, but if you have a stressed liver, it may be out of balance.
B12 is excreted in the bile, and then reabsorbed so you can recirculate the B12 for awhile if you aren't taking any in.
You can have a deficiency too because your gut isn't absorbing it the way it should because B12 and the good gut bacteria are parters in our health. If we aren't absorbing nutrients due to clogged intestines, then we aren't getting the B12 we need.

I like the drops from GNC. You squirt a dropperful in the back of your mouth in the morning and done! I also do drops for B complex. They are more readily absorbed into our system. You might try it and see if you notice a difference.

B-12 Benefits All of Us!

B-12 is a water soluble vitamin (vs a fat soluble vitamin).

Water soluble means that the body releases whatever it can't use and we pee out, so there are no adverse side effects. We need to replenish our B12 daily.

B-12 is needed to process iron. B-12 is highly valuable to the CNS and to the brain. It helps with general function.

They now have B12 patches.

B12 causes an increase in usable energy. It is recommended for diabetics. The experts say that the affects on blood sugar should be GOOD, and that they should notice increases in energy.

Methionine is an essential amino acid that we get from protein. Some is turned into homocysteine, and then into methionine with the help of B12. If we are low in B12, homocysteine levels are high because the body can't do the reaction it needs to. Homocysteine is a nerve toxin and vessel toxin-
levels are high in Alz, stroke, cardio disease, eye disorders.

So to prevent high homocysteine, we need B12. To lower blood pressure, try taking B12 shots.

Food sources of B12-a big one is MEAT!

Cinnamon and Honey

It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon helps/cures/heals/has a positive effect (what's politically correct these days???) on many diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases.

Honey can be used without any negative side effects...ruling out a personal allergy. Locally produced honey is best as it is made from the pollens around you-so will have a more positive balancing affect within you, should you have allergies to pollens.

Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue 1/17/95 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists, and most of these we've posted before too, so it's nice to repeat it. Since this morning I had my medicinal dose of cinamon and honey, and have been enjoying it now for weeks, morning and evening, I'd say I can report from personal experience that it's a good thing!

HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If Taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half Teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, Out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally Relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not Walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain. (don't make the water too hot or you will kill the live enzymes in the honey.)

BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a Glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As Mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic Cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon Lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This Process will cure most chronic cough, cold,and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears Stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and Protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found That honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral Diseases.

INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ' Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and warm to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to Four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with Warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts Cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach And at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one Cup of water.
CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half Tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. When the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.

BAD BREATH:
People South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restore hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

As always, these are collected suggestions and not to be confused with either diagnoses or prescriptions but to be considered suggestions and are anecdotal. Please use common sense and check with your own physician.

Why we can't go by the RDA anymore!

The RDA standards (recommended daily allowance) was really established as a health MINIMUM standard-in other words, the minimum nutritional amount to keep us from getting sick. Minimum-not optimum. This is so not what the general public realizes. They pick up vitamins and look at the RDA.

So, the RDA for C, for instance, used to be 15 mg-which is the amount they figured we needed to keep from getting scurvy. The amount needed, in other words, to keep our teeth from falling out of our heads. Minimum. They've raised it to 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men now.

But did you know that men need 5x that amount just to make healthy sperm? Do we wonder why we have a growing infertility problem in this country when doctors are generally telling people they can get all their nutrition from a balanced diet?

Studies in the UK and GR have shown that grown foods are actually from 25-75% less nutritionally abundant than they used to be, and higher in sugar!

So, this translates that the amount of potassium you used to get from a banana in 1968 would need you to eat 8 bananas now. We are overeating in this country because we are nutritionally starving from a combination of over-processed foods and low national standards.

When we have an ever increasing issue with imbalances in brain chemistry and mood disorders, learning disabilities and erratic behavior, why aren't we looking at nutrition MORE and medications LESS? Who are the experts you are turning to, and why? Who do you listen to? And how do we become more proactive in what is good for us and what we are willing to ingest? And I mean both nutritionally and educationally.

How often do we swallow some expert opinion without bothering to research it ourselves? WHY is it mainstream for pharmaceutical companies to advertise chemo meds in women's magazines? WHY do we need this information in the common daily world? That is scary. Do we want to have chemo meds as common as cold remedies?

Pyroluria Testing, B6, Zinc and the BRAIN

I've been researching an interesting little vitamin-B6. The RDA is a whopping 2 mg a day, which is the standard set in 1968.

Think things might be different now???

Microwaves? Processed foods? Soil depletion? Electromagnetic fields? STRESS? Home computers? Cell phones?

B6 is deficient in most of the conditions involving a brain imbalance: things like ADHD, autism, downs, schizophrenia, bipolar, manic depressive. Without sufficient B6, we can't metabolize our foods-proteins, sugars, starches, carbs. B6 is used to make tryptophan, which is used to make melatonin, which is used to get us to sleep! It's an important little guy!!!

And another thing-some people have a genetic issue called pyroluria. If you are pyroluric you don't process zinc or B6 and it flushes out of your system so you are always chronically deficient...and many people with the above mentioned imbalances will test deficient in zinc, even if they take it.

I tested deficient-and still do. The taste test (liquid zinc sulphate) should taste quite nasty. Mine was neutral which means I was low. Interesting for me is that even supplementing up to 50mg (remember the RDA was 2mg) I still taste neutral. Odds are I AM pyroluric.

The best part is my brain feels calm, balanced, and I am happier. I am! I feel great, I have energy galore, and I'm just plain happy.

There is a mail order test if you want to know if you or someone you know has pyroluria. Here's the link:
phroluria testing

For more information, try these sites:
dr kaslow about pyroluria

Pyroluria is managed by restoring B6 and zinc; and if you are pyroluric, you are stress intolerant because you can't make serotonin-which is the feel good precursor. Other symptoms are poor short term memory, explosive anger at times, higher irritability, anxious, nervous, mood swings, poor mood control, and depression. Most pyrolurics have at least two of these, and in general they are stress intolerant. Symptoms increase with stress.

(which pretty much brings me back to my first point-our society is much more stressful than it was in 1968)

If you have a tendency to any of the above emotionals, this could be the smoking gun we've been looking for. Who would think a nutritional deficiency could be the culprit...oh wait...US!

And btw-remember it's genetic, so if you have it, chances are your kids or your parents-so pass the information on.

One more thing: for fun look up orthomolecular psychiatry...I did. They have known about these particular imbalances and how it affects the brain and emotional body-since the 1950s. The doctor that first came out with it...was disbarred and banned by the AMA. The next doctors that coined the phrase "orthomolecular psychiatry" and said that they felt nutrition could heal many of what were being termed 'psychiatric' conditions...they were also drummed out as quacks.

I don't know about you...but the way things are going...I'm even MORE inclined to look at who they are and have attacked...since the drugs don't seem to be what they thought. But that's me. Go research for yourself and see what you come up with!

Arthritis

Arthritis is one of those things that I have heard about, and dealt with in clients, but hasn't been part of my reality-not in my body. We've said in Theta to be careful that we don't call things in to understand them. I may have done that. My mother has arthritis in her back, and a sister in law with a terrible back, and a nephew with a bad back and arthritis, and we hear that 'as we get older we will get it' where we have had injuries. I've been pretty lucky that way, but the contract that arthritis as a sign of aging seems to be everywhere, and 'they' say it's inevitable if we've had any injuries.

We've discussed the beliefs and emotions connected with it. Being rigid, set, stubborn. Lovely people always, but set in their ways, and when we make suggestions for change, they usually refuse. Why refuse to change something if it might help? Secondary gain-perhaps. Most likely. They want help, but they refuse to change, so the pain can't be bad enough to motivate. Pain is a great motivator for me though. I can't stand to hurt. I want a change and begin to look for some way to change it fast.

Just lately, the top joint of the pinkie of my left hand has been enlarging and paining, and I notice some mornings that I wake with my finger joints aching. It clears, except for the pinkie. The joint is definitely larger, bulbous and sore. The finger curves under at an angle when I type. How long has that been happening, that I hit the keys with the side of the pinkie instead of the tip? See, that's compensation, and our body does it so smoothly that we hardly notice it's happened.

There is a tiny faint scar across the top of the finger just under the nailbed and of course I don't recall an injury, but there was one, obviously. So now, arthritis is in my world. Now, it has my attention in a whole new way. Did I do this so I can understand it?

Tomatoes, potatoes and nightshade vegetables. But when I looked, there was more!
Red meats, all dairy, corns, wheat, oats, rye, barley.
Eggs, Citrus fruits, coffee, bananas, peaches
Star fruit (carambola), black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, rhubarb stalks, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, chocolate, most nuts, most berries, and beans.
Alcohol
Carbonated drinks
Foods that easily get mold-cantaloupe, honeydew, nuts, berries.

Wow. That removes most of the foods I do eat. And I resist immediately. Am I stubborn?!

But not everyone reacts to everything.
And we should increase other foods-
artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, chard, string beans, squashes, sweet potatoes, tapioca, and taro.
Increase Vitamins C and E to help neutralize free radicals-which is what arthritis is about.
Eat brown rice, probably quinoa too
Try cooked fruits or dried instead of fresh.

And hormone imbalances can lead to joint pain.

Since the raw food experiment, I'm much more in touch with my body and food and how I feel when. I pay attention and notice. But that list above cuts out most foods I AM eating now, and if feels overwhelming.

I decided to experiment in a smaller way as list above is overwhelming in the whole, but since we have been writing down our foods and counting calories in the bbbu, I'm pretty conscious of what I am eating. So I decided to start tracking the pain mornings. Just to make note of it, and see if there is a pattern. How else would we know?

On the money with an increase in joint pain when we have had potatoes. All the joints in my fingers hurt. It clears, but I do wake with pain in my hands. (I wonder if it happens with french fries too? LOL)

On the money with reddening and swelling in the joint of my pinkie-tomatoes and tomato products. Ouch. In an Italian household that's a hard one to get around, but I'm going to do it, to notice if it helps. The days we've not had any tomatoes, I wake without any pain in my hands.

I'm choosing those to start with. Coffee may be next, and it's the only time I use dairy. I'll selectively remove that for awhile and see. It's all a grand experiment.

If you have any arthritis, perhaps do this with me and post your findings.

It's funny to notice that as soon as I say I'm not going to eat them, I sitting here craving them. That's fascinating to fee, but I'm stronger.

Animal proteins, dairy and nightshade vegetables...well the first two WERE eliminated with the raw food experiment, and I didn't have any pain in my hands until now...let's experiment!

Fear not....

Its funny, wasnt even 'there' officially with you guys but am so there and was so there...Ive been working through some deep fear stuff and some old grief....this past week though I ahvent had it exit or come up as fear as it usually has, meaning something that literally scares the shit out of me...its come up silently like an image or thought and i just watch it fall off like a flake of skin...no big deal no craziness -- its all sort of slow and peaceful and beautiful in fact....very nice - and like joy said like a lamb...

(well except for a taxi-cab car crash last week....i was sitting in the middle seat between two people and our cab driver was going like 40 miles an hour i saw clearly that we were going to hit an idle car in the left lane and about 30 sec before it happened i started getting back in myt seat and screaming stop stop stop stop!!!!!!! anyway he hit the car (a lexus suv on a friday night in a 'hot' neighborhood - so 2 huge guys all dressed up jumped out ready to pounce!) we all got ok and i walked away thinking what the hell was that about----dont let someone else drive my life?)

anyway i feel really great im in south carolina with sister and mom and baby and we are having a great time-- spent the day with my mom and had a lot of catching up time....i feel so good internally i am listening to my body and have been really clear about what i need and when...

for the past few days ive been drinking the best juice (well best for what my body needs---ive been craving it SO intensely) a place in nyc made it the other day and i was there a few days in a row then made it here in SC this morning - its the immune booster :

beets and carrots juiced then add to
banana garlic in blender
liquid b-12
echinacea/goldenseal dropper
vit-c powder
spirulina

holy shit. i love it.
my body is so hungry for it...
i keep getting that i need to detox (the garlic) yet get more minerals and vitamins as well as immune support....

feels so good to listen .... life is very good - i woke up the other night in ny thinking wow i am so blessed i have all of these amazing amazing people in my life right now talented beautiful kind wonderful souls are swimming and playing in these waves....it was such an amazing feeling.

the fear has been debilitating for the previous part of my life...and shedding it feels so wonderful, especially when i dont have to go into it so intensely to have it vanish...it feels good for a change to just have it peel away in a non-dramatic way....

so excited to see you all...cant wait to play!

Shame and Clearing

You all realize that we are clearing shame together? Shame locks into IDENTITY."I AM shamed. I carry shame, I hide shame." Guilt is a behavior, a doing, but shame is a being. IT is an identity level energy.

Clearing the deepest, lowest frequency. Shame. Anger distracts us from feeling the shame sometimes, or anger because we were made to feel such shame, the connections could be any number of ways.

I've said over and over, everyone is connected. Look at Lauren's last entry!

Ok, so WE aren't sleeping. WE are all bringing up and clearing shame. Did we clear shame as an archetype? Can we? Should we? Doesn't WOMAN as an archetype carry shame? Isn' that what the churches on this planet want? Wasn't EVE shamed? That base level DNA? Realize alot of us didn't even want to be GIRLS! Seeing that we were caught in female bodies was shaming. Anyone hear "You SHOULD BE so ashamed of yourself" because I do. Clear it as a wernickes. And then anything else that comes up.

For me,
I am so tired. This week I've thought "Wow, where did my energy go? I have been feeling so good!" Every afternoon I want to come home and nap! I'm TIRED. And I hear myself saying "Is this my adrenals? Is this my thyroid again? Is this B vitamins? Is this my blood, am I anemic again? What did I trigger?" It's running in the background.

Tony said, "Why can't you just be tired?" I thought, wow! JUST tired? Without it meaning anything else? I'm JUST tired? Wow. And I can JUST rest? But I am busy inside saying "maybe more protein, maybe less fruit, maybe some soy, am I getting enough B?"

We are clearing excess estrogen that is in our bodies. We are estrogen dominant. Look at our shapes. Right? Ok. Well, as that estrogen clears out-and fiber clears it, raw clears it, it stresses the liver. The liver is trying to keep up with the clear out. From time to time though, when we release held emotions TOO, and emotions are toxins, it clears through the liver too. And maybe the releasing and moving was too much all at once? I know that I suddenly dropped inches, but not pounds this week. I started running the frequencies on myself for Adenovirus (hah AD36 look out), and candida, and I had a full body reaction to the frequencies, so why do we think that when we touch the emotional frequencies for these things, that we wouldn't react?

I get exactly what you are saying about "where did it go?" It isn't gone. It is still there. The question might be why do we need to hang onto this icky feeling? WHy are we fighting to hide it, keep it, store it, stuff it, have it? Because it shames us to even admit we have it!

Eating protein doesn't help. Sleeping more doesn't help. Touching it, clearing it, and freeing ourselves will. I'm right there with you.

best juice smoothie ever!

Ok I'm getting this fruti smoothie thing down.

2 large pieces of fresh pineapple
1/2 apple
1 c frozen cherries
4 ice cubes
1 cup water
1/2 tsp maca
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder (after all our hormone and fiber talk I figured I would try it.)

I did the whey protein powder instead of the almonds, and I liked it alot!!!
2 scoops has 20 grams of protein. It's the protein powder I used when I went to a 6. It also is heavy in B vitamins-which I run low in. I'm realizing all the things I did RIGHT then, and why it worked. Hindsight! It was instinct though.

I was eating lots of fish. Snacked on it! I ate almonds constantly. Carried baggies of them with me. I did 2 fruit protein shakes a day, which helped my body flush that excess estrogen. Everyone thought I was doing tons of exercise-hah-just flushed the estrogen and didn't even know I was doing it. It was like my body was magically melting away.

A Grand Experiment

Shamans in the Raw simply started as a 30 day experiment. How would we feel if we went raw-ish for 30 days? I recall offering it out because I had been doing it for a few weeks and felt great, and Lauren had been doing it for months at that point.

At the end of 30 days you all decided you wanted to continue with another 30. Then another 30.
Then we began to talk about how we could let the world know that this truly makes a huge difference in how you feel.
We began to talk and think about ways to take the green juice out there. We began to talk about projects and got excited. We spun it off into a different night for meetings.

And then-we began to fall into old patterns. Did we fall off of raw too?

I can only speak for myself. I know the last few weeks I have been adding protein here and there. Chicken, fish, and some eel. I dropped to raw during the day and a cooked dinner. Not every night, but enough, and not just cooked, cooked animal protein. In alot of ways I felt better at first. Maybe that was the lull?

But I started to notice that while my poops still floated, I was having a harder and harder time getting up in the morning. That bounce I had been enjoying for months, wasn't there. I was waking up and groaning. I felt tired again despite taking my vitamins, and despite the green juice. Then I wasn't sleeping that nice deep sleep I used to have with raw. My sleep was restless again, disturbed.

I've been reaching for apples and bananas. A handful of almonds instead of trying recipes. It hasn't been as much fun, and I haven't been taking care of myself. It has been heavier overall. I feel dragged down. But. I wonder if it got heavier because of the food I was eating or was I eating heavier food because I felt heavier emotionally? I actually got on the scale and got the tape measure out and was surprised to see that despite my feeling heavier I was down.

Somehow eating raw makes me feel invincible, like I can do anything, and eating the cooked foods and the proteins makes me feel more defeated. Is that the right word? Defeated? Maybe not defeated. Maybe just plodding vs flying. It definitely is a heavier feeling overall.

Anyone else?

UNCROSSING THE MIXED SIGNALS

0. when I crave celery, I really need water and fiber
0. when I crave chocolate I really need iron and magnesium or maybe I'm low in l-tryptaphan
0. when I crave cucumbers I really need to alkalize
0. when I crave dirt or crunching on ice, I really need iron
0. when I crave fast food, I really need GOOD fats and phytoestrogens
0. when I crave potatoes I really need seratonin
0. when I crave salt I really need water
0. when I crave sugar I really need good fats (like coconut oil)
0. when I crave sweets, I really need calcium
0. when I feel angry, I really need to flush toxins
0. when I want to go to sleep, I really need to pay attention to what I was just thinking about
0. when I want to sit, I really need to move
0. when I want to stop, I really am close to the answer
0. when my eyes get blurry I really need to listen to my liver
0. when my lower back hurts, I really need a colon cleanse
0. when my nails are splitting and cracking, I really need B vitamins an flaxseed oil
when my stomach is touchy, I really need to be gentle with myself

Inflammation...

Okay, so sleeping last night was absolutely miserable for me. Too much protein, I think. Could that be the reason? Too much protein causes inflammation, right? I had eggs and Prosage links for dinner last night. I could hardly sit still in class. God! I hate inflammation! It makes me hurt everywhere. Uggh! Joy, or anyone, can you summarize what you know about inflammation? What causes it, how does one get rid of it? I mean, are there specific foods or vitamins that are super terrific at getting rid of it? Whatever it is, I want to consume a vat of it. I know that eating raw food works, but as a typical American I'm looking for immediate relief. Go body, go! Raw, raw, raw! (Instead of rah, rah, rah!) Hee.

Like Joy said, at least I know why I feel terrible. There is no wondering if I'm catching a cold or getting the flu. I know it's because I've been eating too much cooked food, and probably too much protein.

Please, Body, please don't abandon me before I get this figured out!

BEET SALSA RECIPE, AND SOME BEET FACTOIDS

BEETS
Recipe: Beet salsa
4 good size beets (about one bunch in the store)
1 red onion
garlic
olive oil
s, p, a splash of apple cider vinegar

Cut the green tops off, and save them for juicing.

Gently clean the beets. The skin is tender, so don’t be too rough with them. You can shred them raw in the food processor or you can cook them gently for about 20 min. Put a dash of vinegar in the water. You want them still firm but partially cooked.
Rinse them and let them cool off.
Then wearing rubber gloves, peel the skin off and put them in the food processor, along with the red onion and the rest of the ingredients. Let it set for about 20 min.

You can use this with any vegetables as a fresh raw salsa.
You can use it with lettuce for rollups
You can add cut up potatoes for a great potato salad.
I liked mine over baked squash. Wow was this pretty.

Guess what! “Cook beets lightly-heat destroys the anti-cancer nutrients in beets”. Add lemon juice or a swig of vinegar to the water. Oh and wear gloves because they stain, and you want to peel them AFTER you lightly cook.

You can grate them and eat raw, you can add them to soups. You can add them to vege juice, only a quarter of a beet will do ya.
You can marinate fresh steamed beet in lemon juice, olive oil and garlic with a dash of fresh oregano-perfect!

Nutritionally, beets have B vitamins, are an excellent source of folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Also, C, iron, copper and phosphorus all get a “good” rating. But guess what, that “can” of beets-has corn fructose AND sugar added and nutritionally – it’s all 0%. Yep. 0% source of iron. Hmmmm. According to the can label-it has NO nutritional value.

Toss the cans-grab the fresh and some rubber gloves. Oh and if you are doing fresh-get the beets WITH the tops and juice those greens. Apparently they have even more nutritional value than the root. Enjoy!

THE MIGHTY OAT

I notice when I keep getting drawn to purchase the same food over and over, without knowing exactly why. And this time-it’s been oatmeal. I have rolled oats, steel cuts oats, oat groats, organic oats, oat grain, oat flour, oat bran and instant organic oatmeal. Oh, and Irish oatmeal. Hmmmm. I wondered what was going on as I noticed all these oat products in my cupboard! What was I trying to tell myself?

My mother is English, so oatmeal was a pretty common breakfast at our house when I was growing up, and I like it. Was that all there was to it? This morning, I decided to have some organic rolled oats oatmeal. As I was eating it, which was extremely easy-just add hot water, stir, and I added some blueberries, strawberries and a dash of honey-yum-I wondered about it.

What exactly does ROLLED mean? I was curious about the process, and what sort of nutritional value I could find in oats. Is “rolled” ok for raw foodists? Or is steel cut better? What do they do to the grain? I realized that even though oats are a pretty common part of our dietary language (we grew up with Quaker afterall) I didn’t have a clue about how it was made.

First some OAT facts. Oats have a ph of 6-6.5 which is as high as almonds, and are also a source of protein like quinoa. That’s good news for us! They are an adaptogen grain, and claim to be the only one that is. What does that mean? Adaptogenic foods will do whatever the body needs, modifying itself to the body’s requirements. They improve the body’s resistance to STRESS, which is always a good thing. They stabilize blood sugars, help the thyroid, and reduces cholesterol, as well as soothing the digestive tract.

Well, we mothers know that one-if the baby had an upset stomach, we used to give them oatmeal and crushed bananas-remember that one? Oatmeal will loosen constipated bowels, or help with diarrhea. That’s an adaptogen. It does it all.

They are rich in silicon which is good for our bones, and you can use oatmeal to soothe the skin-AVEENO is just ground oatmeal that you sprinkle in the bathwater. It smells like you are lying in a bowl of oatmeal. I used it when both the boys had chicken pox. It works great! You can also use oatmeal as a facial scrub. If you haven’t tried this, do! Rub it on your skin as an exfoliant, or make a paste with a bit of honey and spread it on, warm, as a facial. Wash off in 20 min. Your skin will feel awesome, even though you will feel like an oatmeal cookie. By the way-the old Latin name for Oat was “Avena”. Think they knew that when they picked a product name-probably! But I digress…

To really get the nutritional value from oats, the grain needs to be steamed to get the two outer inedible hulls off which then leaves the whole groat. Then we have choices galore.

STEEL CUT OATS-or scotch/Irish oats-are natural, and unrefined. Steel cut means exactly that. They are cross cut with steel blades, and a small bit of heat. Get the fine cut-it “cooks” faster when you add some hot water, cover and let it sit. Then just stir in fruit and eat! This is what Pam mentioned earlier, and I agree, it’s not bad at all. Gritty. So if you want texture and miss grains, this might be a good breakfast alternative.

WHOLE OATS are probably the best because they retain the bran and the germ and they can be SPROUTED! Yeah! If you sprout oats, they are a great source of B vitamins and minerals. So far I haven’t been good with sprouting myself-I forget to rinse and then have to throw out muck…still experimenting with that. But I am loving purchased sprouts and add them to everything I can think of. ew-except oatmeal. Not a good combination I am thinking...

OAT GROATS are hulled and roasted but seem to still have the full nutritional value. You can add them to fruit smoothies. I’ve tried them, as well as hemp seed, and flaxseed meal. In the smoothie-they all taste about the same to me. Anyone else?

OAT BRAN-hey if you need MORE fiber that’s what this is for, but with all the fresh we are eating this is hardly a problem.

OAT FLOUR-use it the same as you would use wheat flour, but it doesn’t have as much gluten. I wonder about using oat flour in dehydrating recipes to make that pizza crust or crackers? I’m going to experiment with it and I will let you know how that goes. So far, I haven’t been thrilled with my dehydrating experiments.

The scoop on ROLLED-the process is done with steam and high heat. Nutritional value is again sacrificed for speed of cooking later. It’s probably not our best choice.

PASTEURIZATION

So what the hell is the truth about pasteurization anyway? I keep getting these radical sites that are ranting about how "those organic people" are bringing down the American Dairy farmer, and that there is no difference in milk. "Milk is milk".

Not being a big milk drinker-no lactase producing villi in my intestines, I don't care much-but was wanting to do yogurt for the B vitamins. Why? Well I can tell you all about THAT! And real yogurt has a bunch of em. B vitamin deficient mean we can't process iron for one thing and contributes to anemia so I take B shots from time to time, and do liquid B vitamins so it metabolizes quicker because pills don't break down in my stomach-a gastric bypass thing again.

B vitamin insufficiences are behind the scenes of alot of illnesses though...if we were to track in deep enough instead of taking a pill for the frontline symptom. Myself included.

Romedy is right-all the brand name yogurts are going to have to use pasteurization processes, or like ODWALLA, they will be brought down. Ah ha! Don't mess with the FDA.

Make our own? Anyone ever done that? Target has yogurt makers-I've not tried this. But hey in looking it up it's done at the same temperature as the dehydrator, and for the same reason. To preserve the nutritional value and keep the food live. Makes sense. Has anyone tried Kefir? Is it like buttermilk? Ew. I personally don't care for it-an aquired taste, but if I can eat raw eel and seaweed now, and like it, ok~

WHY are we so dead food oriented in this country??? Because it's good for business-pharmaceutical business. wow...I should go for a run right now and get some of this out! Did I dip in my estrogen? Better go open a tube of pregesterone cream and mellow out. It does make me angry. I can't go to the store and buy a product and trust that what it says on the label is not only true, but good for me, even if I pay more money.

Makes me want to only buy small brands...but now we know they are being bought up-so even if you THINK they are small, follow the money and they are owned by the big boys which means Coca Cola owns Odwalla. same same.

Used to be that Jamba juice fresh squeezed their carrot juice. Not anymore!
And when we order apple and lemon from Wild Oats-they add it as juice, meaning it's not fresh like the greens are.
Faster but not the same is it...

Recipes from NY as promised Herbed Cheese Spread

Herbed Cheese Spread:
3/4 cups (3-4 servings)

1/2 C Almond Cheese
1 Tbs chopped pine nuts
1Tbs finely minced red onion
1/2 Tbs parsley chopped
1 tsp light mellow miso
1tsp fresh dill minced
1/2 tsp green onion minced
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast, (optional)
pinch pepper

combine all -mix -store in airtight container for up to 4 days

ITS SO delicious! You can experiment with any seasoning

ps nutritional yeast is good bacteria does not promote candida and is a good source of b-12 Red Star is a good brand (some are not sources of b vitamins)...also it adds cheesy taste to anything.

QUINOA and a raw recipe too

Quinoa-is what they call a "pseudo grain". It’s really a fruit! It’s related to swiss chard, beets and spinach. Does that make them really fruit too? No one is saying. Hah! It thrives in high altitudes and low moisture, cold thin air, and hot sun. Sounds like Utah! Well guess what- it was developed in the Andes by the INKA. Go figure!

It’s sort of looks like millet, and grows similar in clusters at the end of long stalks. It’s been a crop in The Andes as far back as 3000 BC. They know it originated in the Andes of south America and there are 1800 varieties of which we have like 3 or 4 here. I think they are working on bringing us 12 so there is lots of room!

There is a quechua name, kinua, chisaya mama. Isn't that cute? As you know, you have all had your initiations into the Qero lineage-which means quechua is the mother tongue!

The INKA considered it sacred and sowed the first seeds with “golden” implements. It is second only to the potato in nutrition as a supercrop. And you know what? The INKA also developed the potato as a crop. And tomato. The Spanish took the tomato to Europe and the Italians adopted it. Wonder what they ate before that? My husband argues vehemently on this point BTW. Do you thnk that the Irish adopted the potato? Hmmmm. Good questions.

It's very high in protein -- 20% !!! That's like 11 grams per cup. Cool! So, guess where we can get our protein from? And quinoa is what MARY uses in her crackers. Compare that number with 7.5% rice 9.9 for millet, and 14 for wheat. The protein is also most similar to milk, and has a complete amino acid balance, no trans fats, no cholesterol, and is light, tasty, AND easy to digest. I tried it and found it yummy! I like it better than rice.
It's:
high is lysine (unlike rice and wheat)
high in methionine, and cystine (soy is low in methionine and cystine)
high in linoleic acid, fiber, minerals, and vitamins
high in iron (ya hoo!)
Vit E, B vitamins
8 balanced amino acids for humans
gluten free easy to digest (did we say that already?)

NASA is considering it for manned spaceflights and we should all be thrilled to note: BYU's agricultural department is studying it.

It's really easy to prepare:
soak for a few hours, change water, resoak, then cook.
Treat it like rice, 2 c water to 1 c grain
simmer low for 15-20 min
until germ sep from seed
can steam in a rice cooker too

It's a high protein breakfast food with honey and almonds and berries
cooks faster than rice-10-15 min. I don't know yet if you could have this instead of oatmeal like Pam's breakfast idea, but we could try it!

I LOVE this stuff, but I didn't add it until after the month marker, so put this on your list to try later or try it raw, or what the hell and eat it if you want!!! I wanted you to have the information. It's nice to add a few handfuls to the all vege soup too when you feel like some substance, and when we get the dehydrator stuff going (I haven't had time to really play yet, more's the pity of that) I'm sure we can come up with some ideas.

If you want it raw, the suggestion is to sprout it.
Quinoa Salad
4 cups sprouted Quinoa
2 cucumbers
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper
2 tomatoes
4 celery stalks
6 scallions
1 cup cilantro, basil or parsley (optional)
2 carrots, grated or shredded
1 small jicama, grated
4 Tbs. kelp
Chop all salad ingredients fine and put into large bowl. Mix dressing (below) and add to salad. Mix again. Serve.
Dressing:
3 large avocados
1 1/2 cups tomatillo juice or sauerkraut juice
4 cloves of garlic
pinch of cayenne
kelp to taste
cilantro, basil or parsley to taste (optional)

Now this is from Ann Wigmore's site, and it sounds like it makes a HUGE amount, so adjust the ingredients down or feed 9 people Pam! ;)

MY GOAL IN PROPOSING THIS EXPERIMENT

My goal in proposing this to our group is to see if we can wake ourselves up from the habitual trance we have fallen into concerning our diet, food, bodies and health. Just how strong is the marketing hold on our conscousness?
We are proposing a lifestyle change that seems like a radical, crazy thing!

By the way, vegetarians used to occupy the "fringe radical" identity, and now they are mainstreamed, and healthy. They haven't keeled over from lack of protein. Wow. Beliefs are crashing! Remember it's only true until it's not true. So, as Shamans and Thetahealers, we have the opportunity to use all of our skills to identify and change our beliefs, and to really get to the bottom of what we have accepted as lies.

As Catherine Ann asked in class, "Why does BELIEVE have LIE right in the middle?" Why indeed? Because we have to identify the lie we have accepted. And there is a plethora of lies around food! People are so confused now about what to eat and what not to eat! And that seems insane! What do you MEAN that as a nation we don't know what to EAT!??? It's mass hypnosis, and I for one want to wake up out of it, because I know I have been caught. I have been hype-notized into a food cocoon of untruths to the point of confusion myself.

What I did notice is that alot of raw foodists began because of a critical health issue that forced them to make a change.
In my profession I see that alot. I see people that are faced with having to make a major lifestyle change-and some can and some can't.

I don't want to be brought down to my knees before I choose to wake up. I want to walk into this with my health, and come out healthier! I hate that as a nation we are so tranced out that we believe we are powerless in the face of a donut! Or a hamburger and fries! It is marketing people! It is a media trance, and the media feeds the economic vehicle called the "weight gain industry" which tells us we are getting fatter. Fatter is good for the economy, and bad for our health, and bad for our health is good for the economy too. Tricky tricky!
CLICK FOR WEIGHT GAIN INDUSTRY

Getting sick, being sick, especially on meds "for the rest of your life" like with Diabetes, is good for the economy!
A little sick is even good for business, because if you get a cold these days the plethora of over the counter meds can rack up can a pretty penny. You know what a cold is? It's your body's natural way of trying to get healthy again. Leave it alone. Pay attention and slow down, go to bed, drink fluids. You are overloaded.

But! the myth is that it is so expensive to eat right, and to stay healthy. Organic food is expensive. And difficult to find.
Um no. Costco and Sams are bringing in Organics. Interesting to watch marketing trends because they follow buying trends.

Myth-vitamins are expensive. Ah! But! DO we need to take vitamins? Really? Aren't many overdoing it?
Another myth to look at during this-our food doesn't have any nutritional value. Hmmmm. Let's check THAT out as we go.
CLICK FOR A WORLD WITHOUT CANCER

So what else is natural and healthy and cheap for us to do that is good for us, but that is being marketed to us with a twist so that we don't do it? Check out the following: sunlight, normal everyday movement, and eating the seeds with our fruits. They have told us sunlight is dangerous for our health, they have genetically altered our foods so they have no seeds, and we are being bombarded with statistics that say that we have to move vigorously, we have to move and move and move or it doesn't count. Not so!
CLICK FOR SUNLIGHT
and normal daily movement
CLICK FOR JAMA STUDY

So back to us:
We aren't committing to a permanent raw diet, but rather to 30 days of a change in our habitual way of eating. Long enough to notice what the food trance is we have fallen into.
We are testing these tricky waters together as we jump into a radical way of embracing and discovering what really feeds us.

What truly will happen to us when we go a level of raw for 30 days?
And can we?
Are we too addicted to eating sugars, caffeine, carbs that we can't break out of it? That's what we have been told, and what we have believed. The world tells us over and over how highly addictive sugars and caffeines, and carbs are. And we have believed it. Is it true?
Or more importantly, do we choose to continue to believe that it is true?
Do we need to go completely raw? Will we be able to even do it?
What are our beliefs and emotions as we make this journey.
Is it too expensive? Is it too complicated? Is it too difficult? Can we maintain our ordinary lives, AND change our eating habits drastically? And successfully? Or will we fail miserably, crawling back into our potato chip and soda worlds...hah!
The media and medical world says it's too hard, too radical, too dangerous, and too difficult to do.

Bottom line is it's up to US to decide what we want to believe.
Ya hoo! Let's do our own experiment!