Friday, September 30, 2011

CCD

What is CCD?  It stands for colony collapse disorder.  It sounds like a psychological condition, doesn't it?  Well, it isn't.  CCD is a condition that effects bees.  CCD is discovered when a beekeeper goes to attend to his hives only to find that nearly all of the bees have disappeared!  This is a phenomenon that has been happening all over the world.  Scientists are searching frantically for a reason why this is happening, for the fate of our food supply may depend on it.

I have one question about CCD.  I would like to be clear that this is a question, not an accusation.  Could the rise in GMO crops have anything to do with this?  In an effort to figure out what is going on, scientists have found abnormalities in the guts of bees from CCD hives.  They found that these abnormalities seemed to prevent the bees from absorbing nutrients and compromised their immune systems.  It seems possible that plants that are made to be poison to small livestock like bees could harm them this way.  Again, it's just a question.


Your Child's Brain on Sugar

One thing that bothered me as a school counselor/teacher was when I watched teachers and counselors give kids toxins like candy and refined sugary foods as "rewards" for being good. I was asked to give these things to kids too, however, my excuse was my ONE student (a 14 year old) who had diabetes. I would say that because of him, I wouldn't give it to anyone. I would think of alternative rewards to give instead.

I found a study that demonstrates how the brain does NOT function on sugar. Students with attentional difficulties were able to focus far better when sugar was taken out of their diets according to this study. 1 in 6 school aged kids have learning disabilities (and 1 in 450 have diabetes), but teachers still give these toxins to students to eat. It's very upsetting to me. It is even more upsetting when those same teachers punish those kids for not focusing.  It really ticked me off when the kids who ate that garbage came to MY class with a headache or feeling too tired to focus.  

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Hope for a Healthy America (II)

I'm not crazy about what Big Pharma and Big Biotechna is doing to the environment, however, I am a believer in the free market.  If they have a product to sell and there are consumers out there who want it, then they should be able to buy it.  At the same time, the same should apply to everyone.  If a dairy farmer produces good, healthy raw milk and there are consumers out there willing to buy it, they should be able to sell it too.

Regulation is fine, however, too much can overwhelm people.  People feel that if something is sold on the market, it should be safe.  I perfectly understand this and I agree.  The government is a necessary evil and even though they often do a wonderful job they aren't infallible.  The government needs to have a certain amount of authority, however, we need to be more careful about the power that we give to them.  I don't want the government telling me what I must do to be healthy if I don't see that their advice produced health thus far and this is what is happening.  Two examples of this is the fact that vaccines are mandated and raw milk is illegal.

No company likes competition, however, competition is a part of business so they all need to get over that.  The free market is about giving us all choices.  Therefore pharmaceuticals will be around if anyone needs them, but alternatives that have clinically proven effectiveness should be available as well.  My hope is that this comes back again one day. 

Hope for a Healthy America

We've received so much bad news lately when it comes to health freedom.  As discouraged as I am about it, I still choose to be hopeful. 

I dare to believe that there will be health freedom in the future.  I dare to hope that the small farmers will be able to sell what they produce such as raw milk and fresh organic fruits and vegetables.  Keeping in mind the many trials that we have suffered in history, we've found our way to liberty.  If something isn't right, I dare to believe that it won't last forever.  We were lied to about PCBs, DDT, dioxin and Agent Orange, however, we realized that and did something about it.  The truth about thimerosal is coming out so strongly that they are starting to make mercury free vaccines available.  The truth about how harmful some of these other things are will come out too.  Companies covering it up with protective laws and regulations will delay the truth coming out, but not forever.  It took years to ban DDT, but it eventually was banned.  I believe our toxic world will see the ramifications of the things that were imposed on us eventually and put an end to it.  I just hope that time comes soon.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Fasting (Part III)

Within 24 hours after I broke my fast the sniffles came right back.  I'm going to check with my doctor about this one. The only thing that I can think of is that the sniffles are a side effect from detoxing. 

After working for two years in a health spa where people came to detox and get some exercise, I learned a few things.  One of the first things that I learned from massaging people who came to me after doing sweat lodges and juice fasts is common symptoms of detoxification.  The most common, in my experience, were headaches and runny noses.  I can't even remember how many people came to get a massage with headaches and runny noses.  The problem with that guess is that other than the fasting this past weekend I haven't done any other detox program.  The closest that I came to a detox program was that my eating habits have changed drastically in the past two months.  Over the past two months my body has been doing a lot of healing.  My energy increased and my migraines went away; but now I'm stuck with these darned sniffles.  Oh, and there is also some congestion in my throat that causes a little coughing; yeah, that came back too. 

Monday, September 26, 2011

Fasting (Part II)

I've been experiencing a runny nose lately.  This tells me that I'm allergic to something that I'm eating.  I hope that it isn't the dairy.  I mean, my body seems to really like the raw butter and the raw milk, however, I've been occasionally cooking with the pasteurized butter.  I'm wondering if the pasteurized butter is the culprit, but I'll introduce each to my diet individually so that I can figure out what I'm reacting to.

There were no migraines for me this month.  I can't even say how both shocked and happy I am about that.  I have felt nauseous from time to time; out of nowhere.  I'm wondering if it is the bread that I'm eating or if it is neurological.  The headaches that I had this summer from migraines have been mild, but it is the nausea that knocked me over.  I feel that it is something that I'm eating, but I want to be sure.

All mentioned in this post and the last marked this weekend as the best possible time to do one last cleanse for the year.  I broke it last night and today I feel pretty good.  This week, I anticipate pinpointing which food needs a permanent ban from my diet.  I hope that it isn't the foods that I love so much.  If the pasteurized butter is doing all this then that I can live without; but we will see starting tomorrow when one of these foods are reintroduced to my body.

Fasting (Part I)

This past weekend I needed another cleanse for a few reasons.  First, it is getting cold and I wanted to do at least one more cleanse before fall begins.  Second, I've been experiencing an allergic reaction to something (I suspect food) and I wanted to know what I'm reacting to.  Third, I've been feeling nauseated from time to time and I wanted to understand why that was happening as well.

My doctor warned me about cleansing when it was a colder season.  She explained that our bodies tend to hold on to nutrients more when it is cold because there were times in history when nutrients were scarce in the winter.  Because of this, fasting in the winter time could cause the body unnecessary stress.  I felt that it was important to cleanse one more time before this year was out.  This is a good time for me to do it because my migraines seem to be gone and other than the slight nausea and the runny nose that I've been having, I've been feeling really good.  I've been able to get more done thanks to the increase in my energy.  I'm also trying to get some vitamins that another doctor recommended for me.  According to him, when I start taking these vitamins there should be noticeable improvement on my health.  I felt that it would be great if I started taking the vitamins once my body was detoxed and feeling good to begin with.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Investing in Health


Healthy products can be obnoxiously expensive.  My poor husband used to have a decent food bill before he met me.  Once we started living together, his food bill shot up (of course his weight dropped as well).

This is an area where I am constantly trying to grow.  The best way to manage finances when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle is plan meals.  When you plan meals, you have a little more control over your budget.  The goal is to sustain yourself for as long as possible after ONE trip to the grocery store.   

It is best to eat vegetables when they are fresh, however, when in a financial pinch you may need to consider some compromises.  For example, juicing is best done soon after a trip to the grocery store; this way you can drink the juice when the veggies are fresh and their nutrients are highest.  Kale can last in the freezer for a while.  Fermented vegetables could last 6 months to a year.  Nuts can last a little longer in the freezer and bread in the fridge.  I try to cook large meals so that it lasts us as far into the week as possible.  Vegan meals are VERY inexpensive.  Rice and beans, humus and raw vegetables, are complete meals that are both yummy and inexpensive.  

I hope you've enjoyed my tips and suggestions, however, I'm always more interested in yours.  As always questions, comments and furthermores are welcome.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Healthy Living and Social Life (Part II)


Mixing my eating habits and my social life is often very difficult, however, I don't mean to give the impression that it is always that way.  It is often difficult to go to regular restaurants and not eat anything.  It is also difficult to watch my own husband eat sugary, processed foods full of GMOs.  I can't stand it to be honest.  Despite how difficult that is and how often that happens, there are a few ways that my social life gave me so much support.  In one particular way, my social life saved me.

During my college years “good eating habits” were defined and redefined often.  Late in my college years I wanted a diet without meat, wheat, dairy or sugar like Dr. Gary Null suggested for many of his clients; but I didn’t know what a diet like that looked like.  In other words, I know what I can't eat, but what can I eat?  Very soon after I created this goal for myself, I met someone who was in the last phase of chemotherapy.  She had to eat nutrient dense foods that had little or no toxins per her doctor's advice.  She ate organic foods like I did and she rose to the challenge of eating foods free of meat, white flour, dairy and sugar.  It was because of her why I was able to finally make those changes.  It was because of her why I knew what the eating style that I was pursuing looked like.  I thank my Lord everyday for her and she will never know the huge roll that she played in saving my life.  I’m grateful that she is now my best friend; in fact I often quite appropriately call her my sister.  She is one of few that I can turn to when I need support in a matter of health.   


Friday, September 23, 2011

Keep Monsanto's Sweet Corn Off Your Plate

The following letter was copied and pasted from Credo Action.  Instead of sending it out in an email as they requested, I decided to post it instead:

"Dear Friend,

This fall, Monsanto, the corporation who produces roughly 90% of the world's genetically modified seeds, will try to bring their new, GMO sweet corn to a grocery store aisle or farmer's market near you.

Unlike Monsanto's other GMO crops -- which are primarily fed to animals -- this sweet corn is intended for direct human consumption.

This is the first time Monsanto has engineered a vegetable that could be served straight to your dinner table. And if this unlabeled, and potentially toxic crop succeeds, Monsanto is sure to bring us even more.

As an activist and consumer, we are in a powerful position to pressure leading U.S. grocery stores to reject Monsanto's new GMO corn.

I just signed a petition telling major grocery stores around the country that I don't want Monsanto's sweet corn on the shelves. Will you join me and help stop this unsafe food?"

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/gmo_corn/?r_by=-4530465-Z853zwx&rc=paste2

Healthy Living and Social Life

Your social life can make or break your new lifestyle.  It depends on the individuals in your life and how badly you desire to change.  When it came to exercise, my social life helped me to create a routine that was so much fun!  When it came to eating properly, however, I was almost always the one who set an example.  For the first few years it was difficult for me; at times it was even daunting.  The difficult part was that because people felt that the eating style that I chose was "too hard to follow" very few wanted to emulate.

I remember how difficult my life was when I was on the Jenny Craig diet.  (Due to my past experience, I don't recommend the Jenny Craig diet.)  All the places I used to love were suddenly a death trap for my diet.  People kind of felt bummed for me when we hung out.  Of course they still ate their pastries and high calorie foods that I couldn't eat.  This was the first time my eating style was so different from everyone around me that it created a struggle.  After four months of the Jenny Craig diet I was sick so often (from the Jenny Craig food) that I had to quit... much to my relief.  As much as I regret ever going on the Jenny Craig diet it did teach me a valuable lesson; it showed me how my environment reacts to change when it comes to food.  Later in my life when I started making a habit of eating the real healthy food as opposed to the frozen dinners that made me ill, people became even less tolerant of my lifestyle.

It got to the point where people would ask me questions about my eating style, and before I would answer I would ask them if they were sure they wanted to hear my answer.  I would often go further and let them know that people often didn't realize what they were asking me.  I would then warn them that my answer may be something that they really didn't want to hear.  I still do this to this day.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Fermenting Foods Part II

I purchased Donna Gate's non dairy kefir starters, but I rarely have to use them.  If you know how to ferment vegetables properly, you don't need it at all.

I remember a Russian friend of mine teaching me how her mom prepared cabbage.  She would slice the cabbage thinly.  Then she would add salt as she kneaded it; like one would knead dough.  I found it very strange that she would do that.  She said the purpose was to make the cabbage very soft.  She stressed two things, the importance of the salt and the importance the softness of the cabbage.  We ate it just like that, however, I didn't see when she jarred it.  When you knead the cabbage like that, it's juices mix with the salt creating a perfect brine for fermentation.  Because cabbage will produce the desired kefirs, there isn't a need for the kefir starters.

I do find the kefir starter useful sometimes, however, so I still have some.  For example, if I wanted to make a vegetable blend without the use of cucumbers or cabbage, a kefir starter is necessary.  I almost always add veggies that don't need the kefir to each batch.  Therefore I am saving my kefir for any special recipe that hasn't the kefir producing vegetables.

Health Freedom: The Nightmare Continues

I can't believe that the government is doing it again!  This is suppose to be a free country!  I understand that there must be law and order, but we MUST all have the right to choose what is best for our health AND the health of our families.  The government shouldn't have any say in my child's health.  I'm sorry, but American children are anything but healthy.  1 in 450 kids has diabetes, 1in 110 has autism, 1 in 9 has asthma, 1 in 6 has ADD or some other learning disability, obesity is at a 32% rate in kids between 2 and 19 and infant obesity is up to 6% and the government believes that they should make decisions about MY child's health?! 

I found the following presentation to be frightening and disturbing.  I know the government is going to try and convince us that this is a good idea and it isn't.



Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

Gordon said...
if you ever come across a wheat free, dairy free pizza do send it this way. I know its pretty unlikely. I don't have issues with wheat and dairy but my wife does, so we don't do it at home and I'm kind of missing it. I totally agree that eating good healthy food makes you look at junk a whole different way.  

I know how you feel Gordon, I've been searching for a gluten free and dairy free crust myself.  My body doesn't do well with flour unless it is from sprouted grain; but I enjoy gluten free too as long as there isn't any added sugar.  I thought that I was lactose intolerant, however, I've recently discovered that I can have milk as long as it's raw.  I can have pasteurized butter and a little cheese occasionally without a problem; but I try to stick with whatever I can make from my raw milk.  The gluten free crust that I eat has cheese in it and so do quite a few others unfortunately.  Cheese may not bother me, but it may bother your wife. 

I did, however, come across the pizza recipe below on Youtube.  It is both gluten AND dairy free!  I'm looking forward to trying it myself.  I hope that this is helpful and if you try the recipe please be sure to tell me what you think! 





Celiac Disease

For the longest time I thought that I had Celiac disease until one day I eliminated all gluten foods from my diet for a little over a month.  It turns out that gluten doesn't hurt me, however, I don't do well with bread (even whole grain breads) or rice (and I only ate brown rice).  I found out recently that I can eat sprouted grain breads but I'm still working on an alternative to rice because my husband and I eat mostly vegetarian meals (we eat meat occasionally).  Rice and beans with cultured veggies is the easiest thing to make for dinner (although beans can take some time to prepare). 

I just received insight from an individual who suffers from Celiac disease that sometimes the symptoms don't arise right away.  This made me think.  I no longer feel that I have a reason to test for Celiac disease, however, I don't want to be blinded by arrogance either.

I'm going to explore this matter further; hopefully I can get some answers.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Misconceptions about Health

Media can be a powerful asset, but it has been notorious for providing very misleading information about health.  For example, many are lead to believe that if you are thin or muscular then you are healthy and this isn’t necessarily true.  Exercise is highly recommended, however, it isn’t everything.  One of my past clients (someone that I trained) was a nurse who wanted to start an exercise program.  Five minutes into our fitness assessment, she had to go outside for a smoke.  I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking her again why she wanted to start coming to the gym.  

I read an article that revealed that 90% Americans claim that they eat a healthy diet, yet we have a 60% overweight or obesity rate.  I myself did a survey a few years ago at a high school in San Diego.  I interviewed several high school students and more than half of them claimed to be semi health conscious to health conscious.  These were the same students who ate and drank sugary processed foods at lunch.  It doesn’t take a mathematician to look at these numbers and realize that we have the wrong idea about health. 

Defeating Temptation (Part V)

When I was in college, I wanted to start exercising.  I had many reasons why, but I didn’t have time to exercise… or so I made it seem.  The truth was, I found weight machines and treadmills boring.  The obstacle was lack of motivation.  When lack of motivation is the problem one solution is the Mary Popins trick.  You know, "a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down"?  Of course, I don't mean this literally because sugar makes me ill, but the question was how do I "sweeten" the idea of exercise?

I joined this aerobics instructor training program at school where I was paid $5 for every class that I took.  On top of the money I got for taking classes, I actually enjoyed step aerobics.  My best friend from high school would go with me most of the time.  Eventually I had to teach a class, but once I got the hang of it I was hooked forever.  I loved teaching classes; especially step aerobics!  On top of the aerobics classes, my roommate and I would walk for two miles every weekday morning.  Walking with her was more than our workout, it was our bonding time.  We eventually got our other roommates to join us and we all became a close household thanks to our two mile walk every weekday morning. 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Defeating Temptation (Part IV)

My journey toward kicking the Pizza Hut pan pizza habit finally began in Italy.  You see, I had a taste of a real margarita (pizza), and it was better than Pizza Hut.  In fact, it was the best pizza I've ever had.  When I came home to the states, I never saw Pizza Hut the same; for my perception of American pizza had changed.  American pizzas didn't appeal to me as much anymore.  I still had cravings for Pizza Hut for a while, but not as often.  At that point, my cravings were mostly connected to depression episodes.  I remember the last slice I've ever had was in Arizona when I was in the middle of neurofeedback therapy.  I realized then that I had lost my taste for Pizza Hut completely.

During that time in Arizona, I was also eating much more fresh foods so my body began to have an aversion to the very idea of a Pizza Hut and many other kinds of junky foods.  A new perception of pizza wasn't the only thing I brought back from Italy with me.  I also brought home a new skill; making homemade pizza/pasta sauce!  Alvarado St. Bakery brand had a whole grain crust that I found to be very tasty and it didn't make me ill.  With this new pizza crust and my own homemade sauce, I learned how to make a pizza that I liked even more than Pizza Hut AND it was a nourishing pizza that didn't make me ill the way Pizza Hut did.  Once I learned how to make my own pizza, Pizza Hut was a distant memory.  Now I can enjoy pizza, but a much healthier and tastier version of the garbage that I was addicted to. 

I just learned a couple of recipes for gluten free crusts that I'm aching to try.  I'll be sure to post my progress with it.

Defeating Temptation (Part III)

Pizza Hut pan pizza was another great weakness of mine.  For so many reasons I had to give up Pizza Hut.  I mean, Pizza Hut pan pizzas had sugar, white flour, trans fats and things that I didn't even know to stay away from at the time.  For years, however, I just couldn’t stop going back for more.  It’s a miracle that I was never obese or even overweight because I would take down a medium size pan pizza with bread sticks in one sitting.  There were so many things that triggered cravings.  Sadness was a trigger for chocolate treats, but it was a trigger for Pizza Hut pan pizzas too.  When friends suggested that we eat there I wouldn't even try to protest.  In fact, I would just have to smell a pan pizza and I had to have some.  With Pizza Hut, the issue was an addiction so this wasn't an easy habit to break.  In order to kick this habit, I had to go much deeper.  I had to remember all of the reasons why I had to give it up.  I examined all my patterns that involved my eating Pizza Hut; especially when I was eating a whole pie by myself in an isolated place.  I had patterns of eating Pizza Hut alone after a depressive episode or when one was brewing.  This is part of the reason why it was a difficult habit to break; it was a habit that was entangled with many emotional attachments.  I knew that if I was eating Pizza Hut with friends it was bad enough, but when I was scarfing down a whole pie by myself there was something dreadfully wrong with me in that moment.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Defeating Temptation (Part II)

Once I figured out that sadness triggers this emotional and physical desire for chocolate, I realized needed a plan so that I wouldn't have to feel sick from chocolate right after I felt sad about something.  I needed an alternative.  In other words, I needed a healthier habit to replace the unhealthy one.  It was certain that giving chocolate up was a losing battle.  When I was sad, I was vulnerable and my emotions were likely to convince me that I was in need of chocolate.  I decided that when I was sad that I should try to reach for something that doesn't hurt as much as my favorite chocolate treats.  I found out that dark chocolate has far less sugar than milk chocolate and it doesn't contain dairy.  It was actually the sugar and the milk in the chocolate that was hurtful to me, and what I really craved was the cocoa.  A little dark chocolate went a long way for me.  Dark chocolate save my body from the sugar and dairy than it couldn't handle.  The amount of chocolate that I ate decreased progressively over the course of four years.  I discovered that I didn't have to give up the cocoa, just the junk that was often mixed in with it.  These days, I have chocolate treats on occasion at an organic restaurant where they have plenty of choices of deserts made from organic cocoa.  Most milk chocolate treats don't even tempt me anymore and I can easily resist the one that tempts me a little.  In fact, I can't remember the last time I had it.


Defeating Temptation (Part I)

Believe it or not, there is a trick to defeating temptation.  Again, it depends on how badly you want to attain your goals.  When you lapse, the most important thing to do is not to panic or beat yourself up. 

Chocolate was my weakness for a very long time.  Because sugar was the worst thing for me, I avoided chocolate as much as I could.  I noticed that when I started feeling sad or helpless, I would have cravings for chocolate.  So sadness was my trigger.  When I was a single woman I was sad a lot!  When I bumped heads with a bad date the first thing that I wanted when I left was some chocolate; chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate bars, chocolate pudding, chocolate ANYTHING!  I heard a psychologist once say that women crave chocolate when they need a hug.  My best friend was on the east coast and wasn’t around to hug me when I needed one all the time.  I had friends on the west coast, but at the time I really needed my best friend.  For one thing, she was like my sister but another reason why I really wanted her around in particular is because we tended to go through eerily similar things (such as having boyfriends with similar issues at the same time).  I would call her after a bad date, but if she wasn't around the next solution was always chocolate.

Friday, September 16, 2011

The FDA's Draft Guidance on Supplements: 9-16 Update

I believe that I found the hearing (on video).  I didn't see the whole thing, however, from what I've seen so far I'm wondering if the individual I spoke with knew what I was talking about.  The only hearing that I could find on September 14th pertained to importation of prescription drugs.  Again, I didn't see the whole thing; for I was warned that the whole thing runs for about two hours.  I didn't hear anything so far about dietary supplements.

I'm still trying to spread the word about the matter and I'm hoping for a miracle.  I'm tired of the restrictions that the government is putting on my health and the health of my family.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Brain Mapping

I've posted about neurofeedback therapy, but I've never posted about the importance of making sure that your therapist does brain mapping.  A brain map is probably the most important part of the neurofeedback because it shows the therapist what exactly which brainwaves need to be trained. 

I've spoken to neurofeedback therapists that hadn't a clue what a brain map was.  That concerns me because without a map a therapist couldn't possibly give successful neurofeedback therapy.  If those therapists make people worse, then it makes neurofeedback look like a hoax. 

If you need neurofeedback training make absolutely certain that you  ALWAYS ask for a map.  If they don't do brainmaps move on to another therapist until you find one who does.  Click here to find a neurofeedback therapist.

Updates on The FDA's Draft Guidance on Supplements

The FDA would like to implement a "pre-approval" system on supplements.  This could potentially raise the cost and decrease the production of supplements.  DSHEA, implemented back in 1994, was developed in order to prevent things like this from happening.  According to DSHEA dietary supplements are NOT considered a conventional food therefore the FDA doesn't have a place in this matter.

When I called Senator Michael F. Bennet's office, I was told there was a hearing about it today.  I'm still trying to get more information on the outcome.  I will post the moment I have any additional updates.

Once again, I urge you to take action.  Click here to take action.  Please call your representative today.  To those of you who made a call, I thank you!




The Chemical Imbalance II

I also want to be clear that just because neurofeedback saved me that may not be what everyone else with depression needs.  If there is a problem with the thyroid, for example, it could cause depression.  Neurofeedback therapy may help the depression in a case like that, but then what about the thyroid?  In other words, neurofeedback isn't treating the PROBLEM in that case.  In that particular case if the thyroid is healed, the depression will go away.  Each individual needs to be tested to see what the problem is exactly.  Such testing exists however unpopular.

As someone who used to have depression, I know that the condition is very, very real.  My family also knows that it is real because they witnessed my many, many years of suffering.  But this is the reason I fight for the alternative routes.  Medicine may have stopped episodes for the year that I was on it, but neurofeedback therapy is what cured me forever and saved my life.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Chemical Imbalance

I keep reading and hearing that mental illness is not a chemical imbalance.  I feel that it is necessary to be careful when making such statements.  Maybe the chemical imbalance isn't necessarily the CAUSE for everyone; however, I saw what depression looks like on a brainmap before I started neurofeedback therapy.  Depression and OCD, for example, look different on a brainmap because there are different problems with different brainwaves.  Doesn't that suggest a possible imbalance chemically or otherwise?

Even IF there is such a thing as the chemical imbalance that is NOT to say that drugs are the way to treat it.  I’ve been on Prozac and I felt like I was a slave to it for a year and then I started having depressive episodes again within two years after termination of drug treatment.  Seven years ago after 64 sessions of neurofeedback I NEVER had another depressive episode again.  I could write a novel about how my life has changed since; it's AMAZING!!

Health Freedom

It's insane that in the United States of America we actually have to fight for our health freedom.  Now the FDA is trying to implement laws that threaten our choices about dietary supplements.

Why is the government making it so difficult to make good choices about our health?  Why are people being arrested for selling raw milk for example?  Why is it that my insurance isn't paying for vitamin supplements that can prevent migraines?  I used to think that healthy living was just a choice, but it is becoming a fight.  It is SUCH a challenge just to eat properly and the government pretends not to understand why we are so unhealthy as a nation.  How did we allow corporate greed to take over our rights like this?  The sickest part is that they are trying to pretend that it is for our benefit.  Do they really believe that we are SO unintelligent that they need to make these decisions for us? 

Please watch this very, very important video presented by Dr. Mercola:



Click here to go to Dr. Mercola's article; and click here to be heard (the Alliance of Natural Health can provide the information that you need to call your representative).  The links give tips on what to put in a letter to your representative, or what to say on the phone for those who would like guidance.  Please consider his suggestions even if you don't take them.

Monday, September 12, 2011

How Badly Do You Want Your Health? Part II

People would join the gym in January because it was supposed to do something or mean something to start fresh in the New Year when suddenly they would face resistance.  Exercise gets too hard or it isn’t what they thought it would be.  Then things conveniently get in the way.  For example, work schedules change, or one becomes "too busy" with new things happening in his/her life or something of that nature.  Next thing, they are no longer members.   

So what keeps a person driven?  In my experience, the people who stay driven want something… badly!  Once they start exercising they are on a journey or even a mission!  With each day the driven individuals work out, they feel they are moving closer and closer to their burning desires.  They are becoming the very person that they want to be and living the life that they want to live.  The pain and resistance for some may even be pleasurable because they KNOW that they will conquer it and they will be stronger in the end!  This all comes from having a driving force that keeps you living a healthy life.

How badly do you want your health?

How Badly Do You Want Your Health? Part I

Change isn't always easy.  In fact, the most gratifying changes are usually pretty challenging.  Your old life will creep up on you and show the best side of it's ugly face to try and coax you back to your old ways.  It can really be discouraging when that happens.  Why is it that healthy changes slip through the fingers of some, but sticks with others?  

Let's use the gym as an example.  Some people will join a gym, start out strong, but in a few months they leave; but why?  Why do some leave and others stay?  I heard some say that it's a problem with discipline.  But is that really it?  No, I don't believe so.

The truth is, the people who drop out don't have fuel to drive them.  They have no true desire to go to the gym.  They started because their loved ones asked them to, or because the gym had a special that sounded good or because they need to lose the "holiday weight" or something.  What they need is a stronger reason to make the changes that they want to make.




Sunday, September 11, 2011

Healthy Friendships

Join my discussion on healthy friendships in the Healthy Relationships forum on the Whole Health Destinations page.  Registration is necessary even if you are already registered on BWMFs.

US Phude

Dr. Rima wouldn't insult the word food by labeling fakes like GMOs as such.  I like how she gave the label "Phude" to GMOs and other fake forms of food.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find food in the US.  

I'm very surprised about how easy it was to find good, fresh, clean food in Jamaica, for example.  When I went to parties that were catered at a hotel, I had to avoid the foods because much of it was imported from the United States.  So I had to avoid fried foods (because of GM canola oil and trans fats), white flour, sugar unless it was cane sugar (GMO), papaya (a rising GMO) and soy (also GMO) which fortunately isn't in as many foods over there as it is here.  If I was in a restaurant or anywhere else, however, I was often able to find food that was perfectly fine for me to eat though.  I could go to restaurants and order grilled or steamed fish (fresh, fresh fish), or I could have someone with a small business on the side of the road make some freshly cooked jerk foods (jerk chicken, jerk fish...).  I just had to make sure that they used coconut oil and not canola if anything was fried, but other than that I had no problem.

It is sad how "advanced" this country is suppose to be, yet to find good healthy food is becoming closer and closer to impossible.  Even the OCA talks about the mockery that politics is starting to make of organic food.  I spend so much money to get real food; yet sometimes organic beef and chicken can be raised in an environment that isn't very different from a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) or a factory farm.  I'll still buy the organic to avoid the hormones and the antibiotics and such, but it is still upsetting that it isn't what I thought unless I buy from a small local farm.

I am still hoping for the day that the US allows us more choices when it comes to food.  It is frustrating that disease causing phude like GMO is perfectly legal but good food like raw milk is illegal.  I'm disgusted, frustrated and desperately hoping for change.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Kombucha

I'm currently learning how to make kombucha.  I've read articles and seen videos, but I learned the most from people who I know personally.  I know two people who practice this and they have both given me tips that the literature and videos didn't give.

Drinking kombucha is part of the flora building program that I've started.  I'm still playing and experimenting with the process, but I discover and learn new things each time I make a new batch.  I will be talking about this more in the near future. 

If you have any tips, recipes, questions, comments or furthermores please know that it is all welcome here.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Weight Bearing Exercise: Why I Do It

I keep telling family, friends and clients about the many different reasons why I love and highly recommend weight bearing exercise.  Cardio is great too, but I NEED to do weight bearing exercise every week and when I don't; I simply don't feel well.  My back will also make me pay... with pain!  

With the amount of sugar that Americans eat daily, I feel that weight bearing exercise is downright necessary.  It would be best to cut way down on sugar as well, but I understand that dietary change can be a process.  As they are in the process of trying to cut down, however, any exercise would be helpful to their bodies.  Thanks to weight bearing exercise, however, the body will keep burning sugar and fat even when it is not active.  For so many people, that would be beneficial!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

September's Book

September, for some kids, is not a great time of year.  I remember school started for me on or around the 9th of September every year.  1 in 6 kids are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or some other learning disability.  This book gave me some insights that I'm grateful for.  It was recommended to me years and years ago by a great teacher when I was in college.  I remember how my attentional issues were so bad at the time that getting through the paper that I wrote on learning disabilities was just painful!  Thank goodness it was interesting enough for me to get through it and I passed the class.  A learning disability could come from a great many number of things.  Sometimes it is a simple reaction because of an allergy or food sensitivity.  I, for example, can not eat white flour.  When I do, everything slows down for me as though I'm drunk.  I've even experienced slurred speech after eating white flour products.  It takes a few hours, but I do get over those symptoms; I go through it more quickly if I take some cod liver oil and drink plenty of water to flush my system.  Find out what may be triggering your child's learning problems and how you can combat them too!  Enjoy this month's book "The ADD and ADHD diet!"

Rawsome Raid II

I don't understand what really happened in the video.  I thought California was one of the few states where it was legal to sell raw milk.  It should be legal everywhere, but I remember seeing raw dairy products on the shelves of Whole Foods when I lived in San Diego a few years ago.  What is happening in California?  

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an advocate of food borne illnesses.  If the farmer or business owner selling the milk labels the product truthfully and properly (stating that the milk IS raw and was tested for disease causing cultures) then it is now up to the consumer to leave it on the shelf or to purchase it and take it home for consumption; it is NOT UP TO THE GOVERNMENT and it never should have been their decision in the first place.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Wellness Avenues Page

Please check out Wellness Avenues; the new page on Be Well My Friends.  Wellness Avenues offers a list of sites like the that gives information about wellness

I feel that it is good for everyone to have access to the information that can lead to our health freedom.  I should be able to buy raw milk if I want to for example.  I understand some of the risks involved in drinking raw milk, however, if the farmer tested the milk and it is clean, then I should have the right to drink it if I so choose.  There is a site to help you find a farm that will sell a share of cows.  If you own a cow or a part of a cow, you may drink their milk.  If I don't want to eat GMO food, I should have the right to choose not to eat it if I don't want it.  Some people have allergies to GMO.  I know of someone who can't eat corn without getting sick but she ate some organic corn without a problem at all.  She should be able to choose to eat real corn if she so desires.  The non-GMO project can help people like her find the products that are free of GMOs, plus it will offer updates on the fight against Monsanto.  Need to find a Chiropractor?  The Maximized Living site can help you find a great chiropractor near you!  

I am hoping that the websites that I've provided on this page will allow people to find useful information; for they are all sites that have helped me in some way.

Parties and Gatherings

It's amazing how difficult it is to choose good food sometimes.  I was so comfortable at my friend's wedding reception knowing that the food was both organic and kosher (it was a Jewish wedding).  I wish that I could go to more gatherings or restaurants with the same confidence about the food.

There is a 60% overweight or obesity rate in this country and people are actually asking why that is so.  If everyone thought of things like my friend did for her wedding reception, we wouldn't have that kind of problem.  It makes me so sad because we are all pressured to look like the skinny or buff models on magazines, but the choices in food that is available dooms us to fail and turn to liposuction or some crazy diet program that further robs people of the nutrients that they need.

I often wonder what I can do to change this.  As I become the change that I want to see in the world, I experience constant resistance; even anger!  Many people don't want to know how to be healthy, they want to know how they could look like this and feel like that without making changes. 

I keep spreading what I know anyway because I refuse to not have hope.  I hope that maybe if I keep dropping seeds, one day one of them will sprout and blossom.