Greens

Leafy green foods are an important part of healing candida, but apparently it can be overdone.  Hopefully, we all know that anything can be overdone.  Drinking tons and tons of green smoothies can eventually devastate the body's health says Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist.  The oxalate in the greens can create stones in tissue and that can only end badly.  Yes, leafy greens are foods and even candida sufferers should have their share of leafy green food, however, I believe in this case moderation is key.  Preparing lots of cultured food is important and at a certain point in the diet, eating lots of whole cultured greens is fine.  What I learned from Sarah's article is that even a shot of wheat grass juice is fine (because of the low levels of oxalate).

To be clear, I'm not saying to stay away from leafy greens and I don't believe that Sarah is saying that either. I believe that she is mostly warning not to overdo this green drink/smoothie business.  Leafy greens are magnificent and very, very healthy; but if you have candida or other problems that Sarah mentioned and you're OD-ing on the green juice, THEN you're heading for disaster.

Balance Your Diet

I recently read an article that a colleague of mine posted on Facebook. The article suggests that meat in dairy and even some fibrous foods kill gut flora and cause intestinal inflammation. Before I even read the article I commented that this could not possibly be true. In the GAPS diet, for example, there is a point where you will eat nothing but bone soup, ginger and honey. Now if the doctor who developed the GAPS diet found some success in a diet that mostly consists of meat and vegetables, that alone is a legitimate argument against the information given in this article.

The article, however, did say some things that I will agree with. Dairy, for example, can cause inflammation in some. Such individuals need to really watch it when they eat things like yogurt, which is actually supposed to help gut flora. Unfortunately, until there gut is healed the yogurt will only hurt them more. The doctors who developed the dietary protocols to heal autoimmune disease/leaky gut syndrome, do mention watching out for irritants such as eggs and dairy.

It's very possible that what the article meant was that the acidic nature of meat could actually kill gut flora. This I can actually believe, but even my nutritionist was very clear about raising the amount of fruits and vegetables in my diet; just not raw fruits and vegetables right away.  I had to start eating them cooked or cultured.  Part of the reason for this, I believe is to help raise the ph balance which creates a very unfriendly environment for Candida, (the main culprit of leaky gut syndrome). I just feel that people need to be extra careful when reading such articles because one may feel that they shouldn't eat meat at all. This is where we need to be careful no matter which leaky gut healing diet one chooses, balance is always key.

Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate anything from Hanukkah (which started on Thanksgiving for those who didn't know) right through until New Year's Day, I hope this is a warm and wonderful holiday season for all!

Healthy States and Unhealthy States

There are some cities in the United States that have little if any sense of what it means to eat healthy and/or be healthy. I have a friend who lives in the southern part of the United States, who wanted to find a health food store a few months ago. I was only too happy to help her look. Unfortunately, most people did not seem to know what organic food even was. I mean, every time I called a restaurant or a store people were utterly confused when I asked them about organic food. I admit that I was confused by their confusion; how do they not know what organic food is? Unfortunately, to some in the United States food is food; and that's the way it should be! Food should just be food!  It's the other stuff like GMOs and the processed garbage that should be labeled.

There is a very rural area in Pennsylvania where it's breathtakingly beautiful. But when you walk into the Walmart or any other shopping center in this area, it's hard not to notice that a majority of the community is overweight. There used to be a health food store in town, but they didn't sell any fresh produce at all. I discovered a town in Virginia recently, that has a very similar issue. There seems to be one health food store in the entire town, plus a farmers market that sells only two days a week. It would be a huge problem for me to live in such a town, because it's next to impossible for me to find real food in the mainstream grocery stores.

My heart breaks for such towns in the United States. Those are the communities that are doomed to be unhealthy and are likely to spend the rest of their lives wondering why.  There is hope all over the internet.  It didn't take me a very long time to figure out where to look for answers; I have the same hope for such people.

The Importance of L-Glutamine

Now I have a better understanding of why bone soup is so important in the GAPS diet.  One reason is because the fats help heal and repair tissue, but the other is for L-glutamine that also plays a part in healing the gut lining.  L-glutamine is an essential part of the GAPS diet and no wonder!  It is an amino acid and amino acids make tissue repairs.  L-glutamine tends to target the repair of the gut lining.

The L-glutamine factor also explains something that has puzzled me for several months now. The need for L-glutamine explains why if I lack red meat I can easily become fatigued or even sick.  My body needs red meat almost every day.  I can go a few days without red meat if I eat chicken, but I eventually need beef or goat.  This ALSO explains why there was a time when some doctors used amino acids to treat clinical depression.  According to Dr. Campbell-McBride, the "mental conditions" such as depression, ADD, autism as well as many others are all a result of leaky gut syndrome.  There are amino acids like L-glutamine that make repairs in the body.  Repair the leaky gut, then all of those nasty medical conditions like depression go away!

Fibromyalgia Symptoms - What Fibromyalgia Feels Like

When I first moved to California, there were two people I knew who had fibromyalgia. That very year was the first time I've ever heard of fibromyalgia, and yet I met two people the same summer who had it. It did NOT sound like fun from the little they told me of their experience with it.

There seems to be some debate about whether fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease or a psychosomatic disorder. Fibromyalgia is, in fact, characterized by symptoms, which perhaps is why it can take years to diagnose properly. Many with fibromyalgia will simply go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as another condition.

If fibromyalgia is indeed the autoimmune disease some believe it is, then gut lining repair may actually work wonders for patients.  If it's a psychosomatic disorder, however, there is still a chance that gut lining repair may actually help anyway.  According to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, there are several psychological disorders that begin with leaky gut syndrome.  It is very possible that fibromyalgia is one of those disorders.  So it may actually be beneficial to fibromyalgia patients to ask their doctors about how to heal their gut lining.

Please read the article below for more information on fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms - What Fibromyalgia Feels Like

Caprylic Acid

Caprylic acid is one of the many medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil. On this blog I have written numerous times about the healing power of coconut oil. On numerous occasions I have labeled the coconut as a superfood; if you knew about the nutritional and medicinal benefits of coconuts one need not ask why.

In one of many leaky gut healing protocols, there is a doctor who highly recommends caprylic acid. One benefit of many, if not most or even all medium chain fatty acids is that they fight many disease causing microbes including Candida. Candida is usually the main cause of leaky gut syndrome. This is why a fungal killer is most vital in a leaky gut healing protocol. One doctor highly recommended caprylic acid, therefore coconut oil is as important in his protocol as bone soup is in Dr. Natasha Campell McBride's GAPS diet.

When I first started the GAPS diet, I wasn't able to eat coconut oil for some reason. Now that I've been on the gaps diet for a while I can eat it without a problem. I'm seeing a lot of other improvements in my overall health which is very encouraging.  Because of this, to all who suffer from autoimmune disease, I highly recommend seeing a health professional about healing your leaky gut.

Health Improvements

Around this time of year I usually get the flu or some other nasty upper respiratory infection.  This year, I had a scratchy throat, but seemed to have fought off whatever it was before it became something that would make me miserable. Even my doctor told me that is a sure sign of healing.

Where can I possibly begin to express my gratitude for healing methods such as the GAPS diet? After four years of being plagued by illness and fatigue, I'm finally in a place where I can more than hope for a normal life again.

More than ever, I'm so happy that I started this blog. I can testify to the fact that healing does not always begin with pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, the most complete healing cannot begin with pharmaceutical drugs. Our bodies were designed to heal themselves; the only reason why most of us have such a difficult time healing ourselves is because of all the toxins in the air, in our food and even in our clothing that blocks our bodies' healing abilities.

My father taught me many very valuable lessons, however, there is one that I will forever be grateful for.  He always said (quoting Steve Sinnott), that "Education is the great liberator" and he was right!  The more I learned about disease, health and how to heal, the more liberated I was from all of the lies and propaganda of mainstream media.  For any of you who are sick, I urge you to get educated about your disease.  Learn all there is to know about it.  Take the prescription drugs per your doctor's advice if you want, but DON'T rely on those drugs for healing!  There may very well be another way and the other way could rid your condition forever!  I've been there, I've seen it and I know this.  Trust me, chances are that you don't need to stay sick and dependent on prescription for the rest of your life.

December's Book: Revive

Autoimmune disease is a harsh reality for those who have it.  The video above does a great job of explaining why. Autoimmune diseases can affect just about any and every organ in the body. Mainstream medicine suggests there is no cure autoimmune diseases. Most people must be on some sort of immune suppressing drugs for the rest of their life. Patients with celiac disease often need to have gluten taken out of their diet for the rest of their lives.  It turns out that the doctors who made this "no cure" declaration are all wrong.

Leaky gut syndrome is found to have a direct connection with almost all autoimmune diseases; suggests a study recently done at the University of Maryland.  In other words, heal the leaky gut and you will heal your autoimmune disease.  This is why I feel so incredibly happy that I'm on the gaps diet; the goal is to treat leaky gut. A girlfriend of mine recently suggested for me to request testing for Hashimoto's disease. Although I will be talking to my doctor about this today, according to this study and according to what several doctors have hypothesized for years, it seems that I'm already being treated!




 

Snark, Accusation and Judgement, Oh My! (Part II)

There's very little that I could tell you about pharmaceutical drugs… except for why I avoid them. Vaccines I specifically avoid because they seem to do more harm than good. Now I have family members who get a flu shot every single year. They seem to swear by the vaccines. They believe that the vaccines are what prevents them from getting sick every single year. For these individuals I wouldn't suggest anything else. However, the young man who died recently because of brain damage that resulted from complications because of a flu shot, tells me that the flu shot is obviously not for everyone.

The article that I read last week led me to believe that there are people who are both ignorant and hostile toward people, like me, who would like to have the choice not to get a shot. I was told by a colleague of mine (another blogger), that the reason why so many were so hostile and so over the top with their response toward my desire to have a choice about this issue is because these people are paid to give a response on some sites. Now I have no proof that this is true, however, if he is right, the snark, the accusations and judgment makes a whole lot more sense.

Snark, Accusation and Judgement, Oh My!

There is an article about an individual who contracted pertussis (aka whooping cough).  She was very descriptive about what she went through when she was sick.  In fact, anyone who reads it must admit that pertussis sounds like anything but fun.  I feel badly for anyone who has to go through that, particularly babies.  I must say, however, the underlying message behind this article I DON'T agree with.

Basically, this article is to give reason why people absolutely MUST get vaccinated for things like whooping cough.  Now, I don't mean that she was just strongly suggesting it.  No, she and many who commented were in fact talking more about forcing vaccines on those who choose not to do it.  Many who commented denied the link between autism and mercury (in the thimerosal).  I mean, they were literally insisting that modern research says that there is no link.  Dr. Wakefield, of course, was attacked; I tried to talk about Dr. Boyd Haley's research and then HE was attacked.  When I commented (in the form of a question) how one source will tell us that mercury is safe and another will urge us to watch out for mercury, then I was attacked.  It went as far as people suggesting that those who don't get vaccinated should get fined.

Mercy!  Is THIS really what America is coming to?  A land that offers us NO right to protect our children against a drug that is poorly researched, that has maimed and killed and that is constantly applied so irresponsibly?  Once again, I played with the idea of leaving the land of the free, but for now, I'm going to stay and fight this oppressive darkness trying to take over what was once a free nation that was heading for more freedom and prosperity for all.  I decided to give it another go; so I put up my dukes to block and started typing more commentary.  Obviously I couldn't talk science with these people.  Any scientist who did good and proper research on this matter was labeled a "crackpot" or "fraud" or something; so bringing up research wasn't going to help these people.  They pretty much called any parent who claimed that their child had vaccine injury a liar and if I mentioned them, or worse, stuck up for them, then I was called ignorant.  So much for putting up my poor smokin' dukes!  These people were swinging without aim, so anyone so much as standing on the opposite side would get hit.

Finally, I realized that this was indeed a losing battle.  I deleted my account with them and sent the link to several of my colleagues who have their facts straight; particularly the ones who LOVE heated arguements and debates.  I hope they have better luck than I did.

Miracles in Health

This year I had plenty to be grateful for on Thanksgiving day. One of the things I am most grateful for it is the current state of my health. It has improved so much over the past couple of months, it's amazing! One drawback of the improved state of my health is that with some of the greatest miracles there was one tiny little lapse. Last month my migraines actually came back to haunt me. Last month, however, I really thought the problem was dehydration. It's starting to look like the problem was that my migraines are actually coming back. I believe this because of the fact that on Thanksgiving day I actually came down with yet another one; and it came out of nowhere.

Hopefully I can figure out what I did right, so that I can repeat the process and make these horrible headaches go away. Hopefully my brilliant new doctor, who I give partial credit for the massive improvements in my health, can help me figure out how to say farewell to my migraines once and for good.

Gobble, Gobble!

I hope everyone had a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! I truly hope that this year gave you plenty to be thankful for. Gobble, gobble and be well my friends!

Happy Anniversary: Be Well My Friends

Happy belated birthday Be Well My Friends! Last Monday, November 25th was our three-year anniversary. That's another year of growth and learning about health.

Although I am not a fan of sugary processed foods, it's tough to find birthday videos without such items. Besides, I've learned on this journey that one can actually make a very tasty and beautiful birthday cake out of real food.

Hope you enjoy the video below of one of my favorite Disney characters, one of the minions from Despicable Me, singing a birthday song.

" I'm Just a Mom!" Daphne Lee Gives Powerful Speech Against NDAA in Cla...

Some may ask what the NDAA has to do with health or healthcare. The NDAA does not convict criminals nor does it challenge criminal offenses. Under the NDAA, you can be detained indefinitely because of suspected terrorism.

A man named Will Potter, an animal rights activist, was detained under NDAA. Of course there was no charge, only suspected terrorism. Don't be so naïve to believe that this could not happen to you. Our rights are being violated America. Please observe this very brave woman who's fighting for each and every single one of us.

Kefir Grains: TheHealthyHomeEconomist

I found this video to be VERY helpful.  There are many kefir grains to choose from.  If you aren't familiar with how kefir grains function, you could kill them very easily.  In the video below, the Healthy Home Economist explains the difference between how water kefir grains and milk kefir grains function.  If you take care of your kefir grains, they will last and last.

If you plan on using kefir grains, unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing; you definitely need to watch this video. Enjoy!




   

How to Remove a Stubborn Splinter with no Pain or Needles

The link below is for an article written by the Healthy Home Economist.  She explains how to remove a splinter without a needle, razor blade (which I've used) or doctor visit.  The method seems so simple, that it is very hard to believe that it works.  Her husband did this and it worked beautifully for him.  It drew out the splinter, healed the infection and gave the man his finger back.  I hope this is helpful, it was sure enlightening for me.

How to Remove a Stubborn Splinter with no Pain or Needles

Probiotic Foods to Add to Your Diet

Again and again, I read articles and studies about how probiotic cultures are probably the most effective part of fighting candida overgrowth.  There are supplements that one can take, however, they can be VERY expensive; mainly the very effective ones.  Even my nutritionist told me that she would prefer that I get my probiotic intake from food.

Good news!  Here is a video that lists a bunch of fabulous probiotic foods; some that I didn't even know about!  I'll be searching for recipes and brands to make most of these foods a part of my diet.


  

List of Fermented Foods & Vegetables that Can Heal Your Gut

Gotta love Dr. Mercola!  I read the article below a long time ago.  This is the article that ultimately saved my gut.  It was the article that helped me to better understand the GAPS diet.  When I saw the video (which is essentially Mercola interviewing Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride), I received the last bit of information about GAPS before I started it.  It also taught me things about fermented foods that I did not know; even after reading the Body Ecology Diet.

I hope you get as much out of the article below as I did.  Enjoy!

List of Fermented Foods & Vegetables that Can Heal Your Gut

Killing Candida Part 2

This is part II of the presentation that was given yesterday.  Again, GREAT information to have if you suffer from candida overgrowth.  Enjoy!



  

Killing Candida Part 1

I love the way the following video gave information on candida!  It isn't strict mainstream or naturopathic based information on candida nor is it just how to combat the disease.  The presenter gives information about the disease, why mainstream has problems with it, how to get rid of the overgrowth and he gives information as it's understood from both mainstream and naturopathic practices.  I like this because it offers lots of information and many options from which people could choose from.

Killing Candida can take several months.  As you will hear in the video, getting rid of candida overgrowth doesn't stop when you kill enough of the candida.  There needs to be immune strengthening protocols to prevent the candida from coming back, there needs to be an environmental conditioning to make the body an unfriendly place for the candida AND there needs to be a re-balancing of cultures.

Candida can be a real pain in the butt; sometimes literally!  This video can offer great insight on what is going on in the bodies of those who have it and what to do about it.  I warn you, some of the pictures may be a little... detailed.  Nonetheless, this video was certainly VERY useful for me; I hope it is useful for others who need to know this info as well.

GAPS Introduction Diet, Week 1 - Plan to Eat - Plan to Eat

I found this article as I was doing my daily research.  The author talks about her experience on the introductory GAPS diet.  I had some trouble with it too.  I suppose most people do since you don't eat much more than bone soup, ginger and honey.  I admit that I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I got through the introductory diet though.  There were times when my candida was so bad that I was practically immobile.  To the author of the article below, I guess that makes me one of the lucky ones.  But there are other issues that I'm having with the full GAPS diet right now because of other diet restrictions.  Believe me, that puts me right back in the same boat.

My main source of probiotics is sauerkraut because I'm sensitive to dairy, soy and kombucha right now; which stinks because that REALLY decreases my options of probiotic rich foods.  No dairy rules out yogurt, no soy rules out miso soup and no kombucha... well... that just rules out kombucha!

So to the author of this video, I know that it's hard, but hang in there!  The good thing about GAPS is that it wasn't designed to be a permanent situation for anyone.

GAPS Introduction Diet, Week 1 - Plan to Eat - Plan to Eat

Compost, Recycle, Landfill

Since finishing my "poor man's compost bin" which BARELY cost me $20, I've been able to tremendously reduce the amount of stuff that I'm putting into landfill.  It's exciting for me that now I get to practice this AND I get some free soil for my garden next year!

I have to admit that putting the bin together was a bit of a pain in the butt.  Chicken wire doesn't take direction very well.  It kind of does it's own thing.  Once I got control, however, the rest was easy.  I put all the weeds, grass clippings and kitchen compost in this device and I even found some worms who volunteered to help at no extra cost!

Recycling is something that I've made a practice of for a long time now.  As soon as I learned the benefits of recycling, I began to make a habit of it.  My recycle bin is always the first thing to fill up.

Unfortunately, the next thing that usually fills up in my house is the landfill bin.  The good news is, since I've made my compost bin, it doesn't fill nearly as quickly.  I'm still looking for ways to reduce what I put into landfill.  Thank God I'm getting closer and closer the more I research I do.

Dehydration

Dehydration; I've been there.  It's not a fun place to be.  I recently experienced it, yet again, last week which is why I haven't been around for a few days.  

I snaked out my kitchen drain the week before, but failed to snake out my reverse osmosis drain tube.  As a result, my tank wasn't filling as quickly and I ended up running out of water last week.  So I went through a whole night without water to drink before bed or when I woke.  On top of that, I had to go out and buy some water and couldn't until early in the afternoon.  By then, it was too late for me.  The end result was a series of illnesses that included a migraine.  I haven't had a migraine in MONTHS, so this was the sure sign that I was dehydrating AND beyond desperate for water.  At that point even the water that I was drinking wasn't helping with the symptoms.

It took a few days, but I did recover from it.  My RO system is fixed and I now have plenty of water to drink.  Bottom line is, I'm back!

My Comments On a Video

Ka Sundance's channel on Youtube is fabulous for raw foodies.  I suspect that he and his family have been on the raw food diet for a while.  I have enjoyed several of his videos.  I had a problem with the video below, however.  While it's very possible to heal candida on a raw food diet, it's impossible to do so with the protocols that I'm familiar with (GAPS and BED diets).  Another issue I had with this video is some of the misinformation given.  I commented on Youtube:

"You are incorrect about a few things (I'm SO sorry and I hope you don't mind my saying).  First, not all fermented foods feed candida.  Kombucha and sauerkraut actually KILL candida (I know this fact not just from research but from personal experience and confirmed per advice from a board certified nutritionist).  Yes, these foods DO increase symptoms AT FIRST, which is a bummer.  But this isn't because the candida is being fed but killed.  When the candida dies off, they release a toxin that cause or increase the same symptoms as the candida overgrowth itself; these are called die-off symptoms.  To combat candida, I've had to INCREASE the amount of cultures in my diet; so I have been eating and drinking a LOT of kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and probiotic supplements and my overgrowth is almost gone.  I can testify that I got worse before I got better, but again, die-off is just a nasty phase that some of us go through.  Then I discovered that charcoal (or Takazumi, which is carbonized bamboo) actually absorb the toxins and decrease die-off symptoms; so this is something to keep in mind if you're about to do a fungal detox or candida diet.

Another thing that you're incorrect about, is that if you have candida overgrowth that is even half as bad as mine was, you will need MUCH more than two weeks of detox and sugar elimination (other than low amounts of honey and the sugar in kefirs, kombucha or other bacteria rich fermented foods).  Decrease of symptoms doesn't mean that the candida is gone either.  I am almost symptom free and I have another couple of months to go in my battle.

Thirdly, curing candida will take much more that detox.  Chances are, you have an inflamed or leaky gut.  Candida can and (and if the overgrowth is bad it probably did) damage your gut especially if you've had it for a while.  The gut should be repaired as the candida is being killed or symptoms will continue.  The only vegan foods that I know of that will repair the gut are marshmallow root and slippery elm bark which I STILL eat every single day.  Beyond that, my advice isn't raw food vegan friendly, so I'll just stop there.

I felt that this was important, and I truly hope that I was helpful!"



 

November's Book: The Candida Cure

This month, I was inspired to gather more information about defeating candida.  We read about Donna Gates' Body Ecology Diet and Dr. Campbell McBride's "GAPS" diet and saw how many different ways such eating habits can heal the body.

This month I wanted to look at other ways to combat candida.

Is There A Conspiracy? VI

Whether there is a conspiracy or not, there is no denying that there are strange things going on with food and healthcare, the politics around food and healthcare and there is no denying that our government and justice system has been compromised as well.

The best example that I have of this corruption is our 2012 election.  I've always had a funky feeling that the election was fixed.  I felt that something was very wrong when Ron Paul was exploding all over the internet and all over our nation; his supporters were everywhere but I found that occasional individual who likes Romney or Obama and yet the race was between those two?  On the rare occasion that I would discuss this, I would always hear the same excuses.  There were also strange events like how in some counties there were more votes than there were voters.  Then there was the weird stuff that the video below talks about.

Unfortunately, my question "Is there a conspiracy?" can't really be answered as of yet.  I have my suspicions and, of course, my many, many questions; but to my frustration, I can't seem to get an answer with a solid source behind it.  I will be keeping my eyes open and my voice heard about this matter though.  I will not put up or shut up about declining liberty, irresponsibility in politics and the poisoning of my food and environment.  So even though this may be the last post in this series, it doesn't mean that I've closed the book on the matter.  I will be posting more about this in the future.  

(You will have to watch the video on YouTube.  The link on the screen will take you there.)

Is There A Conspiracy? V

After a short exploration of different sides, the question still stands:  Is there a conspiracy?  I keep posting news articles about Gardasil lawfully given to kids in California without parental consent; about girls who have been maimed and killed by Gardasil; about the government regulating supplements despite DSHEA; about farmers who have lost their businesses because of Monsanto's bullying; about how 300,000 farmers went after Monsanto and still lost; about people's rights to drink raw milk being taken away; about vaccine mandates and excuses for the deaths and injuries instead of facts and science; about Obama's signing laws like NDAA and the innocent people who fell victim to it and the very disturbing list goes on and on. 

Why are these terrible things happening?  These aren't natural disasters, people willfully made these decisions.  Are there so few in our government with common sense?  Is bad science the new science?  There are just too many things that aren't adding up here.  Either we have truly created an idiocracy, there are people who believe in population stabilization or I'm still looking for another possible explanation.  Which is it?  What's the answer?  What is going on here?

It's these strange things that keep happening that raise the question in my head about conspiracy.  Whether the answer is yes or no, there are still questions that I feel we should all be asking.  I'm willing to dig as deep as I need to to find solid answers, because so far the answers and arguments that I've received from the people who are destroying liberty in America are pretty weak.

Is There A Conspiracy? IV

Let's say now that there is a conspiracy.  If there is a conspiracy, who is the leader?  A conspiracy ALWAYS has a leader.  Do the members of Codex Alimentarious lead this conspiracy?  Monsanto?  The UN?  The WHO?  How about the infamous Bildebergs?  If they are conspiring against the world, then why?  What do they want?  What do they receive from destroying lives?

Several sources point to the Bildebergs.  Who are they?  They are often described as a club that meets once per year in Europe.  They're supposed to be the richest and most powerful people in the world.  Among them are politicians, business people and leaders of several countries.  Sources claim that they want to destroy about 90% of the world's population.  I admit that this information does NOT add up.  Why on earth would anyone want to do something so meaningless, so savage and so evil?

In my search for an answer, I came across a video of Bill Gates.  First, in an interview with Sanjay Gupta, Bill Gates talked about vaccines as thought they were life savers.  He talked about parents who didn't vaccinate and stated "...their children are all dead today."  Later, he gave a talk about the importance of bringing the earth's CO2 down to 0 by decreasing the population.  Then he said something that greatly disturbed me; it sounded like he was suggesting that the vaccines, healthcare and reproductive health services were helping to decrease the population by 10 or 15% (*click here to watch TED video*).  REALLY?  What the heck does THAT mean?  What about planting more trees?  That would decrease CO2, we all learned that in elementary school!  And I'm sorry, but I don't believe that CO2 needs to be close to 0; if it was then our plant life would die and so would we.  Even if what he said about CO2 was correct, he contradicted himself so incredibly, that it can't be surprising that some are inclined to believe that he is lying, hiding something or up to no good.  If this assumption is wrong and he is indeed the philanthropist that he portrays himself to be, then what exactly is the man trying to tell us?  Why is he donating so much money to vaccine research and anti-GMO labeling campaigns?  The facts just don't add up.

I heard ONE story about a child who had spinal meningitis and the mother blamed herself for not vaccinating.  The baby survived the illness but maybe it could have been prevented had baby received a shot for pneumococcal diseases.  But on second thought, newborns don't get that shot.  Besides, again, that was ONE story.  On the other hand, I've read and heard countless stories about kids who were sick or killed because of vaccines.  Doctors are concerned about the connection between vaccines and autism not to mention the connection between vaccines and infant mortality.  Another fact of the matter is that cases such as HPV, chicken pox and even the flu, it is better to catch the disease and heal from it than to take a vaccine that can potentially take a life; NONE of this is explained to the patients/parents at the time of taking the vaccines.  "Curious and curiouser," says Alice, as the list of questions yet still grow.

Is There a Conspiracy? III

In the last post, we explored the possibility that there is NO conspiracy.  We discussed some of the answers that the government and industries offered the public.  We've also discussed some of the unanswered questions; some of the unanswered questions.  Unfortunately, the questions just don't stop there.

When you know more about the industries that are creating law, hiding vital information and covering up their part in the rising cancer mortality, infant mortality and heart disease mortality rate; both the answers as well as the lack of answer raise even more serious questions; questions about health, politics and how the two influence each other in today's world.  There is still no denying that there is something very strange going on in our justice system especially when it comes to fighting against or giving truthful information about these industries.  This fact raises even more questions still; like why is government becoming bigger and bigger despite the small government that our forefathers tried to implement?  Why are there laws in healthcare (thanks to Obamacare) that limit what people like me want in a healthcare system; like the right to have nothing more than emergency insurance or the right not have health insurance at all for example?  Why is Big Pharma trying to force their products on us by creating laws against the refusal of vaccines or by creating laws that will allow schools to vaccinate our middle school aged children without parental consent?  Why are teachers sending notes home to parents stating that they MAY NOT send their children to school with a packed lunch without a doctor's note?  Why won't Monsanto label their GMOs despite the many who are asking, begging and even fighting them to do so?  Why are geoengineering companies pumping poisons in the air to control the whether despite the lack of testing on what it could do to the health of the general public?   And why, oh why, is it illegal to not only sell something as nutritious as raw milk in several states but illegal to even consume it in your own back yard in Wisconsin?  Why indeed?

We can't assume that all of these questions and the lack of answers have no connection because there is one variable that connects all of these questions and their possible answers; the rapid decline of rights to choose for ourselves and our families.  There is another variable that is equally as frightening; there is a slow but definite increase of power to the government, the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry.  Again, even if this is about nothing but money, there seems to be a connection between the government, the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry.  How can one blame the people who assume there is a conspiracy?  In fact, when you ask the right questions, it's those so-called "crazy conspiracy theory people" that actually start to make sense!

Is There A Conspiracy? II

Let us say, for argument sake, that there is NO conspiracy.  In a world where there is no conspiracy, it's possible that the answers to the strange things going on aren't connected.  Perhaps there are different reasons for these things.  We are told that it's for the sake of our health.  For example, we are told that parents are forced to give their children vaccines so that they won't spread disease; we are told that GMOs make bigger crop yields and can feed the world; the CDC claims that raw milk is dangerous, which is why sales is prohibited; geoengineering companies use the whole "global warming" issue behind what they do; the FDA has been trying to get their hands on the vitamin and supplement industry for years because they feel that they need to regulate it for our safety and Gardasil is said to prevent cervical cancer.

The problem with such answers is that they raise more questions.  For example, how can an unvaccinated child spread disease among the vaccinated?   If this was possible, doesn't that mean that the vaccines aren't working?  As far as GMOs making bigger crop yields, unfortunately, the superweeds and superbugs aren't allowing GMO crops to do that.  The mass suicides in India because of BT cotton prove that.  Even if raw milk is dangerous, why is it a MUST that we depend on industry to pasteurize it?  Can't we pour the milk into a pot and boil it ourselves?  Although the geoengineering business may seem like a good argument, their lack of testing on how it may effect the health of others is VERY disturbing.  These questions and concerns raise even MORE questions still.  Like why is it that the food industry has so much power that a public figure like Oprah Winfrey can't make a statement about how she feels about meat without facing lawsuit? The most disturbing question of all is how did the government end up in bed with the food and health care industry?  Why are there so many laws protecting these companies?  Why indeed?

Well, here is one possible non-conspiracy theory answer and it can be given in one word... money!  Companies like Monsanto, Dow and Bayer , to name a few, are ridiculously rich.  The pharmaceutical industry is a multibillion dollar industry.  Monsanto is also a multibillion dollar company.  They have supporters like Bill Gates who is also worth billions of dollars.  So they could all afford to buy our government from us.  The more these companies force these products on us and keep us in the dark about their quality, the more money they will make.

So perhaps there is no conspiracy after all!  Perhaps our problem is just greedy tycoons... who have the government in their back pocket.

Is There A Conspiracy?

There, I posted it.  The big question and the big "C" word.  I've been avoiding this question like a bad disease, yet I've posted possible answers for several months.  In the next few posts, I want to discuss the possibility of a conspiracy as well as alternative arguments.

First, I need to make something clear:  I am not making a declaration that there is a conspiracy nor am I declaring that there isn't one.  I am simply asking a serious question; one that we should all be asking and I will present the reasons that provoked me to finally write about it.  I'm ready to face the answer whatever it may be and however it may present itself.  Looking back, the theory of a conspiracy didn't always bother me.  I didn't believe in conspiracy theories when I first heard about them, simultaneously, I was careful not to label the theorists as "crazy" or "extreme" because I couldn't deny that there were very strange things going on with food and healthcare in America.  My attitude was that I understood why people may think there was a conspiracy, but I was so sure that they were wrong.  I always urge people to get information; it never hurts to do so even if you KNOW you are right.  In the process, you may just find out more about the issue and have more facts to back your argument.  In my case, you also may find out that you're the one who is most likely to be wrong and change your whole outlook on life.

I didn't believe in everything that Dr. Rima Libow said about Bildebergs and Codex Alimentarious.  The information that she gave, however, wasn't completely off nor can I say that many of the issues that she discussed were exactly unfamiliar.  In my skepticism, however, I looked for information to refute her premise.  What did I find?  I found information that I admit that I wish I didn't find.  To list a few things that I found, many, many parents complained of the insane vaccine schedule not only maiming and killing babies and young women (Gardasil) but also of the way many parents are forced to give their babies shots or penalized for not giving their babies shots regardless of these complains of infant mortality; I also found information on the politics that protects (and protected) vaccines as well as GMOs, PCBs, DDTs, dioxin, Agent Orange, glyphosate (most commonly found in Roundup herbicide), geoengineering, truthful information about CCD, the laws against selling raw milk, pesticides and herbicides even as thousands of farmers protest and I haven't forgotten the senseless government takeover of herbal and vitamin supplements despite beautiful system like DSHEA.  We are to understand that these decisions were made for our safety, but it seems strange how the people are given so little choice in the matter even when they understand all of the dangers and ramifications of not accepting political insight.  Where is the liberty that America has boasted about for two centuries?  It simply doesn't add up for me.

Relationship With Food

It's easy to develop a nasty relationship with food in our culture.  We are imposed upon with crazy ideas about how food can make you fat and sick, bombarded by this nonsense about "bad cholesterol" and the foods that contain it and told to be on low calorie diets in order to keep healthy.  How is it surprising that many of us feel that food is questionable or dangerous?  Thank God there are many who understand that food isn't dangerous but powerful in the most miraculously wonderful sort of way, however, there are others who are still grossly misinformed.

Now, don't misunderstand me; when there is an illness or condition, sometimes we need to stay away from certain nutrient dense foods until the ailment is healed.  I'm still on the GAPS diet and still unable to make crackers or rolls from kamut as nutritious as it is, for example.  The whole point of me going on the GAPS diet is because I could look forward to the day when I can eat those things again.  If it's whole food, I want to have the opportunity to at least try it.  I don't regard the foods that are on my "no-no" list as bad or dangerous, but simply off the menu for now.  This way, I don't have any disgust for perfectly good food, but the option to eat it is simply on hold for now.

I hope for the day that America can see the many benefits of food beyond killing a hunger drive.  I hope that we could all see the medicinal quality of food as well as its nutritional qualities.  I hope that one day America can see the difference between whole food and the garbage that inherited the name "food" thanks to those who are possessed by greed.  I feel like that is where we are all going, but it's a matter of the road we choose once we see what is real and what isn't.

7 Vital Herbs From The Herbalist’s Garden

These herbs aren't just for an herbalist's garden.  Except for the garlic, I've made wonderful teas from every herb on that list.  Each has been made for medicinal reasons as well as for the sake of and enjoyable cup of tea.

Garlic, though I've never used it for tea, is also powerful.  I've used it to fight colds, stomach bugs and ear infections and I even used it to fight some cucumber bugs in my garden.  But that's just it's medicinal use.  Let's face it, garlic can make the flavor of a variety of dishes go from "yum" to "whoa baby" with just one clove.  I've had trouble making sunflower dip until a few cloves of garlic changed all of that.

So if you want more information about some herbs that are good to have around, click on the link below.  Enjoy!

7 Vital Herbs From The Herbalist’s Garden

What in the World Are They Spraying? (Full Length)

I've never denied the possibility of chemtrails or conspiracy theories because I don't have enough evidence that it's all hokum; but I admit that I wish I did.  Sadly, I have more solid evidence to back the theories than to refute it.  The idea of willfully poisoning our air just seems like such an extreme measure to depopulate the earth that it doesn't seem like it's possible; but the need for climate control is more believable.  I could also see how geoengineering for the sake of climate control would be more widely accepted as a "good" thing.  More than ever, I have questions and fears of this chemtrail business.

I'm posting this video because it helped make MORE sense of the whole chemtrail problem.  Usually, nobody will just poison the food, water and air without giving an explanation that will make the one responsible look like a philanthropist.  This video gives both sides of the story; why "they say" it should be done, the many problems with it and why the problems are being ignored.




   

Matt Monarch (Raw Foodie) Presents "Want an Eating Disorder? Eat a Raw Food Diet"

Ironically, Matt Monarch, who is currently on a raw food diet, is the one who named this video.  On his journey on the 100% raw vegan diet, he has learned some things that he felt was good to share.  So, why did I post this video?

Recently, I've encountered people who were kind of judging those of us who consume animal protein.  Understandably, some feel that milk, eggs and meat isn't really food; not for humans anyway.  I personally know that this is not true.  I used to be a vegetarian myself.  I didn't judge those who ate the things I took off of my menu; but I realized that when I stopped eating those things my body responded with tremendous energy.  Sadly, I had to start eating red meat after a few years.  A raw food diet is something that my body couldn't handle right now; although in the future, I may do it occasionally as a cleanse.  I'm almost halfway through the GAPS diet and bone soup is an essential part of the protocol, which makes 100% raw vegan a big "no-no" for me right now.  It's easy for some vegans to poo-poo the GAPS diet, but I can honestly testify that it WORKS.

Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely FASCINATED by the raw food diet.  Dr. Gary Null has used the raw food diet as part of his protocol to cure people of the AIDS virus (not just HIV positive but full blown AIDS).  It's not something to speak ill about.  As a way of life, however, some like Matt Monarch chooses to do this which is also fine.  I, on the other hand, prefer my whole foods.  If God put it on this planet for me to eat then it will be on the menu for me to choose if I want it.

 

Mr. Zee's Apple Factory - a children's story about processed food

Here is a sweet little story for children.  There are so many things that I love about this presentation.  It is a story written to inform children of what is done to food in a very warm child friendly story.  It even addresses how food is adorned and presented to the public as the "only" way to eat and how people get sick from this stuff.

Enjoy!




   

Dan Rather Reports - Buzzkill

Bees are one of the most important parts of food production.  Without bees there is a long list of foods that can and will become extinct (unless we manually pollinate).  CCD (colony collapse disorder) has been plaguing  our food supply for at least 15-20 years now.

I wanted to post this video so that those who shrug their shoulders at CCD could realize that it's very real.  We vote with our money every single time we buy groceries.  If you buy groceries that were sprayed or if you buy GMOs you are inadvertently supporting CCD.  CCD wasn't a problem before synthetic agricultural toxins and it seemed to increase with GMO production to the point where farmers and beekeepers are near panic.

(The second part of this video is a discussion about the spread of polio in Pakistan.  It wasn't my intention to post this part of the video, but it may give some information about vaccines that you may or may not find useful.)

October's Book: Food Inc

In honor of World Food Day on October 16, I would like to take a short break from aquaponics and feature "Food Inc" as October's book.  Food Inc is an eye opener for those who want to know what they are eating.  I know that many don't really want to know where their food comes from because it is easier to turn a blind eye.  Those individuals shouldn't be surprised if they suffer consequences, but I admit that I hate to think of the many consequences that they could very well suffer.

There are many family farmers who want to give us good food, but they are attacked and gagged by the government.  This is to keep the majority in the dark about what they are eating and to allow the food industry a certain level of control.  There is more money in cheap unhealthy food than there is in whole food.

Anytime anyone wants to understand the injustices in America all they need to do is follow the dollar.  Food Inc could help you do just that in the case of injustices with food and farming. To purchase the book, see the Amazon link below.

(To watch the full feature film click the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkL2Q_kCRms)

Sunflower Seed Cheese Spread

Here is a vegan treat that you could make with freshly grown food from your aquaponic system.  You could grow the seeds plus all of the herbs that are necessary for this recipe.

There are many other wonderful dishes that can be made from your backyard, garage, indoor or basement aquaponic garden.  I thought that I would start with the vegan.  There are many aquaponic systems that are only big enough for pet fish.  This would be great for my vegan colleagues; you could grow fabulous vegan food and simultaneously make some fun finned friends!

Sunflower Seed Cheese Spread

Feed the World!

It's no wonder the idea of aquaponics took off so quickly and spread like wildfire.  People are raising aquaponic gardens in backyards, greenhouses, garages and even their basements!  The cost of a system as I've demonstrated in earlier posts can be astronomical... unless you build the system yourself!  Enough people have done this to not doubt that this is possible.

I've read articles that state that by 2050, there won't be enough food to feed the world.  Well, obviously, if we all keep living unsustainable lifestyles, then yes, this could happen.  This is only part of the reason why government attacks on gardeners and farmers seem so foolish.  Food is a commodity that we never should take for granted, now more than ever.  With aquaponics, again, you could grow food in your garage or your basement and no one has to know except you.  You decrease the risk of health department attacks and you have food year round right in your own house.

With aquaponic systems you could be free from the grocery store for very long periods of time.  This is why there are many who feel that this idea could feed the world.  If we all knew how to do this, there is no reason to fear these predictions of starvation in the near future.

Farm to Table Opportunities for Everyone

Many people have the advantage of farm to table food on a daily basis.  There are many urban homesteaders who are striving to create this opportunity for themselves.  Aquaponics is a great option for urban homesteaders, especially if they don't have very much space to garden or if they have to garden in their home.  If they have enough room for a fish tank and to put a tray for a grow bed on top of that tank, there are many, many farm to table options available.

There are so many wonderful dishes that can come mainly from your aquaponic system.  I've been posting some of these options on FB and I will be posting more in the future (both here and on FB).  The more I search, the more I realize that aquaponics is not only an avenue for health freedom, but also a source of a menu of mouth watering gourmet meals!

Aquaponics Fish Species & Shrimp Farming

For those of you who are considering building an aquaponic system, here is a video that offers great information.  It may take some imagination, especially for those who aren't used to constructing things.  I'm willing to brave this venture even though I've never build a system before.  I've built my raised bed and worm farm this year and I'm looking forward to the challenge of building an aquaponic system next year.

How we add freshwater prawns / shrimp to our Aquaponics system

I am so going to do this!  Adding crayfish or prawns to your aquaponic system is a fabulous idea because they can keep your systems nice and clean.  The plants will partially clean the water, but the prawns will do even more for your system in that respect.  It will also make your system a little more self sustaining.

The way this gentleman constructed the home for the prawns is quite brilliant, really.  However, I've heard of putting shellfish on the plant side of the system.  I know crayfish can be placed in the plant side, but I wonder if there is a reason why this individual chose to place them on the fish side.  Apparently the prawns are doing fine, however, I wonder if it's possible to avoid much of the hassle just by putting them on the plant side of the system.  The only situation where this won't work is if the plants are on clay rock grow beds.  The floating grow beds should work fine as far as I know; but I admit that I'm not an expert on this yet.

Does anyone know if putting the prawns on the plant side (with floating grow beds, of course) will or will not work?  I welcome all feedback.

NET or Neuro Emotional Technique

NET (Neuro Emotional Technique) is something that I will feel forever grateful for.  My acupuncturist used to do it in California and my current chiropractor does it here.  NET, in many ways, saved my whole week; not to mention it saved me a whole lot of pain.

I've had back problems for a while, but on Saturday night I was at church praising God with my prayer group for how much better my back has been feeling.  Ironically and quite suddenly, that changed on Sunday afternoon.  Out of nowhere I was struck with back pain that was worse than ever before.  I didn't fall or injure my back in any way; it just spontaneously started to hurt very badly.  Walking and sitting up was just too painful so I spent the last few hours of my Sunday in my recliner or in bed.  I called my chiropractor early the next  morning.  On her answering service I left a desperate message begging her to see me.  Thankfully, she was able to take me right away.  It was painful driving there, but I preferred being in pain for 20 minutes, than for the rest of the day so I endured it.

Among many other things, she did NET on my back.  This actually helped most of my back pain.  What the NET did not help, homeopathic tablets kali C. did.  I saw my chiropractor again today and I am the closest that I've ever been to back pain free for the first time in 5 years.

NET is a powerful tool for healing practitioners to use.  It can be the difference between pain and freedom.  I posted a video to give an idea of what NET is all about.  If you have any physical ailments, ask your chiropractor or acupuncturist about it today.

Enjoy the video!


  

Best Fish for Aquaponics

So, you decide that aquaponics is for you.  Among other important decisions to make about your project, you must decide on what kind of fish to use in your system.  If you're a vegetarian and you only want the fish for pets, obtaining the fish for your system will be very easy.  If you want edible fish, that may be a bit more complicated, but definitely NOT impossible.  Unfortunately, some of my favorite fish are salt water fish and these will obviously not work in an aquaponic system.  Fortunately, there are several fresh water fish that would work really well for an aquaponic system.

You could also grow fish food (such as duckweed) using the aquaponic system.  Mealworms and black soldier flies (which I will talk more about in future posts) are great food sources for omnivorous fish as well.  You may also want to raise minnows and goldfish for omnivorous fish food.

Whatever you decide, there is more information for you in the video below. Enjoy!



   

Health Freedom With Aquaponics

One of many things to LOVE about aquaponics is the health freedom aspects of it.  You could actually grow your own food in the privacy of your own home; by that I mean your backyard, garage or even your basement!

Think of the many different dishes that you could make from your own garden!  You could grow herbs, salad greens and even some fruit bearing plants like zucchini, tomato, cucumbers and many others as well.  What I didn't even think of until recently is that rice would grow very well with an aquaponic system!  So from an aquaponic system you could serve, veggies and rice with prawns, tilapia, bass or crayfish.

Aquaponics could equal health freedom for anyone who has a system.  It's definitely something to consider.  If anyone would like to add recipes to give those who already have an aquaponic system some ideas, it would be both welcome and appreciated.

Growing Food Sustainably with Aquaponics using Fish as Your Fertilizer

I love it! There is an inn in Maui that not only uses an aquaponic system, but they have an entire system of growing food right there in on the hotel property.  The systems are to feed the guests/customers and to teach them about sustainable farming.  They are using many ideas that I'm researching myself; but they've given me some further insight that I will be researching as well.

I must admit that I'm not diggin' the idea of feeding compost worms cola.  I would rather give them something that they could really benefit from.  If they eat well, they will make great compost that your plants will love.  So that's one suggestion I will definitely not be using.

Other than that, I felt that this video offered a lot of wonderful information.



 

Aquaponics, Fruits and Vegetables Gardening in the Las Vegas Food Desert

The systems that John is talking about in the video below are for the people who want to grow a majority of their own food. Aquaponics is, in my opinion, the best possible method of producing food year round.  That's just one other thing that I LOVE about aquaponics!  No matter where you are, you could have year round fresh food.

The video below demonstrates my last point.  Las Vegas isn't the easiest place to grow food, but temperature control greenhouses and hoop houses in conjunction with aquaponics make it more than possible.  Thanks to such a system, people who live in the deserts of Las Vegas can have lovely nutrient dense food all year round.

Enjoy the video!



 

Different Systems

Aquaponic systems can easily run as much as a couple thousand dollars.  The reason why it is still a very popular idea is because of what it accomplishes as well as the fact that many simply build their own systems.  By building you're own system you can save thousands of dollars.  Many have built systems for under $200 and I know of one guy who spent well under $100 for the system that he built.

Below are fancier systems.  Fancier does NOT mean better, however there are some who just want a system to grow herbs like mint, oregano, basil or thyme and the first one would work for something like that; there are some who may not want to build their own system, but want something small to grow some food indoors or in a greenhouse and the second one would work well in a case like that; there are some who want the aesthetics and the third one would work beautifully for that and there are some who don't want to build their own system and can afford to buy a system like the one on the end.

Again, it's most advisable to just build your own systems and save money.  To build your own would require a little research, imagination and trial and error; but the good news is that you'll have an abundant year round source of meat and vegetables.

Aquaponic System

Most aquaponic kits are fairly expensive, but there are more than just a few inexpensive ones on the market like the one below.  For those of you who just want to get their feet wet, (or more literally their salad green roots wet), there are small, inexpensive and rather decorative systems available to just have fun with in your home.

For some, like vegans perhaps, you may only want pet fish in which case a decorative aquaponic system may be all that you'll ever want or need.  In that case something like this is perfect.

September's Book: The Complete Idiot's Guide To Aquaponic Gardening

I don't buy "The Idiot's Guide..." books very often, but for something like aquaponics where I need to start from scratch, I feel it would be very helpful.  I believe aquaponics is a fabulous method of gardening greens and it's also a great way to raise pan fish in your own backyard.  Many people today are looking for ways to grow some of their own food and aquaponics seems to fit the bill for people like us.

Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics and takes farming to an entirely new level of awesome!  Even if you never want to do this, I invite you to read about it.  You may just change the way you see gardening!

GAPS Update

I haven't been on the GAPS diet for very long.  I've only been on it for less than 6 months, but I feel REALLY good.

I've just completed the introductory GAPS diet and will probably be able to eat more raw foods in a few weeks.  The only "raw" foods that I eat are apples, pears and cultured vegetables.  The real proof that my health is improving happened just this past weekend.  My poor hubby picked up a cold.  He came home on Friday with a scratchy throat, and was coughing all weekend.  Usually, when he gets sick, I get sick very soon after... but not this time.  He has been sick for days, but I haven't had any issues or symptoms at all.  The gut flora is the first line of defense; when that is healthy it's harder for an individual to get sick.

I'm looking forward to more improvements, but in the meantime I must admit that I'm really happy and grateful for my progress.

Garden Progress

I really didn't think my garden (which was planted very, very late) was going to be fruitful at all.  Well, I still wouldn't exactly label it as fruit-"full", but I have one pickle fermenting and a few others on the way.  There was a recent problem with cucumber bugs that kink of threw a spoon in things.  The little buzzards lay eggs in the soil and the larvae deposits a bacteria that kills off the plant.  A good chunk of the plant and several cucumbers were lost; but with a little DE (diatomaceous earth), some garlic cloves and bay leaves in the soil and I managed to save the day.  As I mentioned, I now have a few more cucumbers on the way.  Because of recent rainfall, however, I need to add more DE to the leaves to keep the cucumber bugs at bay.

What are some things that you do for pest control?

Dumbing Down Of America II

Politics is an unfortunate reality that got itself mixed up in health care.  This video demonstrates very clearly where the political tyrants are going with trying to control our food and health care.  What is astounding about this video is that it was made about 50 years ago.  So back then people were well aware of these sneaky steps that some government forces use against the people to overtake them.  Today, there are so many who are blind to it.  I've taught in a school where history was not a part of the curriculum and I wondered why.  I've spoken with other teachers in other states who have seen the same thing.  If you understand what is going on today, you wouldn't wonder why and you would be VERY worried for our country and everything that it was built on.

In the video below, I liked what the salesman said to the farmer about how his product will give him bigger crops and lower costs.  Does this sound remotely familiar?  Isn't this what a certain multi-billion dollar corporation said to farmers around the world about gene spliced crops?  This cartoon was ingenious and yet it was made so long ago.  We all need to be reminded of its message, for it's very, very important.

Heal Your Autoimmune Disease Now

I just read about a 13 year old girl who died from a severe allergic reaction; she was allergic to peanuts.  She was at camp, ate a R*ce Kr*spy treat and spit it out the moment she tasted the peanut butter that it was made with.  She went to her parents immediately, and they gave her her allergy medication.  She said that she felt fine and there were no visible symptoms at first.  Later, she was dancing with her friends when she vomited and her health spiraled down from there.

It frustrates me that more people don't know that many, many allergies can be eliminated with certain protocols depending on the issue that is causing the allergy.  Even people who do know and even know of a practitioner who can help them tend to go with conventional methods.  Conventional methods just mean that they need to deal with it for the rest of their lives.  How this is easier exactly; I'm not sure.

The GAPS diet can take as little as 18 months and as much as 4 or 5 years to work.  If it's leaky gut that is causing an allergy, isn't it better just to do this for your body and avoid the fate of the young girl that I spoke of earlier?

The GAPS diet is one way to heal many allergies.  Leaky gut can be the cause of so many different allergies and GAPS was developed to heal leaky gut.  Please see more on the GAPS diet in the article below.

Heal Your Autoimmune Disease Now

Killing ants naturally with ant exterminators from your pantry, garden and fridge

In the article below the Health Ranger gave a list of ways to kill ants without spraying poisonous mists in your home and garden.  Honestly, I'm not sure how well these remedies work.  I tried the sugar and boric acid mix recently and I'm still waiting for it to work.  Many swear by this method to kill ants so I'm not quite ready to give up on it yet.  I'm wondering if I didn't add enough sugar or if I didn't add enough boric acid.  If anyone has any other advice, I'm willing to try it.  The ants are surprisingly just not going for it for some reason.  They'll go for my garbage or anything that I've dropped while cooking, but not the sweet (and poisonous) concoction that I created for them.

I'll wait a little longer but then I'll try some of the other suggestions.  I'm curious about your experiences.  Please don't be shy about sharing.

Killing ants naturally with ant exterminators from your pantry, garden and fridge

More Vax Deaths, More Parents Blamed

I read an aritcle this morning about another set of parents who were charged with shaken baby syndrome after vaccines killed their 5 month old baby.  It is getting scarier and scarier to become a parent these days.  When parents gamble on vaccines, they must gamble on which ones to give versus the ones the doctor pressures them to get.  They must gamble on possible diseases versus the neurological conditions that their babies can get from the vaccines themselves.  They must gamble on being true to the vaccine schedule versus becoming a statistic like these and other parents who are unfairly accused of shaken baby syndrome.  Shaken baby syndrome seems to be on the rise, however, the problem is NOT abusive parents; the problem is an abusive health care system.

Vaccines have saved lives in the past from nasty diseases like polio, smallpox and diphtheria; no one can deny this.  Today, the vaccines seem to be disrupting and even taking more lives than they are saving.  There are a number of problems with vaccines.  First problem is that vaccines are not treated like normal drugs.  Informed consent has been a vital ethical principal of medicine; but not for vaccines.  Parents are forced and threatened to give their babies these shots.  They are often not well informed and they often are not given a choice.  The second issue is that all of the unnecessary vaccines (like the chicken pox vaccine) are also forced on parents and it raises the level of toxicity in baby's blood.  Third, when things go wrong with the vaccine and baby's health, the parents are responsible and a few even went to jail for child abuse.

There needs to be serious reconsideration in the laws of this land.  If parents are given informed consent, then they can have more responsibility in the results of the vaccine both positive and negative. If doctors continue to force parents to blindly drug their babies, then the DOCTORS need to take responsibility.  It's not right that Big Pharma should get all the praise, all the money and NONE of the responsibility.  The laws of this land concerning vaccines need immediate reconsideration before another life is unnessecarily disrupted or taken.

Remineralizing Teeth? Part II

I feel the need to address how we are constantly bombarded with misinformation regarding our health.  Not to be negative, but just as a warning to be careful of what the norm calls knowledge.  The ideas of using, taking or ingesting stuff like fluoride, vaccines, pasteurized and homogenized milk, diet sodas and candies, low or no fat/ calorie/ sodium/ cholesterol foods, statin drugs, amalgam fillings, aspirin (as a supplement for the heart) and many other toxic substances promise us health.  Ironically, as people buy into these ideas the nation's number one and two killers (heart disease and cancer), autism, diabetes, obesity, school shootings and shaken baby syndrome are all on the rise.  Where is the health that we are promised by utilizing these very popular products?

We aren't doing our homework, ladies and gentlemen.  We are falling into corporate traps every single day and we don't even know it.  The simple truth is that MANY of these diseases and conditions can be healed or prevented all together if we just learn to eat real food and/or if we start listening to the real doctors and researchers of our time.  I mean the ones who run a practice based in science and NOT based in the political hubbub of the age.

Remineralizing Teeth?

Remineralizing teeth?  What a concept!  I've always taken good care of my teeth, but David Wolfe gave a talk about some things that I never really knew about.  I accepted what he said in this video pretty quickly because they were things that Dr. Mercola and Dr. Campbell-McBride kind of touched on; Wolfe just explained it in more detail.

I never thought about teeth being coated with good bacteria.  Wolfe is right about one thing for sure, some of the stuff that we use to clean out teeth ARE antibiotics that kill ALL the cultures in the mouth.  We don't think about what the beneficial bacteria in our mouth can do for us.  We also fail to think about what kind of damage swallowing the toxic antibiotic oral hygiene products can do in our bodies.

Today, what we call "food" (or phude) is a substance that is often toxic and addictive.  Food isn't suppose to be toxic and addictive, real food is powerful.  Food can restore our bodies to vibrant health when we eat food that is real.  It can both prevent and treat some of the nastiest diseases whether oral or otherwise.  For example, David Wolfe talks about remineralizing teeth and the relationship between our teeth and our bones.

And This Year’s Award Goes to… Monsanto? | Food & Water Watch

This whole article is a discussion about a very cruel joke that happened a few months ago.  This "World Food Prize" was created by the same people who won the prize money this year.  Those of us who know who Monsanto are and what they are up to have a funky hunch about where exactly the 250,000 that they won is going.  Even if we are wrong, it's a safe bet that it's going toward something evil.

Yes, we are winning many battles and they are all important ones, but the war isn't over yet.

And This Year’s Award Goes to… Monsanto? | Food & Water Watch

The Network - Health and Organic Farming: Moving from Research to Policy Action

"Moving from Research to Policy Action," the title says.  The problem is NOT research; in this nation, money talks louder than research... THAT'S the problem.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm all for the government staying out of affairs that they have no business in (like food, medicine and education), but IF government is going to make such affairs its business, then they need to go with research and what the people want; not what multibillion dollar corporations want.  The fact that the government won't lift a finger to support cancer prevention isn't that big a deal, but the fact that they won't allow a parent to choose scientifically sound cancer treatment for their child over the cut, poison, burn fiasco is horrible and inexcusable.

The Network - Health and Organic Farming: Moving from Research to Policy Action

We're Winning!

I hate giving bad news.  Truly, I'm not doing this to be negative.  I want to say to all my friends and colleagues who speak up, show up and won't put up or shut up about our health freedom; I AM WITH YOU!  Keep doing what you're doing because we're winning.  The only downside to winning is that the other side will assert their power to terrorize us.  Please don't fall for it, keep doing what you're doing.

Again, take this as a sign that those who are trying to steal your freedom are scared silly.  They wouldn't bother with this if they were losing.  Why spend all of that money if you really have everyone fooled and are getting what you want?

Is the Fiberglass in Your Attic or Walls Causing Cancer?

Half of my brain experienced a moment of shock when I saw this article, the other half kind of uttered "well, duh!" simultaneously.  Nothing about this article should have surprised me one bit.

Fiberglass, I'm sure is part of the problem.  Flame retardants may very well be another issue, but I don't remember reading about flame retardants in this article.  My husband and I are looking for insulation for our attic, but even the organic ones that my husband found aren't exactly "organic" because of the flame retardants.  Please don't misunderstand me, I understand why the flame retardants are there, however, I also wonder about why we don't have a choice about whether or not we want them in the insulation.  It's starting to look as though if we want one without the flame retardants, we would need to make it ourselves.

If I'm incorrect about that last statement and you know of insulation brands that don't use flame retardants; please advise me.  It would be nice to just have that choice available before I make a purchase.

Is the Fiberglass in Your Attic or Walls Causing Cancer?

Response to "Mold Alert" Comment

Bethany Richmond

If you have mold, it's because you have a constant source of water leakage. In which case, you will have mold no matter what type of flooring you put down. A synthetic carpet will not grow mold on its own - it must be wet and dirty. I am also allergic to mold - I understand your problems. I use a good vacuum and keep my carpets dry.


Be Well My Friends

Trust me, a carpet doesn't have to be dirty to grow mold.  My carpet is definitely not dirty. I may not keep my carpet as immaculate as my friend does [the one mentioned in the "Mold Alert" article], but I do take meticulous care of my carpet. I don't even allow shoes on my carpet to avoid additional dirt.

Wet, however, was a problem for both of us. My friend occasionally gave her carpet a professional cleaning. It is possible that the cleaners did not dry the carpet thoroughly enough in some places. This is the only reason she could have possibly had mold in her carpet. As for me, on top of the fact that I gave my carpet a wall to wall cleaning when I first moved here, we also discovered two leaks not long after moving in; one in the bedroom (rainwater leaked in from outside) and one in the hall (coming from the shower). There was evident mold in the bedroom because we were out of town when it rained pretty heavily. The water just sat in the carpet until there was growth both in the carpet AND on the walls (it was pretty horrible). We saw it as soon as we came home. Both leaks were fixed very soon after discovery and I scrubbed my walls and carpet (with a carpet cleaner and herbal mold killers) as best I could; but I believe it's possible that there was still enough moisture to give me trouble even after it was cleaned.

If you are allergic to mold, getting rid of your carpet would be a very wise move. Carpet can hold mold, dirt, toxins and dust mites even if you are as meticulous as my friend and me. Mold and bugs both HATE cork which is why my husband and I are considering cork floors. Plus, if there IS a leak, it is MUCH easier to mop the water off of cork than it is to clean carpet and mold is NOT likely to grow from cork.

10 Herbs and Spices for Proper Weight Management

Dr. Mercola's article below gives information on weight loss aides.  Because they were mostly vegan foods, I felt moved to include the video below about how a raw food vegan diet changed a woman's life.  I don't hide the fact that I am not a raw foodie, however there are many aspects of the raw food diet that I love.  One thing that raw food diets are GREAT for is weight loss.  Angela Stokes Monarch used to weigh over 300lbs.  That is a frightening place for anyone to be.  Switching to a raw food diet is what saved her.  Dr. Campbell McBride calls vegan foods "cleansing foods" for a good reason.  Stokes Monarch needed the cleanse really badly and her body knew it from the moment that she started her raw food diet.

One thing that I thought was interesting was that she labels herself a "beegan" because she eats raw honey and other foods made by bees like pollen and royal jelly.  There are vegans who don't consider honey to be a vegan food because it took the contribution of livestock to make it (like milk or eggs).  Those individuals tend to use agave or fruit and herbal sweeteners (like juice, lucoma powder, luo han guo or stevia) to sweeten their food.  If a vegan isn't raw food specific, they may even eat maple syrup.  There are even some raw foodies that go raw aside from sweeteners like maple syrup because they realize what a healthful sweetener it is.

The video below talks about the health changes in Angela Stokes Monarch's life and the diet and exercise program that saved her.




10 Herbs and Spices for Proper Weight Management

The Unfair Demonization of Honey

I've actually posted about this before, but I recently had a conversation with someone that inspired me to research this further.  Honey has been VERY unfairly demonized.  By some, it was unfairly placed in the same category as the addictive and deadly substance white sugar.  Not only is this unfair, but it is untrue.  Real honey; raw, unfiltered honey, is a highly nutrient dense food.  The so-called "pure" honey (the phude that wears a honey disguise); is far from what it claims to be and it truly IS a substance like sugar; it's addictive and deadly.  So what is the difference?

Raw, unfiltered honey is what it claims to be.  It is a comb to bottle food so it will still contain some wax and pollen.  It is the simple, healthy food that many like me eat and love.  The commercial honey, often known as "pure" honey is filtered... but why?  Why spend money on heating and filtering and all of that when it is easier and cheaper just to extract the honey and sell?  Well, filtration has a number of benefits to the one who is selling.  The filtered honey is more "pleasing" to the eye of the consumer because it doesn't contain any particles from the hive.  Another benefit is the longer shelf life (long shelf life is a HUGE benefit to current corporate America which is why so many products have hydrogenated oils and other toxins).  Some customers complained about how honey crystallizes after a while where filtered honey doesn't do that.

So there IS a benefit to filtered honey, however, these benefits come at a cost.  Filtered honey often contains no pollen or beneficial cultures or the flavor of the wax (which some enjoy), and it no longer has the nutritional benefits of real honey.  "Pure" honey, therefore, is just another processed phude; and addictive, deadly substance just like processed sugar.  That is the honey that deserves the demonization, NOT the medicinal and highly nutritious food.

I don't know about you, but I never even buy the processed garbage anymore.  I'm all for real food for it's flavor and nutritional value.  The best place for the other stuff is the shelves where it is found.

Green Foods

Among the most powerful kinds of foods are green foods; kale, chard, spinach, arugula, parsley and I could go on naming more and more of my favorites.  The ones that I've named are greens that I used to juice regularly.

Greens are amazing detoxifies.  Doctors give green supplements to patients to help them to detox their bodies when ill.  Dr. Gary Null told PBS a story about his premature gray hair.  He used a large variety of greens to "flood" his system with chlorophyll.  The man now has a gorgeous head of hair where grays aren't easily found... if there are any grays left! 

Alkalinity is another important property of greens.  My doctor gave me a green supplement because my GAPS diet involves many acidic foods.  When I feel that my system is too acidic, I would drink some of the green powder she gave me.  Two doses a day was all that I needed.  Once my body is strong enough to digest insoluble fibers, I can eat my favorite green dishes again.

Let's not forget all of the other nutrients in greens.  Greens have almost every vitamin plus other vital nutrients like magnesium and potassium plus two that were particularly important to me when I suffered fatigue; calcium and iron.  

In a raw food pyramid greens are on the bottom.  As you know, food at the bottom of a food pyramid means HEAPING servings of a variety of these food choices.  With everything that greens have to offer, it's no wonder David Wolfe made greens #1 in his diet.

A Cholesterol Drug That Can Prematurely Kill You

Cholesterol is one of the most LIED about healthcare issues.  Don't misunderstand, there are doctors who truly believe in the rigmarole that lowering cholesterol is the answer to decreasing heart disease.  I rarely hear discussions about how important LDL is to the body and it's even been slandered as "bad cholesterol" for goodness sake.  It was all a part of marketing deadly drugs.

I can promise ANYONE that cutting refined foods out of their diet and doing a little exercise would make dramatic changes in their health.  They may need further health guidance, I'm not going to deny that.  In fact, I ENCOURAGE it.  As long as the health practitioner knows the science, (which unfortunately way too many don't), you will heal much more quickly and efficiently if you have a professional guiding you.  All I'm saying as far as the diet, is that you could help your practitioner help you if you play your cards right at home in between office visits.

Dr. Joseph Mercola is a man who KNOWS the science, God bless him!  We all need to take the time to listen to people like him more.  Please take the time to see his article below for more info.

PCSK9: A Cholesterol Drug That Can Prematurely Kill You

David Wolfe: Best Raw Food Diet

Those of you who are curious about raw foods, Wolfe talks about what his diet looks like in this video.  He also touches on tips for those who are starting a raw food diet.

I like his points about green foods.  I'm in a phase of my GAPS diet where I can eat very few raw foods, but I look forward to the day when I can have some of my favorite raw greens again.  I LOOOVE kale, arugula, dandelion, chard (of ALL kinds) and romaine lettuce.  Kale is something that I can easily binge on.  I love it raw, steamed, fried, cultured or juiced; it's good no matter what I do with it.  If I had to eat kale raw and no other way, it wouldn't make me unhappy or dissatisfied.

I don't believe I will ever go completely raw, however, Wolfe does inspire me to eat MORE raw foods.  I certainly love raw recipes.  I actually make delicious GAPS friendly candies out of raw sesame seeds that are great for hormone balance.  I miss making salads though.  At least I am at a point in my diet where I can eat sauerkraut again.  Hopefully soon, I can get back to scarfing down my favorite raw veggies and fruit.

For those of you who can enjoy those foods now, here's more on what Wolfe has to say about raw food.