I know that many of you, like me, made New Years resolutions. Maybe to eat more raw food, maybe to lose weight, maybe you took on one of ourcleanse and detox programs.
My husband made a resolution on New Years Eve that I wasn't sure he was going to achieve. He said that he would abstain from drinking until he reduced his golf handicap to 20. Like many Australian men, he enjoys a social drink or two but had started to talk about significantly reducing (or removing it altogether) from his life.
He used to play squash competitively and is still young enough to play it well but that is a sport that is so hard on the joints and can lead to serious problems in the long run. He has been eating well for the past few years and has been getting more and more raw foods into his diet so he wasn't looking for a high energy sport to lose weight. But, he is quite competitive and since he feels he never really played golf much better than the casual social player, he picked this as a target as part of his abstinence.
He started going to the driving range a few times a week and came home in January generally very happy with his progress. He was improving quickly and won a couple of competitions as he would play considerably better than his 30+ handicap.
By March his handicap had come down but not as quickly as he was expecting. The handicap is just an average so you have to play a lot better than it at least half the time. He started to plateau and then even started playing worse. He would come home a bit morose and consider those lonely beers in the fridge. But, he didn't waiver. He did realise, however, that his goal was probably not very achievable and he also realised that he didn't give himself a timeframe to achieve it in.
The main objective of the resolution was the abstention from alcohol rather than the achievement of the golf handicap. So, he revised his goal to being around how long he could abstain for. But, what was a meaningful target: 75 days, 85, 100? On day 83 we went out to dinner for my birthday and, whereas I enjoyed a single glass of champagne, he stayed on mineral water all night and we had one of the best evenings of conversation we'd ever had. "Day 83 just doesn't sound right as a target," he said. He also said that it seemed to be easier to go one more day than to break the run. So, he finally settled on 100 days.
That turned out to be Easter Monday. But, during the Easter weekend he started playing very well again. Instead of enjoying a beer on day 100, he decided to re-instate his original target: or a slightly more attainable variation of it. He would abstain until he played to a 20-handicap. How long was this going to take I wondered?
It didn't take long in the end: on day 106 he hit the magic target.
Apart from being very proud of my husband for abstaining for so long, I was wondering why he succeeded this time whereas I've known him (and myself, and everyone I know) to frequently set targets that we don't or can't meet.
By his own admittance, he probably hadn't gone without an alcoholic beverage for more than a week in the 20 years or so since he turned 18.
I started reading about goal-setting and how to make goals that you can actually achieve. It turns out that they need to be SMART!
There is a simple mnemonic you can use to help you set goals that you can achieve. The first criterion is that it should be:
Specific:An achievable target needs to be clearly defined. What are you going to achieve. My husband's goal wasn't just to play golf better but to achieve a specific handicap and that he wouldn't drink at all until then.
Measurable:How will you know when you've accomplished your goal? It has to be something you can measure. In this case, his goal was a specific number: 20 handicap.
Attainable:A meaningful goal is not too easy but it also shouldn't be out of reach - otherwise you set yourself up for failure. In this case, my husband did realise that his original goal wasn't very attainable in the time that he was expecting. At that point, he adjusted the target. This is by no means a failure because it ensured that he it kept going for something that was meaningful to him.
Relevant:Most importantly, the goal needs to have some relevance to you and your life and be meaningful or there will be no compulsion to achieve it. For my husband, this was two-fold: yes, the desire to improve his golf, but probably more importantly the abstention from alcohol which he knew would help him break some bad habits.
Time-bound:A goal should have a realistic time frame to achieve it in. If not, it loses its relevance and can quickly be pushed aside. Originally, my husband didn't have a time frame. He then revised the target to be measured by time (100 days). In the end he revised it again because he felt he could achieve a new target in a realistic timeframe: something he ultimately succeeded.
So, what did he do after he achieved his goal? He drank a single mid-strengthed beer, declined the next one and set a new target. This time he made it a SMART one from the get-go. One that was realistic in a time-frame he knew he could abstain for. He wouldn't drink until he played to 15!
MOTHER'S DAY GIFT VOUCHER
Next Sunday May 13th is Mother's Day. Tell Mum you love and care about her by giving her a Raw Power Gift Voucher to buy from our range of living foods products.
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a doughy consistency.
Press into four mini tartlet pans with removable bottoms.
Place
bases onto a mesh dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees F (46C) for
six hours. They should now be firm enough to remove from the tart cases
so you can continue to dehydrate them for a further eight hours.
Place the tartlets on a cooling rack for three minutes before serving.
* Tart cases should be approx 11-cm wide and no more than about 1-cm.
* To
make cashew flour, process the correct amount of cashews blender slowly
until flour-like. Please do not overblend as the oil from the cashews
will turn it to dough.
For the apples & raisins
Mix the apples and grape seed oil together and dehydrate for six hours.
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl with the apples and place them in the dehydrator for another two hours before serving.
For the infused yacon syrup cacao nib sauce
Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass jar.
Place the bottle on top of the dehydrator for two hours to warm it up before service.
Assemble
Crumble the tarts by hand followed by a spoonful of apples & raisins and drizzle infused yacon syrup cacao nib sauce.
There is a lot of research coming out showing that the recent ideas about the dangers of saturated fats and the need for low-fat diets have actually contributed to the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related health problems. An article on NaturalNews.com the other day talks about a heart surgeon openly admitting that low-fat diets recommended for years by mainstream medicine actually cause heart disease and that consuming healthy fats (including saturated fats) is vital for good health.
Mike Adams from Natural News has written many articles about this over the past few years. In "The Great Fat Debate - Why Virgin Coconut Oil is best" (2009) he talks about the origin of much of the confusion over fats and that coconut oil - being made up of two-thirds medium-chain fatty acids - helps us lose weight, reduce cholesterol, improve diabetic conditions and lower the risk of heart disease.
In another article, he compiles a list of expert research findings on the role of the essential fatty acid Omega-3 in preventing diseases of inflammation.
Essential fatty acids are those fats that the body cannot produce on its own. Your body gets these fatty acids directly from food. There are only two EFAs: alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid.
Almost all the polyunsaturated fat in the human diet is from EFA. Some of the food sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are fish and shellfish, flaxseed (linseed), hemp oil, hemp nuts, soya oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leafy vegetables, and walnuts.
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are important for enzymatic pathways required to metabolize long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Low plasma concentrations of DHA is associated with depression and suicide.
To Optimise your omega 3 essential fatty acid levels on a vegetarian diet -
Have a daily intake of nuts, seeds and their omega 3 6 9 oils.
Include good sources of the nutrients which aid essential fat conversion – zinc, magnesium, calcium, biotin and vitamins B6, B3 and C.
Avoid things that inhibit conversion; alcohol, trans fats (from animal foods and processed foods), smoking, caffeine, viral infections, stress and excess intake of vitamin A and copper.
Balance your intake of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Due to the widespread use of sunflower oil in food manufacturing and grain fed livestock we tend to have a much greater intake of omega 6 to 3 fats in our diets. This imbalance can lead to the conversion enzymes getting used up for omega 6, restricting omega 3 conversion. The ideal balance is around 3 to 4 parts omega 6 to one of omega 3.
Buy your seed oils cold-pressed and from the fridge in your health shop. Also buy in small quantities so it remains fresh. At home store them in the fridge and use them cold. If heating oils use butter, ghee or even better coconut oil.
Some people may have less of the conversion enzymes and may need to be strict with the above nutrient supporters and inhibitors. These people include those with atopic allergies (asthma, eczema and hay fever which run in the family) and those with diabetics.
Increase your algae intake when planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breast-feeding.
Have an essential fatty acid test to determine your specific needs and if your diet is meeting these.
Do you need oily fish?
If you optimise your intake of essential fats, and their conversion, the majority of people can achieve good health without fish. Oily fish also has a number of drawbacks in addition to the ethical considerations such as the overfishing of our oceans. The seas are increasingly polluted and unacceptable levels of toxicity such as dioxins and PCP’s as well as mercury have often been found in fish destined for the food chain. Farmed fish is also not the answer as this unnatural method of rearing fish not only relies on a processed diet which may not convert to the same nutrients in the fish, but also requires the uses of antibiotics and other harmful agents to prevent the spread of disease.
Algae sourced DHA supplementation is however recommended in pregnancy as studies have shown lower levels in babies born to vegan mothers. Finally if you have a health condition such as diabetes or atopic allergies or even if you are mildy stressed you may be limited in your ability to convert your own fats so you'll need to consider an algae based DHA EPA supplement such as Klamath Lake blue green algae.
½ cup desiccated coconut food dyes (optional – not raw)
Method
Combine all ingredients except food dyes until smooth.
Divide the mixture into 3 bowls and add a few drops of food dye to each bowl to give pink, green and yellow eggs. Start off with a little dye and gradually build up until you reach the desired color. If desired add a little peppermint essence to the green egg mixture for a mint flavoured egg.
Place in fridge to set but still pliable Roll into egg shapes and place back in fridge
In our last newsletter I
mentioned some recent research that showed that fasting only
intermittently (just one or two days per week) demonstrated significant protection against brain-related diseases.
My husband has been putting it to the test for the past three weeks by
fasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays and found that by week three the
ability to go a day without food becomes easier and easier (he feels he can actually go consecutive days fairly easily but isn't depriving himself on the days off). Actually, he
starts the day with a protein smoothie and just ensures it (and
anything else he may nibble on during the day included) stays under 500 Calories in total. He's
only three weeks in so we can't report on the state of his brain *laugh*
but he definitely feels more alert, is thinking with more clarity and is
also much more patient and calm - which is nice for the whole family :-)
A nice side benefit is the savings! Imagine if you cut out food two out of seven days a week and didn't go overboard on the other days. You would be saving almost 30% of your weekly food budget! The average Australian household spent $204 per week on food and non-alcoholic beverages in 2010 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics). 30% of that would equate to almost $3,200 per year!
Here is a piece that Anand wrote on fasting a little while ago.
The Buddha did it, so did Jesus, Socrates and Hippocrates - your express path to health and peace of mind
I was never that keen on fasting - in fact I avoided it as it
sounded too much like some ascetic torture. Eventually as I read more
and more about fasting's regenerative effects on the body, mind and
spirit I decided to give it a go. I have to admit I did not enjoy my
first few experiences, however, the benefits were undeniable - my skin
glowed, eyes shined, wounds healed in express time and I experienced a
deep connection to my source, despite being physically very
uncomfortable during even a short 3 day fast. Since then I have found
fasting has become much easier and more enjoyable and at the first sign
of any cold or digestive trouble I just stop eating and sure enough
within a day or 2 all symptoms are gone.
Simply put, digesting food is energy intensive and when we stop
eating that energy becomes available for cleaning and repairing tissues,
organs and cells throughout our body. The mind and heart also seem to
become more attuned to the non-physical spiritual aspects of oneself.
Fasting is highly effective for treating a wide variety of conditions including:
•high blood pressure,
•asthma,
•allergies,
•chronic headaches,
•inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease),
•irritable bowel syndrome,
•adult onset diabetes,
•heart disease,
•degenerative arthritis,
•rheumatoid arthritis,
•psoriasis,
•eczema,
•acne,
•uterine fibroids,
•benign tumours, and
•systemic lupus erythematosus.
But don't wait until you have one of these conditions! We recommend
fasting for maintenance and rejuvenation 2 to 4 times a year even if
you are in peak health.
We have a jam-packed newsletter to start the month. We've gone a bit crazy with March specials - call it March Madness if you will :-) We continue to receive new products that you'll see on the right - including a scrumptious Raw macaroons; my husband polished off a whole pack in quick fashion!
Finding Balance
Some research came out last week indicating that fasting one or two times a week can protect against brain-related diseases. It's been known for quite some time now that calorie-restriction can significantly enhance longevity and there are many adherents to a calorie-restricted diet. Typically, the diet calls for severe food restrictions on a daily basis which for many people is just not sustainable. This study is the first to show that just cutting food intake intermittently rather than continuously can help your protect your health dramatically.
My great grandfather lived to 100 and 2 months old. 5 generations of the family got together to celebrate his centennial in 2002 (see the photo of him here with my niece - his great-great-grand-daughter). He lived through two World Wars and worked hard in the fields of the Loire Valley. But he kept a cheeky sense of humour and, in fine French tradition, didn't deny himself a small drink or a cigar from time to time. In the final years of his life he would like nothing more than to receive gifts of liqueur chocolates that he rationed to one a day. Yes, he probably had some lucky genes, but he ate fresh, organic produce from the land and was physically active and his vices were always in moderation. Rest in peace Papy Lucien.
For those with extreme ailments such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, hepatitis and so forth, extreme action is advocated and a predominantly raw food diet has been seen to do wonders.
For the majority of us though do we need to be concerned if we can't achieve a 100% raw food diet? Or, even 75%, 50%? The research from Dr. Paul Kouchakoff demonstrating that cooking food introduces some damaging elements is compelling. But the reality for many people in our modern world is that we are fighting for balance: to find an equilibrium for our health by introducing positives amongst a lot of hard-to-avoid negatives. There is research that indicates that our bodies need some level of toxins to build a strong immune system. And, finding that balance is often more about the journey than the destination. That means that any improvement towards a healthier lifestyle by getting more nutrition through superfoods and raw foods into your diet will only help your quality of life and longevity.
Here was a little piece that Anand wrote a couple of years back in one of his newsletters that I think sums it up well:
How do you know a superfood is raw?
The answer is you often can't.
The only way you will know for sure is if you personally supervise from picking to processing and packaging. Unlike certified organic food there are no authorities governing or monitoring foods labelled as "raw". Therefore retailers need to go on the word of their suppliers which as you will see is not always accurate.
For instance it has recently come to light that ALL "raw" cacao powder and butter have been heated at temperatures significantly higher than 45C in their processing (our supplier has been unable to give us exact temperatures as no-one has actually measured it). Despite being heated at higher than accepted temperatures (above 45C) raw cacao powder has not been roasted like conventional cocoa and according to studies has up to 15 times more antioxidants than conventional cocoa powder. Nearly all spirulina has been been briefly heated between 65C and 80C in a spray drying process and is technically not raw. (We have only recently sourced some spirulina which the makers claim has been sun-dried at no more than 41C.)
Does this mean these products which are heated at more than 45C are harmful or cooked products? Not to me. My interest is in leading a balanced happy, healthy life and I am not concerned if I use a condiment or a superfood which has been heated beyond 45C. This isn't some competition to see how raw I can be, is it? :-). I know that a vast percentage of the food and drink that enters my body is raw - all of the fresh fruit and vegetables which make up most of my diet are certainly raw. With nuts, seeds, seaweeds and dried fruit it is much harder to know for sure if they are authentically raw. At the end of the day I am the healthiest and happiest I have ever been in my entire life and that is enough for me.
SHIPPING CHANGES
We've decided to make some improvements to our shipping structure. For all shipping excluding the Raw Food Kitchen catalogs of appliances, dehydrators, juicers and water purifiers: the great news is that shipping will be cheaper for the majority of you! When you check out, you'll now have options to choose your location. If you live in South-East Queensland, shipping will be as low as $7.95 (a $2 saving) while those in metro & coastal NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, SA and TAS will pay only $9.50. Better still if you live these coloured shipping zones, spend over $300 and PAY NOTHING for shipping at all!
For the Raw Food Kitchen catalogs: we have separated shipping into an option that you select on the product page and is then added to the price of the item. This will allow us to set our prices even lower for these catalogs.
LAYBY CLARIFICATION
We need to adjust our Layby to only offer for non-perishable non-food items; e.g. appliances, juicers, etc. We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment for the layby items is required to secure the shopping basket (any food items in the same basket will need to paid in full). Final payment of the balance is required 10 weeks after placing the order. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.
CUSTOMER SURVEY
We really want to continue to improve our site, product offering, pricing, shipping and customer service and we need to hear from you to do this. Can you spare 3-5 minutes to answer 10 easy questions about our web site? Click here to take the survey. Thank you so much.
EVENT - March 11 - SYDNEY - HEALTHY LUNCH BOX BLISS WORKSHOP Tania from Energy and More Yoga is holding a motivating workshop that will have you feeling inspired and delighted at making healthy lunches for your kids. This will be held in Sydney on March 11 at 2-5pm. Bring the kids or come with a friend. $25 per person or $30 per adult & child. For more information visit www.energy-and-more.com or email tania@energy-and-more.com
One of the things that I missed most about running Raw Power was the process of discovering great new products and then testing them out before offering them to our loyal customers. Well I am happy to say that this has now changed. Valerie has kindly agreed to send me new products to test and review for Raw Power. (Please note I am not being paid to write these reviews, though Valerie is kindly linking to our Live Food Education website)
Lets begin with the Righteously Raw Cacao Bars. I have noticed that up until now the raw chocolates being offered in Australia were pretty straightforward and nothing too fancy. They were delicious, but not really gourmet. I wondered when a more sophisticated, soft centered raw chocolate would appear on the market. I even considered making them myself, but I am way too busy! The Righteously Raw Cacao Bars fill this niche perfectly.
I first tried the Lucuma Caramel Cacao Bar and was immediately impressed by the smooth texture of the chocolate and the soft lucuma/caramel centre. If you are expecting the sickly sweet taste of conventional caramel chocolates, this bar is not for you. The caramel/lucuma flavor is subtle and not at all too sweet which I prefer.
Next I opened the Maca Cacao Bar. Like all the Righteously Raw Cacao Bars it has a soft centre. This time filled with maca powder, mesquite and date. When I took a bite the predominant flavour (apart from the cacao) was delicious maca powder with a hint of salt. Yum! I really enjoyed this one.
The Acai Cacao Bar was next. The subtle flavour of Acai berry enhanced the taste of the creamy smooth rich cacao. Again a very good bar, packed full of antioxidants.
The Goji Caco Bar did not disappoint. The creamy centre has crunchy Goji seeds through it and this was my second favourite of the 5 bars.
My #1 favourite, however, was the Rose Maqui Cacao Bar. With Rose hips, Maqui Berry Powder, Red beet powder to name a few, it tasted exotically and delicious and is packed with great medicinal plants. You can have your chocolate and eat it too!
If you are looking for a different raw chocolate experience I recommend giving the Righteously Raw Bars a go. Try one of each and decide for yourself.
I also enjoyed the new Berry Trail Mix. I always thought Raw Power should offer a trail mix but I didn’t get around to making it when I was running the show. The mix Valerie has developed has an excellent balance of raw cashews and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) providing energy, good fats, zinc and tryptophan and the Inca Berries and Goji Berries giving it an antioxidant zing. A perfect healthy addition for kids lunches, hiking trips or a quick healthy snack.
One other product I found particularly good was the 600ml Shaker Bottle with ball whisk. Runi was using the blender and I wanted to make a quick Sunwarrior protein shake so I grabbed the Shaker Bottle put in 2 scoops of Sunwarrior with some coconut water and gave it a good shake. To may amazement the result was a very smooth and drinkable shake. Now when I am making shakes using just powders i.e. Sunwarrior, spirulina, maca etc., I more often than not choose the Shaker Bottle as it is so quick to make a shake and easy to clean. It would be ideal for travelling too.
I will let you know how Bodhi goes with the Mild Baby Wash and Shampoo in another newsletter.
Stay well
Anand
LAYBY CONTINUED
We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment is required to secure the shopping basket. Final payment of the balance is required 10 weeks after placing the order. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.
CHEMICAL FREE LIVING GROUP - BRISBANE
Recently formed, the Chemical Free Living Group is a meetup group in Brisbane for anyone who:
wants to talk about what toxic chemical free living means to them
would like to improve their health and that of their families
for anyone who is sensitive to toxic chemicals to learn about safe alternatives
has products they know about that can help others
has experiences to share that can help others
is aware of groups that can support others
understands organic foods and other chemical free products
is a natural therapies practitioner
is a speaker and trainer in this area
has upcoming programs and events in regards to the subject
It's Valentine's Day on Tuesday and we have a wonderful recipe from Pamela Vinton for all you lovers, and especially, the chocolate lovers :-)
We've been busy in the warehouse stocking a lot of new product arrivals that you'll find here. Unactivated Almonds, Carob Powder, Incaberries, Manuka Honey and a new Righteously Raw chocolate are all pure, raw and fantastically fresh. Check out also the Vitamix Total Nutrition Center that we have added to our range of Blenders.
RECIPE
To celebrate Valentine's Day, Pamela Vinton has given us a beautiful Lovers Blush Tart recipe that you'll find below from her ebook available "Amazing Fat Burning Chocolate against Obesity".
Process the frozen fruits until you have a soft serve consistency. It is a good idea to let the fruit thaw a little before processing as it will whip more effectively.
Add agave and oil and process until combined
Fill the tin with the Blush Filling and return to freezer
Freeze overnight
Carefully remove the sides of the pan to release the tart
Decorate and serve
VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT VOUCHER
What better way to tell someone you love and care about them by giving them a Raw Power Gift Voucher to buy from our range of living foods products.
We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment is required to secure the shopping basket. Final payment of the balance is required 10 weeks after placing the order. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.
RAW FOOD CLASSES - MELBOURNE
There will be a series of Raw Living Food Classes in Melbourne starting Feb 25th. If you would love to learn from a passionate teacher who has trained with some of the very best Raw Food Chefs and Raw Food Scientists in the world, then this is the place to be!
Foundations of Raw Living Foods is a series of three classes designed for beginners that will introduce you to the fundamental principles of the Living Food lifestyle. Classes are hosted by Certified Raw Living Food Educator and Instructor Ace Rosengarten. In this series you will be introduced to the Science of Raw, then have the opportunity to learn how to practically prepare a wide range of delicious, nutritious recipes that will kick-start your journey towards vibrant health. You will also learn some of the secrets to reverse aging, rebuild health, and increase longevity. Find out more here >>>
Sometime ago I was amazed to discover that most chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers) used in modern day agriculture have a sinister history. Compounds such as organophosphates were first produced in huge quantities as chemical weapons during World Wars I and II. Once the wars had ended these huge chemical corporations, who had literally “made a killing” manufacturing these substances for governments, needed a way to continue to profit from their leftover stockpiles. Instead of producing their chemicals to kill humans, they came up with the idea of using them to kill insects and weeds and to make fertilisers. Using their considerable influence companies such as Bayer, BASF, DuPont, Dow and Monsanto changed the face of farming to what it has become today.
Agrochemicals along with a whole host of other man-made chemicals found in personal care products and cleaning products to name a few are insidious in that they cannot be seen, smelled or tasted and yet they are there. They may not kill us immediately as chemicals of warfare would, instead they bio-accumulate in our body tissues and organs like a time bomb waiting to go off.
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from two major laboratories looked for the presence of toxic chemicals in umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn babies born in U.S. hospitals in August and September 2004. A collaboration of the Environmental Working Group and Commonweal brought about the study. (Full report here.)
Of the more than 400 chemicals tested for, 287 were detected in umbilical cord blood. Of these, 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain or nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animals. Scientists refer to the presence of such toxins in the newborn as “body burden.”
According to the study’s authors, the scope of testing was limited because chemical companies are not required to divulge methods for detecting the presence of their chemicals in the human body. “Had we tested for a broader array of chemicals,” they wrote, “we would almost certainly have detected far more than 287.”
Among those substances found to be polluting the blood supply for the newborn babies were eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants in fast-food packaging, clothes and textiles, including the Teflon chemical PFQA, a carcinogen; dozens of widely used bromated flame retardants and their toxic byproducts; and many pesticides.
In addition to poisoning our bodies, when used in agriculture and industry these chemicals destroy beneficial microorganisms in the soils, poison wildlife and pollute the waterways and environment in general.
So what can we do to protect ourselves from this onslaught of dangerous chemicals? Here are just a few suggestions:
Eat organic whenever possible
Buy organic bed sheets and clothing
Use natural cleaning agents
Use organic or non-toxic personal care products (Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, skin lotions, sun cream etc)
Avoid non-stick and aluminium cookware
Obviously use no chemicals like Roundup in the garden
Use non-toxic paint
It is important to know that the words “Natural” and “Organic” can be very deceiving when written on the side a bottle. Get to know you ingredients. Just because a skincare product may say an ingredient is “Derived from coconut” does not mean they is safe. For instance Cocamide DEA or Sodium Hydroxysultaine are followed by the term "derived from coconut oil" which leads the unsuspecting consumer to believe that these synthetic chemicals must be natural.
Products labeled “Certified Organic” are the most trustworthy and safest way to go.
We hope you had a great Australia Day and that 2012 has started nicely for you. Are you familiar with the latin quotation: Mens sana in corpore sano (A healthy mind in a healthy body)? You know, it's so true that what we eat is so important, not only to our physical health, but also to our mental well-being. One Raw Food blogger that we really like is Lori Clayton who is a regular contributor to the We Like it Raw site. Here's a great article by her titled "Healing Mood Disorders with Food". In it, she lists some Good Mood foods:
Sesame Seeds: High in calcium, magnesium, tryptophan
Kelp: High in calcium, omega 3, protein, zinc, magnesium
Cashews: High in tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin
Greens: High in calcium and folic acid
Guava: High in vitamin C, tryptophan
Figs: High in calcium, magnesium, fiber
Cacao: High in magnesium, also makes opioids that make you happy!
Avocados: High in essential fatty acids, tryptophan, folic acid
Foods and beverages to avoid are the usual suspects: artificial sweeteners (much better to substitute our low-GI sweeteners), foods high in saturated fat, sugar, caffeine and wheat. Lifestyle is also an important factor with exercise increasing endorphin levels, meditation helping to keep you relaxed, and being in the sunshine increasing serotonin and helping your body generate Vitamin D which has been proven to help with depression. You can also supplement Vitamin D.
Speaking of Vitamin D, a new meta-analysis study published shows that adequate circulating Vitamin D reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 29%. Furthermore, it lowers colorectal cancer risk by 40%! Read more here >>>
Whether children should be immunised (with pharmaceutical concoctions) is a hotly debated subject. Recently a family member was so upset with our decision to not traditionally immunise Bodhi (our 5 month old baby boy) that they won't speak to me anymore. They believe that we are being very irresponsible and are putting his life at risk. The divide between pro-immunisation and anti-immunisation camps can run deep.
While I don't doubt that vaccinations can reduce certain diseases in the population, Runi and I have serious concerns about their safety and effectiveness and have chosen build Bodhi's immunity naturally.
An enlightened doctor I know said that governments are only interested in vaccinating the "herd" to be seen to be preventing outbreaks of polio, measles etc, however, they are not interested in reporting many of the documented and suspected side effects of immunisations including autism, narcolepsy, seizures, brain inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction to name but a few.
In addition to this, an uncontrolled survey in Germany of 10,598 participants showed that unvaccinated children are far less affected by common diseases (including allergies, hay fever, asthma/chronic bronchitis, neurodermatitis (itchy skin), Otitis media (middle ear infections), Sinusitis, Herpes, Warts, Polyps and fungal infections) than vaccinated children. http://www.vaccineinjury.info/vaccinations-in-general/health-unvaccinated-children/survey-results-illnesses.html
Is it possible that vaccines are disrupting and compromising our children's delicate immune systems and are causing a whole host of other health problems and is there another way to protect children from potentially dangerous childhood diseases?
Runi and I have chosen to boost Bodhi's immune system naturally. My personal experience is that a properly functioning immune system can ward off most disease or lessen the intensity and duration of disease when it strikes.
So how can you immunise your children and yourself naturally? Here is what we are doing:
1/ When pregnant eat an excellent organic whole food, high raw diet. (Please note that I am not advocating a vegan or even a vegetarian diet unless that works for you). Make sure you are getting enough folic acid (B9) vitamin B12, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D and essential fatty acids in particular. We chose to supplement all of these key nutrients just to be on the safe side.
2/ Breast milk - Once baby is born, breastfeed him/her to full-term. Ideally three years or more. This is undoubtedly the safest immunisation available, especially if your diet is alive and high in the important nutrients.
3/ Homeopathic immunisation - We chose to immunise Bodhi homeopathically. It is non-toxic and safe and according to an Australian study effective.
4/ Whole Food - Once eating only offer children fresh whole organic foods with a high percentage (70% or more) raw. Food can be medicine or poison: steer clear of all refined products including sugar, wheat, pasta, most bread, commercial pasteurised dairy and oils. Include LOTS of leafy greens, green juices and green smoothies. Leafy greens are perhaps the most medicinal foods on the planet. I highly recommend getting in a good juicer like an Oscar and a good blender like the Semak Vitacrush. This is not an expense; it is an investment in your family's health.
If you are lucky enough to start your child early you will be creating a very positive food imprint for them. Studies have shown that when stressed, adults often revert back to types of food they were fed when upset as an infant. Imagine going for greens when you feel stressed instead of cake, bread, chips, "bad" chocolate or other common comfort foods!
We have already mixed green juice and green smoothie with breast milk and given Bodhi a taste of what is coming and he seems to like it.
5/ Superfoods and supplements - Here are key the nutrients your child will require. We will be supplementing Bodhi with the following:
- Vitamin B12 for healthy red blood cells, a good nervous system and good growth and development (especially important for vegans)
- Vitamin D (in winter or sunless conditions only) - Very important for the immune system and bone development
- The essential fatty acids DHA and EPA for brain and eye development. If you are not vegetarian Krill Oil is one of the best sources. One of the best plant based sources of DHA and EPA is marine phytoplankton such as Oceans Alive. Another source of non-animal DHA is micro algae including spirulina, chlorella and AFA algae such as E3. Chia seeds and hemp nuts are high in other essential fatty acids but not DHA or EPA . The great news is that most of these ingredients can be put into a child's smoothie or juice without them even noticing.
6/ Sunshine - we take Bodhi out in the sun (often naked) most days to make sure he is getting enough vitamin D. Breast milk is very low in Vitamin D and most breast fed babies are deficient in this very important vitamin. Obviously we take him out when it is not too hot so he doesn't get burnt!
7/ Earthing - for the Earths negatively charged electrons (which help reduce inflammation and free radical damage) and electro-magnetic radiation protection. Bodhi gets plenty of Earthing when I carry him for morning and evening barefoot walks as well as dips in the river and ocean. In the evening he sleeps on an Earthing Bed Pad which we have wrapped around his cot mattress.
As you can see from these photos, Bodhi is a picture of health and I am confident in our decision, to not vaccinate and build his immune system naturally.
Having said that, I am in no way offering this information as prescription or medical advice. It is simply what Runi and I are choosing to do. I also didn’t vaccinate my first two children who are both grown up now. I recommend that you do your own research and make your own decisions.
If you are interested in finding out why vaccines are potentially dangerous and what the government and doctors are not telling you, Dr Mercola's website is a good place to begin)
Also I highly recommend the documentary ‘The Greater Good” You can watch the trailer here.
My great grandfather lived to 100 and 2 months old. 5 generations of the family got together to celebrate his centennial in 2002 (see the photo of him here with my niece - his great-great-grand-daughter). He lived through two World Wars and worked hard in the fields of the Loire Valley. But he kept a cheeky sense of humour and, in fine French tradition, didn't deny himself a small drink or a cigar from time to time. In the final years of his life he would like nothing more than to receive gifts of liqueur chocolates that he rationed to one a day. Yes, he probably had some lucky genes, but he ate fresh, organic produce from the land and was physically active and his vices were always in moderation. Rest in peace Papy Lucien.
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