Tag Archives: we’ve been duped

The Greatest Speech Ever Made.

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Moves me to tears. Let us learn to listen to our hearts! We are not machines! We are not cattle! We are men!

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone – if possible – Jew, Gentile – black man – white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness – not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost….

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men – cries out for universal brotherhood – for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world – millions of despairing men, women, and little children – victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say – do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed – the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. …..

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes – men who despise you – enslave you – who regiment your lives – tell you what to do – what to think and what to feel! Who drill you – diet you – treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men – machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” – not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power – the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then – in the name of democracy – let us use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world – a decent world that will give men a chance to work – that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all UNITE!

 

The Monsanto Protection Act: Total BS.

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The Farmer Assurance Provision, AKA: HR 933, AKA: “The Monsanto Protection Act,” is so sneaky, gross, and transparent that it’s hilarious.  What’s with these storybook villains we have running the show?

eye of sauron LOTRThe bill, signed by Obama in late March, was written with Monsanto, and several members of Congress were apparently unaware of that they were approving a “Monsanto Protection Act,” as that little detail was TL;DR.  The provision castrates the federal government’s ability to ban the selling or planting of genetically modified or engineered seeds, even if found to be harmful to the consumer (spoiler: research shows they are).  Yes, you read that correctly.  And no, it probably wouldn’t have banned the seeds (with which federally-subsidized crops are sown) anyway, but still.  Now it extra can’t, what with another bureaucratic loop for opposing legislation to have to battle through.  We are in the second act of the Monsanto drama, and this is the part where degraded morals and ethics unwind to illumination.

I really don’t think I need to add much more commentary; the material wrote itself.  Sign a petition urging Obama to veto the Monsanto Protection Act here.

Diatomaceous Earth

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I have been around animals, household and barnyard, my entire life.  Every year, from cat to horse, our buddies are dewormed.  Following an annual or biannual deworming schedule is recommended by veterinarians to avoid health complications from a variety of parasites, including pinworm, roundworm, and hookworm.

The past several weeks, I have been wondering: why is regular deworming not equally recommended for humans?  I realize that most of us are not outright eating our feces, but the unfortunate reality is that an estimated 85 – 90% of Americans carry a parasite, with the CDC projecting that 60 million Americans carry Toxoplasma gondii, a specific parasitic variety that gives me nightmares (thanks a lot, Joe Rogan, for bringing this into my psyche).  According to the Veterinary Record, 15% of potting soil contains roundworms, and we are inevitably exposed to multiple varieties via our environment and food.  Even Dr. Oz says that “90% of humans will have a problem with parasites in their lifetime.”  I know that I’ve certainly consumed my share of sushi (sans wasabi), rare meats, and undercooked eggs.  I won’t freak you out any more, but the statistics indicate that you’re probably carrying around one of these ingrates.

I am not at all an advocate of fear, but I am a proponent of action.  Perhaps the fear factor and high-def macro photography is why we don’t talk about this… or I could be totally full of shit, but I don’t think so.  There seems to be an unspoken American consensus that we humans are above the other members of the animal kingdom, but I accept that the same rules apply to and affect us.  This includes pathology.  Europe agrees on this point, and recommends annual or biannual deworming for both pets and their people.  It’s not scary, it just is what it is.

worm monster

So what do we do about it?

We have options, including specific preparations sold online and in health stores.  Prior to the 1930′s, people regularly took herbs, castor, and mineral oils to expel the buggers.  I have chosen to use regular old diatomaceous earth.  I finally got my hands on a 5 lb sack of Perma-Guard food-grade (this part is very important) DE, which I purchased for my home and animals.  DE is widely recommended and used for animal deworming, from small animals to large livestock, as the shape and hardness of the diatoms dehydrates and destroys internal parasites.  Containing a huge amount of silica and trace minerals including calcium, magnesium, and iron, I decided it could only help the healing of my fracture (as well as my hair and skin, yay!), so I began working up to a teaspoon a day about a week and a half ago.  There is a lot of contradictory information out there about DE, and it took me two years of research before I decided to put it in my body.  Its history of safe and effective use in animals is well- and widely-recorded, and I feel confident about taking this modest amount for 90 days.  I am also particularly pleased with my seasonal timing.  I think it makes a lot of sense to include your body in your spring cleaning.  I am excited to observe any changes, but so far there has (perhaps thankfully) been nothing noteworthy, with the exception of possibly higher-quality sleep and slight sedation.  I will continue updating as I complete my course.

Parasites can be the stuff of nightmares and horrific YouTube hits, or a simply managed reality in humans as well as their pets.  I believe the latter, and that we need to be addressing their presence in both on a consistent schedule!

DIY Makeup

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Rice flour as a versatile cosmetic base.  Information I wish I would have known a decade ago!

I’ve been trying to get away from standard makeup products for two years now.  I replaced my mascara with, well, nothing, until I recently discovered that castor oil gives them some definition.  I still use various eyeliners (Smashbox) and am loving my Anastasia brow powder, and my GloMinerals pressed foundation (linked to the best Ebay seller I’ve found) has been great for special occasions, but I would love to get to a point where I’m using my own minimal-ingredient, minimally-processed products.

retro girl

Even though my skin is clear and balanced, I feel like I’m always shiny. I think that hereditary small pores are the culprit; my mom’s face has always appeared reflective across her high cheekbones in photos.  This morning, I whipped up a translucent face powder that cut the shine and made me feel like a geisha.  My single ingredient?  A cheap bag of brown rice, pulverized in my Vitamix dry container until it was a fine ground, then lightly stippled and blended using a synthetic brush.  Don’t have a Vitamix?  Try a coffee grinder.  Want more?

  • Try substituting arrowroot powder or cornstarch as your base.  Brown rice flour is a common staple at the market now if you don’t want to grind your own rice.
  • Add calcium bentonite clay to neutralize redness, and to control oil.
  • Calm rosacea by adding dried chamomile.
  • Blend your custom color by adding turmeric, cinnamon, carob, or cocoa powder.
  • Press that powder by adding a little vodka or a few drops of glycerine.  Smooth into an empty compact and let dry and set.
  • Bronzer?  Blend a deeper tone.
  • Blush?  Add finely ground dried hibiscus, peaches, strawberries, or carrots for pigment.
  • Make that a cream foundation or blush by adding a few drops of glycerine.
  • Make that a cheek stain by heating some glycerine and dried hibiscus and rose petals over a double boiler for a few minutes.  Store in a glass container.  (Benetint, anyone?)

We’ve been duped by a beauty industry that convinces us to perpetuate our needs in an unsustainable manner.  You can still have the convenience and save yourself a whole lot of money by making your own products!  You might even like them better :]

DIY Toothpaste

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In the spirit of minimally-processed beauty products, I would like to share the toothpaste recipe I’ve been using for months.  Result: a shockingly white smile :D

  • 1 part baking soda
  • 1 part sea salt

…And that’s it!  So simple.  I added a pinch of diatomaceous earth, as I have been wanting to try it but am hesitant to drink it mixed with water.  This seemed to me like a way to get a smaller, consistent dose.  I get my toothbrush wet, dip the head into a small amount of my mixture, and I’m good to go.  I have read about people adding coconut oil, xylitol, glycerine, peroxide, and/or essential oils like peppermint.  Experiment!  You can also follow your brushing with a peroxide rinse to kick up the wattage.  Fun fact: Julia Roberts doesn’t use conventional toothpaste either.  It’s all about the baking soda, baby.

julia roberts

Hairate no more: Part 1.

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For the first time in my life, I actually care about my hair.

I was born with a fine halo of black hair, which promptly rubbed off one morning to my mother’s horror, leaving me bald until I was almost three. With the exception of a mid-90′s undercut (Read: armpit-length hair with buzzcut from nape to occipital- I know.), I’ve sported a short length since, from a pixie to a bowl cut to an asymmetrical bob to a razored shag. I’ve played with color, from henna to drugstore box deposit to high lift bleach. I’ve lightened with lemon and honey, and a bottle of regular old peroxide… and maybe/definitely even with household bleach *facepalm*. My best friend became an incredible professional colorist, so at some point around 18, I (sort of) stopped inflicting damage of my own devices. Still, that didn’t stop me from tasting the (salon-approved) rainbow: burgundy, fire-engine red, copper, fuchsia, indigo, lavender, blue-black. I didn’t give a hoot about product, and conditioner WAT- unless it was a 2-in-1, I couldn’t be bothered. Whatever my parents or boyfriends kept in the shower, I used, and I recall a long, regrettable spread of Pert Plus and Head & Shoulders. I blowfried because wet hair is nasty, and daily because I had no idea you didn’t have to shampoo every time you showered. It never occurred to me to grow my stick-straight, baby-fine length because, well, it would just look gross. TL;DR, I have had literally zero hair self-awareness.

For the past two years, I have been gradually phasing out conventional product use. It wasn’t at all hair-specific back then; it was about discovering and accepting who I was beneath all of the big-business standards of care, and then embracing the simplicity that afforded. As a direct result, I have found myself with brastrap-length virgin hair, without a clue as to how to care for it.

…Then I discovered the Long Hair Community and everything changed, because these betches really know their shit. I began lurking the forums, and after some months’ experimentation, I can’t believe I was suckered into believing that my fine hair would look flat and sad anywhere beyond shoulder-length. My whole life I have believed this! Inspired by the info I was discovering, I began using a combination of Chagrin Valley’s shampoo bars, baking soda, apple cider vinegar rinses, and oil leave-ins and suddenly I’m pumped on my natural, generous wave and big volume. You mean these cowlicks have been spiral curls in hibernation, and I have been completely overwashing? My scalp isn’t oily, it’s dry? I can create and customize my own product using a couple of things from the kitchen? Totally hooked, I’ve even gone more hairdcore with conditioner- and water-only washes, terms that would have never have entered into my vernacular had I not stumbled across the LHC. I can’t believe the contradictions between my previous idea of my hair, and the current reality of it. I can’t believe that I have any feelings for it beyond meh, and that I now, dare I say, love it?

Could it be that my dream hair was hiding behind harsh detergents and silicones, on my own head, this whole time??

I encourage you to consider challenging and redefining the illusion you have blindly accepted about your hair! You might be very pleasantly surprised at what you find!

Next entry: DIY hair treatments :]

Day 38: Are You a Wayseer?

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Kim got me into listening to podcasts during exercise, and I was listening to an interview on Raw Vegan Radio a few weeks ago between Steve Prussack and Garret John LoPorto when I felt totally inspired. Afterward, I sent the Wayseer link to several friends and family members who I thought needed to hear this message as much as I did.  I encourage you to watch Garret’s video, visit his website, and/or check out his interview (you can download it here).  Even if you don’t necessarily agree with his ideas, I think you’ll find them really interesting.

ATTENTION: All you rule-breakers, you misfits and troublemakers – all you free spirits and pioneers – all you visionaries and non-conformists …

Everything that the establishment has told you is wrong with you
- is actually what’s right with you.

You see things others don’t. You are hardwired to change the world. Unlike 9 out of 10 people – your mind is irrepressible – and this threatens authority. You were born to be a revolutionary.

You can’t stand rules because in your heart you know there’s a better way.

You have strengths dangerous to the establishment – and it wants them eliminated, So your whole life you’ve been told your strengths were weaknesses – Now I’m telling you otherwise.

Your impulsivity is a gift – impulses are your key to the miraculous,

Your distractibility – is an artifact of your inspired creativity,

Your mood swings – reflect the natural pulse of life, they give you unstoppable energy when you’re high and deep soulful insight when you’re low,

Been diagnosed with a “disorder”? That’s society’s latest way to deny it’s own illness by pointing the finger at you. Your addictive personality is just a symptom of your vast underused capacity for heroic, creative expression and spiritual connection. your utter lack of repression, your wide eyed idealism, your unmitigated open mind – didn’t anyone ever tell you?! these are the traits shared by the greatest pioneers and visionaries and innovators, revolutionaries, procrastinators and drama queens, activists on the social scene, space cadets and mavericks, philosophers and derelicts, business suits flying fighter jets, football stars and sex addicts, celebrities with ADD, alcoholics who seek novelty, first responders – prophets and saints, mystics and change agents.

We are – all – the same – you know
‘cuz we’re all affected by the way -
We are – all – the same – you know
‘cuz we’re all attracted to the flame -

You know in your heart that there’s a natural order to life,
something more sovereign than any man-made rules or laws could ever express.

This natural order is called “the Way.”

The Way is the eternal substrate of the cosmos. It guides the very current of time and space. The Way is known by some as the Will of God, Divine Providence, the Holy Spirit, the implicate order, the Tao, reverse-entropy, life-force, but for now we’ll simply call it “the Way.” The Way is reflected in you as the source of your inspiration, the source of your passions, your wisdom, your enthusiasm, your intuition, your spiritual fire – love. The Way takes the chaos out of the Universe and breathes life into it by reflecting divine order. The Way, when experienced by the mind, is genius, when perceived through the eyes is beauty, when felt with the senses is grace, when allowed into the heart … is love.

Most people cannot sense the Way directly. … But then there are the Wayseers. The keepers of the flame. Wayseers have an unexplainable knack for just knowing the Way. They sense it in their very being. They can’t tell you why or how they arrived at the right answer. They just know it in their core. They can’t show their work. So don’t ask. Their minds simply resonate with the Way. When the Way is present, so are they.

While others are blind to it, and society begs you to ignore it, “the Way” stirs you inside. Neurological repression blocks most people’s awareness of the Way – censoring all thoughts and impulses from the unconscious is their prefrontal cortex – the gestapo of the brain –  nothing which violates its socialized programming even gets through; but your mind is different. your mind has been cracked wide open to the Way – by some miraculous genetic trait, some psychotropic chemical or maybe even by the will of your very soul, your brain’s reward pathways have been hijacked – dopamine employed to overthrow the fascist dictatorship of your prefrontal cortex – now your brain is free of repression, your mind free of censorship, your awareness exposed to the turbulent seas of the unconscious – through this open doorway divine light shines into your consciousness showing you the Way. This is what makes you a Wayseer.

90% of human civilization is populated with those who’s brains are blocked to the Way.  Their brains are hardwired to enforce the social programming indoctrinated since birth. Unlike you they cannot break out of this programming, because they have not yet experienced the necessary revolution of mind. These programmed people take social institutions and rules very seriously. Society is full of games programmed to keep peoples’ minds occupied so they will not revolt. These games often cause sick fixations on peculiar protocols, power structures, taboos and domination – all subtle forms of human bondage – This distinct form of madness is not only tolerated by the masses but insisted upon. The programmed ones believe in rules so forcefully they become willing to destroy anyone who violates them.

Wayseers are the ones who call their bluff.  Since Wayseer minds are free to reject social programming, Wayseers readily see social institutions for what they are – imaginary games.  Wayseers comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Helping those who are lost in these games and refuse to help themselves is a calling of many Wayseers. Since Wayseers are the ones who keep contact with the original source of reality – they are able to disrupt societal conventions and even governments to realign humanity with the Way.

The Wayseers are an ancient lineage. A kind of priesthood – carriers of the flame – ones “in the know.”  There must always be Wayseers to reform the dizzying psychotic spinning gears of society – giant mindless hamster wheels obscuring the pure blue sky, keeping humanity shackled in a darkened cage – so Wayseers are called – to shed light on the madness of society – to continually resurrect the timeless transcendent Spirit of Truth -

Wayseers reveal this divine truth by devoting themselves to the birth of some creative or disruptive act expressed through art or philosophy, innovations to shake up industry, revolutions for democracy, coups that topple hypocrisy, movements of solidarity, changes that leave a legacy, rebellions against policy, spirit infused technology, moments of clarity, things that challenge barbarity, watersheds of sincerity, momentous drives for charity

We are – all – the same – you know
‘cuz we’re all affected by the way -
We are – all – the same – you know
‘cuz we’re all attracted to the flame -

This is your calling, Wayseer.
You’ve found your tribe.
Welcome home.

…Are you a Wayseer?

 

Day 24: Surprise- I get all the protein I need from a raw vegan diet!

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“Where do you get your ___________?”

Insert: Protein, Calcium (the two most common).

Easily the #1 question I have been asked over the years.  It’s not necessarily our fault that we have become so distanced from our food and the natural world, but when you think about this, it’s a little silly: why would cooked foods and/or animal products contain any more helpful vitamins, minerals, or proteins than raw foods?  Raw food is perfection in its ratios of all of the above, packaged perfectly by Mother Nature for our consumption.

In the United States, we are constantly bombarded with messages to get enough protein, and that means more meat, right?  This might surprise you: protein deficiency does not exist in the US, or in other developed countries.  Protein deficiency results from starvation.  We are also contastly told to get enough calcium, take your calcium supplements!  WAT.  The United States consumes a huge amount of dairy; in fact we are the largest producer of dairy:

Americans consumed just over 30 pounds of cheese per person in 2000, more than doubling consumption from 25 years ago.

Source : DairyMax.org

If the Food Pyramid advises us to obtain calcium from dairy, and we clearly eat a whole lot of dairy, then why the boom in Osteoporosis?  Isn’t that dairy supposed to stengthen our skeletons?  Here’s the easy answer: Animal products acidify our blood.  This would kill us if we didn’t neutralize the acid.  What neutralizes acid in our bodies?  Phosphate.  Because we don’t naturally produce this, our bodies leech it from our Calcium Phosphate, aka: our bones.  So the acid is neutralized, and then you pee out the calcium.  Real great!  As you might be able to see, we have not been designed to eat animal products.  Still not convinced?  Read this article, which breaks down why we are anatomically herbivores, not omnivores, and certainly not carnivores.  We’ve been duped!

The point I’m coming to is that surprise! …We can and will obtain all the vitamins and minerals we need for optimum living from raw plant foods!  Who is telling us to eat more meat, aka: protein, and dairy, aka: protein & dairy?  The USDA.  Who profits from us eating more meat and more dairy?  The USDA and the special interests groups it’s in bed with.  It might then shock you further to hear that our protein and calcium requirements for healthful living are substantially minimal.  Even more shocking to the average SAD eater is the protein content in common fruits and vegetables, compared against animal sources:

Protein Content of Common Foods
(percentage of calories)

Food

Protein

Food

Protein

Apricots

10%

Asparagus

27%

Bananas

4%

Broccoli

20%

Cherries

6%

Cabbage

15%

Cucumbers

11%

Carrots

6%

Grapes, red

4%

Corn

10%

Oranges, Valencia

7%

Kale

16%

Peaches

8%

Lettuce, green leaf

22%

Strawberries

7%

Spinach

30%

Tomatoes, red

12%

Cheese, cheddar

26%

Watermelon

7%

Milk, whole

23%

Potatoes, baked

7%

Egg, poached

37%

Rice, white

8%

Ice, cream, choc.

8%

Spaghetti

14%

Beef, ground (avg)

50%

Source : The 80/10/10 Diet by Dr. Douglas N. Graham 

Hmmm.  Paradigm shift, my friends!  Dr. Doug Graham writes:

In his book The China Study, renowned Cornell University professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry T. Colin Campbell states that we require only 5-6% of our total calories to come from protein in order to replace the protein we routinely lose, and that “About 9-10% protein has been recommended for the past fifty years to be assured that most people at least get their 5-6% ‘requirement.’”

In addition to the safety margin, this recommendation assumes that people eat their protein cooked. Given that cooking substantially deranges protein and other nutrients, we can safely consume far less raw plant protein and still be assured of sufficient nourishment. Thus, you can see that 10% protein (maximum) is both sufficient and reasonable.

The fact that our protein needs actually run in the single digits (under 10%) often surprises people. Most all of us have unwittingly fallen prey to meat-industry propaganda that would lead us to believe otherwise. Truly, advertising has influenced our perception of reality so widely that the concept of “getting enough protein” is embedded in the culture.

Consuming approximately 5% of calories from protein is difficult to avoid if you are eating enough food to meet your daily calorie needs. All plant foods contain protein, and even if you ate a diet of only white rice, (not recommended) you would still end up with 8% protein for the day! But would it be the “right kind” of protein?

Thesis: I get all the protein, vitamins, and minerals I need from a raw food vegan diet.  I avoid calcium leeching, and other health issues and vitamin/mineral deficiencies that could arise from eating a cooked food, SAD diet… surprising as that is!

I invite you to do some reading for yourself:

The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell

The 80/10/10 Diet, by Dr. Douglas Graham

The Protein Myth: Do we need Meat to satisfy our Protein Needs?

The Comparative Anatomy of Eating, by Milton R. Mills, M.D.

The Perils of Dairy, a lecture by Dr. John McDougall

Study: Vegetarian Diets Healthier in Every Way than Diets with Meat

Day 20: Dr. Burzynski.

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I wanted to let you guys know that VegSource alerted me to a free showing of a documentary about Dr. Burzynski, a Texas-based doctor & Ph.D biochemist whose wildly successful antineoplaston cancer treatment has been suppressed by Big Pharma/the FDA.  You can watch it in its entirety here, for free through tomorrow, June 13th.  After that, please purchase a copy if you can, and support this cause (NO cancer research dollars reach this man!).  I am about halfway through this film, and steam is coming out of my ears.  Had to share it with you, so you could see how jacked up our system is, and why it needs to change!

This morning, as it was my mom’s birthday, the family went out to breakfast.  At a Mexican cafe :[ I brought my second amazingly delicious cantaloupe:

I’ll be honest: at first, I was annoyed and a little grumpy about having to sit at a booth smelling what was once arguably my favorite food, but it wasn’t bad at all.  I felt calmer, and more involved in the conversation, like it wasn’t just about the food.  It was about hanging out and celebrating with my family!  On top of which, my parents both felt uncomfortably stuffed afterward, and my mom kept talking about “starting a diet NOW.”  That’s the thing about junky food; you love it, but it doesn’t love you back.

I hope that you will take the time to watch this documentary.  It’s heartbreaking that a brilliant doctor with a 30% cure rate in terminal cancers receives none of the billions of dollars of research funding, but it’s also our current reality.  A reality we desperately can and need to take control of and change.

 

 

 

 

Day 16: Healthy on a Budget.

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I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not rich.  In fact, I’m actually poor.  I’m not even a member of the middle class when it comes to my income.  Thankfully, I have a warm roof over my head, and a plot of the backyard in which to grow my own organic produce.

That said, I do realize that a lot of other people are in the same boat or worse, some with children.  Eating healthy meals, in particular, eating healthy vegetarian, vegan, or raw meals doesn’t have to break the bank.  I do think, however, it’s important to have your priorities straight when it comes to spending your income and feeding yourself and your family: health is an investment.  It’s 100% worth buying the best you can afford when it comes to the food you put into your body.  In the end, you will save money on medical bills, and will have a more vibrant quality of life.  You will save money in other areas too, depending on how far you take it.  You’ll probably save money on cosmetics because you’ll look better.  You’ll save money on clothes, because you’ll look good in anything.  You’ll lose weight, feel better, and look better.

I personally cannot afford to buy all of my produce organic.  I do make sure to buy any greens organic, as well as any fruit or veggie of which I eat the skin.  This is because I am trying to minimize and avoid my exposure and intake of pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides.  I came across a wonderful organization called the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which offers a plethora of information on consumer products and foods and our health.  One of the resources I found especially helpful was a list of the most and least important produce to buy organic.  I especially appreciate the free iPhone application, called The Dirty Dozen.  If you learn why pesticides are dangerous to you, your family, and the planet, you will feel more inclined to buy organic when you can (do a search on YouTube, or Google).  For instance, commercial produce contains maybe 40% the nutrients contained in organic produce.  Cook that produce, even lightly steam it, and you lose all the enzymes and at least 70% more of its nutrient value.  …on top of which, pesticides have been linked to such disorders as ADD/ADHD, infertility, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.  We’ve been duped again.

It’s an unfortunate truth that you can get far more bang for your buck, calorie-wise, buying processed foods.  In fact, Adam Drewnowski, an obesity researcher, performed an experiment demonstrating just that:

Drewnowski found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips but only 250 calories of carrots. Looking for something to wash down those chips, he discovered that his dollar bought 875 calories of soda but only 170 calories of orange juice.

Drewnowski concluded that the rules of the food game in America are organized in such a way that if you are eating on a budget, the most rational economic strategy is to eat badly–and get fat.

This is straight up ass-backwards.  Why should it be cheaper to buy a Twinkie, which contains a disturbing 39 ingredients, compared with, say, a pound of apples?  Which contain, well, one ingredient?  Unfortunately folks, the Big Business of Big Agriculture does not have your best interests in mind.  In fact, being in bed with Big Pharma means it’s better for all of them if you eat shitty, processed foods and get sick.  Better yet, with chronic illness.  That translates your dollar into tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of profit to these suckers.  Clearly, we’re the suckers.  This is why it’s so worth it to spend your dollar on whole foods, versus the processed crap lining the inner aisle of your supermarket.  Nutrient for nutrient, it will be a dollar better spent, and in the longer run, you’ll be healthier and happier.

I’ve found my Farmer’s Market to yield some great deals; $1.50 for a large bunch of organic greens, for example.  I can get even better deals by shopping later in the day, around closing time.  Getting to know vendors can help too.  In Ventura County, there is literally a FM every day, somewhere.  Locate a local FM here.  Being such a banana freak, easily eating three bunches or 10-20 bananas per day, I’ve scoured for discount fruit everywhere.  Smart and Final gives me the best deal, where I spend about $0.39/lb for my banged up, “overripe” bananas.  YEAH RIGHT.  Because I only eat my fruit very ripe (see this link to get a feel for what your fruit should look, feel, and taste like when it’s properly ripened), this is PERFECT.  In fact, my discount bananas still need a couple of days to freckle up before I will eat them.  Ask the produce manager at your supermarket if he can sell you “baking bananas” or other “overripe” produce at a discount rate.  Albertson’s gives me a measly $0.50 off my bag of “baking bananas, but hey, it’s something, in a pinch.

Here are 25lbs of discount bananas I picked up yesterday for $10.00

I bought these USDA Certified Organic grape tomatoes at the 99 Cent Store.

The truth is, we have all heard you are what you eat, and the majority of us really do want to eat healthier.  Be happier.  One of the most important decisions you make today will be what you choose to eat.  Re-framing thoughts like, “I’m depriving myself by not eating that Twinkie” with “I am nourishing my body and mind by drinking this green smoothie” can help a lot.  Not to mention, fresh, ripe produce is simply delicious.  Having a strong basis in knowing why you want to eat healthier, and feed your family healthier meals, will strengthen and motivate you.  I recommend identifying your own reasons, doing your own research.  I guarantee you will experience a shift in the way you choose your food, and, really, in your life.

**EDIT:

Just thought of this after it came up in a comment.  Because most people can’t afford to buy all organic produce, here’s how to neutralize the pesticides in the inorganic commercial stuff you buy:

Lemon/Baking Soda Wash

1 Tbsp. lemon juice – (natural disinfectant) 2 Tbsp. baking soda (neutralises the PH level of pesticides)
Vinegar/Salt Wash

1/4 cup vinegar (cleans the fruits and vegetables and neutralizes most pesticides)
2 Tbsp. salt (draws out dirt and insects)

Lemon/Vinegar Wash

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice – (natural disinfectant) 2 Tbsp. Vinegar (cleans the fruits and vegetables neutralizes most pesticides)
Fill a sink or a large bowl with water and the above ingredients (depending on the method you choose) and let the vegetables sit for about 20minutes then rinse or else you can fill an empty water bottle and spray onto your produce and then rinse and wipe.

Excerpt from Girl on Raw’s blog.

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