Thanksgiving Day Reflections November 26, 2009

Hello, lovelies!

I completed my fast and have spent the last couple of days working food back into my system so I would be able to eat a meal of gratitude today with my two beautiful boys and my great friend Lauren.  As she continues her journey from Calistoga to San Diego, I am filled with excitement and joy.  The boys have been playing and sparring and crying and all the stuff little toddlers do.  I am grateful.

I decided to take a drive with them to pick up a few last minute menu requirements and chose to veer off my path a bit to get a gauge on the island on Thanksgiving.  We blasted inspirational Christmas music and gloried in the beautiful and joyful day.  There were a lot of sporty couples strolling, running and lounging on benches as they soaked up the warm sunny day.  A lot of teenagers were out and about on their beach cruisers, surely plotting how they would get away from their parents to hang with their buddies.  Maybe I was a bit like them, trying to explore my boundaries.  One man stood out.

I have seen him occasionally the past week walking around with a small piece of luggage that he pulls behind him.  He has a bright light but I could see it in his heavy shoulders and settled way that he was hurting.  Finally, today, I stopped the car.  I pulled over.  Graham said, “Church!”  I thought of how appropriate his intuition was.  I said, “Yes, honey, I need to do little something for God.”  I walked over to him and asked him if he was okay and if he had something warm for the holiday.  He said, “No.  My heart is heavy.”  My eyes welled up because he was so demure and composed.  I hugged him tight and told him that if he needed a place to celebrate the holiday he was welcome.  His pride stepped in and he explained that he was hoping to see his son.  I hugged him again and wished the best for the holiday.  He apologized as tears came and said he was worried he would wet me with his tears.  I said, “Those are blessed tears and I welcome them, sir.”  He stepped  back and asked my name, which I then shared.  He said, “I am going through a divorce and I am at the bottom.”  I said, “Then there is nowhere to go from here than up my brother.  Think about anything you might need and if I see you around, let me know.  You are welcome to have Thanksgiving with us.  God bless you.”  He thanked me and humbly walked away.

I got back in the car and wept.  I wept with sadness and joy all the same time.  I wept the whole way home and felt the gratitude that was in  me this day.  I have so many things to be grateful for today.  This man was but a reflection of me.  I saw the beauty in both of us and hopefully shared a spark of that with him.  I share with all of you, my friends, my family…thank you, thank you, thank you for listening.  Life is beautiful even when it is sad.  Life is beautiful.

Love and light,

Jess

Land of Oz Liquid Fast for Thanksgiving November 18, 2009

So, I created my own fast for Thanksgiving preparation and since so many of you have expressed interest in this topic I decided to share this fasting experience with my beloved readers.  Finding a relationship with food is so difficult for so many.  It can seem like we are Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as we traverse the scores of recommendations and reports constantly surfacing, as we seek out the wizard.

I believe that with clean cells and a body set up to channel lots of energy we can handle anything.  Maybe if Dorothy had sipped a nice fresh pressed fruit drink that day in Kansas, she would have found herself much stronger and not so afraid of the wicked witch.  Bare with me and the hokey Land of Oz stuff  as I have been fasting and the creative juices are flowing…trust me, I am holding back.

Don’t be the Scare Crow and shy away from my corny approach here…keep reading!  Okay, I’ll stop.  Let’s get to the fasting.

I began with a 7 day juice fast, followed with 7 days of light eating and am now on a 10 day fast that is broken down into segments.  Here is my outline:

7 days of fresh pressed fruit and veggie juice, water, kombucha and peppermint tea fasting

7 days of light eating, mix of raw and cooked vegetables and lots of raw fruit…still juicing and tea drinking of course:)

10 days – First 7 days just like the previous 7 days and the final 3 days will be distilled water and hot peppermint tea

For the fruits and vegetables, I suggest playing around with these:

-kale, romaine, spinach, carrots, red bell peppers, cabbage, parsnips, sprouts, avocados, watermelon, apples, grapefruit, oranges, grapes (which are heavenly this time of year by the way…really sweet)

You can juice and cook all of the vegetables in unique ways.  Make sure you eat fruit by itself as it should never combined with other foods.  They slow down the digestion and it begins to rot in your tummy…giving you horrible digestion problems and eliminating the cleansing properties of the fruit all together.  My current understanding is that when you juice, you can combine fruits and veggies as it is assimilated so quickly in that form.  If you have any digestive or bowel problems it is best to separate you fruit juice from your veggie juice.  If you need your veggie juice sweet you can add a bit of stevia or even better beets or carrots…they sweeten quite well.  I am neglecting some minutia here but as far getting started goes this is good practice.  Then you can listen to your body and soul.  Pay good attention, they have a lot to say.

The juices give an abundance of energy and joy during the fast and are a really great introduction to fasting as they provide nutrients and minerals and protein and so on and so on.  I enjoy my juice so much now that it is often more appealing to me than cooked foods and salads.  However, I am at a point in my life where I still have cravings and seasonal preferences so I am not above baking an apple, roasting a big platter of root veggies and I really love blended salads…I’ll write more about those another day!  Let me share a sample day of juice fasting, today in fact:

I started my morning with nothing, just prayer and contemplation, followed by skin brushing and tooth/tongue brushing. (Fasting tends to bring out the toxins and they need to be brushed away.  I cannot stress how useful skin brushing is in my life.)  Then I showered and tinkered around the house.  Then the boys are up and we tickled for a bit. Around 9AM I juiced:

Around 15 large carrots – 3 gala apples – 2 inch chunk of ginger.  Now, this drink is highly addictive and has been known to cause an abundance of squealing from my little munchkins.  They love to help me stir before I serve it and there is never any left over.  Its always good to make enough for sharing:)  Even though it is best to drink it right away while it has the most enzymes, I am a mother and pragmatic so I understand that we all do not have time for juicing constantly.  So, you can juice in the morning and put it in stainless steel to go containers for the day…just drink it that day for sure.  I do this for my boys so I have quick sips for them on hand when they are in the mood.

After getting some exercise and doing some yoga stretching, which ended around lunch time, I juiced:

8 or 9 stalks of kale – 1 really large red bell pepper – 5 stalks of celery – 2 apples.  This juice is just heavenly.  It gives me so much energy and it would completely kick the pants off of coffee if it weren’t so peaceful and kind:)  It sweeps through your body, cleaning out your cells and letting them know that its time to dust out the cobwebs and caked up dirt that arise in our bodies due to over-indulging ourselves.  I like to think of it as “The Good Witch.”

Then I spent the day playing with and taking care of my children.  During nap and down time, I caught up on studying and reading and stuff.

Since I am taking night classes, I need a really good juice to keep my mind sharp and spirits up.  So around 4PM I juiced:

1 Whole Pineapple – 1 Grapefruit – 1 Pomegranate.  This is seriously yummy.  Its like a nice dessert treat to end my day. This is sure to take you somewhere over the rainbow!   Hopefully I will get some sleep tonight with all of these cells dancing with joy in my body.  Really though, I sleep just fine because my body is really receptive to the break it is getting from solid food and soaks up the energy of the juice but when the day is over it completely lets me knock off.  After class, I meditated and prayed, did some light stretching, took a bath and here I am about to hit the hay.

Please note that in a recent conversation with my yoga instructor he shared with me some Auyervedic wisdom.  He recommended not combining fruits and veggies during a fast because it causes “wind,” gas, and keeps us a bit too expanded.  If you feel too esoteric, as I do at times, it is good to separate the juices from the veggies.  I am not used to doing this and will experiment and share soon.  I can say that I have been feeling a little fairy like and do not prefer this so I intend to follow his advice and see what comes.  Until then, here is what my days have been looking like, minus one or two juices depending on my hunger level.

I would like to end this post with a bit of inspiration.  Whatever our approach to food is it can only bring good when we eat consciously with good intentions.  Being grateful for what we eat is so important.  Let yourself slow down and give thanks for the food on your plate.  Find the strength and kindness of your heart, even if you feel a bit like the Lion who knew he needed one but did not know how to get it.  It is there and a more compassionate and respectful approach to your food is a great place to start.  Take a little time to get to know your food and let it nourish you in ways that you might be ignoring due to the rush of life.  I am not suggesting that we make it all about food.  There are other ways we should be nurturing ourselves too.  Seek out nourishing relationships and activities.  Take care of your whole self.  Food is just a tangible thing that we can get our hands on and even though it is rich with complexity it is something we see, taste, smell, feel and hear (if we listen really closely.)  If we start with cleansing and healing our bodies, clean cells jump for joy and neurological pathways open up and the guidance we need in other areas of life unfolds.  The wisdom of our design begins to parade and lead us in directions that we never knew we were capable of.

Sure, life happens and we inevitably face hard times but it is so much easier to do when we are scrubbed clean.  Venture down the yellow brick road and see what you find.  Have some fun.  I look forward to a humble Thanksgiving and spirited experience.  Check back to see what I prepare for the feast!

Love and dancing light,

Jess

Please note that I am not a medical professional and am not dispensing medical advice. I am merely sharing lifestyle tips. If you find anything in my material that inspires you to change your daily habits I encourage you to discuss it with your doctor.  Fasting is not something to take lightly and one should be a very serious study done carefully or professionally guided if looking for success.  Make sure you know how to break your fast, which is about the most important part of the process.  Step back in to food carefully with easy watermelon, canteloupe, broths, soups, cooked vegetables, etc.

Blogging October 7, 2009

Blogging is such a fascination for me. There are scores of wonderful blogs out there. I mean I could endlessly read blogs. I love to see how they are organized, what their general theme is, what is their purpose, etc. But I really love to learn more about the writers. I am always so curious about who it is out there that is writing the material. I often wish I knew them and the more colorful side of their everyday lives. In the internet age, we have formed a new kind of relationship! What used to be restricted to reading books about characters, watching television shows and communicating with pen pals has transformed into a cornucopia of networking relationships that I find very thrilling! There is a danger, however, of losing the magic of grocery store conversations, long walks with friends, playing cards with friends instead of a computer, activities and involvement in the community, etc.

I have taken classes in person and also via the computer. While a I like the pace and freedom of online courses I truly savor the classroom setting. Especially when you find your instructor to be vibrant and wise. I like to challenge my brain with a computer game but it is really pretty one sided…it is mostly your imagination. I prefer to play cards or games with real people where the real kaleidoscope of fun takes place. In recent years, I had gotten to the point where I detested phone conversations and found myself texting. While I still text, I find a good phone conversation a much better release.

I strolled the boys to the market today and there was a lovely older woman, who I discovered was a ripe 83 years young, and she stopped to give the boys a sweet hello. We started chatting and it turned into a wonderful connection. I could have stayed in my hurried, distracted and pragmatic mind frame that I was in: you see I had groceries to get and we had to walk home yet and I had to……you get the point. Instead, I took a moment to experience her colorful wisdom: the same experience I sometimes wish I could have with my favorite bloggers.

So my suggestion to my readers today is that you find the hidden gems in your community. Be open to innocent communication with your neighbors and townships. Step away from your cocoon of your home and all of its comforts. You just might find a friend. As always, you will always have a friend in me. You are all my brothers and sisters and wouldn’t it be so nice if we ran across each other at the market?

Love and light,
Jess

P.S.  No this is not the woman I met, but pretty darn close:)  Mine had some really stylish sunglasses on!

Gerson Cancer Therapy October 6, 2009

I have written about the Gerson Therapy before and have had a very good response to the information. There are a lot of people out there interested in alternative therapies. There is something about radiating our bodies and breaking it down with chemicals that finally wakes us up to the damage we are doing to our bodies via our lifestyles. If you missed my interview with Charlotte Gerson, CLICK HERE.

If you are otherwise interested in more information and would like to learn about educational opportunities, they have released a new PDF that is simple but informative! Here it is! CLICK HERE to retrieve it.

Love and light,
Jess

Liquid Fast Continued October 5, 2009

Fasting is a very powerful healing tool in your body’s medicine cabinet. It can be very intimidating and many find the idea of going without solid food a bit scary. There is good reason for this. A fast is not something to be taken lightly and deserves the utmost respect. It is important to be responsible and understand you reasons for the fast. Your intentions and frame of mind are also important tools and it is a necessity to have only good and pure intentions with your fast. If you just want to lose some extra weight, that’s fine. Just be aware that a fast is powerful and can bring up very uncomfortable thoughts and physical reactions if done in haste and without preparation.

Here are a few tips of mine:

1. Start by juice fasting, fresh pressed juice, one day a week. Pick a day that you think you can handle avoiding social food situations and be a bit flexible. If something really important comes up you can reschedule for another day. Just make sure you still doing it consistently each week. There really is not much that is more important than your fast, though. Your health and well being is of utmost importance.

2. Eat fruits and vegetables the day before and avoid animal products. For fats, if you need them, use olive oil or flaxseed oil. This will transition you body into the fast much easier.

3. Make sure you drink plenty of water between juices. Just wait at least 30 minutes after drinking your juice.

3. Spend as much of your fasting day on reflection and allowing any negativity to surface. Write down your thoughts, I highly recommend keeping a fasting journal. At night, as you wind down and settle in you can develop a practice of releasing your negativity.

4. Breaking your fast is perhaps the most important aspect! Keep your mind present and do not ravage the cupboards. Again, eat fruits and vegetables. Carrots with a green salad are a really good choice. This will ensure that any mind activity will be released through the chewing but will be a clean way of introducing food again.

5. For some interesting facts, click here!

This a great way to introduce fasting gently and consistently. When you are comfortable and ready you can think about longer fasts. I only recommend juice fasting on your own. If you are considering a water fast I strongly advise that you use the guidance of a professional.

Fasting is not something to get overly eager about. It is not about competition or perfectionism. It is about real progress that takes commitment and honoring your life force energy! There are many juice recipes but click here for a couple of mine that I love!

Love and light,
Jess

The Impossible Dream September 27, 2009

We have all had our experiences with medical institutions and doctors. While I appreciate the importance of them I am much more appreciative of the explosion of alternative choices there are out there. I have never been comfortable going into a hospital or doctor’s office, few of us are, but it was the birth of my first son that really sent me spinning and on a journey of self exploration. I had been pushed into a c-section and was left feeling bitter that my Son and my Self had been cheated. It led me on a mission to make sure I gave myself the best chance of having a v-back, vaginal after c-section, and I did a lot of soul searching and physician research. I was able to position myself for success and had an entirely different experience the second time around. My second Son and I were able to enjoy the natural bonding of skin to skin and suckling immediately. Wow, what a difference.

This is what began an entirely new way of thinking for me. There was a wise woman in me somewhere saying, “Go with this. You are on the right track.” If I had followed my intuition the first time around things would have gone much differently. I would have stood up for myself and my baby. So I now know so much more and move through life with a lot more courage and confidence. When it comes to parenting my children I follow what my intuition tells me is right, not the spinning wheel of regurgitation in my mind.  I listen to my heart and my soul.  Do I still misstep? Of course. I keep moving forward.

I have learned to really allow the Divine Spirit to move through me and to make life much less about me. I have ceased my efforts to conform to a quick to fix and entitled society. I have the courage to just live my truth and to humbly be a part of a much larger interest. It has been a progress of steady, sometimes rapid and sometimes slow, growth. I KNOW that I am doing what is right for me and there is a lot to be said for that. I do not KNOW that what I am doing is in the best interest of others because it is so much bigger than me but I am filled with a satisfaction and believe that I am making a difference. I want so badly to make a difference. I want to see this world better: to see families come together, to see children respected, to see people love themselves, to see people viewing themselves as brothers and sisters instead of isolating themselves in their cocoon of modern convenience, to see people feed themselves whole and natural foods, to see them understand that they do have control over a large portion of their health and well being.

As I have continued my exploration of holistic health, which derives from hologram and means the whole or entire thing, I have increasingly gained courage and have found myself really stepping away from the programmed mindset Americans seem to be finding themselves in. My gratitude is infinite. When I began my research on Charlotte Gerson and eventually interviewed her I found myself drawn to her Institute, a historic home in downtown San Diego, and the wonderful women who work there. The have a big table lunch every day, serve the Gerson diet and generously offer those who inquire to join them. They have a library of books that they allowed me to sift through as I prepared for my interview with Charlotte. There was a photo album of her 87th birthday party and it held an insert from The Man From La Mancha (1972.)

“The Impossible Dream”

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear the unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one woman, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with her last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star.

This really captures Charlotte and it is everything I want to be. If this can describe my life then I will be fulfilled. Let us all dream the impossible dream. We all have one and to not pursue it is very sad. But to pursue, in any way we can is the most beautiful thing.

Love and light,
Jess

Michael Jackson September 14, 2009

It has taken me awhile to approach this topic because I just wanted to allow it the respect it deserves. I feel like I should now speak about it.

When I was about 7 years old, Michael Jackson was my first boyfriend. I had the biggest crush on him. I mean, I had baseball player type cards of him and listened to his music constantly. I would staunchly stand up for him in school, on the playground or out in my neighborhood when other kids made fun of him. I took personal offense when other kids said he looked like a drowned rat. I wonder now where they heard that from. Perhaps their parents? I had many other experiences with his music as I grew up.

I remember watching the music awards and when he accepted his award he was wearing sunglasses, which seemed to be his only form of protection from the world. My father said, “Oh, he’s just on drugs and is hiding his eyes.” How irresponsible is that? My sister and I were crushed. I vividly recall our night in bed. We prayed and prayed for Michael Jackson and prayed that he was not on drugs. We stood up for him in the best way we knew how.

His genius talents transformed into an artistic expression of a desire to have peace and unity. It was a battle cry born from a life of isolation that sought out a better day. He progressed but society did not. His fans listened but could only do so much.

This leads me to my claim:

Be careful about what you say around your children. Do not push your own weak agendas on them. Our children are innocent and project the most brilliant light available in human form. When we become adults we are somehow expected to “grow up” and become “mature” but all I see going on is an overwhelming growth of selfish and judgmental junk. Do not get me wrong, there is good. But too many people are not standing up for what is good in life and when we put someone down because we want to fit in with what we think is normal, we are not living up to our potential.

Michael Jackson is the ultimate Buddhist or Christian parable lived out in modern time. What an example! Can we not see how screwed up society is from this alone? When will we learn? Love, kindness and acceptance is key.

I am sad tonight and pray again for Michael Jackson who ended up on many drugs and very, very lonely.

Love and light,
Jess

Nature’s Provisions September 10, 2009

Everything We Need Nature Provides: This information was provided by http://www.healthinspirations.com/

I only provided my own imagery, not theirs:) Here it goes:

It’s been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish… All before making a human. He made and provided what we’d need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God’s Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart
and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility. Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body’s cells. Today’s research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

In my own words, I can only say “Wow!” I am constantly learning about the benefits and healing properties of vegetable and fruits alone that it truly blows my mind to think we have been so mislead. It will not do anyone a bit of good to go strict fruit and veg at this point because our bodies are toxic and need a bit of the poison “animal foods, processed foods and grains” to keep us alive. It is just like heroin or any other toxic drug, we need to be weened off of it!

Once you realize the truth and know that you need to make changes it is utmost important that you understand PROGRESS TRUMPS PERFECTION. Progress obviously trumps lack of interest, those people are slowly poisoning themselves into an early grave…since we do not understand in the mainstream way of thinking that we can live much longer. But even those who get it and understand but are stricken with the panic and make drastic changes suffer as well. This is not something to strive for perfection with immediately. It takes truly educating yourself and making it a lifetime’s work…healing yourself and the planet, and beyond if you so desire to go there. The turtle won race, remember?

Hold your halos high and strive not for perfection but for progress and the constant illumination of your spirit.

Love and light,
Jess

Fresh Choppers September 7, 2009

A lot has been said by now about how bad flouride is for us. If you have not caught on to this yet, just read the warnings on your toothpaste tube. Or if you are a mother, think about why they do not put flouride into baby toothpaste since they cannot spit it out. It is because it is toxic to the system!

Anyway, once you can let go of the idea that your teeth will rot and your breath will stink you can actually have a lot of fun trying home treatments and holistic products.

This is one I like a lot!

Mix together in a bowl, preferably one with a spout so you can pour it into a bottle (one saved from old product and disinfected or a new one,) these ingredients:

1 cup purified or distilled water
1/2 cup of fresh pressed lemon juice and a few spirals of the rind
5-10 leaves of mint to taste
1/2 cup of 3.5% FOOD GRADE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (method of mixing below)

Brush your teeth with no paste and then floss. Following that, shake the rinse before use and swish! Do not swallow. If you are curious about the uses of food grade hydrogen peroxide I have provided a small sample below from this informative page:
http://educate-yourself.org/cancer/benefitsofhydrogenperozide17jul03.shtml Even though some people use it as a treatment and do swallow it, it is controlled and done in a very specific way.

This is fun, like a science experiment! Just be sure you keep the hydrogen peroxide out of reach for children. Even though it is food grade it must be handled responsibly. Here is the method mentioned in the ingredients list:

“Making and Using 3% Solutions of H202
A 3.5% solution can be made quite easily by first pouring 1 ounce of 35% H202 into a pint jar. To this add 11 ounces of distilled water. This will make 12 ounces of 3.5% H202. 3.5% H202 has a variety of medicinal uses.

1. Three tablespoons mixed with a quart of non-chlorinated water makes a good enema or douche formula.
2. It can be used full strength as a mouthwash or mixed with baking soda for toothpaste.
3. It can be used full strength as a foot bath for athlete’s foot. (Diabetics have found relief from circulation problems by soaking their feet in 1 pint of 3% peroxide mixed with 1 gallon of warm, non-chlorinated water for 30 minutes nightly.)
4. A tablespoon added to 1 cup of non-chlorinated water can be used as a nasal spray. Depending on the degree of sinus involvement, one will have to adjust the amount of peroxide used. I have seen some who can use it at the full 3% strength and others who had difficulty with using a few drops and mixed with a cup of water.
5. 3.5% H202 can be added to pets drinking water at the rate of 1 ounce per quart of non-chlorinated water. Sick cattle reportedly benefit from 1 pint (of 3%) to each 5 gallons of water. (Chickens and cows have remained healthy by using 8 ounces of 35% H202 per 1,000 gallons of drinking water.)” Source: http://educate-yourself.org/cancer/

Please educate yourself. I am not a doctor or professional and am not dispensing medical advice. I am sharing with you what I find to work in moving away from things I believe to be unhealthy and toward healthier options.

Love and light,
Jess

Recipe for Eggs September 2, 2009

Let this article be your guide when a recipe calls for eggs.

I have infinite respect for my readers and never want to write something offensive to anyone.  It is a fine line I walk as a strict vegetarian, vegan if you will.  I do not mean to push my own views on others.  I do, however, feel that it is my responsibility since I have been enlightened in regards to the very sad and major secret our corporate nation keeps from us.  We are promoting animal torture when we consume animal products.

I realize how radical this sounds because it is radical.  It is revolutionary.  Just like the family that suffers because of the secrets it keeps, our embrace of an industry, animal production, that systematically tortures living creatures for monetary interest is a shameful secret that most of us would like to turn away from.  Many of us do.  Even though we see the horror we push it aside and stuff it away like a family secret.

You have the right and free will to do whatever you want.  I suggest that you open your eyes to the atrocities of animal production and consider giving up the consumption of its “products.”  I am providing a video here that is almost impossible to watch but please consider watching.  It might make you cry.  It might make you sick to your stomach with shame.  It might change the way you think about the face on your plate.  That is why you do not want to watch it, right?  Why the blind eye?  Think about it.

Here is the video: think of this when a recipe calls for eggs.

If you really refuse to watch the video at least read this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090901/ap_on_go_ot/us_egg_hatchery_investigation

I would also like to suggest a book that is profound and beautifully outlines an empowering understanding of our world.  It is written by Will Tuttle who has a master’s degree in humanties from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D in the philosophy of eductation from the University of California, Berkley.  A professional pianist, composer, and teacher, he has for the last fifteen years presented at progressive churches, vegetarian and human potential conferences, and intentional communities throughout the country.  He trained in Korea as a Zen Buddhist monk and has worked extensively in Tai Chi, yoga, meditation, intuition development, and spiritual healing.

The book is called The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony.  If I could recommend just one book, this would be it.  It intelligently speaks to the heart of the issue and will without a doubt expand your personal growth.

As with any radical change or transformation of any kind, it begins with small changes that are born of a desire to make a difference in something.  I know that not everyone is capable of changing overnight to a vegan diet and in many cases it is not healthy if one is so entrenched in an unhealthy lifestyle.  I recommend that you begin by eating a couple of meals a week that are vegan. Have fun with the meals and experiment. Sometimes you will hit and sometimes you will miss but the important thing to remember is that you are making an effort. You will soon find yourself craving these meals and expand into 3 meals a week. You might eat like that for a year or so. When your body and spirit are ready, you will find one day that are either ready to move into 4 or 5 days a week, maybe even ready to go the distance comfortably and omit animal products completely! You have to follow your intuition. Believe me, it is there. It speaks to you. That is why we choose not to watch the videos or listen to the choir of people calling for change: we are ignoring our intuition.

Support can be difficult to find but I can assure you that it is out there you just have to find it. Luckily, the internet makes that pretty easy. There are so many support groups out there it can make your head spin! And of course, I am here always. Any questions or help you need are just an email away. Do not ever hesitate to contact me with anything, it is my pleasure to serve.

I have a great recommendation for a cook book that offers all vegan recipes. The difference is that it was written by a non vegan food editor. She wrote it for aspiring and devoted vegans out of a concern for the health of our world. It is a nice introduction to the food and I have to say they are simply delicious meals. She does not use a lot of franken-foods, like fake cheeses and meat, she just prepares really great dishes that allow you to accommodate your taste buds with the abundance of flavors in fruits, veggies and grains. It is a great re-introduction to the sustainable nature and beauty of our nature’s bounty! It is called Fresh and Fast Vegan Pleasures by Amanda Grant.