Gluten-Free Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-free muffins with strawberries and chocolate chips.

The moon rose almost full last night, hanging gold and low above the palm and ficus trees, urging the local beauty factor to give up its pretense of reality and meld with dreamland. The sky was a deep shade of violet with a wash of strawberry pink at the ocean's edge. Santa Monica continues to hold me in her sway. I am in love with her- and deeply grateful to be here, celebrating my first spring in California since the late seventies. I drink the friendly March sea air in gulps. I wander the alleys and sidewalks in a state bordering on bliss, photographing details and eye candy with my iPhone. It is a visual feast.

And I am savoring every bite.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Wheat? Oh, dear!

Someone on the BBC Healthy eating food board recently asked about gut problems brought on by eating wheat so I decided to have a rummage through some of the science blogs that I read, searching for "wheat". This is what I found. Updating this post may be a never-ending task!

The Heart Scan Blog:
Are you a skinny fat person? , Blood pressure with exercise , Low-fat diets raise triglycerides , American Heart Association stamp of approval , The wheat-free life , Wheat belly , Oat vs. wheat , Sugar for breakfast , Niacin and blood sugar , When niacin doesn't work , Wacky statin effects , Success--Slow but sure , Wheat-free and weight loss , The small LDL epidemic , Wheat and the hunger factor , Niacin vs. low-carb weight loss , Appetite stimulants , The many faces of LDL , Triglyceride traps , No-flush niacin kills , Low-carb eating for diabetes , Wheat-free is not gluten-free , "I gained 30 lbs from one cracker" , Wheat addiction: 140 lbs lost , Wheat withdrawal , "I lost 30 lbs and my triglycerides went . . . up?" , Vitamin D and HDL , Triglycerides divided by five , What's worse than sugar? , Are you wheat-free? , Wheat withdrawal: How common? , Quieting the insulin storm , Nutritional approaches: Large vs. small LDL , Can CRP be reduced? , The Wheat Deficiency Syndrome , Flush-free niacin kills , Flat tummy . . . or, Why your dietitian is fat , Thiazide diuretics: Treatment of choice for high blood pressure? , How to Give Yourself Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: 101 , CIS: Carbohydrate intolerance syndrome , Dr. Michael Eades on the Paleolithic diet , Wheat hell , Can millet make you diabetic? , Wheat Belly Revisited , Cholesterol effects of carbohydrates , Blast small LDL to oblivion , "Hey buddy, wanna buy some exorphins?" , Triglyceride Buster-Update , The statin-free life , Goodbye, fructose , Who lost weight? , Weight loss and vitamin D , Why obese people can't fast , Unexpected effects of a wheat-free diet , Name that food , Why does fish oil reduce triglycerides? , The disastrous results of a low-fat diet , The Paleo approach to meal frequency , Track Your Plaque challenges , Small LDL: Perfect index of carbohydrate intake , This is your brain on wheat , To track small LDL, track blood sugar , If you take niacin, you must exercise , A wheat-free 2010 , De Novo Lipo-what? , Look like Jimmy Stewart , To get low-carb right, you need to check blood sugars , More on blood sugar , Diabetes from fruit , Blood sugar: Fasting vs. postprandial , Is glycemic index irrelevant? , Saturated fat and large LDL , Genetic vs. lifestyle small LDL , "I dream about bread" , Psssst . . . There's sugar in there , Timing of blood sugars , Fat Head, Wheat belly, and the Adventures of Ancel Keys , Normal fasting glucose with high HbA1c , Slash carbs . . . What happens? , LDL glycation , Rerun: To let low-carb right, you must check POSTPRANDIAL blood sugars , What to Eat: The diet is defined by small LDL , Small LDL: Simple vs. complex carbohydrates , Man walks after removing wheat , Glycemic gobbledygook , Blame the gluten? , Emmer, einkorn, and agribusiness , Super-carbohydrate , In search of wheat , Low-carb gynecologist , Ezekiel said what? , In search of wheat: We bake einkorn bread , In search of wheat: Einkorn and blood sugar , Wheat aftermath , In search of wheat: Another einkorn experience , In search of wheat: Emmer , Life without Lipitor , How to have a heart attack in 10 easy steps , To lose weight, prick your finger , Carbohydrate-LDL double whammy , China fiction? , What increases blood sugar more than wheat? , LDL pattern B , This is your brain on wheat II , Men's lingerie is on the second floor , Wheat hip , What's for breakfast? , Extreme carbohydrate intolerance , Homegrown osteoporosis prevention and reversal , Can I stop my Coumadin? , Surviving a widow maker , Let go of my love handles , Human foie gras , Bosom buddies , Noodles without the headaches , Einkorn now in Whole Foods , The Anti-AGEing Diet , New Track Your Plaque record! , Dwarf mutant wheat , Can I see your linea alba? , Why do morphine-blocking drugs make you lose weight? , Why does wheat cause arthritis? , Statin buster? , Wheat one-liners , Put lipstick on a dwarf , Wheat-free pie crust , Do your part to save on healthcare costs , Wheat-free pumpkin bread , The two kinds of small LDL , I lost 37 lbs with a fingerstick , Genetic incompatibility , Is einkorn the answer? , A glycation rock and a hard place , No more cookies , High blood pressure vanquished , Thirteen catheterizations later , The five most powerful heart disease prevention strategies , Heroin, Oxycontin, and a whole wheat bagel , What do Salmonella, E coli, and bread have in common? , Diarrhea, asthma, arthritis--What is your wheat re-exposure syndrome? , The perfect Frankengrain , Diarrhea, runny noses, and rage: Poll results , Why is type 1 diabetes on the rise? , Construct your glucose curve , 90% small LDL: Good news, bad news , Be gluten-free without "gluten-free" , Wheat brain , Don’t wet yourself , Have some more , Bet you can’t fast , and so on...
Do you get the impression that Dr Davis really has it in for wheat?
EDIT: Now that Dr Davis has changed the site's url, most of the above links no longer take you to the right place. I'm not updating them all!

Dr John Briffa's Blog:
Understanding Food Cravings , Dealing With Childhood Ear Infections , Does Fibre Protect Us From Colon Cancer? , Natural cures for migraine , Natural approaches to asthma , Natural approaches to eczema , Dietary approaches to autism , Why a lot of breakfast fodder are nothing but cereal killers , Why eating a grain-based diet will do nothing for your ‘vitality’ , Natural approaches to arthritis , Avoiding certain foods can really help the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) , Could vinegar actually reduce the tendency of certain foods to cause weight gain? , Practical advice for those wanting to construct healthy lunchboxes for their kids , Older dads at risk of fathering autistic children – and the diet that can help those affected by this condition , Jamie Oliver calls parents “tossers” for putting sh*t in their kids’ lunchboxes. Do healthy packed lunch options exist? , Are wholegrain breakfast cereals really good for the heart? , Men with migraine found to be at increased risk of heart attack , What really causes irritable bowel syndrome? , Health professionals ignore their patients at their, and their patients’, peril , Probiotics found to be helpful for sufferers of IBS , Peppermint oil comes out top in review of treatments for IBS , BMJ letter reminds doctors of limitations of science and the importance of clinical experience , Just because someone doesn’t have coeliac disease, doesn’t mean they don’t have a problem with gluten , Can wheat cause diabetes? , What is food combining good for? , Rye bread helps relieve constipation, and other tips for bowel regularity , Gluten and milk linked with constipation in kids , My advice for those looking to have an energised and productive afternoon , ‘Food for Thought’ – nutritional advice for those preparing for and taking exams , Why we can’t rely on epidemiological evidence , Think bran is good for the bowels? Think again , Antiobiotic found to relieve IBS, and what might work better , New study shows that it’s possible to react to gluten but not have coeliac disease
Ditto for Dr Briffa.

PāNu Weblog:
6s and 3s and the logic of grain avoidance , The Argument Against Cereal Grains , 1) Eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates like white flour. , Where are all the healthy whole grains? , Avoid Poison or Neutralize It? , The argument against cereal grains II , 12 Steps update Mar 2010 , The China Study - Polish a turd and find a diamond? , Statins and the Cholesterol Hypothesis – Part I , N = 1? , More N = 1 , FODMAPs , No Such thing as a macronutrient part II - Carbohydrates (revised) , Thoughts on Ketosis - I , William Munny eats his vegetables , Polyphenol Hormesis follow-up ,
Ditto for Dr Harris.

Evolutionary Medicine Forum:
Paleolithic like diet - Low Carbohydrate , Foods High in Oxalate , The Dangers of Wheat , Schizophrenia and Gluten , The Leaky Gut , Alcohol & Particle Size , Bone Disease and Lipids , Lactase Persistence in Europe , Statins , Obesity (part II): Insulin Resistance , The Sun, The Fruit Trees, and Ancient Man , Summer vs Winter mode , Health - A Philosophical Standpoint , Celiac Disease and Osteoporosis , Insulin: Chronic Kidney Disease and Atherosclerosis , Origins of Food , Compulsive Overeating by Billy E , Hunger: Pica and Trace Mineral Deficiencies , Colonic Flora and Diabetes , Guest Blogger: Ken S , Emily Deans, MD - guest post , The Problem with Modern Medicine
Ditto for Dr Tourgeman.
EDIT: This blog is currently set to private. I will leave the above links in place in case the blog is set to public again.

Whole Health Source:
Ischemic Heart Attacks: Disease of Civilization , Paleolithic Diet Clinical Trials Part IV , Dr. Rosedale Replies , The Body Fat Setpoint, Part IV: Changing the Setpoint , Interesting Articles in the AJCN , Grains as Food: an Update , Traditional Preparation Methods Improve Grains' Nutritive Value , Fermented Grain Recipes from Around the World , China Study Problems of Interpretation , Real Food XI: Sourdough Buckwheat Crepes , Can a Statin Neutralize the Cardiovascular Risk of Unhealthy Dietary Choices? , Dr. Mellanby's Tooth Decay Reversal Diet , Paleolithic Diet Clinical Trials, Part V , Eating Wheat Gluten Causes Symptoms in Some People Who Don't Have Celiac Disease , Blinded Wheat Challenge , Assorted Thoughts About the 2010 Dietary Guidelines , My Gluten-Free January , Gluten-Free January Survey Data, Part II: Health Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet

Hyperlipid:
Food Pyramids, food and pyramids , Heroin and IBS , Niacin and adrenochrome , How toxic is wheat? , Gluten ataxia , Essential fatty acids are essential , Wheat and lactose , Casein vs gluten , Wheat and lactose and Cordain , Fiber, inulin and cancer , Gluten and rheumatoid arthritis , Weight loss; when it's hard , Casein, gluten and gastric pH , Gluten: Does coeliac disease require an infection? , Wheat Germ Agglutinin; how little is enough? , Wheat and lactase

Cooling Inflammation:
Cure Acne, Back Pain, Tendonitis, Depression , Anti-inflammatory, Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac , Arthritis, Autoimmunity and Arginine Deimidation

Raw Food SOS:
The China Study, Wheat, and Heart Disease; Oh My!

Perfect Health Diet:
Category Archives: Autoimmune

The above makes my criticisms of over-refined wheat products seem rather tame. See also The problem with "Whole Grain" cereals etc , I am NOT the anti-carb! and Anthony Colpo's The Whole Grain Scam.

From Ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, and anti-gliadin antibody. Guilt by association?

"However, anti-gliadin antibodies lack disease specificity being found in 10% of healthy blood donors."

10% of the population that are healthy enough to donate blood have gut walls permeable enough to let fragments of gliadin pass through. Hmmm. If fragments of gliadin can pass through, maybe fragments of other hard-to-digest proteins can, too (e.g. casein).

Day 152

Thoughts: This blog thanks to Diana Mitchell....On April 9 2009 a broad array of 29 farmers, consumer groups, businesses and other organizations sent a letter to Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, urging her to veto HR 2121, a bill passed by the Kansas State Legislature last week which would require an additional disclaimer on labels for dairy products produced from cows not treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST), a genetically engineered, artificial hormone that induces cows to produce more milk. The bill was sent yesterday to Governor Sebelius, who has ten days to veto it. A copy of the letter can be found here http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_food_safety/010910.html

“Since the FDA’s controversial decision to approve the use of rbGH, questions have only grown about its safety for humans,” said Dr. Michael Hansen, Senior Scientist for Food Safety for Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “HR 2121 interferes with consumers’ right to know what is in their food and how it’s produced and farmers and dairies have the right to tell them.” Consumers Union sent a similar letter to Sebelius urging her to veto the bill.

The required disclaimer would read: “the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined there are no significant differences between milk from cows that receive injections of the artificial hormone and milk from those that do not.” That statement is based on an 18-year-old FDA review; however, FDA’s own publications, as well as subsequent scientific studies have shown that there are significant differences, some of which may affect human health. The Kansas bill also goes against long-established Federal policy as outlined by the FDA in a July 27, 1994 letter to New York Department of Agriculture and Markets: “The bottom line is that a contextual statement is not required…and in no instance is the specific statement ‘No significant difference has been shown…’ required by FDA.”

In addition, the Legislature tacked on the dairy labeling rules of HB 2295 as a rider on HB 2121 without a hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee. This denied the numerous opponents of labeling restrictions the chance to testify. Even with the lack of proper debate, the bill barely passed the Senate by a 22-15 vote, just two votes short of failing, demonstrating that there is barely a mandate for labeling changes in Kansas.

“As she reviews this bill, and ascends to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we urge Governor Sebelius to veto this bill, protect the health of Kansas’ citizens, and to leave a legacy of support for the public interest, not special interests,” said Patty Lovera, Assistant Director at Food and Water Watch.

Due to growing consumer demand, companies are removing rbGH from their dairy products across the country. In addition, over 160 hospitals all over the country have pledged to serve rbGH-free products and the past president of the American Medical Association said in a letter to all AMA members that hospitals should serve only milk produced without rbGH.

“Kansas is taking a step in the wrong direction, as more than half of the 100 largest dairy processors in the country have gone partially or completely rbGH-free to satisfy consumer demand,” said Heather Whitehead, True Food Network Director at the Center for Food Safety. “If dairies decide not to label milk as rbGH-free due to these unnecessary labeling requirements, or decide not to sell their products in Kansas, citizens will be denied the chance to make informed choices about what kind of dairy products to buy.”

http://truefoodnow.org/2009/04/09/29-groups-urge-governor-sebelius-to-veto-bill-on-rbgh-milk-labeling-citing-concerns-for-food-safety-consumers-right-to-know-and-freedom-of-speech/

Challenges: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined there are no significant differences between milk from cows that receive injections of the artificial hormone and milk from those that do not......need I say more?

Triumphs: I aint drinkin milk!

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Strawberries. 3 nectarines. Walnuts.

Lunch: A beetroot, ginger, carrot, celery juice. A avocado. A mango.

Dinner: Organic free range chicken with a salad. The salad had edamame beans, radish, green lettuce, carrot. mmm mmm

Dessert: A mango. Strawberries.

Snacks: Strawberries! Yes lots of strawberries in Florida!

Exercise: A walk around a nice neighbourhood in Florida :)

213 days to go!!!

Day 153

Thoughts: Happy 50th Birthday JD! "You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old." -George Burns

My great friend Jamie Dalton turned 50 years old today! That is his body has lived in "JD" form on this earth for 50 years. And he looks like he's in his 30's. How? Jd does not eat dead organic matter...that is cooked food. Yes he is a rawist. Being a rawist means living a raw lifestyle, eating raw uncooked foods like. JD says "The healthy way of life is the way." Jd defies all odds with the common thinking of today that you've got to get sick before you can die, and to get sick, you've got to deprive your body of its essential elements of life.

Jd works in the music industry and is the guitarist for his band Coldstone. He does bikram yoga weekly, works out at the gym, meditates and is an advocate for eating raw foods. Cooking is also known to diminish the nutritional value of food, but where did the nutrients go? They don't diappear, instead, the heat actually causes chemical changes in your food creating many of the carcinogens, mutagens, free-radicals and other toxins that are associated with many of today's diseases, from diabetes and arthritis to heart disease and cancer. Heating food above 116 degrees F is believed to destroy enzymes in food that can assist in the digestion and absorption of food. Cooking is also thought to diminish the nutritional value and "life force" of food. The raw food diet is a diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed. Specific cooking techniques make foods more digestible and add variety to the diet, including: Sprouting seeds, grains, and beans, Juicing fruit and vegetables, Soaking nuts and dried fruit, Blending, and Dehydrating food. Muhammad Ali said ""Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are." Having a clean and healthy body assists in crisp healthy thoughts!

"The human body is a perfect machine, there is no reason for it to age, so why does it age? We are ageing ourselves." my friend and stunt co-ordinator Diana Mitchell. Do you unnecessarily complicate your life and your workout? We have, so much written about fitness. There are many fitness blogs and websites hehe inlcuding this one. Everyday we hear about a new fitness fad, new gadget and every day a new research comes up which tells that the previous one was wrong. Your own body is the best guide. It will tell you when to stop and when to push it further. Just listen to your own body. I spent years trashing my body with days eating junk and no exercise and then days detoxing my body and smashing it at the gym. My whole balance was totally out of whack. I look back now and squinch at the thought of ever doing this again. It was so tiring. I know if I kept heading down that road I would have aged very quickly. Author Kiran says "Keep your diet simple. What is easily available, fresh, seasonal produce, is nutritious and healthy and fun. Opting for processed and fancy foods will only make you tired, weak and age! Exercise for the love of it. Exercise because it makes you feel good, energetic, healthier, younger within. Do not exercise to loose 5 kg in one month. Exercise because then, you can sleep better, you look refreshed when you wake up, you stretch better, have a pep in your step, are free from ailments, have better skin."

Stress, as an example, is catabolic. When stress hormones prevail, cell proliferation and tissue growth are retarded. A cell cannot defend itself and grow at the same time. One process must prevail, and environmental conditions must match as well. By that I mean you cannot physically prosper under the burden of oversecretion of stress hormones. As one small example, look at how rapidly our presidents age after just a few years in office.

Time is not ageing us. Time is not toxic. We are.

Yes, aging appears a mystery, because science can’t find a single reason for it except gross neglect for a lifetime. That’s the only way to age yourself to death.

Jd says "health is like the bottom line. If you don't have your health you don't have anything." Well really...If you don't have your health then what do you have?

Check out this youtube interview I did with JD on the Earth Diet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCqlAHcYmTM

I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel. -Elizabeth Arden

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
-Bible

Jamie and Coldstone members with Australian Victoria Secret model Miranda Kerr.


Jamie and Craig from Coldstone being interviewed on the red carpet of the Australian Music Awards.


Jamie, myself, Stephanie Williams and Craig Green at the Australian Music Awards.


http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j44/ragnar.asp
http://kiransawhney.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/human-body-is-a-perfect-machine-let-it-remain-so/

Challenges: There is absolutely no reason for us to get old, grey, stiff, sick, have cancer and disease...unless of course we choose that and want that. We learn as soon as we are infants that as we get 'older' we should get grey and slow like Grandpa and Grandad, that when we get 'older' we have a chance of getting cancer, and that the average age of death is somewhere after 50 and before 100, and that to live to be 100 is an incredible accomplishment. We learn these things as it is a 'universal consciousness' at present. And perhaps if the majority of human beings on the planet were to believe that the human body is a perfect machine and only our minds have the capability of ageing, we could play with living 120+. I myself would love to live on this beautiful planet with you beings for hundreds of years ;)

Triumphs: I am living to be 120 years of age! And I will be healthy till the end ;)

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Hemp protein powder. A beetroot, carrot, celery, ginger juice. A avocado. Strawberries. A mango. Some grapefruit.

Lunch: Macadamias. 5 nectarines.

Dinner: Organic pork ribs with garlic and himalayan salt. Every now and then I will eat meat, and if I do it is organic free range. So the animals were not tortured nor fed crap to speed up their growth and life.

Dessert: Chocolate balls with walnuts.

Snacks: A nectarine

Recipe: Recipe for Chocolate Balls is in Blog Day 115.

Exercise: A walk around the Cypress neighbourhood in Florida :)

212 days to go!!!

Day 150

Thoughts: The Earth is filled with billions of human beings, and how many of these beings are actually courageous? Who can step out side of their small world, change up the rules a bit, make bold declarations and have a genuine passion and care for other human beings, animals and the home that we live on called Earth. Carolyn Wagner is one of these humans and now she takes on a 365 day challenge "The Earth Diet for Vegans". I created The Earth Diet 150 days ago, for me to eat only foods naturally provided by the Earth for 365 days total. This lifestyle means going back to basics, no chemicals, no processed foods, no additives, no chemicals, no artifical anythingness, no sugars, no chips, chocolates, and lollies, things I thought I would never give up! The Earth Diet means eating all the fruits, vegetables, nuts and meats I want...anything that the Earth naturally provides and hasn't been tampered with by man. I have discovered so many new things along the way about myself, about human beings, the earth, food, health, nutrition, animals and I could go on and on and on. I also discovered that most of the meat we eat today has come from unhappy and tortured animals that have been pumped full of anti biotics and hormones. While I still eat chicken and fish sometimes, Carolyn has taken on complete Vegan Earth Diet Challenge. I acknowledge you Caroyln for being such a courageous and unstopabble being, for these things don't just come naturally for a human being. It is much easier to not take on challenges I know, and what a boring existence that would be! Carolyn I acknowledge you for your committment for living a life you love, being healthy and inspiring others around the gobe. Here is Carolyn's first day...

(www.sometimesearthdiet.blogspot.com)-The Earth Diet For Vegans

Today I have started taking steps towards The Earth Diet created by my friend Liana Werner-Gray. I however will be putting my own spin on it. I will be experimenting with different ways that what I consume can effect the Earth. Everything I consume is always vegan. I am making the change gradually so that I will stick to it. As part of my transition to the Earth Diet I am also taking part in what I call a house diet. So anything I have previously purchased that is sitting in my house is elegiable for consumption. To reduce the wastage that would occur if I threw away all non earth diet products. However thanks to Chrisco I have about 10 tins of peas. I might put them in a homeless shelter collection. Then I'm killing two birds with one stone, no wastage and helping the needy. My first few weeks of blogs will be the transition period and then from that I will Earth Diet for a while, and I will also be experimenting with raw and detox diets. As a finalist for the Miss Earth Australia pageant this year I decided that it was about time I started eating a more eco friendly diet and taking on many other environmental challenges throughout the year. But having read that the food you eat is what affects your carbon footprint more than anything I thought this was the best place to start. The food you eat travels more miles in a gas guzzling truck or aeroplane than you would ever manage to drive or fly in your life. So my Sometimes Earth Diet will hopefully help people become more aware of what they are eating and where their food actually comes from.

Challenges- No caffeine!! No take away!! No deep fried product!! No potato chips!!! How will I ever manage. Got a headache throughout the day and really wanted some panadol.

Triumphs- I just did it. Pure and simple no caffeine, take aways or deep fried products. Slowly will be decreasing my sugar intake but I think my body is in shock from losing all the rest. Drank peppermint tea instead of taking panadol for my headache.

What I ate today-

Breakfast- Glass of water with lemon juice. 2 Vegan multivitamins, 1 cup tinned fruit salad, teaspoon of flaxseed oil, fennel and orange tea with organic soy milk, handful of cashews.

Lunch- Mediteranian cous cous- 1/2 cup cous cous, 1/4 chopped red onion, tblsp olives, tsp capers, 1/2 tsp organic garlic paste, three cherry tomatoes chopped, tsp pinenuts, 2 tblsp lentils, home grown cos lettuce leaf, home grown basil leaves.

Dinner- Lentils and rice- cup rice, 3/4 cup lentils, chopped red onion, cracked pepper, tsp apple cider vinegar, 2 home grown cos lettuce leafs and home grown basil.

Dessert- 1 cup tin fruit salad

Snacks- Peppermint tea with organic soy milk, 1 apple juice popper, dried apricot, tblsp organic sultanas, 50g almonds and macadamia mix, House of Biskota monte cream buscuit (Most amazing vegan biscuits ever), Cashews and Raw Peanuts.

Excercise- 50 star jumps and 10 minutes of yoga stretching.

Liana here now...
Challenges: When I am full of appreciation and love there is no room for challenges ;)

Triumphs: Thank you Carolyn for being alive and here on this planet :)

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: A beetroot, carrot, celery and ginger juice. 2nectarines.

Lunch: Peppermint tea. 1 nectarine. Chocolate balls with walnuts, recipe below.

Dinner: Japanese, raw salmon, edamame beans, miso soup.

Dessert: No dessert.

Snacks: Walnuts.

Recipe: Recipe for Chocolate Balls on blog Day 115.

Exercise: a 30 minute run to the park where I did some lunges and jumps up on a park bench :) It definately got my sweat up and heart beating...wooo Im alive!!!

215 days to go!!!

Day 151

Thoughts: The brain dead generation? Sceptism or realism?

Diana Mitchell was the fight choreographer for the “The Man In The Maze” and has worked in the film industry in fight and stunts for many years including “Kalifornia” with Brad Pitt. I had the privilege in chatting with her about the Earth Diet and the new generation.

What is your philosophy on eating?
Everything natural, no preservatives, no chemicals, if it wasn’t on the earth 200 years ago I don’t eat it. I have been living like this for at least 10 years. I’m allergic to chemicals and preservatives, wheat, dairy, peanuts and potatoes. I didn’t know I was allergic as a kid so I kept eating it and kept getting sick. People should know that chemicals are there and the side effects it can cause, especially in this country where they don’t want you to know, they are just going to the next generation. I’m scared for my niece and nephew. They don’t eat real food. My nephew has never eaten a raw food and he’s about to turn 6.

Why don’t they tell people?
People don’t care. It’s lazy and too much money in this industry.

Do you think it will go back natural for example how it was 200 years ago?
No it will get worse. Worse unless...I don’t think there is an end to it, that will be the means to the end of this country. This country will be destroyed within itself. Self destruct. We have become such a consumer country.

Until people care nothing good will happen. There is only a handful of people right now that do care.

You become brain dead and when you eat all these chemicals it dulls your senses. I look at food as medicine. And it doesn’t matter what religion you follow everything is out on this earth that you need so why would you want to create a chemical anything?

Chinese believe there is a cure for everything and that we make ourselves sick and that we can cure ourselves too.

What’s something a lot of people don’t know about?
DNA. We have been putting human DNA in vegetables and fruits since the 80’s in USA and in Scotland since the 60’s. They think they can make tomatoes survive better and they become more tolerant to weather. If it’s more human like it can survive better, is their thinking. I don’t see playing god, we can’t do better than god. And it’s making people sick and it’s killing people. I only eat organic. I would rather go hungry than eat food that has been touched. I use the whiteout idea, I don’t eat anything white. Sugars, flours, breads and rice are out.

I start the day with green tea and ginseng, I eat lots of fresh fruits and have 5-6 meals a day consisting mostly of raw foods. I also eat organic brown rice, and vegetables, authentic Japanese soy products, miso.

I don’t push it on anyone; everyone finds what works for them.

Does it make you mad the amount of chemicals in the foods?
I almost panic and want to tell everyone but I can’t.

There are a lot of overweight people here in the USA and I noticed in NYC there are hardly any obese people. Mississippi is the fattest state in the country and now the government has enforced obesity tax. Which I don’t think will stop them, the people that eat junk will keep buying it regardless of the price increase. They need to stop making it. I think the government wants to make money off it or if they really wanted to reduce obesity, they would stop making it.

The more poor they are the more junk they eat. Junk food is so cheap. Food Inc doco exposes the food industry. There was a couple other docos that got started in Atlanta and most were shut down, the manufactures and governments shut them down.



It’s beginning to look like a sci-fi movie. Our food IS being poisoned.

You can’t trust your own government and that’s scary.

There is more death attributed to obesity than any other deaths. Most diseases are heart disease, disease and cancer.

Someone asked me a dumb question once “don’t you ever cheat?” I replied with “cheat on who? Myself?! Haaa!

Real food tastes sooo good, fruits and vegetables taste so good! And people don’t know how good it tastes; they have never eaten it before without putting chemicals and things on it. If only they knew. I was eating broccoli last night and my brother came in and said aren’t you going to put something on that? and I’m like WHY???

A organic lifestyle keeps Diana Mitchell mentally and physically fit!

Challenges: The goverment label obesity tax on foods (a new system in USA) and we think they are actually doing something good but if you look into more, we would think, why don’t they just stop making junk food all together? Are they really concerned with obesity? To me it seems if they actually cared if people are dying from disease cancers and obesity they would stop making it all together. They are just making money off the fat people who they made fat in the first place.

Triumphs: I absolutely agree with Dianna, I would rather go hungry than eat something that has been touched. And that is a huge commitment, it is challenging especially at airports where there is nothing, it requires total preparation and commitment. Totally worth it.

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: strawberries. walnuts. chocolate balls on my way to set to film "Quaterlifers".

Lunch: a avocado with walnuts. carrots. a mango.

Dinner: A lobster. Raw cauliflower in olive oil and red capsicun.

Dessert: 3 nectarines. Chocolate balls with walnuts.

Snacks: Walnuts. 1/2 Avocado. 2 apples.

Recipe: Chocolate Balls recipe blog Day 115

Exercise: Working on the film set of "Quaterlifers", absolutely one of the BEST sets I have been on ;) loving the energy! Thankyou cast and crew especially Adam Fortner for being alive, passionate and bold! Search "Quarterlifers" - The Movie on Facebook :)



214 days to go!!!

Day 147

Thoughts: The next endangered species?

This blog thanks to Diana Mitchell who shined her light on this article and shared it with me and now I am sharing it with you...(www.thecampaign.org)

What are they doing to our food?

Over the past few years, an unprecedented large-scale experiment has been taking place with the world's food supply. Quietly and with very little media attention, giant "biotechnology" corporations have rapidly introduced genetically engineered foods into our food supply.

What are genetically engineered foods?
Genetic engineering creates entirely new types of plants by altering the genetic "blue print" of these crops. By cutting, joining and transferring genes between unrelated species, engineers develop plants with unique qualities.

At a first glance, it appears to be a "miracle of science". Agribusiness promise crops that are more resistant to freezing temperatires and stay on the vine longer for improved flavour. They promise fruits and vegetables grown with less dependence on chemical presticides. And by inactivating the enzymes that are responsible for rotting, they promise produce that will remain fresh longer without spoilage. However, if we take a closer look, we find that these promises came with hazardous side effects.

What are the dangers of genetically engineered foods?

It is a half-truth at best to say that genetically altered foods will require less pesticides. Many crops, in fact, will be sprayed with more pesticides, not less. A lot of plants cannot tolerate pesticides, so farmers don't use them on those crops. But new genetically engineered foods such Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybeans can directly sprayed with the herbicide Roundup. Researchers estimate that nearly 50 percent of the nation's soybeans are now genetically engineered!

Are genetically engineered foods threatening human health and the environment?

In the mad rush to profit from new technology, sometimes corners are cut, and long-term consequences are poorly understood. It turns out that the Monarch butterfly, a favourite of children everywhere, may be endangered by genetically engineered corn.

Recent laboratory tests conducted by a team of Cornell University researchers resulted in the deaths of nearly half the Monarch caterpillars that ate milkweed leaves dusted with pollen from a new brand of genetically engineered corn. The caterpillars died within four days of eating genetically contaminated pollen. No caterpillars that ate normal leaves without genetically altered pollen died.

This genetically altered corn, unfortunately, already has been planted on some 20 million acres of American farmlands since it's introduction a few years ago. In the spring, Monarch butterflies travel 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada passing through America's Corn Belt in the Midwest. Mating along the way, the Monarchs produce millions of caterpillars that feast on milkweed leaves, which frequently are covered with corn pollen blown by the wind from nearby cornfields.

Nineteen butterfly and moth species currently are on the EPA's endangered species list. Some of them also may be at the risk if they eat plants laced with genetically engineered corn pollen.

Challenges: If the butterflies are dying because of this, imagine what it is doing to us human beings? I can't imagine anything good. What other unkown environmental and health troubles might it cause as well? And it's crazy when I write "What are they doing to our food?" because it's like well who is the 'they' and the 'they' that are doing this are doing it to their own food, why would they do this? Unless they have their own organic farm and eat free of genetically engineered foods? The corporations promoting these foods claim they are safe. The United States goverment says they do not need to be label. But public opinion polls reveal that the vast majority of Americans want labeling.

Triumphs: Genetically engineered foods are being labelled increasinly worlwide. The European Union countries and Australia have passed legislation requiring labeling. It appears Japan and other countries will also require labeling. In a January, 1999 Time magazine poll, 81 percent of the respondents indicated they want genetically engineered foods labeled. If you and your loved ones

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Beetroot, carrot, celery, ginger juice.

Lunch: Sprouts (chickpeas, alfalfa, bean sprouts) with walnuts and an avocado.

Dinner: Indian, yellow rice with lentils and curry powder with dahl (cooked black lentils)

Dessert: No dessert.

Snacks: Walnuts.

Recipe: Recipe for Dahl is on blog Day 103

Exercise: Working on set "The Man In The Maze" ;) www.themaninthemaze.net

219 days to go!!!

Day 148

Cannabis, Weed, Hemp, Marijuana, Hash, Ganja...



Thoughts: Meet Brandon: pioneer, gardener, earth man, restaurant owner, husband, father of 6 girls, a Director of Photography and Key Grip in the film industry that I had the pleasure of working with on “The Man In The Maze”, and is a member of Cannabis Defence Coalition and the National Organization for reforming marijuana laws.







I hope this blog does justice in re-creating the 'out of the box' conversation we had today about the plant that we have been taught is evil and as such we either want it to be legalized so that we can use it, or we want to protect our young ones from it and we fear our neighbours may be using it. Regardless of what category you fall under, there is no denying that no other plant source can compare with the nutritional value of CANNABIS/HEMP/MARIJUANA....



(For definitions of hemp, cannabis, hash, marijuana see the bottom of this blog)



Hemp advocate Brandon says...



“People on earth are allergic to wheat and soy. But no one is allergic to hemp.



I always think that whatever the earth provides, it is naturally going to be better for us.”



DID YOU KNOW...what Brandon wants us to know about hemp/marijuana



•“You can give kids with autism hemp.” Of course governments would laugh at this, and at first I was thinking well Brandon that’s a bit crazy and then I realized how backwards my thinking is... Is it really that crazy giving a child with autism natural grown plant hemp compared to a bunch of machine made artificial chemical pills?



•“There are thousands of uses for hemp, some are...

• Hemp oil

• Hemp ice cream

• Hemp cereal

• Hemp tofu

• Hemp nut butters

• Hemp waffles

• Hemp milk

• Hemp seeds

• Hemp protein powder

• Hemp clothes

• Hemp bread

• Hemp paper

• Hemp is also a great pesticide for plants, it grows so thick and close to each other and builds a wall to keep other.



•"The government subsidizes corn which makes it equitable for farmers to grow (see tomorrows blog where I chat again with Brandon about corn and how it is not a natural food to this earth!). An acre would give, if you’re growing corn for bio diesel for example 1000 barrels would cost a lot of energy to produce, electricity, machinery, fuel, so hemp would produce 30,000 barrels of fuel and doesn’t need pesticides and fertilizers so it takes a lot less energy to produce from hemp. So if you want to save the planet and if you’re growing hemp to make paper, 1 acre of hemp would replace 5 acres of wooded forest." (So why aren't they using hemp? The answer is usually MONEY. )



•"William Hurst at the time owned The Times and the Enquirer, and the paper mill for their own newspapers were geared so it would costs millions of dollars to re-machine everything. That’s one of the reasons."



•Also DuPont who are responsible for antiseptics, plastics, disinfectants, non-stick pans, cancer, car parts, electronics, the list goes on and if you remember my blog from Day 30 I wrote about Teflon and wrote about a story that leaked how the Teflon causes cancer and deformities, and they actually responded to my blog. You see they have people doing their work and constantly monitoring the internet for anything that is ‘truth’ and in their eyes ‘negative’ publicity. Yes this blog is being watched, of course it is. The money makers on this earth don’t like my blog at all. So Brandon says "DuPont is the major manufacture of ammunitions (gun powder) in this country since the civil war and their philosophy to save the world of their natural resources. DuPont are responsible for inventing all the synthetics, rayon (fabric made from stabilized gun powder which we wear and don’t know about), polyester, pesticides for farms and is killing us. They have their fingers all over the place. So it was between DuPont, Hurst and Harry Anslinger that made hemp illegal. Harry’s job was to bust moonershiners and when alcohol went out of prohibition he didn’t have a job so he had a good friendship with Dupont and Hurst and the 3 of them made hemp illegal. Well it didn’t become illegal, they made it impossible for you to grow.”



•“The pharmaceutical companies don’t give you anything natural; if everyone was growing hemp the pharmacies wouldn’t make money.” (Pharmaceuticals are the biggest money making company in the world...billions and billions, and think about it, they only make money if you are sick). “They did start with hemp based medicines until the 40’s and 50’s. Because they make more money keeping you sick then they do if you’re healthy. And they are for profit, so I guess you can’t blame them for that right?"







"When this country was founded most of the clothes were made with hemp, and you actually had to pay taxes if you didn’t grow hemp, if you didn’t grow hemp you were in trouble. During World War 2, the government made a movie called “Hemp For Victory” where they encouraged farmers to grow hemp. You were considered a patriot if you grew hemp. Then after war ended they went back to synthetics and said no more of that."



•“Back in the early days Levis made their jeans from hemp, and when you couldn’t patch up your jeans or clothes any more they would recycle it into paper.”



•“If you get hemp paper and you rip it, you get it wet and it bonds back together like it was never wet! (Fascinating...I had to see this so Brandon did it right in front of my eyes ).”



•“Benjamin Franklin who had the first newspaper made it out of hemp. They don’t teach this to American kids.”



•“Thomas Jefferson the fourth US president on the $20 bill risked his life and the life of his service men smuggling hemp seeds from China. He wrote in his diaries that some of his fondest memories were smoking hemp on his veranda starring out to the sunset.”



•



•If marijuana is so dangerous then how it is the last 3 presidents elected admitted to smoking pot. Obama, Bush and Clinton.



•“Ronald Regan said the most dangerous thing about Marijuana is college kids reading books having conversations. Why do they put fluoride in our water knowing that when you drink fluoride it cuts off the creative side of your brain? So it’s almost as if they’re trying to get us into conformity.” I asked who’s they? “Our government is not run by the people, its run by a select handful of co operations.” How do they sleep at night? “That’s a good question too. Doesn’t that suck that they are keeping it from us? The single healthiest thing we can eat and it’s illegal to grow."



•“In USA it’s illegal to grow hemp. In Canada it’s legal. In Australia I’m pretty sure it’s legal to grow industrial hemp...14 states in the USA have legalized marijuana.”



•Brandon’s far from the only one vouching for marijuana. The father of Marijuana Jack Herer quoted "CANNABIS/HEMP/MARIJUANA is the only known plant that can be grown from the Equator to the Arctic Circle and... Antarctic Circle...no other plant source can compare with the nutritional value of CANNABIS/HEMP/MARIJUANA.” Herer is the author of The Emperor Has No Clothes (c. 1970), a book which has been used in efforts to decriminalize cannabis.



I have tried the hemp seeds on my salad and they were awesome, a fun crisp nutty flavour and full of protein. They are known as the superior plant protein, however the food co-corporations keep them hush hush as they make a lot more money using ‘protein’ to sell meat. Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. The seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, made into hemp milk (akin to soy milk), prepared as tea, and used in baking. The fresh leaves can also be eaten in salads. Hemp oil has been shown to relieve the symptoms of eczema (atopic dermatitis). Hemp Seed contains a large dietary supplement of omega-3, higher even than walnuts which contain 6.3% of n-3. These oils are known to improve memory and strengthen brain cells. Hemp oil has anti-inflammatory properties. The Hemp Seed contains more than 22% COMPLETE PROTEINS, which is highly digestible due to its globulin form, as edestin and albumin. For more information on hemp go to my blog Day 114.



Hemp- is the name of the soft, durable fiber that is cultivated from plants of the Cannabis genus, cultivated for industrial and commercial (non-drug) use



Cannabis -also known as ganja is a genus of flowering plants and has long been used for fibre (hemp), for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from Cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber and minimal levels of THC (Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol), a psychoactive molecule that produces the "high" associated with marijuana. The psychoactive product consists of dried flowers and leaves of plants selected to produce high levels of THC. Various extracts including hashish and hash oil are also produced from the plant.



Hashish also hash- is a preparation of cannabis composed of the compressed stalked resin glands called trichomes, collected from the cannabis plant.



Marijuana, marihuana, and ganja- refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug. The most common form of cannabis used as a drug is the dried herbal form.



The difference between hemp and marijuana...Both are forms of the plant cannabis sativa. They are essentially weeds that will grow in a wide variety of conditions, climates, and soil types. Over the years both plants have been used for a wide variety of uses. However, they are not the same. The difference in THC levels make hemp and marijuana a lot different. There are thousands of products that can be made from hemp. There is a difference in how hemp and marijuana is grown. Hemp is grown in rows one to two inches apart.



“Hemp and marijuana are the same plant; the only difference is how it’s grown. The further you place the plant away from each other the more THC it will produce, if you plant them close they will compete from sunlight. You can still get high from industrial marijuana 3%, medical marijuana has from 10 to 30%.” Says Brandon.



At the end of the interview I looked at Brandon and said “wow” and he goes ‘Yeah, that’s out of the box’.



http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Jack:Herer.html

http://theearthdiet.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-114.html

http://www.helium.com/items/833112-the-difference-between-hemp-and-marijuana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp_for_Victory

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751040/



Challenges: Brandson said "So if you want to save the planet and if you’re growing hemp to make paper, 1 acre of hemp would replace 5 acres of wooded forest." I’m shocked with this new information and so how come they’re not using hemp instead of slaughtering our forrests? As usual the answer is money. And the pharmaceutical companies don’t give you anything natural; if everyone was growing hemp the pharmacies wouldn’t make their billions of dollars. It makes me sick to think that if we are not sick they don't make any money. And then I think well I shouldn't 'feel' sick at that because then they are just getting what they want, more sickness in the world, so instead I do something about it and here's my blog! "And they are for profit, so I guess you can’t blame them for that right?"-Brandon. This bizarre paper type thing that we all seem to obsess over and has power over the human condition.



Triumphs: Thank you Brandon for sharing your knowledge with us. Just like you said, "doesn't it suck that they are keeping it from us? The single healthiest thing we can eat and it’s illegal to grow." And thanks to people like you creating awareness of this herbal plant, perhaps one day (soon) we can enjoy hemp that is readiy accessible to all humans.



What I Ate Today:



Breakfast: Beetroot, ginger, carrot, celery juice. A pear.



Lunch: Avocado with walnuts. Chocolate balls.



Dinner: Grilled salmon with cauliflower, brocoli, carrot and cabbage.



Dessert: Blue berries.



Snacks: No snacks.



Exercise: Working on set "The Man In The Maze" www.themaninthemaze.net



217 days to go!!!