tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12097763794123157552024-02-18T21:30:50.433-08:00VITALFLOWA place to let VITAL information about healthy living FLOW.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-35197944579506321862012-06-14T11:32:00.001-07:002012-06-14T14:34:47.878-07:00The Third Biological LawI'll be honest, writing about the 5 Biological Laws has been a challenge and taking long breaks in between posts has been less than ideal. But I started this series and I am going to finish it. It's been a challenge but it's allowed me to gain a different perspective on health and disease, which I want to share with whoever cares to read this. Then I go back to writing about things like the health benefits of eating Kale. So here we go....<br />
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The Third Biological Law. Through this law we get to understand that the location of the concentric rings in the brain, the symptoms in the organs or other parts of the body and the biological conflict are related. If you remember, in the last post I spoke about the DHS (the Biological Shock) starting a SBS (Special Biological and Sensible program), which runs simultaneously on three levels: The psyche, the brain (concentric rings seen on brain CT) and the organ. We can make a connection when we place this in the context of the embryonic and evolutionary development of the human body. The third law outlines how and when cell proliferation (growth) or function augmentation occurs in our bodies. The understanding of this law relies on embryology, the study of the human embryo as well as evolutionary theory. Here we learn that different tissues are connected (and controlled by) different parts of the brain. Throughout evolution we have become more complex beings and you may know that the more basic functions are controlled by the brain stem, which is the old brain, whereas other functions or parts are controlled by the outer layers of the brain. The following illustration shows very specifically what parts of our bodies are connected, in other words these body parts are grouped together because they share the same origin in terms of their embryological <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">development and they react the same throughout the various phases following a biological conflict.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While the ectoderm germ layer is very clearly part of the new brain and the endoderm layer part of the old brain, the mesoderm is actually split between old and new. The cerebral medulla is part of the new brain, while the cerebellum is controlled be the old brain. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is important because Special Biological Programs controlled by the new brain all reduce function and create cell loss or necrosis in the conflict active phase. On the other hand, those SBS controlled by the old brain (the brainstem and the cerebellum) do the opposite, they cause cell proliferation and increase function during the active phase of a conflict and after resolution processes occur that help get rid of the cells that are no longer needed. The following illustration may help:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The understanding of this law allows us to see that there is growth of cells to respond to an active conflict and there is cell growth to repair tissue that has lost cells due to an active conflict that has been resolved. Both, however, are biologically sensible. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, rather than seeing cell growth or other symptoms as either malignant or due to a total deficiency of the immune system, we can understand these processes in the context of the phases of the biological conflict. We can realize that we are in an active conflict phase and seek to resolve it quickly or we can understand that the conflict has in fact been resolved, that we are experiencing the body's repair process and seek to alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you wish to read more about the Third Biological Law and get detailed information about the specific body parts and where they fit in this context, you can check out the following link:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://learninggnm.com/documents/thirdlaw.html#pdf">http://learninggnm.com/documents/thirdlaw.html#pdf</a></span>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-52123026710267613392012-03-08T15:43:00.001-08:002012-03-08T15:43:40.634-08:00The Second Biological LawMy intention was to write more often and move through this subject matter faster, I apologize for the long wait time in between posts but I am too busy with my ski guiding job and can only produce blog posts when I have time off. So here we go...<br />
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I think before I launch into the second biological law, I am going to briefly talk about how Dr. Hamer came to make any of these discoveries in the first place. Dr. Hamer experienced a very powerful DHS, a very tragic event in his life. It was the sudden death of his son Dirk Hamer (hence DHS - Dirk Hamer Syndrome). He developed testicular cancer after this event and could not help but think that there may be some correlation. He began interviewing female patient who had ovarian cancers and found that not only did all of them also experience a DHS, but the conflict content was also similar: the loss of a loved one. He then went on to study embryology (the study of embryonic growth) and began piecing together conflict content with parts of the body. At the same time he discovered that the brain, which of course runs all of the body's processes, also physically manifested the existence of an active conflict. This happens in the form of concentric rings in the specific region of the brain that controls the affected organ. This means that when a DHS activates a Special & Biologically Sensible program (SBS), this program runs on three levels: The brain, the psyche and the organ. But let's talk about the Second Biological Law.<br />
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The Second Biological Law covers the two phases of every Special & Biologically Sensible program. Every SBS, if it is successfully resolved has two phases. The first phase is described as sympathicotonic, which is the Active Conflict phase. The second phase is described as vagotonic or reparation phase, which occurs after the conflict is resolved.<br />
So starting with the DHS, we enter the first phase of the SBS program, sympathicotonia or it is also called the cold phase. We are tense, think almost obsessively about the conflict, our blood vessels are constricted (hence we have cold hands and feet) and our body releases noradrenalin and we can't sleep well. During this phase we generally don't feel any other symptoms and the phase ends with the resolution of the conflict. The duration of the AC (Active Conflict) phase depends on our capacity to resolve the conflict and the duration of the next phase corresponds directly to the length and intensity of the first phase.<br />
This should help explain why earlier examples of small DHS experiences such as opening a bathroom door of an occupied stall don't result in the development of any disease. The DHS is experienced, I enter an active conflict state and immediately resolve the conflict therefore there is very little or no need for a repair phase.<br />
The Post-conflictolysis phase, which is the phase after the conflict has been resolved is where things get 'interesting'. This is when we experience most symptoms and it is the phase we generally call disease. This phase is described as vagotonic and is characterized as a hot, expansive phase with fatigue, swelling, aches, pains, fever and the dilation of blood vessels. The duration of this phase, again, depends on how long, intense and hard the Active Conflict phase had been. According to this new knowledge we cannot shorten this phase, you can't heal the healing. We can only contain some of the most important symptoms, modulate the excessive vagotonia and help the patient by relieving some of the symptoms. But ultimately the body has to repair itself. If we reactivate the conflict, following recurrences become much longer in duration and are diagnosed as chronic or autoimmune diseases. The following diagram helps illustrate the various phases.<br />
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The epileptioid crisis is a turning point in the recovery phase, where the body experiences a short return to conflict active phase. Examples of an epileptoid crisis include sneezing, vomiting, muscle cramps, an actual epileptic crisis and even a heart attack. The epileptiod crisis can be dangerous of the conflict was very intense and resolution sudden. </div>
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So far we have discussed the DHS and how it is be starting point for the activation of SBS programs. We talked about the fact that these programs run on three levels simultaneously: The brain, the psyche and the organ. Finally we discussed how the SBS programs run in specific phases. Up next we will check out the third biological law which explains how different types of tissue change their function depending on their phase: Active Conflict, Post Conflictolysis or the end of the SBS program.</div>
<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-72247479690189848112012-02-06T10:01:00.000-08:002012-03-08T14:07:22.593-08:00The First Biological LawIn my last post I set the stage by talking about the fundamental shift in thinking required by the 5 Biological Laws. I used the analogy of changing the room and mentioned that to explore this new concept you have to fully step into it and resist the temptation to evaluate it with one leg still in the previous room. Doctors are fully committed to their understanding of health in order to do their work. Their understanding is based on a 'mechanical' model where outside forces 'attack' the body or parts break because of some genetic coding (aka bad luck). You could imagine that if a doctor or scientist held on to the old paradigm of disease as a result of sin it would be difficult for them to really understand or accept the current 'mechanical' model. The 5 Biological Laws open the door to an entirely new way of practicing medicine where the patient no longer simply hands over his body to be 'healed' by the doctor. Instead the patient and doctor, together, determine the exact cause of the symptoms, the current phase of the process and the doctor then has the ability to support the patient and alleviate some of the symptoms. Using the 5 Biological Laws it is possible to gain a much more accurate understanding of why we get sick instead of a myriad of possible causes. One of the fundamental views held by Hamer is that nothing in nature happens by chance or accidentally. He refused to accept that just because something was present 50 or 60 percent of the time a certain disease developed, that this could be described as the cause. We don't have biological fathers 60 percent of the time, we have a biological father and mother 100 percent of the time. So he applied the same rigorous standard to his research, demanding that each law be verifiable in 100% of patients.<br />
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So, the first biological law creates an understanding regarding the origin of disease. The cause of disease is a very precise event, defined by Hamer as a biological conflict. Again, a different room all together, not a weak immune system, genetic coding (aka bad luck), but a precise experience. Disease is also not caused by generic stress or psychological conflict either. These areas have been the subject of psychosomatic research but are no more accurate than the field of genetics where because a certain gene is present and active in SOME of the cases it is determined to be a cause.<br />
The origin of all disease, from the common cold to cancer, according to the first biological law is a biological conflict, which is defined as<b> </b>an <b>"acute shock - an unexpected, dramatic event, experienced with a sense of isolation."</b> Hamer named this "shock" DHS, which stands for Dirk Hamer Syndrome, to honor the memory of his son who died in a tragic accident, an event which caused Hamer to begin his research.<br />
It is important to point out that the biological conflict has very specific qualities as mentioned above, these are as follows:<br />
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1. It is immediate and unexpected, therefore the mind has no time to fully contemplate the event. It is not something you see coming, but an unexpected event that catches you off guard.<br />
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2. It is acute in the sense that it happens in a fraction of a second.<br />
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3. At the time of this event, the person feels detached from the world and experiences that moment with a sense of solitude.<br />
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An example of a small, insignificant "shock" is if we open the door to a public washroom, which someone forgot to lock and find ourselves face to face with the occupant. In an instant our body reacts on several levels. We hold our breath, muscles contract, adrenalin is released and all of this happened without us thinking it through and planning our reaction. The biological shock, or DHS, is not a bad thing. Life is full of them and our bodies have adapted to them by reacting in a way that helps us overcome the conflict in a timely manner. Think of a mouse that sees a cat, it doesn't think about the best way to deal with this situation, it just runs. Automatically its body releases adrenalin, increases its heart rate, constricts its veins and increases the performance of its lungs. The state following the experience of a DHS is called sympathicotonia, where you experience vasoconstriction and therefore have cold hands and feet, increased heart rate and have difficulty sleeping or eating and obsessively think about the problem until you can solve it. This makes sense from a biological, evolutionary view point, which is why Hamer called the body's responses to these conflicts SBS - Special and Biologically Sensible programs (instead of disease).<br />
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In our culture, we hold the belief that only the intellect analyses, processes and organizes situations. Hamer, however, is talking about a direct, biological, unfiltered feeling. And he supports his view with the study of evolution. So when he speaks of a biologically sensible program, it is sensible for survival, for adaptation and the preservation of the species. Hamer uses simple animal language in order to describe these biological conflicts such "being unable to mark the territory", "sensing danger (as in the sense of smell)", "being unable to swallow or digest" etc. Of course we experience these situations differently today than we would have earlier in our evolution, or how other animals still experience them today. For example "missing a morsel of food" for an animal actually means starvation, whereas we can have the same experience when we go bankrupt, lose our job or our home because those situations threaten our ability to provide food and shelter for us and our families.<br />
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At the moment of the DHS, the body experiences a situation that is very significant from a biological viewpoint. All the elements of that situation, so the smells, sounds, objects, food that was ingested are registered by the body in a framework along the with the context of the emotional content. From then on, any one of these elements can remind the body and reactivate the same SBS. This is called a "conflicting track" which covers allergies, chronic diseases and auto-immune diseases. This will be covered futher, later on.<br />
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For now lets look at some examples to help us with our understanding so far. An animal that is experiencing a starvation conflict react with cell proliferation in the liver in order to better digest what little food it may find. As mentioned, humans can experience the same biological conflict in situations such as a job loss. The biological conflict is subjective to the experience, not the event. In other words, two people can have different experiences of the same event. One person may have a "starvation conflict" because the job is clearly the means to put food on the table, while another person looses their job and feels "devalued". Both experiences are biologically, fundamentally different and will activate different responses in the body.<br />
Here is another example: A mother goes to the grocery store with her son. While she is shopping, she looses track of her child and all of a sudden notices that he is gone. Any parent who has experienced this kind of situation can probably confirm that the experience is <b>acute, dramatic, and experienced with a sense of isolation.</b> The shopping list no longer exists and the experience is all consuming, heart is racing etc. At this point the experience of the mother determines the activation of the SBS. The mother may feel as though the child was "torn from her breast" because on the way in she perceived someone looking at the child in a suspicious way and in this case the activated program would be one related to the milk ducts. However, she may feel "devalued" because she did not pay close enough attention to her child and this would result in the activation of a program related to the skeleton. If she felt a great sense of urgency to "act quickly" her thyroid glands may become involved.<br />
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The point here is that, what is important is the persons experience rather than the event itself. The biological conflict of the experience relates to the biological function of the affected system. For example, the urinary system is in charge of gathering and expelling urine, but biologically it is also used to "mark one's territory". If this relates to the content of a biological conflict such as when my boss tells me to take down the pictures I've hung up in my office, then it is possible that a SBS is activated that is in charge of the urinary track's epithelium. Now, if the conflict is intense enough and lasts for a long enough time, then the resolution may involve a cystitis or urethritis.<br />
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At this point I want to finish this post with the following clarification. Not every time we experience a DHS do we develop detectable symptoms, the intensity and duration of the conflict determine the intensity and duration of the SBS and we will go into more depth about the course of events following a DHS.<br />
Also, I am not saying that diseases are not potentially dangerous or life threatening. But I do believe they are misunderstood processes under the current medical model and the understanding of the 5 biological laws can offer a more precise approach that also allows the patient to deal with symptoms without being filled with confusion, frustration or consumed by blind fear and panic.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-57757686479481924772012-01-29T07:21:00.000-08:002012-02-06T08:46:21.162-08:00The 5 Biological Laws - A New Paradigm for MedicineI haven't written anything in a while and now I am about to launch in a somewhat daunting task of writing about the 5 Biological Laws. Part of the reason I haven't been writing is because I often wrote about topics I was currently reading about. Well, for the past few months I have been mostly reading about this topic and I just haven't felt ready to dive into this one. Actually I still don't feel ready and I hope I don't botch this one, but here we go...<br />
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The next few blog entries will be my attempt to provide an understanding of the 5 Biological Laws as discovered by Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer. I am using the book 'Disease is another thing!' (I imagine the title is somewhat less awkward in italian...) written by Marco Pfister and Simona Cella. The 5 Biological Laws, which were called 'New Medicine' by Dr. Hamer, give an entirely new understanding of how diseases develop. It answers both how and why we get sick and requires a complete shift in paradigm of medicine. To describe what I mean by shift in paradigm, let me share the analogy used in the book of "changing the room". Our fundamental view on health is that of a battle field, where our immune system fights disease which is "bad". Now, whether you have a completely allopathic view and believe that diseases must be fought with aggressive drugs and surgeries or prescribe more to the naturopathic / holistic view of treating the whole person, supporting the immune system in order to heal the person, fundamentally the view point remains the same. That is: the disease is bad and needs to be fought. To get back to the my analogy, you can re-arrange a bunch of furniture and even bring in a whole bunch of new furniture, but ultimately you are still in the same room, a room that is defined by the philosophy of the battle field. What the 5 Biological Laws require is that you step into a completely different room. This of course can be a challenge because you will be tempted to evaluate this new room based on what you learned in the previous one. In other words, if you've always known the world to be the center of the universe and flat, then the thought of a round planet that orbits the sun can be a challenge.<br />
So I hope for those who read the next few blog entries, that you will allow yourself to step into a new way to look at health and what we call disease. If you find yourself intrigued, I hope you will explore this subject a bit further. I will do my best to provide you with some more resources in English. I also want to caution you from looking up Dr. Hamer on Wikipedia and forming your opinion on this entire subject solely on what you find there.<br />
Finally, I want to clarify that the 5 Biological Laws are not a new form of treatment or therapy. They are a set of laws that provide an entirely different framework for describing the complex and complicated phenomena of "health" and "disease". The beauty of them lies in their simplicity as well as in the fact that they are verifiable by everyone. Once you fully understand this subject matter (and this may require a bit more than simply reading the next few blog entries here) you will be able to verify these laws next time you 'catch and cold' for example.<br />
So I hope you will allow yourself to be challenged in your views and go on a journey with me. Remember that if history has taught us anything, it's that chances are, what we currently know to be the truth isn't really. At some point, it was believed that disease was punishment from god for our sins and thank goodness we got over that one! (at least most us did...) So, give this a try and see if this can serve us as a better model for explaining what happens in our bodies.<br />
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<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-68846061157229661502011-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:08:03.826-08:00Food Inc.I watched Food Inc. yesterday. It's a documentary about our food supply and an absolute must-see! I don't really know what to say other than: Watch It! Sometimes I find myself having conversations with people and I tell them that I don't eat a lot of meat, I am not an all out vegetarian but might not have meat for weeks and when I cook it's mostly vegetarian and fish. Then, sometimes I get the comment: Well, what's wrong with meat? Because the general impression that most people seem to have is that maybe they should cut down on the amount of sugar they eat, or fast food they eat but meat from the grocery store is good for you.<br />
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But really, it's not "What's wrong with meat?" it's "What isn't wrong with it?". The implications of the our food choices go far beyond our own health and affect the treatment of workers as well as the environment. And yes, once again, choosing organic, locally grown food costs more. But it is a vote you cast. A vote that has an impact. Big stores like Walmart and Superstore are carrying more and more organic products and with the purchasing power of these giants the implications are huge. It means millions of tons of pesticides and other chemicals NOT dumped into the soil. It also clearly supports, of course, farmers in your local area.<br />
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At any rate, I highly recommend this film. In Canada you can get it on Netflix and I sure you'll find other ways to watch it as well.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-47493966821146133652011-12-05T13:34:00.001-08:002011-12-05T13:38:10.676-08:00The power of vulnerability<br />
This was shared with me in response to my last post. I wanted to share it here because I know that some of my readers are not connected to me through Facebook and may not have seen this yet. Enjoy.<br />
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<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-67807201987078924862011-12-04T18:39:00.001-08:002011-12-04T18:39:50.455-08:00The Value of VulnerabilityI recently learned a wonderful life lesson. I learned this from my students. This happened (in part) when I, recently, attended what is called the Thompson Rivers University, Adventure Guide Program 'Pin Party'. I teach whitewater kayking, swiftwater rescue and rafting at TRU and have done so for about 4 or 5 years. Adventure grads are notorious for not showing up to grad ceremonies because these events are usually when they are already working somewhere on the rivers, oceans or in the mountains. Therefore, the pin party was created. It takes place in November when all adventurous activities become dreadfully wet and cold; and it's generally in between commercial guiding seasons. Instructors, students, grads and former student then gather in the gear bay (a giant room filled with kayaks, rafts, canoes etc) and grads are presented with a TRU Adventure Programs pin. We all cheer, watch slide shows of recent adventures and generally rejoice in the magic of this place.
It was at this recent event that I had a conversation with one of my former students, who told me how I had had a tremendous impact on his life. He told me that he had made several lifestyle changes lately such as paying attention to what he eats, making meditation part of his life and writing a mission statement for his life. He told me that all of this began, for him, with a conversation him and I had in the spring. I had talked to him about my personal journey. I talked about cancer, meditation, nutrition and personal growth & development.
It was that evening, because of that conversation that I had a realization about this life lesson. But there were other experiences that led me have this epiphany.
Over the past few years of teaching kayaking I had the incredible privilege of teaching some very talented boaters. Some of them, had far more natural talent than I, they were younger, more graceful than I. The first time this happened to me, I had second-year student as an assistant on a Kayak 1 course (the beginner level kayak course). At the time I felt threatened by this better kayaker. I felt out of shape and a bit rusty at the time and I struggled to deal with this situation.
The following year I had a student in the Kayak 2 course who was clearly a much more talented boater than me. Thankfully it was so obvious, because I now had to adjust my entire approach right from the start rather than struggle with a threatened ego for the whole course. I realized that I wouldn't be able to out perform this student. But what he had in talent, I had in experience. Especially teaching experience. I had spent a lot of time honing my detection and correction skills. Being able to look at a complex movement and determine what could be done to improve it. So I decided to take a coaching approach to my teaching. I did not pretend to be the better boater, instead I said: "Here is what we want to learn, let me provide you with a location and specific challenge to help you master this skill". Then I provided feedback and everynow and then I would challenge myself to give it a go. Sometimes I did well, other times I wasn't as smooth and when that happened I provided my opionion as to why that happened.
At the end of the course, this student told me that I had been his favorite instructor and that he had learned so much from me. As it turns out I learned just as much from him.
So the life lesson I took away from all of these experiences is this:
The value of vulnerability.
I can have a much greater impact, when I am vulnerable. When I don't pretent to have it all figured out, know all the answers or possess all the skills, others are able drop those same barriers and allow themselves to step up. Great conversations happen from a place of vulnerability, because we all have our struggles, our doubts, fears and pain. When you allow yourself to be vulnerable you are really open and you allow others to do the same. Then, the magic happens.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-15497333433209921292011-11-24T10:24:00.001-08:002011-11-24T10:24:47.635-08:00The Solution To Pollution Is Dilution!I was reminded of the importance of letting some fresh air into the house. We all appreciate fresh air when we get outside of the city or town where we live. Anytime we get outside for a walk, maybe up in the hills above the valley floor I think most of us take in a deep breath and appreciate the clean fresh air. Many of us, depending on where we live, pay attention to air quality ratings. Fewer people consider the indoor air quality. Because the air in our homes comes, of course, from outside it is often more polluted than the outside air unless we let some frash air in. This is because once the air is in the house, we add pollutants to it in the form of hair spray, perfumes, cleaning products, off-gassing from adhesives, paint, furniture carpets, cooking etc. In addition to that, there are organic pollutants like dust mites, molds and other micro-organisms which, along with good old dust add to the pollution of the air inside our homes.
There are ways to deal with all of this pollution of course. One way is to filter the air and in a lot of North American homes air is circulated through a forced air heating and AC system. Those who own their own home may have options available in terms of upgrading the furnace or installing additional air filters. But many people live in older houses or don't have the option of installing an expensive air filtration system.
The other two options are much cheaper: reduce or eleminate the sources of pollution and LET SOME FRESH AIR IN! Ways to reduce pollution in your home include eliminating many of the common house hold cleaning products. There are natural ways to clean, using vinegar and natural soaps. Norwex has a line of micro fibre cloths that require only water to effectively clean almost any surface (go to florianscharlock.norwex.biz for more info).
And then you can open some windows and let some fresh air in! My grandmother used to open the windows to her bedroom every morning and lay the down pillows on the window sil. She'd let both the bedroom and pillows air our for 1/2 hour to 1 hour, while keeping the door closed as to not let all the heat from the whole house escape. Making a habbit of opening the windows in your bedroom to let fresh air in every day will ensure your bedroom remains a healthy place for you to rest.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-76989126186116013622011-11-13T09:55:00.001-08:002011-11-13T10:26:18.144-08:00Death by Doctor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook and I am thankful she shared it. I knew that allopathic medicine is responsible for more deaths than the diseases it attempts to cure but Dr. Peter Gilden does very fine job of outlining the reality we live in and how we got here. It's just a short video, but great food for thought so I hope that you will take the 5 min. and watch it.</div>
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<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-68536113779836613602011-10-16T22:38:00.001-07:002011-11-13T10:26:45.824-08:00All the crap in personal care products... Part 1Ruby from Valemount suggested that I write about harmful chemicals in make-up. I am on my way to San Diego today and saved a number of articles and websites about this topic to read while traveling. I knew a bit about this subject but it's been eye opening to read more about it. One of the resources I used was David Suzuki's website www.davidsuzuki.org where he lists the "Dirty Dozen" chemicals in personal care products. A common thread throughout this document is that regulations of the various chemicals are much more lax in Canada than they are in other parts of the world such as Europe. Some chemicals, which are banned for use in cosmetics in Europe, are not regulated at all here. For others, the allowed concentrations are ten or hundred fold of what is considered safe in Europe. Maybe people in Europe are just weaker than us Canadians? After all, people are not the same everywhere! Apparently school children can run away from cars much faster in Saskachewan where the speed limit in school zones is 40 km/h instead of the 30 km/h here in BC.
All joking aside, the amount of harmful chemicals in cosmetic products isn't funny at all. I guess what happened is, back in the 1930s we thought that our skin was pretty well impermeable. Add to that an ever increasingly eager chemical industry and an underfunded regulatory body and you end up with carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, toxic chemicals in products that claim to be good for you. If you think that government agencies such as Health Canada or the Food and Drug Administration in the US test everything for it's safety you are sadly mistaken. While the process is quite rigorous for new medications to get on the market and thorough and expensive testing is required, no testing is needed for chemicals that are used in cosmetic products. The few chemicals that do get tested are rarely assessed for their long term effects on human health and never in combination with any other chemicals. And while the concentrations for some of these compounds are relatively low, they are often persistent, meaning that they do not break down quickly in the environment and often stay in the body for some time. Also, we use so many different products that while concentrations can be low in individual products, they add up. When it comes to fragrances, companies don't even have to disclose any of the chemicals because fragrances are considered trade secrets. That means you don't have any idea what's in a products that smells nice. Some 3,000 chemicals are used in fragrances and even products that are labeled 'Unscented' or 'Fragrance-free' often contain fragrance chemicals as well as masking agents that prevent the brain from perceiving odor.
If you want to find out more about the specific chemicals so that you can take a look at the ingredients in some of the products in your bathroom cupboard check out this link: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals/
The major concerns with these harmful chemicals fall into these categories: Some of them are known carcinogens or are associated with causing cancer. Others are called endocrine disruptors because they interfere with hormone function. Some are straight up poisonous and last but not least most of them are untested and we have no clue what they do to us, especially long term.
I am descending into San Diego, so I will have to continue with this tomorrow. I am not done, so stand by for more....Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-12433131304026029892011-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:002011-10-14T17:25:22.574-07:00Sprouted Grain BreadI got a suggestion to write about sprouted grain bread. Maybe you've seen bread at the store that advertised it was made from sprouted grains like it's a good thing. Maybe you've bought some and figured you doing your body some good but your not quite sure why exactly sprouted grains are better than regular whole wheat bread. If you know all about sprouted grains, stop reading right now and go do something valuable with your time!<br /><br />I did a little bit of reading about sprouted grains and here is what I found out. Flour made from sprouted grains provides more protein, vitamins and minerals than refined flours. The grains gain more nutritional value during sprouting. As the seeds germinate, certain enzymes are activated that begin to break down the seed. This increases the availability of certain vitamins and minerals. Bread made from sprouted grain flour is also easier to digest, because the enzymes have already begun to break down some of the starches. The same goes for gluten; most sprouted grain bread is low gluten or gluten free. Sprouted grain bread is also much lower on the glycemic index than other breads, especially white bread. This is important not just for diabetics, blood sugar spikes cause all kinds of trouble in our bodies.<br /><br />Give it a try, you might find it's delicious as well as healthy!<br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-57036468640909656632011-10-11T20:57:00.001-07:002011-10-11T20:57:55.822-07:00Taking little stepsI heard through the grape vines that someone had read my blog and ended up feeling guilt ridden about not eating 100% organic and following all the recommendations I've made here. So, I just wanted to go on the record and say that, my intention is not to make anyone feel like that! I have been driven to take some drastic measures by the threat of death.... basically. I changed my diet and lifestyle dramatically when cancer was spreading and growing. And it was still a journey of a thousand little steps, when things got serious some steps were more like leaps but nonetheless, it took a lot of steps.<br />And I also want to say that I cannot claim to be perfect or walk the talk everyday. I have some general rules for myself, in terms of what I eat and what I do, but of course I break them every now and then.<br />I hope that anyone who reads this blog will find some information or a recipe that helps them or inspires them to take one step toward better health. So I guess what I am trying to say is, take what you like and leave the rest.<br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-77255925743519935922011-10-11T18:11:00.001-07:002011-10-11T18:11:32.313-07:00HappinessJenna suggested I write about The Happiness Advantage, a term and also a book by Shawn Achor. Most of us think that we'd be happier if we were more successful, but there is ample research that shows the opposite is true. Being happier makes us more, creative, intelligent, successful and healthy. In his book, Achor provides concrete ways to be happier and one of them seems appropriate to write about right now. Being grateful makes us appreciated what we have and that makes us happier. So, one way to become happier is to keep a Gratitude Journal and write down 3 things a day you are grateful for. Since we just celebrated thanksgiving, why not try and keep the gratitude going?<br /><br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-64488308650486622372011-10-09T15:50:00.001-07:002011-10-11T18:15:36.887-07:00Pumpkin PieThis recipe is taken from the 'The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook' by Marjorie Hurt Jones, R.N. and it is DELICIOUS!!!<br /><br />Nut and Seed Crunch Crust<br /><br />½ cup brown rice flour<br />½ cup ground nuts<br />¼ cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds<br />1 tbsp arrowroot<br />½ tsp ground cinnamon<br />2 tbsp water<br />2 tbsp veg oil<br />1 tbsp honey<br /><br />preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine the flour nuts, seeds, arrowroot, and cinnamon. <br />In a small sauce pan combine the water, oil and honey. Heat over low heat until the honey liquefies. Pour over the flour mixture, and stir with a fork until well combined. <br /><br />Place in a 9” pie plate. Press firmly into place with your fingers, spreading to cover the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Pat top into a straight edge. <br /><br />For baked crust: bake for 18-20 min or until lightly brown. Cool before filling. <br /><br />For unbaked crust: bake for 8 minutes, add desired filling and finish baking as the filling recipe directs.<br /><br />Nutty Pumpkin pie with honey<br /><br />½ cup brazil or cashews<br />1 ¼ cup boiling water<br />1 1/3 cup pumpkin puree. <br />½ cup honey or agave nectar<br />½ tsp ground cinnamon<br />¼ tsp grated nutmeg<br />¼ tsp ginger<br />¼ tsp salt<br />1/8 tsp cloves<br />3 tbsp arrowroot<br />2 tbsp cool water<br /><br />in a blender grind the nuts to a fine powder. With the motor off, scrape the bottom of jar with a spatula and blend again. Add ½ cup of boiling water and process for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ¾ cup boiling water and blend for 10 -20 sec.<br /><br />Add the pumpkin, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and cloves, blend well. <br /><br />In a 3 quart saucepan, dissolve the arrowroot in the cool water. Stir in the pumpkin mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat and cook for 3 min. Remove from heat, let cool until lukewarm. And pour into the baked pie shell. Chill for a few hours before serving. <br /><br />Variations: replace half the honey with molasses. Or mix up the crusts!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-88048270155855081042011-10-08T17:51:00.001-07:002011-10-09T15:54:10.965-07:00Black Bean SoupThis easy to make, low glycemic, healthy and delicious meal is from the book 'Low Glycemic Meals in Minutes' by Laura Kalina and Cheryl Christian. For more low glycemic recipes and information check out their website at www.LowGImeals.com.<br /><br />Ingredients: makes 8 servings<br /><br />2 tbsp vegetable oil<br />2 stalks celery, chopped<br />1 large onion, chopped<br />3 medium carrots, chopped<br />3 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />1 tbsp ground cumin<br />1 can (28 oz/796 ml) diced tomatoes<br />6 cups water (or broth)<br />2 cans (19 oz/540 ml) black beans, rinsed and drained<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (or to taste)<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />1. In a large pot, sauté celery, onion, carrots and garlic in the oil until softened. Stif in cumin and sauté 1 minute longer.<br /><br />2. Stir in the tomatoes, water (or broth) and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.<br /><br />3. Add salt and hot pepper flakes to taste.<br /><br />4. Serve topped with a spoonful of plain yogurt or fresh salsa (optional).<br /><br />This soup keeps up to 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer. You can substitute any other type of canned beans in place of black beans. To give a smoother texture, ladle out a portion of the soup and mash with a potato masher or purée with a blender, then stir back into the soup.<br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-14016597586996442522011-10-04T21:18:00.000-07:002011-10-04T21:18:24.407-07:00Philosophical ranting about kayaking...I have been paddling for close to two weeks. So I find myself staring at the computer screen and all that is on my mind is the experiences I have had on the river. I went up to Mount Robson to paddle with friends in between teaching kayaking courses. The most powerful experience on that little adventure was getting out of my boat and swimming out of a very powerful recirculating wave in a class IV rapid. I won't bore any non-paddlers with lengthy descriptions of kayak related technicalities, but suffice to say that while swimming is something beginners do frequently, it is a big deal when I pull the chute and get out of my boat while upside down. Last year I hit a log in the river and went upside down and under it. I panicked and literally walked out of my boat. That was the first time I swam in over 7 years.<br />
I am a big proponent of approaching these adventure activities with a certain amount of philosophy. There are life lessons to be learned from the experiences you can have on rivers and in the mountains. But if you don't reflect on your experiences, the lessons and deeper meanings will be lost. All the remains is the thrill, the adrenalin rush and the excitement of taking risks. But that, is hardly deserving of the amount of risk we often take when we engage in adventure activities.<br />
Tomorrow we'll give a lecture to our students about progressing as a paddler with a degree of care. We'll urge them to not rush the progression and push the white water grades too quickly and instead enjoy the journey, take smart risks and reflect on their experiences. Hopefully we are able to plant some seeds.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-64688564368631135602011-10-01T21:59:00.000-07:002011-10-01T21:59:28.493-07:00Identity TheftThis morning I was on the phone with someone from the Fraud Department at RBC who told me: "You have been the victim of identity theft". That actually made me cringe! Not because of the identity theft, but because I got labelled as a 'victim'. After all, I have done so much work on myself to NOT live my life as a victim. So, such a blatant categorization did not sit well with me. Then he mentioned something about all the money that was no longer in my checking account and then I cringed because of the identity theft! Now, the money will be reimbursed and it will all boil down to a bunch of hassle, but what a weird thing! I mean, this came out of nowhere and I have never even known anyone who has had this happen to them. I have to say, the fact that someone has all this information about me and managed to call the bank, pretend to be me and get my password changed to gain access to my account is a bit creepy.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-33612168589043441132011-10-01T21:40:00.000-07:002011-10-01T21:40:14.640-07:00...a little update on Frank.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So a little while ago I challenged one of my kayak students, Frank, to cook a healthy meal. He accepted the challenge and with a little help and guidance he cooked the <a href="http://vitalflow.blogspot.com/2011/09/lemon-pepper-fish.html">Lemon Pepper Fish</a> recipe I had posted. Here he is with his very first healthy meal, cooked by himself and perhaps a little surprised that it actually tasted great!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXD9B6NvdgicXnd8ekscZssbHccwON-9IO6tJz1bdB8tHipiJ-_zPvYcGLDX9mcqFTmJx5qE52224TGFxbKR6qKr3_TYJIm3rgSsvMGMVPMN329XMghKJKLeY9Cpm2vwC_XPBApvIX5Y/s1600/Frank.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXD9B6NvdgicXnd8ekscZssbHccwON-9IO6tJz1bdB8tHipiJ-_zPvYcGLDX9mcqFTmJx5qE52224TGFxbKR6qKr3_TYJIm3rgSsvMGMVPMN329XMghKJKLeY9Cpm2vwC_XPBApvIX5Y/s400/Frank.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-90011860969544812632011-09-30T09:34:00.001-07:002011-10-09T15:54:34.902-07:00Tofu - Healthy and Delicious (if you make it so...)I began eating a fair bit of tofu after reading David Servan-Schreiber's Anticancer book. I trust him, because his book is incredibly well researched and he walks the talk. Once I began experimenting with different ways to marinate the tofu I learned to really enjoy it as well. Tofu was discovered over 2000 years ago in China, were it was called doufu. Legend has it, that a cook added seaweed nigari to soy milk and caused it to curdle - voila! Today you can get tofu in various consistencies, from soft or silken to extra-firm. Tofu is very bland, which makes it incredibly versatile and therefore it's up to you to make it tasty. My downstairs neighbors gave me an excellent tip: cut the tofu in slabs, wrap it in a dry cloth and place some weight on it for 20 min to get the moisture out. This will make the tofu more absorbent, allowing it to take on more of the flavor of the marinade. Tofu can also be frozen in the original package, which will alter the consistency and appearance, making it more spongy and absorbent as well as a bit more yellow.<br />Tofu is an excellent source of protein, with virtually no saturated fats and relatively few calories. On top of that, tofu provides many health benefits. It can help lower LDL Cholesterol levels by as much as 35%-40% and helps other parts of your cardiovascular system run smoothly. For women going through menopause, soy can help alleviate some of the symptoms like hot flashes. Soy contains phytoestrogens, which are basically plant based hormones. In premenopausal women, whose estrogen levels are erratic, these phytoestrogens can dock onto estrogen receptors and act like very, very weak estrogens. When estrogen levels are high, they block out estrogen and when levels are low, they can provide just enough estrogen to reduce uncomfortable symptoms.<br />While there is an overwhelming amount of research that outlines the numerous health benefits of soy, there has also been some concerns. It seem clear at this point that eating soy is healthy, so long as you are not allergic or have a soy intolerance. The question is, how much is too much. I would suggest that eating everything soy, from soy milk, to soy yogurt, to tofu and soy cheese may be a bit much. But eating tofu on a regular basis is a great way to enjoy a more plant based diet. As a society, we are eating too much meat, and it's not just detrimental to our health but the environmental footprint of this enormous meat consumption is also wrecking havoc.<br /><br /><br />For more info on tofu, check out http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=111<br /> And check out this link, where some of the concerns you may have regarding soy are addressed: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=154Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-37648296585497103992011-09-21T21:06:00.001-07:002011-09-21T21:06:11.741-07:00Green TeaHave some Green Tea! It's good for you! My grandmother has been drinking a lot of green tea for a long time and she's always told me that it's healthy. But it wasn't until I read the Anticancer book that I learned why it is healthy and began to appreciate it. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate-3 or EGCG, which is a powerful antioxidant. It inhibits the growth of cancer cells, it reduces the growth of new blood vessels which are needed for tumor growth and metastases and facilitates the death of cancer cells by apoptosis (natural cell death). It activates enzymes in the liver that eliminate toxins from the body and lowers LDL cholesterol levels. It also inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots (thrombosis), which is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.<br />Japanese green teas such as sencha, gyokuro and matcha contain the most amounts of EGCG. In order for the beneficial catechins to be released the tea must be steeped for at least 8 minutes, ideally 10 minutes. Try to drink at least two to three cups of green tea a day, but always drink it within an hour of making it. Otherwise it will loose its beneficial properties.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-80484073988782924512011-09-20T20:57:00.000-07:002011-09-20T20:57:44.984-07:00Lemon Pepper FishFor the longest time I had no idea how to cook fish. I really had no idea how to cook, in general, but even when I started to take some cooking baby steps I didn't cook much fish because I didn't know how to prepare it. Looking back now, I think that was pretty silly, after all, I just needed to look at a recipe and give it a shot! That's really all it takes when it comes to cooking and now we have thousands of recipes at our fingertips online.<br />Not long ago I wrote about a student of mine, who told me he wanted to learn more about nutrition and cooking because he was aware that he was not feeding his body well enough. I've been trying to think of an easy recipe ever since, which he'd be able to make and that would be a healthy meal. Well, I decided that tonight's meal, really wasn't that hard to make and so I am going to challenge Francois to make it on his own. Here it goes:<br /><br />The Meal: A salad, some white fish and rice. Bonus points for Zucchini!<br /><br />Servings: 2 (Francois plus date)<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 Zucchini - medium/large sliced length-wise<br />Lettuce or a small box of baby greens<br />3 Tomatoes - Sliced<br />2 green onions - Chopped<br />Salad Dressing - See <a href="http://vitalflow.blogspot.com/2011/08/flo-notoriously-delicious-salad.html">Flo's Notoriously Delicious Salad Dressing</a><br />White Fish of your choice<br />2 Cups of brown rice<br />1 Lemon<br />Olive oil<br />Salt<br />Pepper<br /><br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />Start out by getting the rice going and just follow the instructions of the rice you buy. A general rule for 2 cups of rice would be to combine it with 4 cups of water (or broth for more flavor) and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with a lid on until the liquid is absorbed.<br />Place the fish in a bake pan or ceramic dish and pre-heat oven to 450 F. <br />Take the lemon and rasp some of the rind over the fish, then squeeze half of the lemon juice over the fish as well. Pour a little olive oil over fish and add salt and pepper. Bake fish for about 15 min, then switch to broil and let the fish crisp a little (you'll have to keep a close eye on it at this point to avoid burning it!).<br />Slice the Zucchini length wise and place the slices in a pan with olive oil. Add salt and pepper, and fry on both sides. You can add a little bit of soy sauce here to give more flavor.<br />The green onions, tomatoes and lettuce are for the salad and with the salad dressing it's worth making enough for several days while your at it.<br /><br />Good luck, and enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-90098677816654511062011-09-19T20:34:00.000-07:002011-09-21T09:57:26.535-07:00TED Talk: What's wrong with what we eat.I watched this TED talk yesterday and I think it's a perfect follow up to the recent discussion about organic food, farming practices etc. So here you go, I highly recommend this 20 min. video.
<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_bittman_on_what_s_wrong_with_what_we_eat.html">http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_bittman_on_what_s_wrong_with_what_we_eat.html</a>
Enjoy!Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-20066931583738339252011-09-18T21:20:00.001-07:002011-09-18T21:20:00.502-07:00What does "Organic" mean anyway?I got a comment in response to yesterday's post, which I am always really excited about. It let's me know that I am not just sending text into cyberspace, which no one reads, plus I like the dialog. I also just came back from a dinner with some friends and there was some discussion about the topic of organic food. The contention seems to be mostly about the price of organic food and what really justifies such a mark-up. As Josh pointed out very much correctly in his comment yesterday, just because something is labelled organic doesn't mean it has no chemicals in it. In other words, there is no guarantee that organic food is 100% chemical and pesticide free.<br />The question on the mark-up of organic products is, in part, one of volume. It is difficult for organic products, which make up a fairly small portion of the market, to compete with products grown or produced in big industrial-style agriculture. When I left Europe 9 years ago, organic products were only marginally more expensive than conventional products, the selection was big and the products were available in almost all stores. I believe we are almost two decades behind Europe when it comes to this trend and we're just not quite at the volume were organic products can compete with conventional ones. We are close, in some markets in the US organic products are close to half the price they are here in BC. <br />When considering if eating organic really makes a difference in the amount of chemicals you get exposed to, it is important to realize that you cannot eliminate all pollutants. But consider this, in 2003 Cynthia Curl, PhD, a researcher at the University of Washington conducted a study in which she analyzed the urine of 42 children aged 2 to 5 for traces of organochlorine pesticides (the most commonly used pesticides). The parents were asked to write down exactly what they gave their children to eat and drink for 3 days. Their diet was considered 'organic' if at least 75% of their food was labelled organic. On the other hand, their diet was considered 'conventional' if their food was at least 75% non-organic. The results showed that the levels of pesticides in the urine of the children on the organic diet was below the maximum acceptable level (as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency). It was also about 1/6 of the level seen in the children eating the conventional diet. Those children, in fact, had levels that were four times the maximum acceptable level. So, clearly eating organic does have an effect on the amount of toxic chemicals that go through your body. That same study was backed up by another study at the same University and similar results have been shown by studies done in Europe as early as 1986.<br />But 'organic' isn't only about our health, it's also about sustainable farming practices and the health of our soil and water. As David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., Ph.D. writes in his book Anitcancer: "Many politicians believe that pesticides promote agricultural productivity, although there is very little hard data to support this belief. Some argue that relying on conventional agricultural chemicals protects the economic activity and jobs in farming areas. It also preserves the interests of the chemical industry."<br />It simply isn't sustainable to continue to dump ever increasing amounts of synthetic chemicals onto our soil. So, while our wallets may bleed still, we are sending a message as consumers and creating a demand for products that are grown in more responsible and sustainable ways. As for growing your own food and buying locally, either directly from local farms or at farmers markets, I not only whole heartedly support that, I think it's the way of the very near future. I recommend a book by Canadian economist Jeff Rubin called "Why Your World Is About To Get A Whole Lot Smaller" which deals with the end of available, cheap oil and the consequent end of globalization. I believe we will soon rely much more on fields closer to home, rather than those half way across the globe. Just one more reason to treat those fields well.<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-30017960054665147912011-09-17T13:55:00.000-07:002011-09-17T13:55:32.232-07:00Eating OrganicThe production of synthetic chemicals, among them pesticides, has gone from 1 million ton in 1930 to over 200 million tons today. The amount of pesticides and chemical food additives we are exposed to regularly is staggering. Yet it's easy to forget and not think about. After all these chemicals are odorless, tasteless, have no color and there is not simple way for us to detect them in our food. But ignoring it, doesn't make it go away. In the US researchers have identified 148 toxic chemicals in the blood and urine of people or all ages. And it's not just pesticides that end up in our food, as Dr. Wentz writes in his book <i>The Healthy Home </i>"Every time you eat meat you are likely drugging yourself with antibiotics". In 2008 the US used 35 million pounds of antibiotics, and 70 % of that went to cows, chickens and pigs that we eat. These are the same antibiotics used on humans, which decreases their effectiveness. So eating organically raised meat is very important. If you find that to be a bit expensive, cutting back on your meat consumption might not be such a bad thing anyway. A long term study of 91,000 nurses over twelve years showed that the risk of breast cancer for those who ate red meat more than once a day was twice as high as for those who ate it less than three times a week.<br />
I understand that eating all organic is an ideal, which is impossible to achieve for most people. I know I can't afford to eat 100% organic, so had to do some research to find out which food is most contaminated and therefore important that I buy organic. There are many lists of most contaminated foods available online that can help you decide what to buy organic and what foods are less contaminated. One of these resources is the Environmental Working Group (<a href="http://www.ewg.org/">www.ewg.org</a>) who developed the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean Fifteen" (<a href="http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/">http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/</a>):<br />
<br />
The Dirty Dozen are foods that are most likely to test positive for pesticides and are highly contaminated. As an example, peaches have been treated with more chemicals than any other produce. Tests have shown combinations of 57 different chemicals.<br />
The Clean Fifteen are vegetables and fruits that are least likely to test positive for pesticides and generally show less contamination.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Dirty Dozen:</u></b><br />
<br />
Apples<br />
Celery<br />
Strawberries<br />
Peaches<br />
Spinach<br />
Nectarines - Imported<br />
Grapes - Imported<br />
Sweet Bell Peppers<br />
Potatoes<br />
Blueberries - Domestic<br />
Lettuce<br />
Kale/Collard Greens<br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Clean Fifteen:</b></u><br />
<br />
Onions<br />
Sweet Corn<br />
Pineapple<br />
Avocado<br />
Asparagus<br />
Sweet Peas<br />
Mangoes<br />
Eggplant<br />
Cantaloupe - Domestic<br />
Kiwi<br />
Cabbage<br />
Watermelon<br />
Sweet Potatoes<br />
Grapefruit<br />
Mushrooms<br />
<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209776379412315755.post-72559115519943667412011-09-16T17:53:00.001-07:002011-09-16T17:53:37.660-07:00Cream of Broccoli SoupCream Of Broccoli Soup <br /><br />Servings: 4<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /> <br />1 cup Broccoli - chopped<br />2 Carrots - chopped<br />1/2 cup Cashews <br />3 stalks Celery - chopped<br />3 cups Chicken Broth <br />3 cloves Garlic - crushed<br />1 tbsp Italian Seasoning<br />3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary<br />1 Onion <br />2 Potatoes or Yams - chopped<br />2 cups fresh Spinach <br />2 tbsp Tomato Paste <br />2 Tomatoes - chopped<br /><br />Directions <br /><br />In a large pot cook garlic, celery, onions, and rosemary using olive oil until onions are softened (about 5 minutes). <br />Add potatoes (or Yams) and 2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Cook for about 8 - 10 minutes with the lid on to cook the potatoes.<br />In a blender grind the cashews to a powder, add 1 cup of broth and blend until it is a smooth cashew milk.<br />Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cashew milk and the broccoli and cook for another 5 min just until the broccoli is done. <br />Add the spinach and cook until it is just wilted.<br />Season with salt and pepper to taste.<br />You can use a Hand Blender to blend the soup to your liking. <br /><br />Serve and enjoy!<br />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15795933213604942379noreply@blogger.com0